Jasper-Tönnies, AlrunAlrunJasper-TönniesHellmers, SandraSandraHellmersEinfalt, ThomasThomasEinfaltStrehz, AlexanderAlexanderStrehzFröhle, PeterPeterFröhle2019-08-302019-08-302018Water Science and Technology 1 (2017): 27-35 (2018)http://hdl.handle.net/11420/3239Sophisticated strategies are required for flood warning in urban areas regarding convective heavy rainfall events. An approach is presented to improve short-term precipitation forecasts by combining ensembles of radar nowcasts with the high-resolution numerical weather predictions COSMO-DE-EPS of the German Weather Service. The combined ensemble forecasts are evaluated and compared to deterministic precipitation forecasts of COSMO-DE. The results show a significantly improved quality of the short-term precipitation forecasts and great potential to improve flood warnings for urban catchments. The combined ensemble forecasts are produced operationally every 5 min. Applications involve the Flood Warning Service Hamburg (WaBiHa) and real-time hydrological simulations with the model Kalypso Hydrology.en0273-1223201812735Journal Article10.2166/wst.2018.079Other