Review and guidelines for forecasting flooding from rivers
This project examined the research and produced guidelines to help people choose the right real-time model for forecasting flooding.
Documents
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Details
This project reviewed previous research into forecasting, such as when and where flooding from rivers might happen. It looked at two primary elements of flood forecasting:
- measuring and forecasting rainfall
- the modelling of flooding in real time
The research involved considering:
- all the approaches currently being used from the simplest to the most complex
- the uncertainties involved in forecasting - how they can be kept to a minimum
- the main problems Environment Agency staff report about flood forecasting
- the technical background to the existing guidelines to real-time modelling
It provided guidelines for people involved in flood forecasting to choose the right model for different types of river, flood plain and catchment, as well as for different purposes. The research also looked at existing gaps in knowledge, and the opportunities for research to fill these gaps.
The project started in 2001 and was completed in 2005.