Tenby climatological observers are on the look-out for some new recruits.

Tenby has had an official weather station for over 125 years, officially recognised and run by the Met Office as part of its climate monitoring network, to which the data is reported.

For many years, the post of official observer was undertaken by one person at a time, but now there is a team responsible for making the daily record of temperature, rainfall, sunshine, and general conditions.

At the moment, there are three team members, so one or more extra members would be very welcome, so that everyone could undertake observations on one or two days per week.

The thermometer screen and rain gauge are adjacent to Tenby Golf Club where readings are taken each morning. It can be reached easily by car, or treated as a refreshing walk. The actual observation takes only five or 10 minutes per day. The sunshine recorder is on Castle Hill, and some degree of able-bodiedness is required to change the card in the evening, as it is at the top of the Norman tower, and reached by a stone spiral staircase within the tower; the view from the top is well worth the effort!

Volunteers can choose which type of observation they prefer, or they can do both. Should anyone be keen, but unable to commit to a day a week, there is also a need for people who are willing to learn the ropes (two or three practices usually seem to be sufficient, and the rest of the team are normally only a telephone call or e-mail away in cases of any confusion) and then be on call for absences caused by illness or holidays. Greenhill students, for example, might be willing to make themselves available during school holidays.

This is a great opportunity to keep a valuable scientific project and historical record going for years to come, and further information is available from Stuart Herridge of the Met Office, whose e-mail address is [email protected]. He will be happy to answer questions, or have an informal chat about the station and team.