New approach to spatial estimation of daily rainfall in the Sudano-Sahelian zone

Rainfall in the Sudano-Sahelian zone is characterized by a spatio-temporal variability which must be taken into account for the estimation of spatial rainfall. The proposed method of estimation is essentially based on spatial discretization of the domain into nested square cells of various sizes, in order to delimit the influence zone. Then, the spatial rainfall for a gauge is estimated from point measurements at neighbouring stations and the station in question, following some criteria relevant to climatic conditions of the region. The results of applying this method to the Massili drainage basin, Burkina Faso, are presented here.