Like many of my fellow anoraks (!) on this NG, I have been working on
the October statistics and records this morning.

I must say, it is an exciting time (hence the self-proclamation that I
am a confirmed weather anorak!), and I do enjoy reading the data from
fellow enthusiasts.

Just thought I would share with you some data about 2003 so far because
I think we all realise that it has been pretty exceptional and enjoyable
so far:

Average temperature so far 11.6C (+0.9C)

Rainfall total so far 377.2mm (69%)

Sunshine total so far 1627.0hr (127%)

The most amazing statistic is that the 2003 sunshine total already ranks
this year as 5th sunniest on record with records dating back to 1894, as
shown below.-

1821.8hr 1995
1779.6hr 1990
1746.2hr 1989
1649.3hr 1997
1625.0hr 1984

As for rainfall, the table below shows that the year is also on course
to come close to a rainfall record too, though with November and
December to come, perhaps that is less likely.
439.8mm 1898
440.9mm 1921
492.2mm 1996
500.3mm 1963
506.9mm 1904

Hope you all said "Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits" when you woke up this
morning:-)
--
Steve Jackson,
Bablake Weather Station,
Coventry, UK
http://www.bablakeweather.co.uk

In article ,
Steve Jackson writes:
The most amazing statistic is that the 2003 sunshine total already
ranks this year as 5th sunniest on record with records dating back to
1894, as shown below.-

1821.8hr 1995
1779.6hr 1990
1746.2hr 1989
1649.3hr 1997
1625.0hr 1984

From 1627 hours at the end of October, you should beat 1997, but with
November and December to come there's no guarantee of breaking into the
top three.

As we've mentioned before here, It's striking how much sunnier the last
two decades have been, possibly more due to the Clean Air Act than to
climate change.
--
John Hall
"It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless
information."
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

In message , John Hall
writes
As we've mentioned before here, It's striking how much sunnier the last
two decades have been, possibly more due to the Clean Air Act than to
climate change.

Very true John, but with the vast majority of 20th century recording
stations being in our expanding urban areas, could rising temperatures a
la Global Warming be as much about increased sunshine, and the urban
heat island ,effect rather than climate change per se?
--
Steve Jackson,
Bablake Weather Station,
Coventry, UK
http://www.bablakeweather.co.uk

"Steve Jackson" wrote in message
...
In message , John Hall
writes
As we've mentioned before here, It's striking how much sunnier the last
two decades have been, possibly more due to the Clean Air Act than to
climate change.

Very true John, but with the vast majority of 20th century recording
stations being in our expanding urban areas, could rising temperatures a
la Global Warming be as much about increased sunshine, and the urban
heat island ,effect rather than climate change per se?

I'm sure somebody will be able to explain it properly, but wasn't there
a 'correction factor' added to the the CET series in the early 70's to
take account of the urban heat island effect?

Col
--
Bolton, Lancashire.
160m asl.
http://www.reddwarfer.btinternet.co.uk

Very true John, but with the vast majority of 20th century recording
stations being in our expanding urban areas, could rising temperatures a
la Global Warming be as much about increased sunshine, and the urban
heat island ,effect rather than climate change per se?

No. The urban heat island effect is, as far as I know, taken into account
when calculating the mean global temperature. This of course doesn't mean to
say that the temperature at the edge of a large town hasn't gone up, but that
it's not due to climate change.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.