DS CEN/TR 17993:2023

Calibration and accuracy of non-catching precipitation measurement instruments

Scope

Non-catching type gauges are the emerging class of in situ precipitation measurement instruments. For these instruments, rigorous testing and calibration are more challenging than for traditional gauges. Hydrometeors’ characteristics like particle size, shape, fall velocity and density need to be reproduced in a controlled environment to provide the reference precipitation, instead of the equivalent water flow used for catching-type gauges. They are generally calibrated by the manufacturers using internal procedures developed for the specific technology employed. No agreed methodology exists, and the adopted procedures are rarely traceable to internationally recognized standards. This document describes calibration and accuracy issues of non-catching instruments used for liquid/solid atmospheric precipitation measurement. An overview of the existing models of non-catching type instruments is included, together with an overview and a description of their working principles and the adopted calibration procedures. The literature and technical manuals disclosed by manufacturers are summarized and discussed, while current limitations and metrological requirements are identified.