UK Max and Min Temperature data - .temp file format

PLEASE NOTE: The file format described below refers to the Met Office Land Surface data (1900-2000) dataset which has been superseded by the Met Office MIDAS dataset (1853-present) at the BADC.

The surface observation data are in a simple ASCII format.

A list of UK stations for which the BADC holds .temp files is available (.temp stations).

The file name convention is (STATION_NAME)(YEAR).(MESSAGE_TYPE).(FILE_EXTENSION)

STATION_NAMES is the complete station name.
YEAR is the year expressed in full, ie 1998.
Description of the message types is available.
The file extension is .temp meaning that the file contains temperature observations.

These .temp files contain maximum and minimum temperatures measured over a period of up to 24 hours. The file headers TIME and COUNT define the observation period. For air temperatures, the observation period will usually be one of the following: 09-09, 09-21, 21-09. For minimum grass temperature and minimum concrete temperature, the time of measurement is usually 0900Z. When the period of exposure is known to be 21-09, then COUNT = 12.

-999 indicates a missing value.

The first line of the data file is the fields headers (which are detailed in the table below).

The fields in the .temp data files are :

HEADER PARAMETER FIELDS COLUMNS UNITS COMMENTS

ID Station Ref. Number 1 1-8 - Station identification

IDTYPE - 2 9-17 - Station identification

MET_DOM Meteorological Domain 3 18-28 - Message types

YEAR Year 3 29-35 - 4 characters

MON Month 4 36-43 - 1 or 2 characters (from 1 to 12)

DAY Day 5 44-51 - 1 or 2 characters (from 1 to 31max)

TIME Time 6 52-59 - Hour of observation from 0 to 2300

COUNT Hour count 7 60-67 - See COUNT definition

MAX_T Maximum Air Temperature 8 68-75 0.1 degree Celsius See Met Office documentation

MIN_T Minimum Air Temperature 9 76-83 0.1 degree Celsius See Met Office documentation

MIN_GRASS_T Minimum Grass Temperature 10 84-96 0.1 degree Celsius See Met Office documentation

MIN_CONC_T Minimum Concrete Temperature 11 97-108 0.1 degree Celsius See Met Office documentation

More information about the Met Office surface data is available in the documentation provided by the Met Office.

HEADER	PARAMETER	FIELDS	COLUMNS	UNITS	COMMENTS
ID	Station Ref. Number	1	1-8	-	Station identification
IDTYPE	-	2	9-17	-	Station identification
MET_DOM	Meteorological Domain	3	18-28	-	Message types
YEAR	Year	3	29-35	-	4 characters
MON	Month	4	36-43	-	1 or 2 characters (from 1 to 12)
DAY	Day	5	44-51	-	1 or 2 characters (from 1 to 31max)
TIME	Time	6	52-59	-	Hour of observation from 0 to 2300
COUNT	Hour count	7	60-67	-	See COUNT definition
MAX_T	Maximum Air Temperature	8	68-75	0.1 degree Celsius	See Met Office documentation
MIN_T	Minimum Air Temperature	9	76-83	0.1 degree Celsius	See Met Office documentation
MIN_GRASS_T	Minimum Grass Temperature	10	84-96	0.1 degree Celsius	See Met Office documentation
MIN_CONC_T	Minimum Concrete Temperature	11	97-108	0.1 degree Celsius	See Met Office documentation

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