Llangunllo:Cefnsuran DCNN 8338 – Another example of why domestic gardens are inappropriate sites.

52.33225 -313338 Met Office CIMO assessed Class 5S Installed 1/1/1989

This manual station lies 3 miles west of Knighton on the Wales/England border with the major Shobdon. Airfield site under 14 miles away. Its record of observations is exemplary as is so often the case with these types of dedicated amateur sites reporting on behalf of the Met Office. The question is, are such sites’ readings suitable for inclusion in compiling the national historic temperature record? I contend that they are not and this site is another of the very many examples that demonstrate why.

My concerns regard the simple fact that domestic gardens serve firstly the functions of the household and the needs of the homeowners. Whilst these weather stations will almost certainly be held in high regard by their custodians, the necessities and eventualities of life will inevitably often take priority over the reading’s integrity. As shown at Derrylin in Northern Ireland there are no regulations controlling garden activites that have no enclosures restricting access. Pitching a tent next to the screen was demonstrated there as an example. Below is the 2009 Google Streetview image of this Cefnsuran site.

Warning signs are, no proximity restrictions, the relatively low but seemingly new perimeter hedging, and the potential for activities outside the owners control close by in the field alongside the perimeter. If this seems trivial, bear in mind that drastic actions affecting everyone’s lifestyles and well being are based on historic temperature change and its alleged dangerous recent increase based on data from this type of site. Without wishing to make any allegations, what surety can the public have that readings are never tampered with to gain area publicity – the issues raised at Faversham were never resolved and many consider the 2003 record there was not authentic.

So now consider the more recent 2021 view.

The CIMO assessed ratings I quote are for the related issues of both temperature and humidity. Hanging out the “washing” is a typical garden function intended to dry out the items by evaporating the water into the environment. What other occasional garden functions are likely to occur – barbecues, garden waste fires, storage items, entertaining …anything in normal life can happen detrimental to the temperature readings such as at Copley.

Then consider the considerable shading issue noted in the headline image which orientates north/south and this additional Streetview image from the indicating significant tree growth since site instalation further compromising the screen.

To summarise, I am confident there are many useful purposes to such weather stations, however, basing a long term national historic temperature record on such normally transient sites is not one of them under any circumstances. The recent inclusion of so many relatively new and climatically dubious sites to the station listing of climate reporting sites seems more than just slightly “motivated” to find “proof” of a theory. Again i will make the comment – this has to stop.