Dataset: Monthly and Annual Air Temperature (Max, Mean, Min) at Rothamsted 1878-2024

Citation:  Perryman, S., Scott, T. (2025). Dataset: Monthly and Annual Air Temperature (Max, Mean, Min) at Rothamsted 1878-2024 Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK DOI : https://doi.org/10.23637/rmsMAAirTemp1878-2024-01
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Maximum max, mean and minimum min annual air temperature at Rothamsted, Harpenden 1878-2024

Maximum max, mean and minimum min annual air temperature at Rothamsted, Harpenden 1878-2024

Summary

The dataset provides the monthly and annual air temperature recorded at Rothamsted every year from 1878-2024. The figure shows the maximum annual-maximums, the mean annual-means, and the minimum minimum annual temperatures, every year 1878-2024. It shows how all have risen, but in particular the minimum temperatures have risen most steeply over the 146 years of readings (minimum temperatures generally indicate night-time temperatures and hence it is these that have increased more). In addition, it can be seen that temperatures have in particular increased since the early 1980s.

Methods

Summary data used for this chart are derived from daily data measured at Rothamsted Meteorological Station. The average daily temperature is measured over a 24-hour period 0900 to 0900 GMT and calculated from the daily maximum (Tmax) and minimum temperatures (Tmin); the mean daily temperature = (Tmax = Tmin)/2.

TMAX is recorded over the 24 hour period up to 0900GMT, for the previous day's maximum TMIN is recorded over the 24 hour period up to 0900GMT, for the current day's minimum

Since 2004 recorded by thermistors (electronic temperature probes, Campbell Scientific, type 107). TMAX originally recorded using a mercury-in-glass sheathed column maximum thermometer and TMIN using a spirit-in-glass with indicator bar minimum thermometer, both housed in a naturally aspirating temperature screen.

Technical Information

First recorded in 1878, Tmax was then measured using a mercury column thermometer and Tmin using a spirit-in-glass with indicator bar minimum thermometer. Data were collected daily manually until 2004 using a standard protocol. Since 2004 temperature has been recorded automatically by Automatic Weather Station thermistors (electronic temperature probes, Campbell Scientific, Type 107).

Location: Rothamsted Meteorological Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England 51.82 N 0.37 W 128 m asl.

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Contributors

Dataset Access and Conditions

Rights Holder

Rothamsted Research

License

Creative Commons License This dataset is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence (4.0).

Cite this Dataset

YOU MUST CITE AS: Perryman, S., Scott, T. (2025). Dataset: Monthly and Annual Air Temperature (Max, Mean, Min) at Rothamsted 1878-2024 Electronic Rothamsted Archive, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK https://doi.org/10.23637/rmsMAAirTemp1878-2024-01

Please review our How to Credit Datasets guidance for more information.

Conditions of Use

Rothamsted relies on the integrity of users to ensure that datasets are used appropriately and Rothamsted Research receives suitable acknowledgment as being the originators of these data. Please review the Conditions of Use before downloading.

Table Of Contents

An Excel file containing the following data for each year:- Maximum maximum temperature; Mean maximum temperature; Minimum maximum temperature. Maximum mean temperature; Mean mean temperature; Minimum mean temperature. Maximum minimum temperature; Mean minimum temperature; Minimum minimum temperature. Also, a chart of a subset of data (the extreme and mean annual temperatures).

There are a few missing daily records and these are indicated in the data file by a highlight.

The monthly summary data contained in this spreadsheet are derived from daily data measured at Rothamsted Meteorological Station, Harpenden using MS Excel.

Verification includes checks for instrument errors, for missing data and outliers.

The original raw daily data is available, after registering, from the e-RA database. Please contact the e-RA Curators for an access password and further details.

There are a few missing daily records and these are indicated in the data file by a highlight.

Sarah Perryman has curated this data together. Tony Scott is the current weather station manager who manages the recording equipment and data collection. We acknowledge the many people over the last 134 years who have taken these air temperature recordings starting with Thomas Wilson and Edwin Grey in the 19th Century (see Credits for information on more recent recorders and contributors).

For an history of the Rothamsted weather station recording see the 'Information' tab.

  • The dataset Monthly and Annual Air Temperature (Max, Mean, Min) at Rothamsted 1878-2024 is a published dataset from the e-RA Database. e-RA is part of the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments - National Bioscience Research Infrastructure (RLTE-NBRI), which also covers maintenance of the Long-Term Experiments, the Rothamsted Sample Archive and Rothamsted's environmental monitoring activities including the weather stations and its role in the UK Environmental Change Network
  • The RLTE-NBRI is funded by UK Research and Innovation - Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UKRI-BBSRC) under award BBS/E/RH/23NB0007 (2023-2028). The RLTE-NBRI is also supported by the Lawes Agricultural Trust. e-RA has been part of a National Capability since 2012, previous awards from the BBSRC were Grants BBS/E/C/00005189 (2012-2017) and BBS/E/C/000J0300 (2017-2022)
  • Please read the conditions of use.
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For further information and assistance, please contact the e-RA curators, Sarah Perryman and Margaret Glendining using the e-RA email address: era@rothamsted.ac.uk