Modelling maximum daily yearly rainfall in northern Algeria using generalized extreme value distributions from 1936 to 2009

The generalized extreme value distribution is generally used to model annual maximum daily precipitation, and it then allows the calculation of the return values of this phenomenon. The distribution was fitted for selected stations in the north of Algeria; it was found that the generalized extreme value distribution of type I or the Gumbel distribution is more suitable for the Algiers and Miliana stations and the Frechet distribution is more appropriate for the Oran station. The parameters were estimated using the maximum likelihood method, and the return levels were calculated at selected return periods T; for instance, about 100 years must elapse to record a level of 181.9 mm of rainfall per day in Algiers, 173 mm in Miliana and 109.54 mm in Oran.