Weather Data Pages

These pages will usually consist of a monthly summary of weather measured at my back garden location at 054^◦30’N 006^◦02’W which is to the Northeast of Lisburn, Co. Antrim and Southwest of Belfast. At just over 50m above sea-level there are some low hills immediately to the West while the Belfast Mountains are a short distance to the North. These latter mountains present a sudden intervention of high ground in the path of prevailing W and SW winds and, in consequence, my location is noticeably wetter than nearby locations to the SW.

My garden is rather sheltered and, therefore, probably not the most suitable place for weather observation. However, it is the only location I have so it’s where I make my observations.

There is nowhere entirely suitable to site a thermometer.  It is, at present on a NNE facing wall and is shielded by a hollow block of white expanded polystyrene with air vents.  It is about 2m above a flagged path and about 1m above a raised area of vegetable bed which starts immediately beyond the path.  I have not been able compute uncertainties for readings off this thermometer and results I have recorded from it must only be considered as a guide to conditions.  However, I get good agreement with published temperature data from nearby locations, including those of the Met Office. The thermometer is radio linked to an indoors weather station.

Early in 2007 I plan to install another thermometer/transmitter in a better location in the garden.  It will probably be shielded from radiation by a louvered expanded polystyrene screen and be fixed to a NNW facing outhouse wall about 1.3 m above a forest bark path  The transmitter will also receive cable signal from the rain gauge and anemometer discussed below and relay this data indoors along with temperature.  Since my present and new thermometers both utilise the same radio frequency, I will have to remove the former and calibrate the new thermometer with a glass bulb spirit thermometer which, in turn will be calibrated against ice water and boiling water.

My rain gauge is a 3” diameter plastic gauge with a reasonably evaporation resistant collection system.  Although the collection cylinder is graduated both in mm and inches I find the 0.01” scale provides more precise readings and have set my results spreadsheets to accept these readings and handle conversion to a 0.1 mm scale. The uncertainty of my readings on this gauge is ± 9 % for a mean daily rainfall based on my current annual mean.

Early in 2007 I hope to install a tipping bucket rain gauge linked by cable to a transmitter/thermometer which will relay readings indoors. I will continue to run my collection gauge in tandem at least until sufficient verification data has been obtained.

I record wind direction and approximate speed, on the Beaufort scale, by visual observation of low level cloud, flags (in season) and behavior of trees and hedges. I usually do this at about breakfast lunch and dinner time. Any wind radar diagrammes I reproduce refer to direction only.

Early in 2007 I hope to install an anemometer linked by cable to a transmitter/thermometer which will relay readings indoors.  I plan to record both wind speed and direction but have not yet decided on a suitable reporting format.

I intend to publish calendar year summaries, starting with 2006. I also intend to produce calendar monthly summaries, starting in January 2007.   If my time permits, I may produce monthly summaries for 2006 later.  I also intend to comment from time to time on noteworthy weather events.