Precipitation return levels in Finland

Data tables

The precipitation return levels presented in the tables can be used for risk assessment of abundant precipitation and the use of design rainfall. The values have been calculated for those weather stations of the Finnish Meteorological Institute from which long (typically over 50 years) and reliable time series can be obtained. When applied to other locations, one should select the weather station which is climatically closest, which, in practice, usually is the nearest station. The calculated values are based on observations which means that the predicted impacts of climate change are not included.

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Return levels for precipitation of six hours at weather stations in different parts of Finland. With the help of the table it is possible to examine precipitation (in millimetres) which has a frequency (return period) of either 10, 20, 50, 100 or 500 years. The table shows the best estimate (average - avg.) and the limits within which 95% of cases occur. Empty cell means that the method used was not applicable for estimating the return levels in question.

Precipitation return levels in Finland, 6 hours
ret.period 1201 Jokioinen observatory 7501 Sodankylä
years 95% avg. 95% 95% avg. 95%
10 31 44 56 21 26 33
20 38 54 69 23 29 37
50 50 71 92 25 33 42
100 60 86 112 26 36 47
500 - - - 30 43 57

Reference: [1]

  • Venäläinen, A., Saku, S., Kilpeläinen, T., Jylhä, K., Tuomenvirta, H., Vajda, A., Räisänen, J. & Ruosteenoja, K. 2007. Sään ääri-ilmiöistä Suomessa. Ilmatieteen laitos, Helsinki. Ilmatieteen laitoksen raportteja 2007:4. 81 s. http://hdl.handle.net/10138/1138 

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