Abstract
The present paper assesses skill of six current Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models in simulating the diurnal cycle of precipitation by utilizing the dataset of Enhanced Observing Period (EOP3 from Oct 1, 2002 to Sep 30, 2003) of the Coordinated Enhanced Observation Period (CEOP). Diurnal change of precipitation intensity and frequency of 16 CEOP sites are calculated from observed and modeled data for each site, and then normalized by mean intensity and frequency, respectively. The averaged diurnal cycle of precipitation shows an afternoon peak, a night time peak, and a low intensity in the early evening (18 LST). An analysis using satellite data indicates that the early-evening low intensity is due to rapid cease of convective precipitation in the early evening followed by the start of stratiform precipitation. All the models produce an afternoon peak of precipitation, but the start timing of the afternoon peak is predicted too early in the models. Moreover, no model produces the night time peak and the early-evening low intensity.
