Novel precipitation event data sets are created by tracking 3‐hourly observed rainfall in both
time and space in the TRMM 3B42 and ERA‐Interim data sets. Relative to TRMM, ERA‐
Interim data undersimulate the total number of events (factor of∼ 0.5), and oversimulate the
frequency of events lasting> 5 days (factor of 1.6). Longer‐lasting events tend to have larger
spatial footprints and higher intensity precipitation at any point in their lifetime, and thus
contribute significantly more to total precipitation than shorter events. Precipitation changes …

The water cycle plays a vital role in Earth's climate and biosphere; improving our 27
understanding of variability in water availability is one of the current scientific Grand 28
Challenges from the World Climate Research Programme [eg Trenberth and Asrar, 2014].
29 In a warmer climate, the hydrological cycle is expected to intensify [eg Held and Soden,
30 2006; Bates et al., 2008; Allan et al., 2010]. The manifestation of such an intensification at
31 local levels, however, remains uncertain [Collins et al., 2013]. 32 Looking at …