53.05569 -1.95134 Met Office CIMO Assessed Class …..Take a guess! Installed 1/1/1994
When reviewing weather stations my procedure is to study the site, come to my own personal decision based on the evidence and then look up the Met Office assessment to see how the two compare. As I demonstrated in the contrast between Ronaldsway and Market Bosworth there can be some strikingly different opinions over what should be a straightforward application of regulations.
The above aerial image has a 30 metres (approx 100 feet) radius circle centred exactly on the Stevenson screen. There are no obvious unnatural heat sources or artificial surfaces occupying more than 10% of that area.
The site is at 340 metres amsl. The Ordnance survey sheet indicates the 350 metre contour at 180 metres distant eastwards and the 335 metre contour at 200 metres away to the west. The overall slope of 15 metres elevation difference in 380 metres of distance is under 4%.
The Streetview image reveals a very basic manual reporting station in a crude but serviceable enclosure surrounded by typical highland vegetation and very well maintained internally.
There is a low stone wall (approx 1 metre high) approx 20 metres to the east which should be taken into context. None of the surrounding trees would be sufficiently close to cast shadow or be of a major wind shelter.
So what would your assessment be? My personal view was Class 2 and though that wall might make a harsh inspector err on a cautionary Class 3, I would not. This is a fully rural site in open Staffordshire and in my opinion based on this evidence, its data would be fully acceptable for its readings to be included in the national historic temperature record. A further point worth noting is that the observational record is impeccable – with 30 continuous quality years records, a full climate reporting period.
And the Met Office assessment is marked down as Class 4 along with nearly all their inland, rural sites. Again I put forward a simple question, is this site really worse than Heathrow? Which one would you trust to most accurately reflect the natural environment?
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
May 29, 2025 at 03:28AM
Iowa Climate Science Education 