Title: Rainfall trends and intensity-frequency-duration relationships in Sharjah City, UAE

Authors: Abdullah Gokhan Yilmaz; Abdallah Shanableh; Tarek Merabtene; Serter Atabay; Naseraldin Kayemah

Addresses: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates ' Department of Civil Engineering, American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates

Abstract: Trend analysis is important to understand effects of climate change and variability on rainfalls. In this study, rainfall and heavy rainfall trend analysis were performed for Sharjah City, UAE. Moreover, rainfall intensity-frequency duration (IFD) relationship was studied by fitting heavy rainfall data to extreme value distributions. Mostly decreasing rainfall trends were detected for short storm durations, whereas statistically non-significant rainfall trends were detected for long storm durations. Also, statistically non-significant increasing trends were detected in heavy rainfalls in Sharjah City. Heavy rainfall data sets were fit successfully to extreme value distributions, and rainfall IFD relationship was created for Sharjah City. Despite the availability of limited data for study area, this study contributed to better understanding of variations in rainfall and heavy rainfalls in Sharjah City. Moreover, derived rainfall IFD relationships by frequency analysis of generated heavy rainfalls provide significant input for water infrastructure projects in Sharjah City.

Keywords: rainfall trends; rainfall IFD curves; heavy rainfalls; Sharjah City; United Arab Emirates.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHST.2020.109949

International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology, 2020 Vol.10 No.5, pp.487 - 503

Received: 12 Sep 2018
Accepted: 24 Nov 2018
Published online: 30 Sep 2020 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article