Evaluation of a Multi-Link Machine Learning Approach for Rainfall Detection Using Satellite Microwave Links

Mostafa Ftouni, Margherita Spalla, Matteo Colli, Andrea Randazzo, Christian Gianoglio

The impacts of climate change have increased the need for reliable real-time rainfall monitoring systems. This study investigates rainfall detection using a network of opportunistic sensors based on satellite microwave links (SMLs) combined with machine learning (ML) classifiers. Two models, a random forest (RF) and a convolutional neural network (CNN), were trained on aggregated SML data, including information from neighboring links. The results demonstrate that leveraging information from multiple links substantially enhances the detection of both wet and dry periods compared to single-link approaches. Moreover, the RF model consistently provides a more stable and reliable trade-off than CNN, improving rainfall detection and reducing misclassifications overall, with particularly strong performance during harsh weather conditions. The study spanned up to 32 rainy days between 2021 and 2024.