Eastbourne Weather Station R.I.P. – 1st November 2026

Images courtesy “No One Important” https://x.com/LawrenceTJ13

This post is a demonstration of just how bad, on so many levels, the assets used by the Met Office to “prove” anthropogenic global warming in reality actually are. This goes much deeper than an occasional “nearby interference at the site didn’t meet usual high standard and so this data was excluded from the daily extremes” excuse/reason for failure. There a fundamental problems with the Met Office’s management of its estate leading to corruption of large amounts of readings. Unfit for purpose comes to mind..

Following my last post on Eastbourne , X poster TJLawrence very kindly offered to visit the site and take images for me. He follows my research and in his own words “Ray I’m doing this because I’m sick of the lies and propaganda. Its now a crusade” I fully empathise with his view and likewise the Surface Stations Project has become a crusade for me as well.

I reaaly did not expect the dire straits this site has turned into that the photos reveal. However I also did not expect the close up imagery to reveal the meteorologically appalingly bad original site instalation characteristcs that are far worse than even I ever imagined.

Firstly, the readings rejections previously highlighted date back to June. These images are 4 months later – is this the same problem issue? The bare earth patches indicate this might well be the case even if the hedges are now cut down to a lower level. There are indications of regular cooking so extraneous very significant heat sources are guaranteed.

If both the Met Office and Eastbourne Council feel this weather stations is so “Crucial” and they are so committed perhaps they could provide a more suitable location and as well as take enforcement as appropriate to ensure it remains of a good quality.

It is blatantly obvious there is a problem here and that it will adversely affect readings (if they are still being taken) but, if these are being recorded, is the Met office still “accepting” them. Pause to consider that back in June a Met Office inspector only visited the site to reject the readings because the were a potential national highest ever. A few tenths of a degree lower and the probability is no immediate inspection would have been instigated to identify the problems. Artificially distorted readings would have continued to be accepted and probably still are.

Going deeper, does that previously highlighted Met Office “Regional Network Manager” Phil johnson really feel locating the Stevenson Screen under 500mm from iron railings is good meteorological practise? Do Met Office managers really consider that under 2.4 metres/ 8 feet from hedges as tall, or often taller, than the top of the screen is a desirable location? Have these managers really never read either their own siting guidance notes or those of the Commission for Meteorological Obsevations (CIMO) guide developed jointly by the World Meteorological Organisation and the International Standards Organisation? Whoever originally assessed this site as CIMO Class 4 was quite apparently not competent to make that decision.

Considering that the site is way below an acceptable standard at the best of times, is compromised by persons unknown that appear to be there for such long term that the grass is not cut and that Eastbourne Council seem unable to address the problem, one has to wonder at this below.

Eastbourne climate change and sustainability

Through our Climate Emergency Declaration we are committed to progressing towards our 2030 carbon reduction targets, and to improving our environment in partnership with our communities.

Please read our strategy and get involved in local action. Find links to Sussex-wide action resources, and general advice such as how to reduce energy consumption at home.

The Climate Emergency Strategy

The Climate Emergency Strategy (with action plan) and summary documents were approved at Cabinet on 4 November 2020. The strategy provides the background information on emissions for the Council and the borough. We will use these to measure our progress towards Eastbourne Carbon Neutral 2030.

The Climate Emergency Strategy is being refreshed, as is periodically necessary to reflect changes and to ensure it is a live and working document. An updated version will be published with our annual update in December.

The priorities reflected in the strategy and in our work in partnership with Eco Action Network (EEAN) are renewable energy, net zero carbon retrofit, sustainable transport including active travel, the EBC downland estate, Eastbourne Park, and supporting Eastbourne Food Partnerships to achieve its goals and aims.

Download Eastbourne Borough Council Carbon Neutral Annual Report March 2026 (PDF, 3 MB)

Download the Eastbourne Borough Council Carbon Neutral Annual Report – December 2024 (PDF, 1 MB)

Download the Eastbourne Climate Emergency Strategy Summary (PDF, 3 MB)

Download the Eastbourne Climate Emergency Strategy (PDF, 2 MB)

Perhaps Eastbourne Council might better employ their council tax payer funds in supplying a well sited weather station, ensuring it is reliably observed and keeping unwanted interference away. Providing high quality data on which to base genuinely informed decisions rather than this “viture signalling” and financially wasteful dross no doubt based on a whole ensemble of equally poor data for so many other equally poor Met Office sites.

As a codicil now consider these two points:

The Met Office considers Eastbourne so important that it parades its “data” as a “Historic Site”

Clicking on the “view data” shows nearly every month in recent years is an “Estimate” and this from an operational site where many months have no readings taken at all.

And secondly Eastbourne, patchy readings, terrible siting and countless guestimates from anywhere is almost unbelievably a “Location specific Long Term Climate Averages” site.

What would the general public of Eastbourne think if they knew most of the data for their “Climate Emergency” was largely a “guess”………to the second decimal place?

Station: Eastbourne

Climate period: 1991-2020

Month	Maximum temperature (°C)	Minimum temperature (°C)	Days of air frost (days)	Sunshine (hours)	Rainfall (mm)	Days of rainfall ≥1 mm (days)	Monthly mean wind speed at 10 m (knots)
January	8.48	3.93	4.35	70.13	83.09	12.73	–
February	8.61	3.61	3.98	89.64	58.88	10.41	–
March	10.56	4.89	1.23	134.15	47.64	8.70	–
April	13.33	6.65	0.20	202.23	44.43	7.85	–
May	16.29	9.67	0.00	235.06	46.09	7.87	–
June	18.92	12.48	0.00	237.71	46.83	6.83	–
July	21.01	14.73	0.00	251.50	54.14	7.30	–
August	21.26	14.90	0.00	232.70	59.80	8.37	–
September	19.18	12.60	0.00	176.26	59.93	8.52	–
October	15.69	9.93	0.00	121.61	93.20	11.53	–
November	11.94	6.89	0.57	78.27	98.52	13.03	–
December	9.33	4.50	3.61	62.49	100.08	13.05	–
Annual	14.58	8.76	13.94	1891.75	792.63	116.19	–

Again thanks to “No One Important” for a very important contribution!

Grass too long? Might just be a few other issues to consider.

Source: https://talkshop.blog/2026/11/02/eastbourne-weather-station-r-i-p-1st-november-2026/