Durham Weather and Climate since 1841

Groundbreaking book on climate...The book includes 11 detailed appendixes, and the Stephen and Tim employ statistical methodology suitable for study in college statistics courses. This volume will prove indispensable for research universities and teaching colleges with programs in environmental science. * Choice * In this groundbreaking book on climate, Stephen Burt (Univ. of Reading) and Tim Burt (emer., Durham Univ.) consider data gathered for 180 years, from 1843 to the present, at the Durham University Observatory. This is the longest single-site meteorological study in northern England and among the lengthiest in all of Western Europe. * J. P. Davis, Hopkinsville Community College, CHOICE connect * This book represents climatology at its best, particularly through the efforts to improve the homogeneity of past records and to present them in a single publication. The value of the observations to us is probably beyond the imagination of the original observers. * Julian Mayes, Weather, August 2022 * Durham University has a venerable history of observational climate science. When Gordon Manley, perhaps the greatest British climatologist of the 20th century, arrived in Durham in 1928 to establish the Department of Geography, he resolved to place the Durham Observatory weather records on the same basis as those of the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford, which had long been recognised as a valuable resource. This book updates and extends Manley's pioneering work. * Karen O'Brien, Vice-Chancellor, Durham University * This definitive book beautifully discusses the variations in the weather and climate in Durham over nearly two centuries, including all the highs and lows. The long-term view provided by these detailed records clearly highlights the warming of our climate and the fingerprint of human influence on our weather, even at this local scale. * Ed Hawkins MBE, University of Reading, UK * This lovingly-crafted history will be the envy of all long-term weather stations around the world. Tim and Stephen have respectfully interpreted the painstaking efforts of those who came before them, delivering an engaging and useful volume which transports you to the University grounds throughout the seasons and the decades. As the Earth continues to warm, these kinds of careful histories will only become more important. * Linden Ashcroft, The University of Melbourne, Australia * Durham Weather and Climate since 1841 undertakes a comprehensive rescue and analysis of this hugely valuable long-term meteorological station record including an in-depth reconstruction of the station history. The resulting meticulous data analysis provides key new insights into long-term UK climate changes that are essential to understanding our rapidly changing climate. * Peter Thorne, ICARUS Climate Research Centre, Maynooth University, Ireland * Climate science relies on long, carefully re-evaluated meteorological records. It is this long-term view that allows changes in weather and climate to be assessed and put into perspective. In Durham Weather and Climate since 1841, Tim Burt and Stephen Burt, two widely-known experts in the field, present another long record. The book describes the history of weather and climate in northern England and the role of weather in daily lives. It tells the story of meteorological measurements in Durham, which at the same time is a story about astronomy, the University and about the life-long dedication of individuals such as Gordon Manley - and the authors of this book. * Stefan Brönnimann, University of Bern, Switzerland * Durham has long been known for its eminence in meteorology and climatology. In this beautifully illustrated volume, Stephen Burt and Tim Burt place Durham's long record of observations in their complete historical and social context. They describe the struggles and accomplishments of the observers, both the famous and those who quietly carried out their daily duties. Burt and Burt take these centuries' worth of observations and turn them into analytical descriptions of Durham's climate, month by month and season by season, linking climatic events with citizen's daily lives. Packed with statistics, meteorological and climatological analysis, and historical commentary, this will be of interest to anyone interested in long-term climate change, observational records, historical climatology, weather analysis and the history of meteorology. * Victoria Slonosky, McGill University, Montreal, Canada * Durham provides an excellent record for discussing climate change in north-east England and for a wider area. * Chris Folland, Met Office, Exeter, UK * While the Durham record is less well-known than the Oxford one, it is still impressive and its analysis will give a picture of a very different location. Climate change is an increasingly significant issue. The volume is very timely. * Andrew Goudie, University of Oxford *