Large Data Set

Question 1

What are the weather stations located in the UK?

Answer 1

Leuchars - Scotland
Leeming - North Yorkshire
Heathrow - Hamlet in Greater London
Hurn - Dorset
Camborne - Cornwall

Question 2

What are the international weather stations you need to know?

Answer 2

Beijing - capital of China
Perth - Western Australia
Jacksonville - Florida

Question 3

What are all the weather stations you need to know?

Answer 3

UK:
Leuchars - Scotland
Leeming - North Yorkshire
Heathrow - Hamlet in Greater London
Hurn - Dorset
Camborne - Cornwall

International:
Beijing - capital of China
Perth - Western Australia
Jacksonville - Florida

Question 4

What are the two time periods usually used?

Answer 4

The two time periods are:
May to October 1987
May to October 2015

Question 5

What does tr/trace mean?

Answer 5

Less than 0.05mm (in total rainfall)

Question 6

How is total sunshine measured?

Answer 6

Nearest 1/10 of an hour

Question 7

How is daily mean windspeed measured in?

Answer 7

kn/knot “nautical mile per hour”

1kn = 1.15mph

Question 8

What is the windspeed conversion to the Beaufort Scale?

Answer 8

0 = Calm < 1kn
1-3 = Light 1-10kn
4 = Moderate 11-16kn
5 = Fresh 17-21kn

Question 9

What is maximum gust and how is it measured?

Answer 9

(in kn) is the highest instantaneous wind speed.

Question 10

What is humidity and how is it measured?

Answer 10

The % of air saturation with water vapour.

100% is the max % water content air can contain.

Question 11

How is the mean cloud cover measured in?

Answer 11

Measured in (oktas) which means the number of 1/8ths of the sky covered.

E.G.

7 means 7/8ths of the sky is covered
1 means 1/8th of the sky is covered

Question 12

What is daily mean visibility and how is it measured?

Answer 12

How far (in metres) can be seen into the horizon during daylight hours.

Question 13

How is daily mean pressure measured in?

Answer 13

In hectopascals (hPa)

Question 14

How is daily mean wind direction, cardinal direction, daily max gust corresponding direction measured?

Answer 14

Daily mean wind direction (°) in degrees
Cardinal Direction - North, East, South, West
Daily max gust corresponding direction (°) in degrees

E.G.
Daily Mean Wind Direction - 360, so Cardinal Direction is N.
Daily Mean Wind Direction - 10, so Cardinal Direction is N.
Daily Mean Wind Direction - 270, so Cardinal Direction is W.
Daily Mean Wind Direction - 290, so Cardinal Direction is WNW.
Daily Mean Wind Direction - 340, so Cardinal Direction is NNW.

Question 15

What are the typical values for these variables?

Gust (UK only)
Rainfall
Pressure
Wind speed on Beaufort scale
Sunshine (UK only)
Cloud cover

Answer 15

Gust (UK only) = 8-52nm

Rainfall = 0-60mm in UK, but more extreme elsewhere (102mm in Perth)

Pressure = 988-1038 hPa

Wind speed on Beaufort scale = Max if ‘fresh’ (5). Most is Light or Moderate

Sunshine (UK only) = 0-16 hrs

Cloud cover = 0-8 oktas