Abstract: | Arid regions generally lack surface water records for developing flood characteristics for hydraulic design purposes. Consequently good records of floods, particularly large ones, are a data asset to arid zone hydrology. A large rainfall and runoff event which occurred on 23 April 1985 has been fully recorded on Wadi Ghat, a 597 km2 catchment in southwest Saudi Arabia. Maximum point rainfall intensity was 115.4 mm hr?1. The peak discharge was 3200 m3 s?1. Point rainfall has an expected frequency of occurrence in excess of once every 200 years. The peak discharge is expected to occur on an average once in 143 years. |