7 ms·

A British garden's rainfall data 1988-2022 using copper rain gauge, notepad, pen

146 points by DoreenMichele 4y ago

rvba 4y ago
Why there isnt some "not sexy" statup that provides technology to build artificial lakes / water reservoirs? Just patch them in random places to collect water, plant some trees and it should help. Make it in a way that it just requires a small plot of land, so a group of people can acquire the plot, or even better - force the muncipiality to provide one. I am nit sure if such small reservoirs can help much, but it is always something. Last statup I heard was some company that put rubber balls on big water reservoirs in California (?) to try to limit evaporation. I wonder if this helped and if the decaying plastic didnt polute the water.
- kevinbowman 4y ago
  “Shade balls”, there are 96M of them in (on?) a big Los Angeles reservoir : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shade_balls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shade_balls They are made from HDPE, with an additive to prevent UV-accelerated breakdown into bromates (which is what they are there to stop forming in the water, as well as to stop evaporation).
- vesinisa 4y ago
  Help with what? This data is from the UK. They traditionally have to deal mostly with too much rain as far as I know.
  - seanhandley 4y ago
    Yes… But think about, say, farming. Too much rain (or not enough) at the wrong time of year can devastate crops. Seeing variations on rainfall month by month show how seasonal patterns in the UK are changing. Droughts and floods are the real issue here.
  - smcl 4y ago
    You'd think so, but parts of England institute a "hosepipe ban" in dryer summers to reduce water usage - effectively saying "you can't water your garden or clean your car for 1 month" or something. I imagine they're just being overly cautious though because, as you said, it does rain pretty frequently in the UK overall.
    - pbhjpbhj 4y ago
      It's cheaper for water companies to institute bans than to fix leaks and build capacity. Why waste potential profit! So what if lawns die, farms/gardens lose produce, it's not like the water companies need to care -- what you going to do harvest your own (you're not allowed!). Same with sewage, they don't bother building the capacity, just pay off the Tories and they allow it to be pumped raw into rivers and onto shores.
      - rowanajmarshall 4y ago
        > what you going to do harvest your own (you're not allowed!). It's absolutely legal to harvest rainwater in the UK for private use. Some councils even encourage it! Source: https://www.anchorpumps.com/blog/rules-harvesting-rainwater/#:~:text=It%20is%20perfectly%20legal%20to,encourage%20communities%20to%20harvest%20rainwater https://www.anchorpumps.com/blog/rules-harvesting-rainwater/....
        jimnotgym 4y ago
        Some bounds on this 1) yes you can have a small 100l tank catching rain water for your garden, but you can not drink it. If it became a big tank it would become subject to planning and building control. 2) you need a permit to harvest ground water by digging a well or borehole. 3) you need a permit to entrap water in a pond and to build a dam for this purpose
    - mytailorisrich 4y ago
      The issue here is not really 'droughts' it's that the UK relies on constant rainfall and hasn't much storage infrastructure or, say, mountains producing melt water in summer. The UK is quite wet and becoming wetter so I think it will be down to adapting to more rain but perhaps less constant. The water distribution infrastructure is also notorious for being outdated and full of leaks...
  - tobylane 4y ago
    Too much for an area is often more to do with excess tarmac or compacted soil. https://metofficenews.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/uk-rainfall-average-maps-1981-2010.gif https://metofficenews.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/uk-rainfal... White is 40-45 inches. That or greater is rare, the only dark blue in England is a national park famous for its lakes and rain. The third element of too much rain is that we like to complain about trivialities.
- throwawaylinux 4y ago
  > Why there isnt some "not sexy" statup that provides technology to build artificial lakes / water reservoirs? The technology already exists. Bulldozer, excavator, concrete, explosives. Not not-sexy enough for you? > Just patch them in random places to collect water, Not sure what "patch" means here, but water is becoming increasingly regulated, and in a lot of places you can't just randomly build lakes and dam water even on property you own. > plant some trees and it should help. Make it in a way that it just requires a small plot of land, so a group of people can acquire the plot, or even better - force the muncipiality to provide one. Should help with what? I feel I'm missing the context you're replying to.
  - bell-cot 4y ago
    THIS. And it's regulated (though often under-regulated) for damn good reasons. Properly designing even a "little" dam is far more difficult that most people appreciate. And both construction and upkeep (which is necessary, forever) are really expensive. Maybe start reading here: https://practical.engineering/blog/2021/10/14/what-really-happened-at-edenville-and-sanford-dams https://practical.engineering/blog/2021/10/14/what-really-ha...
- trhway 4y ago
  You can't do this today. Laws. The private ponds that you see are grandfathered.
gorgoiler 4y ago
I have a standard rain gauge. It always bothers me that I don't have two. Then I'd be able to measure my cumulative error properly. Meteorologists, as I learned the other day, were some of the early pioneers of a universal metric system.
kzrdude 4y ago
Is there a data download? Not saying there has to be, but if there is I'm sure it's fun. Anyone browsing (if there are multiple datasets eventually) probably wants to have some metadata about approximate location and climate of the location.
- 2b3a51 4y ago
  The first thing I looked for on the link was a download. Apparently not provided. I may (politely) email the author and ask if one is planned in the future.
eterevsky 4y ago
- foobarbecue 4y ago
  In some places. In others, drought. A very complicated system but I think you're right that there's a net increase in precipitation expected overall globally.
  - eterevsky 4y ago
    Yes. That's true for the temperature as well. In most place the average temperature is growing, but some places are actually becoming colder.
- mytailorisrich 4y ago
  Yes, the UK is becoming wetter and the trend is expected to continue.
  - easytiger 4y ago
    Based on what? The inverse is true in my part of the UK.
    - mytailorisrich 4y ago
      Based on stats and forecasts. "the UK has been on average 6% wetter over the last 30 years (1991-2020) than the preceding 30 years (1961-1990). Six of the ten wettest years for the UK in a series from 1862 have occurred since 1998." [1] [1] https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2021/climate-change-continues-to-be-evident-across-uk#:~:text=As%20well%20as%20increased%20temperatures,years%20(1961%2D1990) https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weat....
- fertrevino 4y ago
  I do not see that much of an upward trend, how did you notice it?
dna_polymerase 4y ago
Are they back to pen after going the classic Excel -> Evernote -> Notion -> Roam route or has it been pen & paper all the time? /s
mseepgood 4y ago
What's the point in doing this? Don't environmental authorities and weather services record this already?
- swayvil 4y ago
  Maybe it's an epistemological issue. Firshand perception is realer than secondhand abstraction. Or maybe he just doesn't trust the government.
  - b112 4y ago
    Rainfall is very, very site specific. So is temperature. If I drive 1km down the road, the temp goes up 3C in the summer, when it is 35C in the city, and 32C here. Why? I am close to a river, there are hills around me. Terrain makes a difference. Sometimes, I can see it rain an few km away, but not here. And the reverse is true, too. And beyond that, rain is not consistent. It's not as of someone turned on a faucet, and rain is coming from a perfect shower head, all perfectly distributed. It varies, fluctuates, terrain, makes a difference, for terrain effects wind patterns, causes air to rise or fall, etc etc.
    - swayvil 4y ago
      We get strange predictions and dissonance regularly where I live. We barely trust the forecast anymore.
    - ianai 4y ago
      There’s a lot to be said for having less concrete and asphalt around.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - some-human 4y ago
      This applies especially in the UK, where it can be pouring with rain for an hour where I live, but beautiful sunshine 2 miles away where my brother lives. The country is an island with hills everywhere and a flat east coast. The Met office data doesn't really have the resolution wanted for some people. The adage if you don't like the weather in the UK, wait 5 minutes, is also perfectly accurate.
hestefisk 4y ago
A.k.a. IoH - Internet of Humans
dorfsmay 4y ago
The person who created the site, whose father is the one who collected the data, posted and answers question on Reddit: https://old.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/v92fu6/my_dad_has_recorded_rainfall_data_with_a_copper/ https://old.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/v92fu6/my_...
Yuioup 4y ago
Started gardening 5 years ago. Before that I never realized how messed up the climate was. Long period of drought mixed with intetmittent torrents. Last year was also a disaster year due to unusual temperature fluctuations.
- lettergram 4y ago
  “Naturally occurring fluctuations” != “messed up climate” There’s a reason prior to irrigation (and Hunter gathering) only a few regions in the world supported long-term human habitation.
  - LoveGracePeace 4y ago
    The Earth, who knew. Family moves from temperate climate to the desert, wonders why it's always so hot, must be climate change. The seas are rising, man checks web cams for sea side resorts around the world and photos from the past several decades, no change in sea levels, doesn't fit the narrative, must be wrong.
    - ChrisClark 4y ago
      I am completely baffled why we still have global warming deniers like this guy here. Just completely convinced by propaganda?
      - bragr 4y ago
        Never discount disordered thinking.
      - grogenaut 4y ago
        his statement isnt denying climate change, its just saying short term freaky weather happens. And people often use short term weather within statistical bounds as evidence of climate change when it is mor of a long term thing that is statistical to measure. Read his statement with the missing nod to consensus "while climate change is real" at the beginning.
w0mbat 4y ago
If you like this, I have a great episode of Ripping Yarns for you, starring Michael Palin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYpsz2eAKOs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYpsz2eAKOs

