It closed down some years ago. 2006, I think, and was replaced with Charlwood. Thread on NW: http://forum.netweather.tv/topic/56149-meto-update-scientist-acquires-raw-station-data/page-4

Interesting little snippet here on the location: http://f1.nwstatic.co.uk/forum/uploads/monthly_08_2009/post-2-12497458621374.jpg

Why is benson always on that list. Its almost like someone cursed it. 

Originally Posted by: Essan 

It's a "frost hollow" - or to look at it simplistically because of the nature of the site the denser colder air "pools" there.

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

So, for some reason, is Pershore (Throckmorton) - it is often several degrees colder than anywhere else in the area (including Pershore College) and not at all representative.


Redhill was dropped some years ago, I think because it was so unrepresentative .....   Pershore on the other hand is a CET station

Originally Posted by: Quantum 

Ah, I see. It's a bit like here where we can be 5C colder than places just a few miles away. This is far more prominant at night under clear skies and calm winds during cool/cold spells. To some people that is unrepresentative but it gives an indication of how conditions especially temperatures can be incredibly varied over relative short distances due to the topography of the land.

Cheers Rob

Hurn airport near Bournemouth also gets lower minimums than places close by. As it says in the article about Redhill it is due to the sandy soil and topography.

Besides the 'usual suspects' below zero with their sandy soil and topography, I find some of the zeroes just as impressive, when they come from coastal locations where the sea ought to be giving them a boost. St Catherine's Down, IoW - you could be sticking out into the sea much further south than that - and it's on chalk, not sand..

Why is benson always on that list. Its almost like someone cursed it. 

Originally Posted by: Medlock Vale Weather 

It's a "frost hollow" - or to look at it simplistically because of the nature of the site the denser colder air "pools" there.

Originally Posted by: Essan 

So, for some reason, is Pershore (Throckmorton) - it is often several degrees colder than anywhere else in the area (including Pershore College) and not at all representative.


Redhill was dropped some years ago, I think because it was so unrepresentative .....   Pershore on the other hand is a CET station

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

Ah, I see. It's a bit like here where we can be 5C colder than places just a few miles away. This is far more prominant at night under clear skies and calm winds during cool/cold spells. To some people that is unrepresentative but it gives an indication of how conditions especially temperatures can be incredibly varied over relative short distances due to the topography of the land.

Originally Posted by: Quantum 

One afternoon in 2010, our parish got totally snowed in very quickly and a colleague at our Nottingham office rang to say they were sending me a delivery.  I explained they wouldn't get through to us because the roads were blocked and they were very surprised because they'd only had a dusting there.

Still, they have to put the stations somewhere and no doubt they roughly represent a region on average.

Why is benson always on that list. Its almost like someone cursed it. 

Originally Posted by: Caz 

It's a "frost hollow" - or to look at it simplistically because of the nature of the site the denser colder air "pools" there.

Originally Posted by: Medlock Vale Weather 

So, for some reason, is Pershore (Throckmorton) - it is often several degrees colder than anywhere else in the area (including Pershore College) and not at all representative.


Redhill was dropped some years ago, I think because it was so unrepresentative .....   Pershore on the other hand is a CET station

Originally Posted by: Essan 

Ah, I see. It's a bit like here where we can be 5C colder than places just a few miles away. This is far more prominant at night under clear skies and calm winds during cool/cold spells. To some people that is unrepresentative but it gives an indication of how conditions especially temperatures can be incredibly varied over relative short distances due to the topography of the land.

Originally Posted by: doctormog 

Exactly what I keep pointing out as the same happens here and it's pretty obvious topography has a lot to do with it.  We very rarely match the temps or weather of our nearest official station at Nottingham, 20 miles away.

One afternoon in 2010, our parish got totally snowed in very quickly and a colleague at our Nottingham office rang to say they were sending me a delivery.  I explained they wouldn't get through to us because the roads were blocked and they were very surprised because they'd only had a dusting there.

Still, they have to put the stations somewhere and no doubt they roughly represent a region on average.

Originally Posted by: Quantum 

Indeed, over the years including 1962-63 I've noticed that the Pennine hills of Bleaklow and Kinder Scout block snow for parts of South Manchester, but just a few miles north and the snow seems to get over more freely over slightly smaller hills and it covers the North Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale areas more easily. This was especially apparent during Winter 2012-13, when TWO members in South Manchester were frustrated with a lack of snow, yet here it was like a Winter wonderland, I even showed a motorway webcam a few times over the Winter near here, they were gobsmacked at the difference of only 10 miles or so.

St Catherines had a grass min of 8C, not zero. Think you might have been looking at the rainfall column? 

Another couple of grass frosts last night with Leuchars and Spadeadam both recording "-0", i.e. between -0.1 and -0.5C.

Besides the 'usual suspects' below zero with their sandy soil and topography, I find some of the zeroes just as impressive, when they come from coastal locations where the sea ought to be giving them a boost. St Catherine's Down, IoW - you could be sticking out into the sea much further south than that - and it's on chalk, not sand..

Originally Posted by: picturesareme 

St Catherines had a grass min of 8C, not zero. Think you might have been looking at the rainfall column?
Another couple of grass frosts last night with Leuchars and Spadeadam both recording "-0", i.e. between -0.1 and -0.5C.

Originally Posted by: Rob K 

1C at Thorney though.

Thorney is basically a bit of flat marshy land, its surrounded by sea water that's circa 18-19C at the moment.

Originally Posted by: DEW 

oops But Thorney is unexpected.

Bournemouth Hurn managed a grass frost again this morning with -1C and an air temperature of 4.0C. Benson had 3.4C with a -0C grass temperature so also just managed a frost as did a few other places.

Coldest air temperature seems to be Shap Fell with 1.3C

Expecting the frost For Sunday morning.....

It is going to be a real chilly one tonight. At 1900 Benson was already 2.5C colder than at the same time yesterday evening. Exactly the same with my readings as well.

Aviemore already at 7.6C at 2000

Katesbridge in Northern Ireland recorded an air minimum of at least -1.8C this morning and possibly lower.

That is the first air frost of the season. Lowest August minimum for Northern Ireland on record.

Coldest in Southern England was Benson at 2.1C.

Places like Pershore, Benson and Bournemouth AP recording their third grass frost in the last week.