I have at last got my AWS in the right position, I think. Today's high at
Pitsford was 22.4C; mine was 26.4. I assume the higher reading here is
because I'm in a sheltered position surrounded by 2 & 3 storey houses, so
don't benefit from any cooling breeze that may be around. However, read on
......

Looking round their web site, I found they have another station at
Brixworth, about a mile further north than the parent Pitsford site. Their
high today was 24.4C, even closer to mine. Looking through their readings,
one thing stuck out like a sore thumb. Over the last few days we've had some
rain in these parts (and the water butt still has holes in it!), and I've
recorded significantly less than Pitsford has. Yesterday for instance, I
recorded 3.6mm, Pitsford 8.13mm, but Brixworth only 2.98mm. But what really
does stand out is the annual total to date. Pitsford 196mm, Brixworth 120mm,
me N/A.

From what I can work out, both stations are using identical equipment, and
are monitored by the same team and software. Since there is only a mile
between those two stations, and they are both pretty much the same level
above the datum, with no mountains or caverns between them, is it normal to
have this difference in overall rainfall?

[Geography of the area: River Nene flows west to east 55m ASL, I'm 3 miles
north of the river, 50 metres higher, Pitsford a further 3 miles north of
me, and Brixworth a mile north of Pitsford, both about 10 metres higher than
me. Nene Valley does at times produce its own micro weather system,
especially during thunder storms. It can be ****ing down on the river while
we bask in glorious sunshine.]

Pitsford at http://www.northantsweather.org.uk/. Brixworth linked at the
bottom of the right hand pane.

jim, Northampton

On Thu, 3 Jun 2010 at 00:26:25, jbm wrote in
uk.sci.weather :

I have at last got my AWS in the right position, I think. Today's high at
Pitsford was 22.4C; mine was 26.4. I assume the higher reading here is
because I'm in a sheltered position surrounded by 2 & 3 storey houses, so
don't benefit from any cooling breeze that may be around. However, read on
.....

Looking round their web site, I found they have another station at
Brixworth, about a mile further north than the parent Pitsford site. Their
high today was 24.4C, even closer to mine.

Personally, I've found temperature readings on a sheltered north-facing
wall are usually better (closer to those forecast) than ones in an
inadequately positioned screen.
--
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham (change 'invalid83261' to 'blueyonder' to email me)