CRU : Research and Projects : BETWIXT

Hourly time-series output and figures from the CRU weather generator

Hourly time-series output and figures from the CRU weather generator for 6 UK sites can be downloaded from the tables below. This weather generator is described in BETWIXT technical briefing note 7.

The hourly rainfall output is produced by the RainClim model (see BETWIXT technical briefing note 2

). The other output variables are then generated at the daily scale before generating hourly output. The scenario runs presented here are consistent with the UKCIP02 scenarios at the daily timescale.

The CRU weather generator is stochastic in nature, i.e., a different time series is produced each time it is run. Thus it is important to use output from multiple runs when evaluating performance (see BETWIXT technical briefing note 4 ). or scenario changes. For BETWIXT, the CRU hourly weather generator has been run 50 times for each simulation set. A single time series has then been selected from the middle of the distribution of each simulation set for inclusion in the table below.

Output is available for

the '1970s' control period (i.e. 1961-1990),
the '2020s' (i.e. 2011-2040),
the '2050s' (i.e. 2041-2070) and
the '2080s' (i.e. 2071-2100)

for the Low, Medium-Low, Medium-High and High emissions scenarios.

The weather generator time-series output and figures are available for public use, provided that the BETWIXT project is duly acknowledged. The BETWIXT co-ordinator (Clare Goodess) would like to be informed about any use of the data or figures outside the Building Knowledge for a Changing Climate programme.

Time series data

Each file contains 30 years of simulated hourly data for six variables:

RN: precipitation in mm
TM: temperature in degrees Celsius
VP: vapour pressure in hecta-Pascals
RH: relative humidity in %
WN: wind speed in ms^-1
SS: sunshine in hours

The first five columns give: the station ID number; the year; the month; the day; and the hour. The weather generator is stochastic in nature, i.e., simulated years do not correspond to a 'real' year, thus the years are numbered 0001 to 0030 in all simulations. All years have 365 days, i.e., leap years are not included.

The first line of each file gives the site latitude and longitude.

NB: As explained in BETWIXT technical note 7, the hourly rainfall is generated by RainClim software produced by University of Newcastle. RainClim uses the same starting seed for each simulation run, whereas the CRU weather generator which produces the other variables runs with a random starting point. Consequently the 2020s medium-low and medium-high data contain identical rainfall series because the UKCIP02 change factor is identical for these two scenarios for this time period. The other variables will be statistically very similar for these two scenarios and time period.

Emissions scenario Control Low Medium Low Medium High High

Time period 1970s 2020s 2050s 2080s 2020s 2050s 2080s 2020s 2050s 2080s 2020s 2050s 2080s

Lat Long

Elmdon 52.45 -1.73 DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA

Eskdalemuir 55.32 -3.20 DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA

Heathrow 51.48 -0.45 DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA

Hemsby 52.68 1.68 DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA

Paisley 55.86 -4.43 DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA

Ringway 53.35 -2.28 DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA

* The observed data require further processing and re-formatting before weather generator output can be produced for this station.

Emissions scenario		Control		Low		Medium Low		Medium High		High
Time period	1970s	2020s	2050s	2080s	2020s	2050s	2080s	2020s	2050s	2080s	2020s	2050s	2080s
	Lat	Long
Elmdon	52.45	-1.73	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA
Eskdalemuir	55.32	-3.20	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA
Heathrow	51.48	-0.45	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA
Hemsby	52.68	1.68	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA
Paisley	55.86	-4.43	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA
Ringway	53.35	-2.28	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA	DATA

Figures

Four sets of figures are provided, as described below. Each figure is available as a GIF for immediate viewing, a PDF and EPS for high-quality, and a CSV with self-explanatory column headings for loading into a spreadsheet.

In all figures, observed values (blue crosses) are the observed mean. The simulated values (red for the 1961-1990 control period and black for the scenario periods) are the mean of 50 30-year weather generator runs (red/black dots). The red/black lines and bars show the variability of the 50 series (plotted as plus/minus two standard deviations around the mean).

The control period figures are reproduced and discussed in BETWIXT technical briefing note 7.

Set 1: Temperature and sunshine statistics

Mean hourly temperatures - January (°C)
Mean hourly temperatures - July (°C)
Mean hourly sunshine - January (hours)
Mean hourly sunshine - July (hours)
Standard deviation hourly temperatures - January (°C)
Standard deviation hourly temperatures - July (°C)
Standard deviation hourly sunshine - January (hours)
Standard deviation hourly sunshine - July (hours)

Set 2: Wind speed and vapour pressure statistics

Mean hourly wind speed - January (ms^-1)
Mean hourly wind speed - July (ms^-1)
Mean hourly vapour pressure - January (hPa)
Mean hourly vapour pressure - July (hPa)
Standard deviation hourly wind speed - January (ms^-1)
Standard deviation hourly wind speed - July (ms^-1)
Standard deviation hourly vapour pressure - January (hPa)
Standard deviation hourly vapour pressure - July (hPa)

Set 3: Precipitation

Mean hourly precipitation - January (mm hour^-1)
Precipitation percent wet hours - January (%)
Mean hourly precipitation - July (mm hour^-1)
Precipitation percent wet hours - July (%)

Set 4: Precipitation

Wet hour persistence - January
Wet hour persistence - July
Frequency of wet hour amounts - January
Frequency of wet hour amounts - July

Emissions scenario Obs
erv
ed Control Low Medium Low Medium High High

Time period 1970s 2020s 2050s 2080s 2020s 2050s 2080s 2020s 2050s 2080s 2020s 2050s 2080s

Elmdon
Lat: 52.45
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Eskdalemuir
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Heathrow
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Hemsby
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Paisley
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Ringway
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* The observed data require further processing and re-formatting before weather generator output can be produced for this station.

Emissions scenario		Obs erv ed		Control		Low		Medium Low		Medium High		High
Time period	1970s	2020s	2050s	2080s	2020s	2050s	2080s	2020s	2050s	2080s	2020s	2050s	2080s
Elmdon Lat: 52.45 Lon: -1.73 ALL FILES	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:
Eskdalemuir Lat: 55.32 Lon: -3.20 ALL FILES	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:
Heathrow Lat: 51.48 Lon: -0.45 ALL FILES	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:
Hemsby Lat: 52.68 Lon: 1.68 ALL FILES	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:
Paisley Lat: 55.86 Lon: -4.43 ALL FILES	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:
Ringway Lat: 53.35 Lon: -2.28 ALL FILES	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:	1: 2: 3: 4:

Any questions about these data should be addressed to Clare Goodess.

Last updated: June 2006, Colin Harpham & Mike Salmon