In recent years, numerous studies have shown a growing concern about the effects of climate change on the hydrological cycle and hydrological extremes. In particular, statistical analyses on either long hydrological series or modelled data show conflicting trends in different areas of Europe. In addition, the absence of continuous observations and the significant alterations experienced by some watersheds makes difficult to quantify the effects of climate change. These critical issues are particularly felt in Southern Italy where hydrometric monitoring is often discontinuous, updated flow rating curves rarely exist, and territories underwent significant anthropogenic transformations. The present work aims to update flood time-series in Southern Italy, using direct and indirect measurements, over the period 1920-2021. The numerous missing data were reconstructed by means of specially defined flood rating curve or by using daily flow rates to derive equivalent flood flows through the empirical function by Fuller. The obtained series were, then, analysed using the nonparametric Mann-Kendall test in order to detect possible trends. The results of the present study provide preliminary indications of flood trends over the last 50 years in Southern Italy by integrating an information gap regarding this phenomenon and its dynamics.
How to cite: Manfreda S., M. Messina, A. Avino, T. Pizzolla, R. Bonelli, L. Giuzio, V. Totaro, V. Iacobellis, M. Fiorentino, V. Corbelli, Updating flood annual maxima in Southern Italy, Italian Conference on Integrated River Basin Management (ICIRBM – 2023), 41-50 (ISBN 978-88-97181-87-3).
