Hydrometeorological monitoring in the Toce Valley (Italy), during the MAP-SOP 1999 TOCEX experiment

During the MAP-SOP'99 observation period a strong effort was made, aimed at the charcterisation of the hydometeorological conditions prior and during the extreme precipitation events. The experiment focused on the observation of river discharge and several meteorological variables in the whole Toce watershed in the Lago Maggiore target area. Data were provided in real time by Settore Meteoidrgrafico Regione Piemonte, Servizio Idrografico e Mareografico Nazionale and ENEL Spa, but some were also obtained by University of Brescia – UNIBS through topographic filed campaigns and the installation of its own monitoring devices.
In the Toce Valley 13 raingauges were installed to investigate the high rainfall intensity and total precipitation while also other hydrological parameters were observed. In the whole Ossola region two valleys were selected: the Anzasca Valley, where 11 raingauges were set up, and the Vigezzo Valley where other two instruments were installed. Every two weeks surveys were made for the maintenance, checking and data downloading from the data loggers connected to the raingauges. After each survey data files for total and daily precipitation were created from the sequence of recorded cumulative platform balance motions. For the most important observation periods, called IOPs and listed in the Map catalogue, graphics and tables with total precipitation and 10 minutes rainfall intensity were also obtained.