Rainfall–streamflow–air temperature datasets (and catchment information) available internationally to assist with PUB Decade top-down modelling

One of the purposes of the Top-Down modelling Working Group (TDWG) within the Prediction in Ungauged Basins (PUB) Initiative of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) is to use available data (including new datasets – e.g. remote sensing products) to test existing rainfall-runoff models and develop new models. As such, effort has been made to collate data for a wide variety of catchments distributed over the globe. The first datasets obtained are for the UK, USA and Australia, yielding a total of 830 catchments. This paper describes the datasets, and presents an example of data analysis techniques that are being used to explore the behaviour of the different catchments represented in the datasets. Work will continue to expand the list of catchments with available data, and any additional datasets will be made available either directly or indirectly through the TDWG website (www.stars.net.au/tdwg).