Meteorological Data
Refer to map of weather stations in SE England
1) UK Meteorological Office
Daily Weather report
2) Met Office Daily Aerological Record
3) Met Office Isobar and Winds Charts
4) Bentwaters USAF Weather Report
5) Lakenheath USAF Weather Report
(Radar refractivity N-profiles and analysis are presented here)
1) Met. Office Daily Weather Report
1800Z August 13 |
Felixstowe (elevation 16') |
Gorleston (elevation 26') |
Mildenhall (elevation 39') |
W.Raynham (elevation 263') |
Wittering |
Total cloud |
5/8 |
7/8 |
5/8 |
3/8 |
2/8 |
Wind direct. |
270° (true) |
258¾° |
247½° |
247½° |
258¾° |
Wind speed |
20 knots |
11 knots |
12 knots |
14 knots |
17 knots |
Visibility |
25 miles |
7.5 miles |
21 miles |
34 miles |
25 miles |
Weather since noon |
cloud covering more than ½ of the sky throughout |
cloud covering more than ½ of the sky throughout |
rain |
cloud covering >½ of sky during part of period and <½ during part of period |
cloud covering more than ½ of the sky throughout |
Present weather |
clouds generally dissolving or becoming less developed during past hour |
state of sky on the whole unchanged during past hour |
clouds generally dissolving or becoming less developed during past hour |
clouds generally dissolving or becoming less developed during past hour |
clouds generally dissolving or becoming less developed during past hour |
Low cloud |
cumulus |
stratocumulus layer 2100' |
stratocumulus 3000' |
cumulus |
stratocumulus |
Higher cloud |
altostratus |
cirrus |
cirrus |
cirrus |
- |
Dry bulb temp. |
(+65°F) |
(65°F) |
(63°F) |
(61°F) |
(62°F) |
Dewpoint temp. |
(+53°F) |
(50°F) |
(47°F) |
(45°F) |
(44°F) |
Last 3 figures of pressure (reduced to MSL) in mb & 1/10 mb |
041 |
029 |
037 |
022 |
030 |
Characteristic of barometric tendency |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
Change of pressure in last 3 hours, 1/10 mb |
+21 |
+19 |
+18 |
+14 |
+13 |
Ground condition 2100Z |
moist |
moist |
moist |
dry |
dry |
Reports from surface met. stations at Felixstowe, Gorleston, Mildenhall, West Raynham and Wittering for 1800Z August 13 1956
0000Z August 14 |
Felixstowe (elevation 16') |
Gorleston (elevation 26') |
Mildenhall (elevation 39') |
W.Raynham |
Wittering (elevation 219') |
Total cloud |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
Wind |
220° |
247½° |
225° |
236¼° |
247½° |
Wind |
10 knots |
10 knots |
10 knots |
20 knots |
14 knots |
Visibility |
12.5 miles |
8.75 miles |
18.25 miles |
34 miles |
18.25 miles |
Weather since 1800Z |
cloud covering ½ or less of the sky throughout the period |
cloud covering ½ or less of the sky throughout the period |
cloud covering ½ or less of the sky throughout the period |
cloud covering ½ or less of the sky throughout the period |
cloud covering ½ or less of the sky throughout the period |
Present weather |
state of sky on the whole unchanged during past hour |
clouds generally dissolving or becoming less developed during past hour |
state of sky on the whole unchanged during past hour |
state of sky on the whole unchanged during past hour |
state of sky on the whole unchanged during past hour |
Low cloud |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
Higher cloud |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
nil |
Dry bulb temp |
(+55°F) |
(56°F) |
(54°F) |
(51°F) |
(53°F) |
Dewpoint temp. |
(+52°F) |
(44°F) |
(48°F) |
(45°F) |
(47°F) |
Last 3 figures of pressure (reduced to MSL) in mb & 1/10 mb |
067 |
057 |
058 |
044 |
050 |
Characteristic of barometric tendency |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
increasing, then steady; or increasing, then incr. more slowly |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
increasing (steadily or unsteadily) |
Change of pressure in last 3 hours, 1/10 mb |
+09 |
+03 |
+09 |
+06 |
+07 |
Ground condition 0900Z |
dry |
dry |
dry |
dry |
dry |
Reports from surface met. stations at Felixstowe, Gorleston, Mildenhall, West Raynham and Wittering for 0000Z August 14 1956
(Data extracted from Met.Office Daily Weather Reports for 13:1800Z and 14:0000Z supplied by Paul Fuller.)
