Validation of the EUMETSAT CMSAF global interpolated gridded rainfall estimation (GIRAFE v1) dataset for Türkiye

GIRAFE V1 is a satellite-based global precipitation dataset developed by EUMETSAT under the CMSAF program and released in 2024. This dataset was designed to support various applications such as climate analysis, hydrological modeling, and the investigation of long-term precipitation trends. It provides precipitation data with a spatial resolution of 1 × 1 degree and temporal resolutions at daily and monthly scales, covering the period from 2002 to 2022. In this study, the verification of the GIRAFE V1 data set was made according to the correlation coefficient (CC), Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency, Kling-Gupta Efficiency, Root Mean Squared Error and Mean Error values by using the monthly total precipitation data of 79 observation points in Türkiye. Validation is handled both for each grid separately and for the entire data set. According to the findings obtained, it was seen that the data set was consistent at the rate of CC = 0.73 for the whole of Türkiye and for the 2002–2022 period. While the data set was CC = 0.79 in summer, it decreased to CC = 0.69 in winter and spring. After all, GIRAFE V1; It is emphasized that it can be selected as an alternative data set to traditional precipitation observation data, other satellite-based precipitation data and reanalysis precipitation data. The results of the study contribute to the use of an alternative dataset for flood, drought and environmental management applications for decision makers and planners. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Korea Spatial Information Society 2025.