WMO03230, Redesdale Camp

WMO03230, Redesdale Camp

55 17 06N 02 16 46W
Altitude 211 metres

Estimated Class 2, fails Class 1 on unstable ground cover, changing military facility, farmed forest. There is also a question over a shadow from a large equipment cabinet. (see 2008 image)

UHI, unstable local environment, distance, none.

This site is a near text book of why caution is needed about meteorological sites.

At first glance, excellent site, declare perfect and rush onwards. Stop.

First a note that I am not suggesting there is any significant problem at this site.  That would be a matter of detail work on data and so on.

The British countryside is highly unstable on all timescales, much of it governmental forced, the consequences of acts such as taxation, warmongering (eg. oak for ships, food production)

Shadow

Google North exactly upwards.

The Google Street view is from just south of due west looking east. The end of Stevenson screen is just visible past the cabinet. The sun gets past 90 and 270 degrees at this latitude.

Class 1, 2 and 3 demand no shadow at 7 degree sun azimuth. This case needs a detail examination.

Image for some of following

Left is older.

Building removal. Clear felling top right. Trees growing/filling out various locations.

(tool used for join VIPS/NIP2 http://www.vips.ecs.soton.ac.uk/, many unique facilities including massive image handling with low memory demand)

Land use buildings

Redesdale Camp was a military facility to the south of the met site. Google images show the facility being dismantled, huts removed. There will be ground cover changes too as a result of cessation.

The presence of cattle grid in the road suggests land ownership varies, in which case derelict land without grazing will turn to scrub or some other unknown.

Land use forestry

Much of this kind of land is farmed, fast growing trees and clear felling, as is shown in the Google images. The forest (unnatural) to the west is likely to continue changing, perhaps clear felled.

General

It is also possible sheep farming will change.

Caution is needed over data from this site without knowledge of near site changes.