The temperature record which fell yesterday, the UK's hottest ever day in May, was last broken at Camden Square on 22nd May 1922.
It still holds the record for the hottest ever days in two other months, that's 29.4°C in April 1949 and 35.6°C in June 1957.
But there's no longer a weather station at Camden Square so why was it there then, and where exactly is this record-breaking spot anyway?
Unsurprisingly it's in Camden but not the touristy bit, more to the northeast, parallel to Camden Road and a five minute walk from the station of that name. The 'square' is long and thin, maybe 200m in length, and surrounded by mostly Victorian villas. Most of the square is public gardens, a much smaller part is given over to the exercising of dogs and the southern end houses a children's play centre. It's perhaps best known for Amy Winehouse's last home at number 30 where she died in 2011. But we're interested in number 62 at the southern end where one of the great meteorologists lived, that's the cream one in this terrace between the grey and the pink.
George Symons was born in Pimlico in 1838, a quiet boy who took an increasing interest in meteorological observations. While still a teenager he delivered an investigation of thunderstorms to the Meteorological Society, this encouraging him to focus on the accurate collection of rainfall statistics. In 1860 he published a leaflet listing rainfall totals at 160 stations across the country, the following year upped this to 500, and in 1863 resigned his job at the Board of Trade so he could focus on collecting and disseminating rainfall data. His publication 'British Rainfall' was published annually and relied on the contributions of thousands of amateurs taking regular readings using standardised equipment. Symons thus became founder of the British Rainfall Organization, and I doubt there's ever been a more British organisation than that.
Initially Symons lived at 136 Camden Road, just round the corner, but in 1868 moved to 62 Camden Square and made daily observations here until his death in 1900. His weather station was in a walled back garden - a particularly urban environment compared to later London weather stations at St James's Park, Kew Gardens or the Air Ministry Roof, hence arguably it delivered slightly higher temperatures than might be recorded today. Symons was however a stickler for accuracy, for example encouraging experimentation into the most reliable form of rain gauge, indeed it's thanks to him that the Met Office standard became a five-inch funnel with its rim one foot off the ground checked daily at 9am.
Such was the importance of Symons' record that readings continued at 62 Camden Square for many years after his death. The meteorologist Hugh Robert Mill supervised proceedings (and the annual publication of British Rainfall) until his retirement in 1920, at which point the British Rainfall Organization was subsumed into a department of the Meteorological Office. The Royal Meteorological Society acquired 62 Camden Square in 1922 - the same year the record May temperature was recorded - with daily observations continued by housekeepers until 1957. The station was then moved a short distance to the gardens in Camden Square where it continued until 1969, at which point an 111-year span of record keeping in the vicinity came to a close. Yes there is a plaque.
Here from 1868 to 1900 lived George James Symons FRS, pioneer in the scientific study of rainfall, founder of the British Rainfall Organization, twice president of the Royal Meteorological Society. 1838-1900.
Camden Square continues to hold the UK record for the warmest day in April (29.4°C) and shares the record for the warmest day in September (35.6°C). It also holds the daily records for 16th April, 12th 16th 18th 21st 22nd 28th 30th May, 5th 7th 22nd 29th June, 7th 8th 13th 15th July, 29th August and 18th 19th 23rd September. Of these only the 35°C on 15th July 1881 was recorded by George Symons himself, but I do like the fact that the great man who gave us accurate rainfall records is still directly responsible for the warmest St Swithin's Day of all time.
