Ultraviolet solar irradiance measurements performed in the central Andes, Huancayo, Peru at 1 min intervals between January 2003 and December 2006 were used to analyse daily, monthly, and annual cycles of UV solar irradiance. The measurements were performed using a GUV-511 multi-channel filter radiometer at four wavelengths: 305, 320, 340, and 380 nm. The results indicate that tropical central Andes has among the highest incident ultraviolet solar radiation in the world.

Information on the vertical structure of rain, especially near the surface is important for accurate quantitative precipitation estimation from weather and space-borne radars. In the present study, the rainfall characteristics, from a vertically pointed profile Radar in the Mantaro basin (Huancayo, Peru) are observed. In summary, diurnal variation of near-surface rainfall and bright band height, average vertical profiles of the drop size distribution (DSD), rain rate, radar reflectivity (Ze) and liquid water content (LWC) are investigated to derive the rainfall characteristics. Diurnal variation of rain rate and bright band height show the bimodal distribution, where frequent and higher rain rate occurred during the afternoon and nighttime, and more than 70% bright band height found between 4.3-4.7 km. The average vertical profiles of Ze show the opposite characteristics above and below ...