Met Office - Land Surface Stations data (1900-2000)

This page describes 'old' Land Surface Observation data from the Met Office. This dataset remains for historic purposes only. The MIDAS dataset supersedes this dataset and new users should apply for access to that by following the on-screen instructions. If necessary, you will be able to access this historic dataset once you have been granted access to the MIDAS data.

Daily measurements form a long-term record of historical weather conditions up to 2000. In contrast, hourly measurements allow the analysis of current weather systems with hourly resolution.

The daily data is available online from UK stations in 110 UK counties over the period 1853 to July 2000.

The hourly data is for available from stations in 110 UK counties from 1983 to July 2000.

If you wish to access the data held in this dataset, please follow the 'application for access' instructions on the MIDAS website The application procedure involves completion of the Met Office conditions of use form. When you receive the confirmation email for that dataset you will also be able to follow the data links on this 'old' surface data dataset.

Please note that the Met Office data sets held at the BADC are available for bona fide academic research only , on a per person per project basis (i.e. all members on a same project who will be using the data must individually apply for access to the data). If you wish to access the Met Office data for commercial or personal purposes, please contact the Met Office directly.

Please read the 00README file available under /badc/ukmo-surface/ directory to get information about finding the data you need quickly.

1.1. UK daily observations (1853-July 2000) in 110 UK counties:

This dataset contains land surface measurements as reported daily from stations in UK since 1853.

• Daily Weather Observations (.dwx) (sunshine amount, state of concrete slab, snow lying on the ground, snow depth, fresh snow amount, day of snow, hail, thunder and gale), back to 1880, from UK Stations.
• Max and Min temperatures (.temp) (maximum and minimum air temperatures, minimum grass temperature and minimum concrete temperature) back to 1853, from UK Stations.
• Daily rain measurements (.drain) including precipitation amount only, back to 1853, from UK Stations.
• Soil temperature parameters (.tsoil) are now being archived at the BADC, back to 1908, from UK Stations.

1.2. UK Synoptic (hourly) Stations (1983-July 2000) in 110 UK counties:

• Hourly Weather Observations (.hwx) (10 minute wind speed and direction, present and past weather, cloud amount, type and base, visibility, MSL pressure, dry-bulb temperature, wet-bulb temperature, dew-point temperature, state of ground and 10 minute maximum gust speed), from UK Stations.
• Radiation measurements (.radt) for about 103 UK stations only (global, diffuse and direct solar radiation)
• Hourly sunshine duration (.hsun), from UK Stations.
• Hourly Wind parameters (.wind) including mean wind direction and speed, max gust direction and speed and time of maximum gust, from UK Stations.

1.3. UK Raingauge Stations (hourly data from 1983 to July 2000, daily data from 1900 to July 2000):

• Hourly rain measurements (.hrain) including precipitation amount and duration, from UK Stations.
• Daily rain measurements (.drain) including precipitation amount only, from UK Stations.

The parameters measured vary from station to station. So not all parameters are available from all stations. For examples, Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) cannot provide observations of cloud types.

NOTE: The BADC holds the Met Office surface data as provided by the Met Office and therefore the BADC can only supply Surface Met data archived at the Met Office.

The Met Office Land Surface data held at the BADC, are stored in a simple ASCII format (plain text and "human" readable).

Tools and Services

Registered users for access to the Met Office Land Surface data may use the Download Service to download selected Met Office surface station data from multiple stations.

Please read the Download Met Office station data help for details on how to use this service.

An abridged version of "MIDAS Data Users Guide", provided by the Met Office, has been made available. This document, so-called Met Office Surface Data Users Guide, describes the meteorological surface data in the Met Office Database - MIDAS. This guide is rich of information and is aimed at those with little familiarity with observing methods or instrumentation.

The Met Office maintain several useful pages on the following topics:

• UK Climate and Weather Statistics, including 1961-1990 averages, monthly summaries, etc...
• Climate and Rainfall Station Networks
• Climate science at the Met Office contains some information about the UK climate, climate change, etc.

The BADC also hold the Historical Central England Temperature dataset - the longest available instrumental record of temperature in the world; Monthly series begins in 1659 and the daily data starts in 1772.

A list of Posters published by the Climate Research Unit (University of East Anglia) including "Changes in the intensity of daily precipitation over the UK" by Timothy J. Osborn, Mike Hulme, Phil D. Jones, and Phil A. Reid can be viewed (Caution: 3.5mb file PDF file). This particular study was carried out using the Met Office Land Surface data held at the BADC.

UK Meteorological Office. Land Surface Stations data (1900-2000), [Internet]. NCAS British Atmospheric Data Centre, 2006, Date of citation. Available from http://badc.nerc.ac.uk/view/badc.nerc.ac.uk__ATOM__dataent_SURFACE

If you have queries about these pages or about obtaining the Met Office surface stations data from the BADC then you should contact BADC Support. Your query should be answered within one working day. When follow-up work is required,the BADC support will carry out the work as quickly and efficiently as possible, and in any case the user will be kept informed of progress.