(7) The Babylon Bee on X: “Federal Judge Orders Astronauts Be Returned To Space Station https://t.co/j8XQJbA3Cs https://t.co/wEcVnLAJrb” / X
via Real Climate Science
March 17, 2025 at 03:06PM
52.01448 -0.59612 Met Office CIMO Assessed Class 3 Installed 1/1/1882
Woburn is one of the four sites run by Rothamsted Research with others being Brooms Barn, North Wyke and Rothamsted itself. These are all run impeccably with consistency of readings throughout both manual and automatic periods of operation. Woburn was automated in 2000 with over 100 years of reliable manually recorded data. Another good quality site that is, oddly, only rated class 3
The site is visible from the roadside in flat open countryside with no shading from trees or buildings on fields annotated on the Ordnance Survey sheet as designated for “research”. Historic images do not show cropping rather just occasional pastureland use. Heathrow Airport site is class 3 and I find it astonishingly difficult to feel this site is no better than the perimeter of one of the world’s busiest international airports. The 30 metre delineated area for Class 2 is shown below – technically this site probably does not meet Class 2 on the basis that hardstanding covers marginally more than the maximum permitted 10% though it is a very close thing. I doubt the site is problematic to the reading’s overall accuracy.
An important point to note is that this is not the original site but I cannot find when the relocation occurred. The CEDA digital archive records for temperature going all the way back to 1898 show the current coordinates and elevation.
This is incorrect and required going back to copies of the original handwritten documents to confirm this as below.
The coordinates given convert to a digital 52.03058 – 0.59316 and are 2 kilometres distant with the relocation clearly necessary due to development of the site into a business park by the M1/A421 junction.
This relocation probably did not affect the temperature readings being at almost exactly the same elevation and back then (from the 1945 Google historic site image) was in equally open countryside. I do consider it important though that such moves are openly noted and not “disguised” by the change over to digital recording. Most of the older long term sites have been relocated over time, some with significant changes of surrounding environment, and this is important information not to be lost. I already suspect many modern day meteorologists are misled by this failure to record site moves as highlighted in my report on Benson site. There, the original location was in the village “frost hollow” site though this feature is not reflected in its modern site on high ground at the RAF base. {I have chosen to emphasize this point relative to an ongoing query with the Met Office regarding the “doctoring” of historic records at Waddington}-
The important thing about Woburn is that like Benson, South Newington and Stowe amongst a few others, it is well away from large urban areas, inland and in reasonably open countryside. Such sites should well reflect central England but there are disproportionately fewer of these than coastal sites and urban ones. This map from weatherobs clearly displays the very high concentration of eleven sites in tiny sector of west London and very few in “mid England”. Consider a 40 km radius circle centred on the modest sized town of Aylesbury compared to one centred on the massive Urban Heat Island of central London. A large number of these non coastal sites are in cities with classic examples at Oxford and Cambridge with major UHI distortions.
To find stations such as Woburn, Rothamsted or any of the aforementioned rural stations highlighted as the daily “High” is exceedingly rare, conversely, as I have recently emphasized they are often recording “Lowest” as below.
Woburn is definitely one of the few worthy sites for inclusion in the national historic temperature record compiled from a regulated geographic spread of sample points rather than the current haphazard and ill defined system currently operated by the Met Office.
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
March 17, 2025 at 02:43PM
After being sanctioned by the judge for attempting to steal another million dollars via perjury and fraud, Micheal Mann says all he wants is for people to be nice to him. (10) Prof Michael E. Mann on X: “The @washingtonpost … Continue reading →
via Real Climate Science
March 17, 2025 at 02:13PM
“The last four decades of global warming have led to a net gain in life expectancy.” – Piotr Walkowiak et al., 2025
Throughout Europe, exposure to harsh winters in colder climates is a greater mortality threat than living in warm climates with very hot summers. Succinctly put, warmer, milder winters save lives, whereas cold weather and harsh winters shorten lives.
The authors of a new study insist modern emphasis on limiting global warming so as to reduce heat-related mortality is misplaced, as it neglects the much more dangerous threat posed by cold weather.
“The primary climate threat that reduces life expectancy in Europe continues to be low temperatures.”
“…the dominant threat remains low-temperature mortality, which should no longer be neglected in the analysis of climate risk.”
Living in cold weather regions can reduce life expectancy by up to two years, whereas living in climates with hotter-than-optimal summers has almost no effect on reduced life expectancy.
“Colder-than-optimal temperatures had a greater effect on mortality than warmer ones. In Europe’s coldest regions, harsh winters reduced life expectancy by up to 24 months, while warmer areas like the Azores saw reductions of just 2 months.”
“…the most favorable regions for life was those with warm winters, yet moderated summer temperatures due to proximity to the sea…”
As the climate continues warming over the coming decades, this will have a net health benefit for humans.
“In broad terms, the climate in Europe is likely to become marginally less hazardous for humans…”
“…even after controlling for economic growth, a modest warming trend appears to offer a moderate benefit from the perspective of life expectancy.”
Due to the health benefits and improved life expectancy in warmer climates, older people should be migrating away from cold regions and into warmer ones.
“…there is a potential benefit in encouraging retirees to migrate to warmer islands or coastal areas as a thoughtful policy.”
“Opting for retirement migration to warmer locations should be encouraged as a health-conscious decision – a finding that mirrors the behavioral choices observed in previous studies.”
Image Source: Piotr Walkowiak et al., 2025
via NoTricksZone
March 17, 2025 at 01:54PM
