Diurnal variation features and dry times impact based on the latest hourly satellite-based precipitation data across China

China. Extreme precipitation events, especially short-duration events in metropolitan regions, have become more common under changing environment. As one of the most promising sources for obtaining long-term hourly precipitation series, the diurnal variation features of satellite observations and the influence of the large number of dry times on the evaluation results have not been clearly understood. In this study, the three latest versions of satellite-based precipitation products (IMERG V07, GSMaP_Gauge_V8 and CMORPH_V1.0) were thoroughly evaluated spatiotemporally at the hourly scale. IMERG and GSMaP outperformed CMORPH, whereas GSMaP showed better detection capacity. All the considered products showed underestimation of wet times and overestimation of dry times; thus, we proposed that bias be evaluated by the data series made up of wet times to exclude the interference of dry times from the results. All the products performed better between 2:00 and 6:00, having smaller errors and greater correlation and detection capacities, and their superior detection capabilities were also seen between 15:00 and 20:00. In general, the three widely used products still require much progress, as their accuracy and detection capabilities were significantly weaker at hourly scale. The results could offer developers and prospective consumers important resources for enhancing, postprocessing and utilizing the satellite-based products. • Comprehensive evaluation of latest satellite-based precipitation products across China. • The impact of dry times on evaluation was investigated. • Innovative analysis of the diurnal variation characteristics of performance.