Thanks for getting the update @Brain. Its a shame we have to wait this long - imagine if we had known for sure yesterday we would have been able to move on or celebrate in style.

Although he didn't answer part of your question.

Whats also fascinating about that Cambridge site is it is listed as Active

Therefore, if the site is not meeting the standard required how long do they go back and delete stations record (Days or weeks). 

Brian - it will not be any consolation - but the position with regard to UK biological recording is in a similar state - possibly worse. There is no overarching body to collate and present public data and the issues of ownership and validation are fraught with difficulties. If I give you a map of the distribution of a particular species, what you are really getting is the historic distribution of reporting naturalists! Some reporters and recorders are professional, but there is a fine tradition in natural history of the expert amateur playing an invaluable part in such research. These can be a tad [putting it kindly] "closely focused" and working to their own time limitations. The unkind phrase is "like herding cats"! Given that biological data has a commercial value, for example in the planning process as carried out by environmental consultants, you will appreciate the access to reliable current data can be a hornets' nest!

I caught and reported a Large Marsh Horsefly last week. A big beast. The county "Fly recorder" validated it from photographs and I referred to a map of its distribution, which does not include any Lincolnshire record. I was told recently these maps are sometimes several years out of date! How can you say "..seems to be extending its range" when you may be several years behind the times?

https://www.naturespot.org.uk/species/large-marsh-horsefly

Roger

As you weren't in the area on that day, I'm not sure how you can say it was out of line? Given the right setup, namely a wind from a southerly quarter, Swale absolutely roasts... it's because of the mini-Foehn effect from the Downs. Manston is much higher up, on top of a plateau, while East Malling is the other side of the Downs.

There are no other official sites locally which are in the lee of a long chain of hills. It's that which, given the right wind direction and upper air conditions, meant the record happened. It was a very similar day yesterday: same hot upper air, same wind direction and so on. And cloudless, of course, which is why I'm not at all surprised to hear a potential 38.4C was recorded there.

As I've said again and again in defense of Brogdale, if it was dodgy the Met Office simply wouldn't list it as holding the record. Believe me, they would have audited the hell out of the site before awarding it that honour.

And for reference, here's Brogdale.

http://oi65.tinypic.com/wvv3g2.jpg

It complies with the WMO rules regarding positioning of the screen -  see section 1-1: https://library.wmo.int/pmb_ged/wmo_8_en-2012.pdf

(There is a section about being close to trees, but no exact distances are specified. Clearly the Met Office don't see it as a problem.)

The Botany station, in that photo, doesn't comply - there isn't 1.5m of grass on all sides of that screen.

That said, if the Met Office decide that it holds the record I won't grumble and moan about it!

Philip Eden never accepted that Brogdale reading for the reasons you highlighted

 He always asserted the record should be set as Kew Gardens which iirc was 38.1C that day

Yes I had forgotten that Kew also matched the 38.1C at Gravesend, thus removing all doubt. I think 38.1C should be the accepted 2003 record, but I know it won;t be.

BTW the Brogdale 38.4C appears to be confirmed here too: https://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/observations/details/201907263foef47xtye6ucrdyyb96sccar But not official yet!

Meto tweet, provisional reading of 38.7 is to be verified.

This image perhaps demonstrates the regard shown for the weather station at Cambridge Botanic Garden:

http://web.yurgn31.50mail.com/CambridgeBG.jpg

BREAKING NEWS

A new provisional recording of 38.7 °C at Cambridge Botanic Garden has been received from yesterday It will be quality controlled & if validated would be the highest temperature officially recorded in the UK

Looks like it has only moved once. If they'll accept Brogdale they'll accept anything I think. 

It all feels a bit of an anticlimax though. Like winning a gold medal after the winner gets disqualified for a drugs test.

Surely it has to be accepted. Its an official site.

If they don't allow, surely they have have to scrap all recordings for that site backdated.

I agree, it doesn't have the same buzz as yesterday.

There aren't any other official ones showing on WOW. There should be a manual station at Denver, Norfolk, which is probably too far northeast for the record anyway, but that's not showing up. 

MetOffice have released a statement saying the provisional recording wont be decided until next week.

Everything in this country is always too slow.

btw I find it a little reassuring that not everything is automatic, electronic, superfast wi-fi Now! Now! Now!   Be even better if it turns out the record ends up going to a site that only reports weekly or monthly (if any such still exist).   Youngsters need to learn patience.