What’s the weather like? That’ll cost you £3,500, please

Friday 07 July 2017

While islanders enjoyed basking in this month’s roasting rays, it seems that the beach bronzing temperatures got one islander thinking about the mercury’s record highs and lows – only to find out that the cost would be almost 10 times the price of a return trip to the Tenerife.

Jersey resident Ollie Taylor sent the States a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) to find out every weather record broken in the Island “since records began.”

“Jersey Meteorological Office regularly communicates these “since records began” type records to the public on social media but it would be good to have a consolidated list of them all for the period,” he wrote.

But the outlook for that request wasn’t so bright.

Taking the free out of Freedom of Information. £3,526 you say? Yeah I'll get right on that. #JerseyCI #FOI pic.twitter.com/hO8ba39on1

— Ollie Taylor (@mailolstar) July 4, 2017

The record list, it turns out, would cost £3,526 to produce – plus GST. According to the response, Met Office enquiries were said to cost £205 (and GST) and a further £27 (with added GST, again) per year of data requested.

“Based on the criteria set out in your current request (weather events from 1894 to the present day, a total of 123 years) the estimated cost of providing this information would be £3526.00, plus GST,” the response read. 

Asked whether he would be willing to pay the price of digging into the meteorological treasure trove, Mr Taylor told Express: "I tell you, it’s a tough decision, a family trip to the South American country of Ecuador at Christmas or a 123 years’ worth of climate data, my friends certainly don’t envy me. For now, I’m thinking of waiting another 27 years just to see if they’ll do a 150 year Met Office records anniversary discount on the price. You never know, right?"

The maximum temperature in Jersey today was 28.4°C, the hottest 26th May on record, with barely a cloud in the sky! pic.twitter.com/jbvVAYTxuk

— Jersey Met (@Jersey_Met) May 26, 2017

"I was just pleased that Freedom of Information were happy to direct me to where I could easily find that information for only thousands of pounds. Upon reflection, it is 123 years’ worth of data which works out about £2.40 a month, so that’s pretty good value for money really. Obviously if GST goes up I may have to rethink that position," he added.

Temperature and rainfall records have come courtesy of the Maison St Louis Observatory since 1 January 1894, sunshine is measured at the Fort Regent Signal Station, while sea temperature is taken at the St Helier Harbour.

The record warmest year was 2014 with a mean daily air temperature of 13.34°C, while the sunniest year on record was 2010 with 2403.2 hours of sunshine.

Its a lovely afternoon with temp of 18.9°C but thats quite different to this day in 2003 which set the hottest May day on record with 28.9°C pic.twitter.com/XGqG42abIa

— Jersey Met (@Jersey_Met) May 30, 2017

A quick analysis of their social media records showed that the Met Office has tweeted about record temperatures more than 120 times since joining the social network in 2012.