Weather Station History

Weston Park Weather Station was established in September 1882.  It is one of the longest, continuously recording weather stations in the UK.

The station was founded in response to serious outbreaks of bacterial diseases in 1880. This resulted in many deaths, particularly of young children.  Scientists of the time knew that there was a link between outbreaks of these kinds of disease and current weather conditions.  Sheffield didn’t have a weather station to provide regular and accurate readings.  Without this, doctors couldn’t predict or prepare for the outbreaks when they occurred.  In 1881, the Department of Health lobbied Sheffield Corporation, the equivalent of the Council, and the following year, the station was established.

Elijah Howarth (1853 – 1938), the curator of Weston Park Museum, was selected to set up the station.  After consulting with the Meteorological Office, he selected Weston Park to house the station so he could be close enough to take regular readings.  He began recording at the station in September of 1882.  He quickly became a weather enthusiast and was made a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society.

The station has always been situated in Weston Park, but its original location was in front of the steps leading to the Mappin Art Gallery.  It was relocated in 1920, to an area around 20 metres to the South East, not far from its current position.  It stayed in this location until 1951, when it was moved to its present position, to make way for a conservatory, installed to celebrate the Festival of Britain.  The conservatory was dismantled in 1999.

In 2024, the station was recognised as one of the World Meteorological Organisation’s centennial observation stations; one of only 11 in the UK.  This acknowledges the station’s contribution to the long term study of climatology, through its outstanding dataset.