Analysis of the series of precipitation at Padova,Italy

The series of rainfall at Padova, Italy, for the years 1725–1981, is among the longest in the world. This paper concerns itself with both the history and analysis of the data: in fact operational procedures, rain gauges, sites and data quality have been carefully investigated since the beginning of the series and are herewith described. Afterwards, seasonal variations, trends, periodicities, vacillations and recurrence intervals of the frequency, precipitation amount and intensity of the monthly totals are discussed. From this analysis, the seasonal variation and a secular trend are well evident; the periodicities are generally modest and not well defined; the vacillations appear to be recurrent through-out the entire series. In conclusion, the analysis of this long series may be a useful tool not only for helping in the practical utilization of the rainfall, but also for gaining an insight into the possible mechanisms of climatic fluctuations.