The distribution of rainy days in the Aegean area

Abstract

The object of this study is the determination of the number of rainy days in the area of the Aegean sea, based on data obtained from 14 observation stations during the period 1950–1975. The results showed considerable differences from North to South. The seasonal number of rainy days as well as that of rainy spells were examined for the period 1950–1975. The spells of rainy days play an important role in the agricultural activities, especially over the southern part of the Aegean sea basin, where the annual amounts of rainfall are insufficient. From the data was concluded that during the summer, more than four consecutive rainy days were recorded at the northern most stations only and these of infrequent occurrence; whereas during the winter, it was possible to encounter up to 15 consecutive rainy days. Finally, we give a theoretical distribution for the rainy spells for each station and for each season and year, using Polya's method. We found that this distribution fitted well the 95% of the confidence level in the majority of the cases.