A Thermal Climatology of the West Midlands

URGENT Air Project No GST/02/1971 – Duration: 1/4/1998 - 31/5/2000.

Contents

  1. Project overview
  2. People
  3. Data collection
  4. Summary of available results
  5. Other related URGENT projects
  6. References

1. Project overview

This study, conducted in collaboration with the Met Office Open Road Service and with the seven Metropolitan Borough Councils of the West Midlands, developed a new Road Weather Information System (RWIS) for the West Midlands County, with the purpose of improving the techniques used to decide when to salt roads. A particular emphasis was put on the nature of the difference between urban and rural road temperatures. Among the achievements of the project, a climate based Geographical Information System (GIS) for the West Midlands was constructed and a map of climate zones for the West Midlands was produced. New sky-view factor mapping techniques were developed as part of the project.

More information on the project objectives can be found in the project summary at the Central URGENT Web Site.

2. People

Principal investigators Dr John E. Thornes Birmingham
Prof David Unwin Birkbeck College, London
Other team members Dr Andrew Bradley Birmingham
Dr Glenn McGregor Birmingham
Dr Xiaoming Cai Birmingham
Mr Lee Chapman Birmingham
Dr Mélanie Roy Birkbeck College, London

3. Data collection

Field measurement of sky-view factors using a digital video camera. Data from weather stations were provided in confidentiality by local authorities. Data are not publicly available and are not hosted at BADC.

4. Summary of available results

The Geographical Information System (GIS) developed by the project is recorded on a CD-ROM (not available yet). Its reading requires Arc-View.

5. Other related URGENT projects

GST/02/1981 Observation, Modelling and Management of Urban Air Pollution - Ground-based measurements of meteorological and chemical data at urban and suburban sites in and around the West Midlands.

6. References

`Fish-eye view spares the salt', NERC News, Quarterly magazine of the Natural Environment Research Council, Spring 1999, NERC, Swindon, 1999.