Temperature Measurement

[rbw]

Where should I put my thermometer to get the "official" temperature? - currently it is in the shade attached to a wooden fence, however if I place it on my car which is parked on the drive, I get a reading that is about 2C less. Any advice about what can be regarded as the real minimum temperature? I guess thermometers shout be in those white boxes but surely those will retain heat like my fence?

Regards

Richard

[paul tall]

It needs to be 4ft above the ground, in good airflow, and in a shade.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Agree with the above. Those white boxes are Stevenson Screens, and they require double-louvres on the sides and need to be white in order to mitigate against the heating up effects. Single louvres don't fully address that problem, as I found out to my cost back in November 2006.

Pre-made Stevenson screens are quite expensive but it is possible to hand-create one yourself for a much smaller sum of money.

Failing that, shade, possibly near a north-facing wall, are good bets. You need to watch for proximity to buildings (which create a warming effect) and exposure (overnight minima tend to read too low in unscreened thermometers due to heat conduction).

[nextenso]

Where should I put my thermometer to get the "official" temperature? - currently it is in the shade attached to a wooden fence, however if I place it on my car which is parked on the drive, I get a reading that is about 2C less. Any advice about what can be regarded as the real minimum temperature? I guess thermometers shout be in those white boxes but surely those will retain heat like my fence?

Regards

Richard