ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the types of precipitation, the measurement instrumentation, the basic analysis processes of the point rainfall information (homogeneity, filling used for measurement gaps, altitude adaptation) and the methods for the estimation of average surface rainfall. Moreover, hydrological losses are discussed thoroughly, which are defined as the part of precipitation which does not end up in a stream after a rainfall. Hydrological losses are mainly divided into evaporation, transpiration, infiltration, percolation and detention.
