Cippenham Sewage Works DCNN 5101 – Well at least it’s Flat.

51.50685 -0.64274 Met Office assessed CIMO Class 4 (?) Installed 1/1/1961 but daily temperature records only archived from 2017

It is beyond any level of gullibility to accept this can possibly meet CIMO Class 4. No doubt if I were to ask the Met Office to justify their assessment (as per Chertsey Abbey Meads) their response would be millimetre accurate measurements from the nearest sewage settlement tank to the Screen or calculations of exactly what percentage of roadway falls within a 10 metre radius etc.

What does CIMO Class 4 actually stipulate?

The suggestion that all those sewage treatment tanks (with contents well above ambient air temperature) associated buildings, standing water, process units, roadways and vehicles have no immediate effect and are typical of the surrounding area is somewhat risible. Cold weather can seriously slow down sewage treatment plant’s operating efficiency. Remedial actions to overcome this problem routinely include artificially raising temperatures in the storage tanks and operating systems.

The proximity of major roads (M4 Motorway) and artificial watercourses (Jubilee River) rather pales into insignificance compared to the completely unnatural nature of the site’s surroundings. The urban area of Slough to the north has increased by 50% since the turn of this century, Heathrow and West London are just to the east and Windsor to the south.

Although the Met Office records indicate installation in 1961, temperature records only run from 2017. Is this yet another “convenient” effectively modern site chosen to take readings only ever likely to record artificially enhanced temperatures? Electricity sub-stations, solar farms, walled gardens, zoological gardens, airports and now sewage treatment plants – the list of modern sites in highly compromised locations is growing longer – and there are many more to report on coming soon.

Whilst Rothamsted is an example of how to correctly site a weather station to the best practice, Cippenham Sewage Works exemplifies exactly where not to locate weather stations whose data contributes to the historic temperature record.