Thermometer At Strathclyde Park Located

By Paul Homewood

The Stevenson Screen at Strathclyde Park

Many thanks to Duncan McNeil and Steve Brown, who have called in at Strathclyde Park to locate the Stevenson screen there, which registered the “record” temperature in Scotland last week.

As you can see, the screen is, as I suspected, within the car park compound surrounding the Rowing Club, albeit within a fenced off storage area.

Although the screen stands on a tiny patch of scrub, it is surrounded by what appears to be a tarmac surface. While a vehicle, maybe an ice cream van, standing next to it may have caused the big spike last week, the real problem is the underlying effect on temperatures caused by this surrounding tarmac.

Recall what Weather Works say:

Place the thermometer over a grassy or dirt surface. Concrete and pavement attract much more heat than grass. That is why cities are often warmer compared to suburbs. It is recommended to keep the thermometer at least 100 ft. from any paved or concrete surfaces to prevent an erroneously high temperature measurement.

While the Met Office spotted last week’s spike, any persistent, underlying effect will be ignored and accepted as natural and genuine.

There is also a second problem with the siting of the thermometer. Notice just how cluttered the area close around it is.

This also breaks the cardinal rule for siting of thermometers. Again, from Weather Works:

Have good air flow for your thermometer. This keeps air circulating around the thermometer, maintaining a balance with the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is important to make sure there are no obstructions blocking your thermometer such as trees or buildings. The more open, the better.

The thermometer at Strathclyde Park breaks all of the rules for proper siting and should be immediately withdrawn from the Met Office list.