Abstract
Japan Meteorological Agency announces emergency warning of heavy rainfall when 48-hour rainfall amount is expected to exceed the 50-year value at more than fifty 5km-grids. Spatial distribution of heavy rainfall is important to judge the emergency warning. In this study, by using the GSMaP data from 2001 to 2009, 50-year value of 48-hour rainfall amount is calculated all over Japan and the surrounding ocean. As the number of available GSMaP data is limited and GSMaP may be affected by surface snow cover, the calculation method needs to be modified. 48-hour rainfall amount exceeded to its 50-year value on prefecture scale at two heavy rainfall events which are said to be corresponding to the emergency warning. It is important to check the spatial scale of grids with high return period rather than the absolute value of return period. This method is applied for Kanto and Tohoku heavy rainfall in September 2015.
