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The objective of this paper is to describe the development and evaluate the performance of a completely new version of the Passive microwave Neural network Precipitation Retrieval (PNPR v2), an algorithm based on a neural network approach, designed to retrieve the instantaneous surface precipitation rate using the cross-track Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) radiometer measurements. This algorithm, developed within the EUMETSAT H-SAF program, represents an evolution of the previous version (PNPR v1), developed for AMSU/MHS radiometers (and used and distributed operationally within H-SAF), with improvements aimed at exploiting the new precipitation-sensing capabilities of ATMS with respect to AMSU/MHS. In the design of the neural network the new ATMS channels compared to AMSU/MHS, and their combinations, including the brightness temperature differences in the water vapor absorption band, around 183 GHz, are considered. The algorithm is based on a single neural network, for all types of surface background, trained using a large database based on 94 cloud-resolving model simulations over the European and the African areas. The performance of PNPR v2 has been evaluated through an intercomparison of the instantaneous precipitation estimates with co-located estimates from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (TRMM-PR) and from the GPM Core Observatory Ku-band Precipitation Radar (GPM-KuPR). In the comparison with TRMM-PR, over the African area the statistical analysis was carried out for a 2-year (2013–2014) dataset of coincident observations over a regular grid at 0.5°  ×  0.5° resolution. The results have shown a good agreement between PNPR v2 and TRMM-PR for the different surface types. The correlation coefficient (CC) was equal to 0.69 over ocean and 0.71 over vegetated land (lower values were obtained over arid land and coast), and the root mean squared error (RMSE) was equal to 1.30 mm h−1 over ocean and 1.11 mm h−1 over vegetated land. The results showed a slight tendency to underestimate moderate to high precipitation, mostly over land, and overestimate moderate to light precipitation over ocean. Similar results were obtained for the comparison with GPM-KuPR over the European area (15 months, from March 2014 to May 2015 of coincident overpasses) with slightly lower CC (0.59 over vegetated land and 0.57 over ocean) and RMSE (0.82 mm h−1 over vegetated land and 0.71 mm h−1 over ocean), confirming a good agreement also between PNPR v2 and GPM-KuPR. The performance of PNPR v2 over the African area was also compared to that of PNPR v1. PNPR v2 has higher R over the different surfaces, with generally better estimation of low precipitation, mostly over ocean, thanks to improvements in the design of the neural network and also to the improved capabilities of ATMS compared to AMSU/MHS. Both versions of PNPR algorithm have shown a general consistency with the TRMM-PR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a new rainfall rate retrieval algorithm, developed within the EUMETSAT H SAF program, based on the Passive microwave Neural network Precipitation Retrieval approach (PNPR v3), designed to work with the conically scanning Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI). A new rain/no-rain classification scheme, also based on the NN approach, which provides different rainfall masks for different minimum thresholds and degree of reliability, is also described. The algorithm is trained on an extremely large observational database, built from GPM global observations between 2014 and 2016, where the NASA 2B-CMB (V04) rainfall rate product is used as reference. In order to assess the performance of PNPR v3 over the globe, an independent part of the observational database is used in a verification study. The good results found over all surface types (CC > 0.90, ME < −0.22 mm h−1, RMSE < 2.75 mm h−1 and FSE% < 100% for rainfall rates lower than 1 mm h−1 and around 30–50% for moderate to high rainfall rates), demonstrate the good outcome of the input selection procedure, as well as of the training and design phase of the neural network. For further verification, two case studies over Italy are also analysed and a good consistency of PNPR v3 retrievals with simultaneous ground radar observations and with the GMI GPROF V05 estimates is found. PNPR v3 is a global rainfall retrieval algorithm, able to optimally exploit the GMI multi-channel response to different surface types and precipitation structures, that provide global rainfall retrieval in a computationally very efficient way, making the product suitable for near-real time operational applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]