CHIRPS: Climate Hazards InfraRed Precipitation with Station Data

CHIRPS is a quasi-global rainfall dataset spanning from 1981 to the present, covering 50°S to 50°N at 0.05° (~5 km) spatial resolution. Produced by the Climate Hazards Center at UC Santa Barbara. Available at daily, pentadal (5-day), dekadal (10-day), and monthly time steps. Combines satellite cold cloud duration (CCD) observations from infrared imagery with in-situ rain gauge data using the CHPclim (Climate Hazards Center Precipitation Climatology) as a background field. Particularly valuable for transboundary hydrological analysis in the Incomati Basin where ground-based rain gauge coverage is sparse in Mozambique and Eswatini. Accessible through multiple platforms including Digital Earth Africa, Google Earth Engine, and the Climate Hazards Center data server. Supports drought monitoring, rainfall trend analysis, and hydrological modelling across the full basin regardless of national boundaries.