2) Met. Office Daily Aerological Record
Radar and radiosonde upper air
soundings at Hemsby, Norfolk, 1402Z August 13 & 0201Z August
14 1956 .
Hemsby 13:1402Z |
Hemsby 14:0201Z |
||||||
Pressure, mb: MSL 999.8; surface 998.3; freezing 670 |
Pressure, mb: MSL 1005.0; surface 1003.5; freezing 800 |
||||||
pressure (mb) |
height (g.meters) |
Temp. |
Dewpoint |
pressure (mb) |
height (g.meters) |
Temp. |
Dewpoint |
surface |
12 |
18 |
15 |
surface |
12 |
11 |
08 |
1000 |
-001 |
- |
- |
1000 |
41 |
11 |
08 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
972 |
- |
11 |
07 |
936 |
- |
13 |
09 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
900 |
- |
07 |
01 |
892 |
- |
10 |
09 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
850 |
1361 |
08 |
04 |
850 |
1385 |
03 |
-02 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
826 |
- |
- |
-01 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
813 |
- |
01 |
-03 |
807 |
- |
- |
-11 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
751 |
- |
-02 |
-11 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
737 |
- |
-02 |
-14 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
730 |
- |
- |
-17 |
700 |
2944 |
02 |
-23 |
700 |
2935 |
-04 |
-20 |
660 |
- |
-01 |
-27 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
633 |
- |
-01 |
-27 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
622 |
- |
-09 |
-28 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
577 |
- |
-11 |
-33 |
570 |
- |
-06 |
-32 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
500 |
5585 |
-15 |
-38 |
500 |
5521 |
-18 |
-37 |
400 |
7229 |
-29 |
-41 |
400 |
7154 |
-29 |
-48 |
380 |
- |
-29 |
-38 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
355 |
- |
-31 |
-37 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
300 |
9247 |
-42 |
- |
300 |
9156 |
-42 |
- |
267 |
-49 |
- |
267 |
- |
-47 |
- |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
247 |
- |
-45 |
- |
235 |
- |
-54 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
227 |
- |
-41 |
- |
220 |
- |
-50 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
206 |
- |
-50 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
200 |
11,908 |
-49 |
- |
200 |
11,884 |
-41 |
- |
194 |
- |
-48 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
192 |
- |
-41 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
160 |
- |
-46 |
- |
150 |
13,794 |
-51 |
- |
150 |
13,811 |
-48 |
- |
149 |
- |
-51 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
141 |
- |
-50 |
- |
138 |
- |
-49 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
130 |
- |
-40 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
112 |
- |
-52 |
- |
105 |
- |
-53 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
100 |
16,429 |
-51 |
- |
100 |
16,460 |
-49 |
- |
095 |
- |
-49 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
091 |
- |
-47 |
- |
087 |
- |
-49 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
080 |
- |
-48 |
- |
080 |
- |
-49 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
075 |
- |
-47 |
- |
070 |
- |
-50 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
061 |
- |
-49 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
060 |
- |
-49 |
- |
055 |
- |
-49 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Temperature, pressure and humidity
(Data extracted from Met.Office Daily Aerological Records for 13:1402Z and 14:0201Z supplied by Paul Fuller. Reduced and graphed in Analysis of Met. Office Weather Reports & Radiosonde Data.)
