On Thu, 25 Feb 2016 06:58:21 -0800 (PST), Desperate Dan
wrote:

Look, I don't work for UKMO and have no direct knowledge of the plans for
WOW, but I'm guessing that the right statistical approach over time within
WOW will readily identify which WOW contributors _do_ generate more reliable
data and will weight those particular observations accordingly. Don't
underestimate the power of statistics in this context.

Within the Met Office, and worldwide through the WMO, instrumentation is standardised. This doesn't mean that all instruments are the same, but that all instruments achieve the same measurement standard as defined by WMO No8. The reason for this is fairly obvious. WOW, as far as I am aware, has no standards whatsoever so all, and I really mean all, data coming from WOW is suspect. That it should be used in an advisory capacity is an excellent idea. That it should be used to enhance model forecasts is, to my mind, folly in the extreme!

I'd go along with that.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.
http://peakdistrictweather.org