Abstract: Based on fuzzy recognition method, Chicago method, Pilgrim & Cordery method and same frequency method, the minute by minute rainfall data at 14 National Meteorological Stations in Hunan Province from 1980 to 2013 are used to identify and investigate the rainstormpattern within short durations of 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min.The results show that nearly all the rainstorm patterns in Hunan Provincepresent a single-peak pattern, in which the rainfall peak is located in the front of rainfall period.Although the method and principle of Chicago method and Pilgrim & Cordery method are different, the calculated rainfall peak intensities are similar.Most of the rainstorm patterns forall duration rainfalls investigated by both methods are consistent with each other, and closer to reality than by other methods.The same frequency method is less effective than the Chicago method and Pilgrim & Cordery method.