London Fog Inquiry, 1901–021

Abstract

IN November, 1901, the Meteorological Council appointed Captain Carpenter, R.N., D.S.O., a member of the council of the Royal Meteorological Society, to conduct an inquiry into the occurrence and distribution of fog in London, initiated, with the assistance of a grant from the County Council, in response to requests for more detailed forecasts of the occurrence of fog. Captain Carpenter at once put himself into communication with Captain Wells, R.N., the chief officer of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, and made arrangements for the systematic observation of fogs at some of the river stations and at other stations of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. He also arranged for supplementary observations to be taken at certain of the Metropolitan Police stations, at Battersea Park and Regent's Park, at a number of coast-guard stations in the Thames estuary, and by one or two private persons. Observations of temperature and other meteorological conditions were obtained from a number of the stations and from the parks; self-recording thermometers were installed on the Victoria Tower at Westminster, the Golden Gallery at St. Paul's, on the roof of the Meteorological Office and at a private house at Banstead. Regular records of fog in accordance with a conventional scale distinguishing the kind and intensity of the fog were thus obtained from a series of points in or round London. By arrangement with Captain Wells, special observations were made during fog or when fog was anticipated by the forecast branch of the Meteorological Office.