Project launched to save historical Ben Nevis weather data
TWO MILLION pieces of ‘lost’ weather data collected over 20 years atop Ben Nevis by an intrepid team of Victorian meteorologists are at the heart of a new project to shed light on the changing climate.
Scientists are on a mission to rescue the data, which is still kept in the five original hefty volumes first published by the Royal Society of Edinburgh between 1890 and 1910.
Now known as the ‘Weathermen of Ben Nevis’, the meteorologists recorded eight pieces of information about the weather every hour, day and night, 365 days a year.
They measured temperature, pressure, rainfall, sunshine, cloud, wind strength and wind direction from 1883 to 1904.
Hourly data was also taken at sea level at Fort William and now researchers are asking people from across the Highlands and the rest of the UK to help digitise this unique data.
From the original tables, the information can be typed into a growing database and unearthing this data will shed light on how the Earth’s climate is changing, bringing the past back to life to help understand the weather today and in the future.
And the clock is ticking. Operation Weather Rescue: Ben Nevis was launched this week as part of the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) free public event UnEarthed at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, from November 17-19, bringing the world of environmental science to the Scottish public.
NERC UnEarthed director Julia Maddock explained: ‘We want to give everyone the chance to be part of the science we fund. Rescuing old data is a way everyone can help improve our modern understanding of weather.
‘We have set ourselves an ambitious target of rescuing two million data points by November so we can share what we have discovered at our free event. I hope the people of Scotland are up for this challenge.’
Operation Weather Rescue: Ben Nevis is led by NERC-funded climate scientist Professor Ed Hawkins of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science and the University of Reading.
‘The fastest way to collect new weather observations is by looking back in time,’ he said. ‘Operation Weather Rescue: Ben Nevis will fill gaps in our knowledge and provide a baseline from which we can measure any changes to the weather today. Unearthing this type of data feeds into the bigger picture; helping international researchers understand climatic changes and make better forecasts for the future.
‘The Ben Nevis weather data will tell us more about extreme rainfall which is thought to be becoming more common in the UK.
‘The logbooks also contain records of sightings of the Northern Lights. On top of this, using historic data to better understand mountain weather will be useful to mountain rescue agencies.’
Marjory Roy, former superintendent of Met Office Edinburgh and author of The Weathermen of Ben Nevis – a fascinating insight into the work and lives of those who gave their time on the top of the mountain to make the original weather observations – is also supporting the campaign.
Ms Roy said the Victorian meteorologists dutifully took observations every hour and, at the end of each month, sent copies of them to the Met Office where they were stamped, filed and promptly forgotten.
‘There is very little data from the top of any British mountains and to have such complete detailed hourly observations is incredible,’ she said.
‘It is vital we start to uncover these hidden records and put them to use. They will be invaluable in helping us to better understand changes in our weather and the relation between sea-level weather and conditions on our mountain tops.
‘The logs also reveal what life was like for the team on top of Ben Nevis. They were very hospitable to climbers who scaled the north face in winter, presumably because it meant someone new to talk to.
‘In summer they had too many tourist visitors who could interfere with the work. They enjoyed when the snow built up around the building in the early winter and insulated it from the howling winds outside.
‘At one point they even had a pet cat.’
Dr Hermione Cockburn, scientific director at Dynamic Earth, added: ‘We’re incredibly excited to welcome NERC to Dynamic Earth for this fantastic event and can’t wait to see the results of Operation Weather Rescue: Ben Nevis.
‘Over the coming months, we’ll be getting involved with the mission and will be working with schools to encourage budding scientists to play a part in this fascinating exercise.’
To join Operation Weather Rescue: Ben Nevis, visit www.zooniverse.org/ projects/edh/weather-rescue/
All photographs courtesy of the Royal Meteorological Society collection, held as part of the Met Office archive at National Records of Scotland.