Luke Howard weather station

You can view the ‘live’ data anytime on the Met Office website:

https://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/observations/details?site_id=6c03f8c9-983a-ee11-913a-201642ba4c41

The Luke Howard weather station at the Lordship Hub measures air temperature, atmospheric pressure, rainfall and humidity, solar radiation, wind speed and direction – and indicates the phases of the moon, as well as sunrise and sunset times. The equipment is on the roof of the Hub, broadcasting information to a big screen inside the building.

We will soon be adding a CO2 monitor and a fish-eye lens to view the sky above the building, and a link to the energy levels being generated by new rooftop solar panels.

It is one of a network of thousands of amateur weather stations across the UK, whose daily information is collated and viewable on the internet. The Met Office run their own dedicated specialist stations which they rely on for their own weather monitoring, reporting and forecasting.

The key aim is to raise public awareness about our climate. We need to monitor how it is changing and heating up due to modern industrial processes:

• fossil fuels which dangerously increase CO2 carbon concentration in the atmosphere

• farming techniques which lead to biodiversity loss and often generate the ‘greenhouse gas’ methane

• other environmental damage to forests and the natural world.

This has caused climate heating and created a global emergency in which humanity faces its most important ever challenge – we all need to take immediate and effective action to reverse the damage to our climate and environment, create a zero-carbon economy, and a sustainable future. We can all play our part!

About Luke Howard

In 2022 Lordship Rec was designated the world’s first Cloud Appreciation Park.

Our Weather Station was launched on the 250th anniversary of world-renowned Tottenham resident Luke Howard – the ‘namer of clouds’ and taker of extensive detailed daily weather measurements.

Luke Howard was born 250 years ago on 28th November 1772 and spent much of his life in Tottenham, recording the weather from homes on Tottenham Green and Bruce Grove. A manufacturing chemist by profession, he was fascinated by clouds. His system of identifying and classifying clouds, naming them cumulus, stratus, cirrus, nimbus, is used across the globe. Luke Howard was a Quaker and was involved in the anti-slavery movement and many other progressive causes. He is recognised by the International Association for Urban Climates as ‘the father of urban climate science’.

The family has always been proud of Luke and what he achieved, and for his life and work to be celebrated in this way is just wonderful. Thank you!

Luke Howard’s great-great-great-great grandson Nick Putz

In the two centuries since Luke Howard lived in Tottenham much has changed, but his pioneering work and legacy is being recognised as more important than ever.

Margaret Burr, Tottenham Clouds

The new weather station at Lordship Rec will record information on a daily basis – just like Luke Howard did nearly 200 years ago. These days understanding our climate is not just for experts but is a matter of great public importance.

Helen Roberts, Met Office

It’s a real honour for the Rec to be the first official Cloud Appreciation Park. Especially in the light of the urgent demands coming out of the global COP climate crisis conferences, it’s vital now that we spread public awareness of weather and climate change issues all year round. Our new weather station will help us to do just that.

Dave Morris, Friends of Lordship Rec

Funds appeal

There is a live fundraising appeal to help build the legacy of Luke Howard, Namer of Clouds https://gofund.me/093f7fef Money raised will go towards the costs of further cloud and weather interpretation resources and activities over the coming year.

Supporters

Luke Howard 250th anniversary commemorations were supported by: Tottenham Clouds, Friends of Lordship Rec, The Room, Urban Forest Collective, Bruce Castle Museum, Haringey Libraries, North London Scouts, Cloud Appreciation Society, eN10ergy, Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth, Members of the Luke Howard family, Sustainable Haringey, Lordship Hub, The Met Office, Richard Hamblin, International Association of Urban Climates, Sustainable Haringey, Tottenham Grammar School Foundation (who funded the weather station), Haringey Council (who part-funded the solar panels), Mayor of London (via their part-funding of the solar panels), British Society for the History of Science, Spanner Films, Linnaean Society, and all those who have donated to our Crowdfunder Appeal.