Creation of a homogenous climate record for Widdybank Fell in the Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve, northern England: 1968-2006

Abstract

A homogenous climate record (1968-2006) is created for Widdybank Fell (515 m) in the Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve in northern England, one of the longest high-elevation records in the U.K. Separate time series from Widdybank Fell (1968-1995) and nearby Hunt Hall (1996-2006) are combined using a single mobile automatic weather station (AWS) to calibrate between locations based on 5 years of measurements (2000-2005). After instrumental differences are eradicated, transfer functions are developed based on monthly temperature differences, median monthly ratios of wind speed and mean monthly precipitation totals. The resultant monthly time series show limited trends, although minimum temperatures have increased by 0.38°C/decade. There are no secular trends in mean wind speed or monthly precipitation anomalies, in agreement with other studies which suggest northern England is in a transition area between predicted wetting in northern Europe and drying further south.