climate science: MET OFFICE CAUGHT OUT MAKING UP DATA

Monday 27 May 2024

MET OFFICE CAUGHT OUT MAKING UP DATA

This is an amazing story that surely must make the mainstream media. It strikes me that this is the equivalent of the Post Office scandal with data being to all intents and purposes made up. The main story is here:

Met Office Creates Warming Out Of Thin Air | NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT (wordpress.com)

I would encourage everyone to read the comments, as some correspondents are researching further into the location, suitability, and even the existence of some of the weather stations! In particular this one from Ray Sanders:

Ray Sanders PERMALINK

May 26, 2024 4:40 pm

“Only 24 of the 380 stations used by the Met Office to calculate UK temperatures are fit for purpose,”

Well actually it is now only 23 not 24. As Paul will know ( I shared the email response from the Met Office with him) Hastings station was shown as Class 1 but I challenged that assessment and have now had it confirmed it is now registered as only Class 4!

I am currently challenging Cassley station (also shown as class 1) and have been able to confirm that the entirety of Cassley (Loch Shin) Hydro electric power station, access roads/hard standing and air cooling for the generators lie within the critical measurement zone – class 3 or even 4 is more appropriate. I also intend to challenge several others in the near future.

Now here is a separate issue that I have discovered in extensive research into dubious Met Office activities. In my home county of Kent there are currently 7 Met Office weather stations. How does that compare with years gone by? Well in 1970 (when scares of an impending ice age were the latest religion) there were …..31 simultaneously operating Met Office stations in Kent.

So why the huge reduction most of which occurred in the 70s/80s? (N.b. This level of reduction occurred nationally)

Well back then most were “manual” stations that required operators to take readings at regular intervals on site. To “improve” forecasting and data quality (ho ho ho) these were automated obviating operator visits. To achieve this the Met Office had to change the thermometers to Platinum resistance units from traditional chemical ones AND provide power and telecoms to the sites. Back then telecomms effectively meant a land line connection.

{Discussion on change to PRT’s on another day.}

As a direct result nearly all the RURAL sites were closed down as no power or telecomms was readily available. I have identified 25 closed sites since 1970 of which 18 were in rural locations. As some examples the coldest temperature ever recorded in Kent ( -21.3°C) was recorded at rural Elmstone (very close to the middle of nowhere) but this site was closed in 1994, the second coldest was at Anvil Green (I know where it is but very few would ever find it) and this was closed in 1992. Even the hottest UK January record site at rural Eynsford was closed in 2008.

So not only are many existing Met Office sites becoming increasingly affected by UHI, they have removed a huge percentage of premium quality rural sites not so affected. Phoenix44 could probably ascertain the statistical distortions this change would have better than I can.

Now hold this thought, of the 18 closed rural sites I have identified I would suggest all were Class 1. Of the remaining 7 current sites only 3 are Class 1 and 2 of those I will challenge soon as being poor sites.

But just to put the icing on the cake I have also identified that a quarter of all sites appearing on this Met Office “Climate Averages” page DO NOT EXIST at all!!! Despite the fact that latitude/longitude co-ordinates and altitude are quoted a quarter are complete FICTION and do not have a recording station within many miles. As just one example Dungeness (shown) is over 25 radial miles from the nearest recording site.

The Met Office have confirmed this and are now rapidly trying to bluff their way of it

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages