For a podcast from a nation obsessed with the weather, we’ve been remarkable restrained in discussing it so far. No more! We’re going full-on into weather forecasting and measurement, to discover what Lancaster can tell us about the world.

Dr James Heath, from Lancaster Environment Centre, is one of the team taking daily readings from the Hazelrigg Weather Station, which measure temperature and rainfall, and contributes to long-term Met Office records. He has always been obsessed with the weather, and recent years have brought a lot to think about in his role.

We learn about Hazelrigg’s origins; James’s family links to the Met Office – and the lack of Bill Giles and Michael Fish at mealtimes; why the way we manually measure the climate in the long-term has not changed in decades; and discover what the term ‘since records began’ when we hear about record-breaking weather events.

Find out the limits of weather stations when it comes to recording patterns beyond a small geographic area; the differences between the weather and the climate; and the changes Hazelrigg has tracked that are reflected across the globe – both for heat and for rainfall levels.

Plus, are the Norwegians – and their natural gloom – really so much better at forecasting weather in Lancaster? Is Jan always such a slacker when it comes to homework?

See links to the Hazelrigg Weather Station here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/environmental-science/facilities/

Read about the record breaking weather patterns from spring 2025 here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/lancaster-scientists-measure-record-breaking-spring-weather

And find out more about the lawnmower aurora incident here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37168678

Episode Transcript