The Weather Forecasting Forum

Phil, many thanks, AGAIN! You're an absolute star! It is interesting how we learn to love our local stations, and it does cause genuine upset when they are changed or closed down. The old Filton site was so close to where I live that I could always get a tailor made weather report from there, It was great for setting my barometer to the nearest 10th of a millibar so I was quite upset when it closed. I also lamented the fact that it no longer appeared on my synoptic charts, leaving quite a gap between the other local synoptic stations, and therefore a gap in the local data. Almondsbury is just a few miles to the north of where Filton used to be, so it's certain still very local to me. It's also interesting that there is still a forecast skew-t for the old Filton site (From Weather Online) so it's almost as though nothing has changed I do wonder why Almondsbury is so inconsistent with its data, and I wonder if it caters for special requirements of air traffic control. Anyway, many thanks for your help, and I shall put the info you've provided me with to good use!

Regards, and enjoy your weekend,
Dave.

Hi Phil Layton,
At the risk of going slightly over the top, I would like to say thanks again! I have now consistently downloaded good data from Almondsbury, and have successfully managed to make it plot on my charts. As far as the station is concerned, it does appear to be a little inconsistent with its wind reports. As we previously discussed, sometimes the wind info is missing, and sometimes it's completely wrong, eg, 990 degrees (which plotted as a westerly on the chart). Non-the less, Almondsbury is usually good, and fills a large gap on my charts!
Appreciations,
Dave.

You are welcome Dave. I have to do the same with East Malling in SE England, as there is a drought of synop stations SE of Kenley, especially after the infamous Gravesend 03784 closed in 2018. East Malling is a climate station, data available on Ogimet, with wind/temp/pressure, and I use the same principal as Almonsbury to get it onto the charts.. All the best, Phil