"Jonathan Stott" wrote in message
...
Ken Cook wrote:

Rainfall mm
Total 71.5 (91%) High 30.1 on 7th
Total AWS 45.2 (missed a lot of the horizontal rain during the
gales!)
Rain days 23, Wet days 14, Hail 4

I would presume that the discrepancy was more to do with the siting of
the AWS than it's ability to record rain? Perhaps you could describe
the
relative siting of the AWS and manual gauges?

Hi, Jonathan,

Siting on web site, page 5 recent pictures, second down (facing west).

I had a long conversation with the Environment Agency representative
yesterday morning about this. He is going to check the readings of their
white Casella tipping bucket and let me know what that recorded.
Unfortunately the nearest local gauge that they use for comparison is
also suspect as it read 35mm for the month(Copley Met O was 71mm, Davis
AWS 45mm)! He also informed me that a daily manual gauge further up
Teesdale actually overflowed on 7th. Rainfall events around that date
clearly need investigation.

When the Met O and Environment Agency set the equipment up there were
lots of tests done with a moveable gauge to find the best site. Copley
is a rather windswept and to achieve a reasonable amount of protection
(rather like the turf wall system on moorland sites) I have to keep the
hedges trimmed to certain levels. These are checked regularly by the En.
Agency and Met O.

The Met O copper gauge and En. Agency (white) are correctly sited but
the black Davis one is perhaps a little sheltered. Normal strong winds
do not affect the situation, but gale events with driving rain seem to.
I have put a metal extension on the Davis to raise it to the Met O gauge
height and deepen the funnel to stop rain blowing out from the rim.

I will be moving the Davis in the summer to a different site to see if I
can improve the situation. However, we don't know if the problem is over
or under exposure, so it could take some time.

HTH,

--
Ken Cook, Copley (5miles north of Barnard Castle), County Durham.
830ft
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/copley
(MO climat. site updated before 10Z and 19Z daily)
kencookATcopleydurham.freeserve.co.uk
(All times GMT)