146 points by DoreenMichele 4y ago

rvba 4y ago

Why there isnt some "not sexy" statup that provides technology to build artificial lakes / water reservoirs? Just patch them in random places to collect water, plant some trees and it should help. Make it in a way that it just requires a small plot of land, so a group of people can acquire the plot, or even better - force the muncipiality to provide one. I am nit sure if such small reservoirs can help much, but it is always something. Last statup I heard was some company that put rubber balls on big water reservoirs in California (?) to try to limit evaporation. I wonder if this helped and if the decaying plastic didnt polute the water.

kevinbowman 4y ago
“Shade balls”, there are 96M of them in (on?) a big Los Angeles reservoir : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shade_balls https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shade_balls They are made from HDPE, with an additive to prevent UV-accelerated breakdown into bromates (which is what they are there to stop forming in the water, as well as to stop evaporation).
vesinisa 4y ago
Help with what? This data is from the UK. They traditionally have to deal mostly with too much rain as far as I know.
- seanhandley 4y ago
  Yes… But think about, say, farming. Too much rain (or not enough) at the wrong time of year can devastate crops. Seeing variations on rainfall month by month show how seasonal patterns in the UK are changing. Droughts and floods are the real issue here.
- smcl 4y ago
  You'd think so, but parts of England institute a "hosepipe ban" in dryer summers to reduce water usage - effectively saying "you can't water your garden or clean your car for 1 month" or something. I imagine they're just being overly cautious though because, as you said, it does rain pretty frequently in the UK overall.
  - pbhjpbhj 4y ago
    It's cheaper for water companies to institute bans than to fix leaks and build capacity. Why waste potential profit! So what if lawns die, farms/gardens lose produce, it's not like the water companies need to care -- what you going to do harvest your own (you're not allowed!). Same with sewage, they don't bother building the capacity, just pay off the Tories and they allow it to be pumped raw into rivers and onto shores.
    - rowanajmarshall 4y ago
      > what you going to do harvest your own (you're not allowed!). It's absolutely legal to harvest rainwater in the UK for private use. Some councils even encourage it! Source: https://www.anchorpumps.com/blog/rules-harvesting-rainwater/#:~:text=It%20is%20perfectly%20legal%20to,encourage%20communities%20to%20harvest%20rainwater https://www.anchorpumps.com/blog/rules-harvesting-rainwater/....
      - jimnotgym 4y ago
        Some bounds on this 1) yes you can have a small 100l tank catching rain water for your garden, but you can not drink it. If it became a big tank it would become subject to planning and building control. 2) you need a permit to harvest ground water by digging a well or borehole. 3) you need a permit to entrap water in a pond and to build a dam for this purpose
  - mytailorisrich 4y ago
    The issue here is not really 'droughts' it's that the UK relies on constant rainfall and hasn't much storage infrastructure or, say, mountains producing melt water in summer. The UK is quite wet and becoming wetter so I think it will be down to adapting to more rain but perhaps less constant. The water distribution infrastructure is also notorious for being outdated and full of leaks...
- tobylane 4y ago
  Too much for an area is often more to do with excess tarmac or compacted soil. https://metofficenews.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/uk-rainfall-average-maps-1981-2010.gif https://metofficenews.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/uk-rainfal... White is 40-45 inches. That or greater is rare, the only dark blue in England is a national park famous for its lakes and rain. The third element of too much rain is that we like to complain about trivialities.
throwawaylinux 4y ago
> Why there isnt some "not sexy" statup that provides technology to build artificial lakes / water reservoirs? The technology already exists. Bulldozer, excavator, concrete, explosives. Not not-sexy enough for you? > Just patch them in random places to collect water, Not sure what "patch" means here, but water is becoming increasingly regulated, and in a lot of places you can't just randomly build lakes and dam water even on property you own. > plant some trees and it should help. Make it in a way that it just requires a small plot of land, so a group of people can acquire the plot, or even better - force the muncipiality to provide one. Should help with what? I feel I'm missing the context you're replying to.
- bell-cot 4y ago
  THIS. And it's regulated (though often under-regulated) for damn good reasons. Properly designing even a "little" dam is far more difficult that most people appreciate. And both construction and upkeep (which is necessary, forever) are really expensive. Maybe start reading here: https://practical.engineering/blog/2021/10/14/what-really-happened-at-edenville-and-sanford-dams https://practical.engineering/blog/2021/10/14/what-really-ha...
trhway 4y ago
You can't do this today. Laws. The private ponds that you see are grandfathered.

gorgoiler 4y ago

I have a standard rain gauge. It always bothers me that I don't have two. Then I'd be able to measure my cumulative error properly. Meteorologists, as I learned the other day, were some of the early pioneers of a universal metric system.

kzrdude 4y ago

Is there a data download? Not saying there has to be, but if there is I'm sure it's fun. Anyone browsing (if there are multiple datasets eventually) probably wants to have some metadata about approximate location and climate of the location.

