Setting a methodology to detect main directions of synchronous heavy daily rainfall events for Lazio region using complex networks

Knowing the dominant directions along which heavy daily precipitation events occur synchronously can be of great importance to better understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of rainfall. Furthermore, it can help to improve flood forecasting system. In this paper we propose a methodology based on complex network measures of Event Synchronization (ES) and Network Directionality (ND) to detect main synchronization directions of heavy daily rainfall recorded in the Lazio region (central Italy). We considered 15 rain gauges in the study area, with daily precipitation records ranging from 1951 to 2017. From the preliminary results emerged that for the case study heavy rainfall events occur simultaneously along the directions belonging to the angular sector NW-W and SE-E.