"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
"Steve J" wrote :
On 13 Dec, 16:06, Ian wrote:

Please tell me you are not supposed to record this as a rain day if
you do record 0.2mm, otherwise I've been cocking up for 30 yrs!!

I do include it Ian, in Met O returns and all other statistical
outlets.

In the Met Office return, we are simply asked to total days with 0.2mm
or more.

However, after over 20 years of sending data to the Met O, Ken taught
me something I didn't know today about the double xx before the 0.2mm
for dew/frost - a trace x is fine, but the other passed me by all this
time.

Unfortunately, the new automated system of submitting climate
returns to the Met Office, known as OWL, is not able to
differentiate between 0.2mm from rain and 0.2mm from other
hydrometeors, so this useful distinction is now more-or-less at
an end.


In 30 years I predict most of meteorology will be automated - from observing to
forecasting. There will still be research of course and probably a human still
in the forecasting loop for severe weather watches, even presentation could be
automated with the rapid advances in robot technology. And ... before anybody
comes back at me and points out present deficiences, remember that 30 years is
an awful long time for technological development. I expect to be dead in 30
years too.

Happy days :-)

Will
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