Archive collections

Examples of what we hold

• The original Beaufort Scale.
• Weather reports for the UK every day from 1 January 1869 to the present, and from around the world.
• The great early writings on meteorology from such pioneers as Aristotle to Robert Boyle, Francis Bacon and Luke Howard in our collection of historical meteorological literature maintained in co-operation with the Royal Meteorological Society.
• Marine weather logbooks — worldwide records from merchant and Royal Navy ships, including those from historic voyages such as of the HMS Prince of Wales when she attacked the Bismarck in WW2.
• Registers of meteorological observations and autographic records for approximately 1,000 sites — dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. These cover temperature, wind, rainfall, solar radiation, snow and sunshine.
• Upper-air data from radiosonde and pilot-balloon ascents.
• A number of the earliest weather diaries dating back to the late eighteenth century (our earliest diary is from Rye (Sussex) for 1730–33).
• Historic images.