There is some debate over whether today's Barbourne was accurate, or
even official.

Barbourne has been a station for as long as I can remember, and is
listed with the Met Office as an official station.

If anyone saw BBC1 today they would of seen Barbourne was quoted on
screen as officially top of the table.

Just because the south east has a sea breeze and hasnt been quoted as
high in the league tables doesnt mean no where else can be.

If some people had watched the forecasts they would of seen the
midlands and east powys were quoted several times as being the
possible hotspots over the next few days - ie no sea breeze inland is
there! doh

*end of rant*

If some people had watched the forecasts they would of seen the
midlands and east powys were quoted several times as being the
possible hotspots over the next few days -
That is precisely why the doubts over Barbourne (and I wish the Met office
would call it Worcester !) are a problem; we in the south east do recognise the
genuine warmth of the lower Severn valley in SE flows when a fohn effect can
boost temperatures on the descent from the Cotswolds (the UK record of 37.1 C
on 3/8/90 comes to mind in Cheltenham). But the point is that the Cheltenham
climate station is in a large grassed square in the town, an excellent example
of an urban site. It is *not* in a walled garden! Worcester should have been
hotter than most places today, but 35 C? Surely the met office could insist on
a thermograph as a check on the observer?

Seems to have been a late surge in temperatures out west this afternoon;
Penmaen, Gower recorded 29 C, - highest in 42 years of observations is just
30.8C (3/8/95). A pity the Carmarthen site closed down - they would be
favoured to exceed 32 today with this ESE wind.

Julian Mayes,
West Molesey in Surrey (30 C max.).