dataset · Global

Precipitation monthly and daily gridded data from 1979 to present derived from satellite measurements

Within the hydrological cycle, precipitation is the main component of water transport from the atmosphere to the Earth’s surface. Precipitation varies strongly, depending on geographical location, season, synopsis, and other meteorological factors. The supply of freshwater through precipitation is vital for many subsystems of the climate and the environment, but there are also hazards related to extensive precipitation or the lack of precipitation. The analysis of the Global Precipitation Climat

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Source details

Licence: other

Evidence quality: 34.9

Listed in cds public catalogue API on 2026-10-16; relevance/value screened (haiku).

Metadata checked: 2026-10-14T13:20:00.000Z

What's in it

Data offered docs-verified: precipitation, monthly mean (mm day-1) · precipitation, daily mean (mm day-1) · precipitation uncertainty · probability of liquid phase · combined satellite-gauge precipitation random error · combined satellite-gauge precipitation absolute bias error estimate · satellite source index · wind-loss adjusted gauge precipitation · gauge relative weighting · quality index
Coverage docs-verified: Global · Monthly: v2.3 Jan 1979 to Mar 2024; v3.2 Jan 1983 to Dec 2023; v3.3 Jan 1983 to present. Daily: v1.3 Oct 1996 to Mar 2024; v3.2 Jun 2000 to Sep 2021; v3.3 Jan 1998 to present.
Resolution docs-verified: Spatial: 0.5° for v3.2 and v3.3 (monthly and daily); 2.5°x2.5° for v2.3 monthly; 1.0°x1.0° for v1.3 daily. Temporal: monthly and daily.
Update frequency docs-verified: Twice a year
Formats docs-verified: NetCDF-4
Access docs-verified: GPCP product licence (NASA GES DISC data licence for v3.2 and v3.3). Free status and authentication requirements are not stated in the docs.

Useful for

Use cases llm-inferred: Long-term regional rainfall context for drought or water resources assessments · Monthly precipitation climatology for water balance checks at regional scale · Large-scale precipitation reference for evaluating climate or hydrological model outputs
Audience llm-inferred: hydrologists · water resources engineers · climate risk consultants · GIS analysts

Limitations

Constraints llm-inferred: 0.5° grid is coarse for catchment-scale flood risk or drainage design work · Title says 1979 to present, but daily products start in 1996 (v1.3) or 1998 (v3.3) · Monthly and daily versions have fixed end dates (e.g. v3.2 monthly ends Dec 2023), so the latest version must be checked for a given period · Uncertainty, updates and user guidance are marked QA Not Passed on the source page · Daily product is calibrated to GPCC only indirectly, via the monthly product

Evidence

Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.