Pitsford Addendum – The Plot thickens

A number of readers have contacted me since posting my review of Pitsford weather station regarding the site and I feel this warrants some further investigation. I have uncovered further oddities into the where it is and when, casting even more doubts about its readings

A reader forwarded me a link to the headline image which is from a 2022 BBC article. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-62222699 . They asked how could that be the site I had identified as there would not be any buildings in view from the point I had identified. I had to agree and delved into Goggle Earth Pro for an answer. In typical BBC fashion the above image was NOT of the Pitsford site in 2022, however, it was the Pitsford site back in 2005 as shown in this image below.

This now starts to explain the low Met Office CIMO rating – if they had rated this site it would definitely only be Class 4 at best and note the heavy shade it is experiencing in the headline immage. But why would they have assessed that site as it had long gone when they installed the new site in 2018? The CIMO ratings still make no sense in reality unless some “inspection” findings were not actually done on site……..

A further indicator in the headline image is the parapet on the lower section of roof on the left end of the main building. There can be seen the railings with the “other” Stevenson screen and weather station behind them. Here is another dated picture looking out from the parapet courtesy of Geograph .

My original view of the rooftop station was clearly a different date and viewing angle to above with a different screen and modifications apparent. So much for readings being taken over a grass surface.

I completely missed commenting on the obvious issue of the vapour escaping from what is clearly either a flue (almost certainly) or possibly some form of air evacuation vent possibly from kitchens below. Whatever the source this would have serious ramifications for temperature readings. Indeed the original siting of the screen in such a location seems absurd as I doubt that flue is, at most, 5 metres away. Then again the modern day met office rarely concerns itself with such close proximity to intense heat sources so why should a private weather station worry.

There is a very confused picture about this Pitsford site over a relatively short time frame. There are now three known locations for the screen, two as a PWS and one as an officially sanctioned Met Office one with a mixture of automated and manual readings from the same school observers. Concerns I have raised in the past relate to “getting on the map” and the positive publicity derived from weather records particularly high temperatures. It was notable that Pitsford was locked in with the “Topsy-Turvy” and highly spurious station Santon Downham. That records from all Pitsford sites now suddenly appear to have ceased with links to readings now severed goes all the way full circle to Tim Channon’s observation I started the original review with – “Curiously records or near records tend to be set followed by site cessation or sudden site change / equipment change.”

If anyone can offer any further information regarding this site it would be greatly appreciated – something doesn’t stack up!