We introduce the Precipitation Probability DISTribution (PPDIST) dataset, a collection of global high-resolution (0.1°) observation-based climatologies (1979–2018) of the occurrence and peak intensity of precipitation (P) at daily and 3-hourly time-scales. The climatologies were produced using neural networks trained with daily P observations from 93,138 gauges and hourly P observations (resampled to 3-hourly) from 11,881 gauges worldwide. Mean validation coefficient of determination (R²) values ranged from 0.76 to 0.80 for the daily P occurrence indices, and from 0.44 to 0.84 for the daily peak P intensity indices. The neural networks performed significantly better than current state-of-the-art reanalysis (ERA5) and satellite (IMERG) products for all P indices. Using a 0.1 mm 3 h⁻¹ threshold, P was estimated to occur 12.2%, 7.4%, and 14.3% of the time, on average, over the global, land, and ocean domains, respectively. The highest P intensities were found over parts of Central America, India, and Southeast Asia, along the western equatorial coast of Africa, and in the intertropical convergence zone. The PPDIST dataset is available via www.gloh2o.org/ppdist.

Understanding of hydroclimatic processes in Africa has been hindered by the lack of in situ precipitation measurements. Satellite-based observations, in particular, the TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) have been pivotal to filling this void. The recently released Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) project aims to continue the legacy of its predecessor, TMPA, and provide higher-resolution data. Here, IMERG-V04A precipitation data are validated using in situ observations from the Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory (TAHMO) project. Various evaluation measures are examined over a select number of stations in West and East Africa. In addition, continent-wide comparisons are made between IMERG and TMPA. The results show that the performance of the satellite-based products varies by season, region, and the evaluation statistics. The precipitation diurnal cycle is relatively better captured by IMERG than TMPA. Both products exhibit a better agreement with gauge data in East Africa and humid West Africa than in the southern Sahel. However, a clear advantage for IMERG is not apparent in detecting the annual cycle. Although all gridded products used here reasonably capture the annual cycle, some differences are evident during the short rains in East Africa. Direct comparison between IMERG and TMPA over the entire continent reveals that the similarity between the two products is also regionally heterogeneous. Except for Zimbabwe and Madagascar, where both satellite-based observations present a good agreement, the two products generally have their largest differences over mountainous regions. IMERG seems to have achieved a reduction in the positive bias evident in TMPA over Lake Victoria.