Huntsham DCNN 8893 – Another unenclosed site by the vegetable plot with a neighbouring trend.

50..95310 -3.43853 Met Office CIMO assessed Class 5 Installed 1/1/1964 Temperature readings from 16/3/2006

Although shown as an original installation date of 1964, the Huntsham site has only been reporting temperature readings since 16/3/2006. It is a manually reporting station that obviously has a diligent observer who does not appear to have missed a single day’s observations for a long time. Despite this diligence I find it remarkably hard to accept that the Met Office feels data from such Class 5 sites is eligible for entry into the national historic temperature record.

It is clear from the headline image that this screen is very close to a large building, surrounded by hedging and large trees especially to the south east and alongside regularly changing ground cover. Google historic images confirm it was not in situ prior to 2006 confirming that it was a modern Met Office decision to add this site to an area already having an unusually high proportion of English weather stations. Devon has almost 10% of all England mainland official weather stations despite representing less than 5% of the land area. The Met office makes a big issue regarding Devon in one of the “factsheets” it produces.

Obviously there are no problems at all with lots of weather stations everywhere, however, the distribution of those whose data is used for climate recording purposes is important – too many in one area (be they warmer or cooler recording) can slew both regional and national “averages”. Huntsham itself is actually in a cooler reporting part of Devon being inland at 237 metres amsl. Over the years 2021 to 2023 this site’s annual average was typically 1.5°C cooler than the coastal resort of Teignmouth. Conversely Huntsham is likely very much warmer than rural Shropshire in winter. {Talkshop note: Huntsham warming up to Teignmouth’s climate is hardly a terrifying prospect for the local residents!}

The issue for the Surface Stations project is whether or not this site is suitable for inclusion as a climate reporting station. To help judge that, below is an older and clearer image from September 2019.

This site is rightly classified as the lowest possible rating and really cannot be considered acceptable as representing the wider natural environment in any way. Its readings will no doubt accurately reflect its immediate vicinity but that area is completely unrepresentative of anywhere else. Readings will be very likely to record warmer than outside its own garden. However there are other issues than the recent installation of this site just 15 years ago. Another official manual climate reporting weather station has just been added to the list of Devon sites just 5.7km (3.5 miles) away at an only marginally better location. I have, at present, limited information, but a new CIMO assessed Class 4 screen at Stoodleigh with temperature readings being reported from 18/3/2024 is as indicated below.

Another trend seems to be developing – new/reopened screens in very close proximity to existing longer term ones. This Huntsham/Stoodleigh situation was also demonstrated at Wainfleet/Gibraltar Point and I will shortly be reviewing the new installation at North Somercotes, Church End which is a very short distance from the long term Donna Nook site. There may be sound meteorological reasons for these location choices, however, I am not finding this trend in cooler locations only warmer reporting ones. A site selection adjustment to averaging seems increasingly hard to dismiss.