Rain height dynamics over some coastal cities of South Africa for earth-space links design

One of the major parameters required for the prediction of rain-induced attenuation is the rain height. This paper presents some dynamic features of rain height measurement from TRMM-PR over two coastal cities in the Republic of South Africa. The analysis of 5-year data on the variation of bright band height, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, and temperature reveal seasonal dependence over the studied locations. The result shows the existence of stratiform-convective interaction within the season, especially during the summer months. The observed exceedance in the probability of the bright band also shows the presence of two rain type (stratiform and convective). Comparison of rain height measurements with the recommended ITU-R reveals above 1 km variations with the percentage difference of about 30%, which could create a serious negative effect on the link design. This study suggests the adaptation of local rain height data for better accuracy of link design for the region.