###### Abstract  
Atmospheric impairment-induced attenuation is the prominent source of signal degradation in radio wave communication channels. The computation-based modeling of radio wave attenuation over the atmosphere is the stepwise application of relevant radio propagation models, data, and procedures to effectively and prognostically estimate the losses of the propagated radio signals that have been induced by atmospheric constituents. This contribution aims to perform a detailed prognostic evaluation of radio wave propagation attenuation due to rain, free space, gases, and cloud over the atmosphere at the ultra-high frequency band. This aim has been achieved by employing relevant empirical atmospheric data and suitable propagation models for robust prognostic modeling using experimental measurements. Additionally, the extrapolative attenuation estimation results and the performance analysis were accomplished by engaging different stepwise propagation models and computation parameters often utilized in Earth-satellite and terrestrial communications. Results indicate that steady attenuation loss levels rise with increasing signal carrier frequency where free space is more dominant. The attenuation levels attained due to rain, cloud, atmospheric gases, and free space are also dependent on droplet depths, sizes, composition, and statistical distribution. While moderate and heavy rain depths achieved 3 dB and 4 dB attenuations, the attenuation due to light rainfall attained a 2.5 dB level. The results also revealed that attenuation intensity levels induced by atmospheric gases and cloud effects are less than that of rain. The prognostic-based empirical attenuation modeling results can provide first-hand information to radio transmission engineers on link budgets concerning various atmospheric impairment effects during radio frequency network design, deployment, and management, essentially at the ultra-high frequency band. a 2022 13 141 10.3390/info13030141 10.3390/11/030141 10.  
antennae, employing different propagation mechanisms such as scattering, diffraction, reflection, and refraction [4]. These occur when all forms of manmade and natural obstacles impede the communication paths and amplitudes. Some obstacles include atmospheric gases, cloud, snow, rain, trees, houses, etc. The resultant effects of these natural and manmade blockades are high attenuation, slow/fast deterioration and steady losses in the intensities of the transmitted waves in space [5; 6; 7; 8]. For example, slow fluctuations occur due to atmospheric precipitation particles, particularly rain water droplets, which often absorb, disperse, and scatter the amplitude and energy of transmitted electromagnetic signals in the Earth-satellite and terrestrial communication links [9; 10; 11]. Non-spherical droplets of rain stimulate the signal depolarization effect over the atmosphere. If flattened rain droplets impinge on propagated radio signal waves, the signal waves become depolarized [12]. The resultant depolarization effects on the signal waves are cross-talk that hamper efficient communication. In addition, oxygen, cloud and snow particles in space are some of the key atmospheric variables that have huge and drastic effects on the energies of transmitted electromagnetic signals, reducing their reliability and availability at the user equipment terminals [13]. In practice, ambient radio wave beam refraction in the ionosphere is another key attenuation factor that requires investigation. However, the signals' attenuation and impairment effects from various natural atmospheric phenomena depend on the transmission frequency, transmission links, and particularly, the location of the signal transmission. Rainfall attenuation impairments are more pronounced in tropical regions than others due to the high presence of heavy and thunderous rain droplets and depths that characterize the region [13; 14; 15; 16]. Precipitation is exceptionally inconstant over time intervals and between different localities; both factors make it somewhat challenging to measure.