Global Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves based on observed sub-daily rainfall (GSDR-IDF)

TL;DR

This paper introduces a global dataset of rainfall intensity-duration-frequency curves to improve flood risk assessment and infrastructure planning.

Contribution

The paper provides a new global dataset of IDF curves using the largest quality-controlled sub-daily rainfall data.

Findings

GSDR-IDF uses 24,000+ rain gauge records to estimate rainfall return levels for multiple durations and return periods.

The dataset enables traceable and reproducible global IDF estimates for hydrological and engineering applications.

The resource improves accessibility and precision for global flood risk and climate resilience planning.

Abstract

Short-duration extreme rainfall events can cause flash flooding and infrastructure failures, yet resources to assess these remain limited, particularly at the global scale. Heterogeneous data availability, inconsistent quality control, and methodological differences hinder the development of comparable intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) estimates. To address this gap, we present GSDR-IDF, a global dataset of intensity-duration-frequency curves derived from the largest quality-controlled sub-daily rain gauge dataset: the Global Sub-Daily Rainfall dataset (GSDR), comprising +24,000 hourly rain gauge records for all major climate regions. We apply robust extreme value analysis methods, including single-gauge and regional frequency approaches, to estimate return levels for 1-, 3-, 6- and 24-hour durations and for 10-, 30-, and 100-year return levels. These are then combined to give IDF curves for each rain gauge, providing an openly accessible, traceable, and reproducible resource for hydrological modelling, engineering design, flood-risk assessment and climate-resilience planning. This dataset represents a step change in accessibility and precision for global IDF estimation and enables a wide range of cross-disciplinary applications.

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