2b3a51 4y ago
The first thing I looked for on the link was a download. Apparently not provided. I may (politely) email the author and ask if one is planned in the future.

eterevsky 4y ago

foobarbecue 4y ago
In some places. In others, drought. A very complicated system but I think you're right that there's a net increase in precipitation expected overall globally.
- eterevsky 4y ago
  Yes. That's true for the temperature as well. In most place the average temperature is growing, but some places are actually becoming colder.
mytailorisrich 4y ago
Yes, the UK is becoming wetter and the trend is expected to continue.
- easytiger 4y ago
  Based on what? The inverse is true in my part of the UK.
  - mytailorisrich 4y ago
    Based on stats and forecasts. "the UK has been on average 6% wetter over the last 30 years (1991-2020) than the preceding 30 years (1961-1990). Six of the ten wettest years for the UK in a series from 1862 have occurred since 1998." [1] [1] https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2021/climate-change-continues-to-be-evident-across-uk#:~:text=As%20well%20as%20increased%20temperatures,years%20(1961%2D1990) https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weat....
fertrevino 4y ago
I do not see that much of an upward trend, how did you notice it?

dna_polymerase 4y ago

Are they back to pen after going the classic Excel -> Evernote -> Notion -> Roam route or has it been pen & paper all the time? /s

mseepgood 4y ago

What's the point in doing this? Don't environmental authorities and weather services record this already?

swayvil 4y ago
Maybe it's an epistemological issue. Firshand perception is realer than secondhand abstraction. Or maybe he just doesn't trust the government.
- b112 4y ago
  Rainfall is very, very site specific. So is temperature. If I drive 1km down the road, the temp goes up 3C in the summer, when it is 35C in the city, and 32C here. Why? I am close to a river, there are hills around me. Terrain makes a difference. Sometimes, I can see it rain an few km away, but not here. And the reverse is true, too. And beyond that, rain is not consistent. It's not as of someone turned on a faucet, and rain is coming from a perfect shower head, all perfectly distributed. It varies, fluctuates, terrain, makes a difference, for terrain effects wind patterns, causes air to rise or fall, etc etc.
  - swayvil 4y ago
    We get strange predictions and dissonance regularly where I live. We barely trust the forecast anymore.
  - ianai 4y ago
    There’s a lot to be said for having less concrete and asphalt around.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - some-human 4y ago
    This applies especially in the UK, where it can be pouring with rain for an hour where I live, but beautiful sunshine 2 miles away where my brother lives. The country is an island with hills everywhere and a flat east coast. The Met office data doesn't really have the resolution wanted for some people. The adage if you don't like the weather in the UK, wait 5 minutes, is also perfectly accurate.

hestefisk 4y ago

A.k.a. IoH - Internet of Humans

dorfsmay 4y ago

The person who created the site, whose father is the one who collected the data, posted and answers question on Reddit: https://old.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/v92fu6/my_dad_has_recorded_rainfall_data_with_a_copper/ https://old.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/v92fu6/my_...

Yuioup 4y ago

Started gardening 5 years ago. Before that I never realized how messed up the climate was. Long period of drought mixed with intetmittent torrents. Last year was also a disaster year due to unusual temperature fluctuations.

lettergram 4y ago
“Naturally occurring fluctuations” != “messed up climate” There’s a reason prior to irrigation (and Hunter gathering) only a few regions in the world supported long-term human habitation.
- LoveGracePeace 4y ago
  The Earth, who knew. Family moves from temperate climate to the desert, wonders why it's always so hot, must be climate change. The seas are rising, man checks web cams for sea side resorts around the world and photos from the past several decades, no change in sea levels, doesn't fit the narrative, must be wrong.
  - ChrisClark 4y ago
    I am completely baffled why we still have global warming deniers like this guy here. Just completely convinced by propaganda?
    - bragr 4y ago
      Never discount disordered thinking.
    - grogenaut 4y ago
      his statement isnt denying climate change, its just saying short term freaky weather happens. And people often use short term weather within statistical bounds as evidence of climate change when it is mor of a long term thing that is statistical to measure. Read his statement with the missing nod to consensus "while climate change is real" at the beginning.

w0mbat 4y ago

If you like this, I have a great episode of Ripping Yarns for you, starring Michael Palin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYpsz2eAKOs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYpsz2eAKOs