13:1402Z |
13:2000Z |
14:0201Z |
14:0800Z |
||||||
Temp |
Pilar |
Temp |
Pilar |
||||||
Alt. |
Pressure |
Dir. |
Vel. (knot.) |
Dir. |
Vel. (knot.) |
Dir. |
Vel. (knot.) |
Dir. |
Vel. (knot.) |
surface |
- |
230 |
17 |
210 |
10 |
240 |
09 |
250 |
20 |
900 |
- |
250 |
33 |
260 |
30 |
270 |
36 |
280 |
40 |
1500 |
850 |
240 |
34 |
270 |
28 |
270 |
34 |
290 |
39 |
2100 |
750 |
250 |
42 |
260 |
30 |
260 |
44 |
280 |
40 |
3000 |
700 |
250 |
47 |
260 |
42 |
260 |
50 |
280 |
37 |
4200 |
600 |
250 |
50 |
250 |
56 |
260 |
61 |
270 |
44 |
5400 |
500 |
250 |
59 |
250 |
62 |
250 |
71 |
270 |
66 |
7200 |
400 |
250 |
61 |
250 |
70 |
260 |
98 |
270 |
98 |
9000 |
300 |
250 |
67 |
250 |
83 |
260 |
109 |
260 |
99 |
10500 |
250 |
250 |
70 |
260 |
92 |
260 |
102 |
260 |
88 |
12000 |
200 |
260 |
75 |
260 |
74 |
260 |
70 |
270 |
59 |
14100 |
150 |
270 |
50 |
260 |
39 |
260 |
46 |
250 |
44 |
15900 |
100 |
250 |
30 |
270 |
38 |
- |
- |
260 |
35 |
18000 |
75 |
270 |
18 |
250 |
20 |
- |
- |
240 |
19 |
20400 |
50 |
280 |
08 |
230 |
06 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
22800 |
35 |
- |
- |
260 |
56 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
(Note: Pilar reports relate to heights measured by radar; Temp reports relate to corresponding radiosonde measurements of pressure. All speeds are measured by radar.)
Upper winds
(Data extracted from Met.Office Daily Aerological Records for 13:1402/2000Z and 14:0201/0800Z supplied by Paul Fuller.)
3) Met Office isobar and winds charts
Isobar and winds chart for 0600Z (GMT) August 13th 1956
Isobar and winds chart for 1800Z (GMT) August 13th and 0000Z August 14th 1956
Isobar and winds chart for 0600Z (GMT) August 14th 1956
General Synoptic Development & Forecast, mid-day Monday 13th August 1956
General Synoptic Development & Forecast, mid-day Monday 14th August 1956
Crown copyright, Met Office. Reproduced under
Licence Number MetO/IPR/2/2002 0050
By granting this licence the
Meteorological Office does not endorse the use made of the
information or any any conclusions that may be drawn from it.
4) Bentwaters USAF weather report (extract from Air Intelligence Information Report IR-1-56)
Weather report from the Bentwaters weather detachment for the
period 2100Z to 2200Z, 13 August 1956 for the Bentwaters area
follows:
Winds:
Surface - Direction 230° velocity 5 - 10 knots
6000 ft - Direction 260° velocity 30 knots
10,000 ft - Direction 260° velocity 40 knots
16,000 ft - Direction 260° velocity 55 knots
20,000 ft - Direction 260° velocity 70 knots
30,000 ft - Direction 260° velocity 90 knots
50,000 ft - Direction 260° velocity 40 knots
ceiling: 25,000 ft
Visibility: 9 miles
No thunderstorms were located in the area of the sightings.
5) Lakenheath USAF weather report (extract from AFR 200-2 intelligence report BOI-485)
a) [Observer(s) account of weather conditions]
Clear sky until 0300Z shortly thereafter scattered clouds at 3500 ft.
[Report from nearest AWS or U.S. Weather Bureau Office of wind direction and velocity in degrees and knots at surface, 6,000', 10,000', 16,000', 20,000', 30,000', 50,000', and 80,000', if available]
From midnight until 0600Z
surface wind was 230 deg at 15 knots;
6000 ft 290 deg at 24 knots;
10000 ft 290 deg at 35 knots;
16000 ft 290 deg at 45 knots;
20000 ft 290 deg at 53 knots;
30,000 ft 290 deg at 62 knots;
50,000 ft 290 deg at 75 knots.
c) Ceiling unlimited.
d) Visibility from 0001Z to 0400Z was 10 nautical miles.
e) 1/10 of sky covered at 0300Z.
[Thunderstorms in area and quadrant in which located]
Negative.