UKCP09: Winter Heatwave Duration on a 5km Grid for the UK, 1961-1990

1961-1990 average winter heatwave duration data for the UK, gridded at a 5km resolution. The dataset contains 12 files, one for each month, created with support from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and promoted by the UK Climate Impacts Programme. Data access requires registration on the Met Office website.

Use Cases

• Modeling historical winter heatwave patterns based on gridded climate data.
• Analyzing spatial variability of heatwave duration across the UK based on the 5km resolution.
• Validating climate projection models against a 30-year historical baseline period.
• Assessing regional climate risks using data from a government-supported climate projections program.

Strengths

• Data is gridded at a 5km spatial resolution, providing detailed geographic coverage.
• Covers a 30-year historical baseline period from 1961 to 1990.
• Comprises 12 monthly average files, allowing for seasonal analysis.
• Created with financial support from a government department (Defra) and promoted by the UK Climate Impacts Programme.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the source and time period.

Provenance

Source

Met Office, UK

Collection Method

Likely derived from meteorological observations and modeling as part of the UK Climate Projections (UKCP09).

Time Range

1961-1990

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-08 13:33:07.992855; freshness should be verified.

Geography

United Kingdom