51.66391 0.04141 Met Office Assessed CIMO Class 5 & UNSATISFACTORY Installed 1/1/1978
High Beach is one of the 14 Met Office sites within 40km radius of Central London – “Stations are usually around 40 km apart, enabling us to record the weather associated with the typical low pressure and frontal systems that cross the UK. ”
Given the large area available for station siting and that clearings in Epping Forest are actually rarities rather than common situations, it is somewhat surprising that this site was selected to be a “Climate” reporting station.
A closer look…………
The site meets none of the specified requirements to make even a lowly Class 4 and falls into the lowest Class 5 which, in reality, has no specifications at all as clearly shown in the very short description given in the CIMO Guide:
“2.6 Class 5 (additional estimated uncertainty added by siting up to 5 °C)
Site not meeting the requirements of class 4.”
The above is essentially an admission that there are no regulations whatsoever on all the 112 Class 5 stations from which the Met Office uses readings to contribute to the historic climate record. Consequently, this station, in a clearing in a forest, in a small area surrounded on all sides by buildings in close proximity and next to the car park and waste bins is in some way – acceptable? Furthermore the staff taking the manual readings do not seem overly committed to the task as an example from the site’s “Remarks” attest.
From the latest Freedom of Information request of the Met Office’s own assessment procedure, indicates High Beach is officially “UNSATISFACTORY”
What confidence can any impartial person have in the validity of readings from such a poorly sited weather station with uncertain observing quality that continues to be used?
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
October 6, 2024 at 08:09AM
Iowa Climate Science Education 