Hourly rainfall pattern for three sites in the State of São Paulo, Brazil: a subsidy to agricultural practices planning

Abstract

This paper describes the rainfall pattern during the day along the different months of the year, calculated on an hourly basis for three sites: Campinas, Pindorama and Ubatuba, SP, Brazil, utilizing data series from 1957 to 1976. Results indicate that there is significative difference in the total of the hourly rainfall in the months of November to March in Campinas; October to April in Pindorama, and October to June in Ubatuba. Results of the hourly frequencies of rainfall are similar to those of total rainfall for Campinas and Pindorama. For Ubatuba, the hourly frequence of rainfall shows significant differences for all months of the year. During the mouths that show significant differences, the morning period is the most appropriate to realize agricultural practices, in which rainfall probability is reduced. During the months that do not show significant differences, the probability of rainfall occurrence is very reduced, less than 10%, in average, in all hours of the day, being possible to program agricultural practices during the whole period.