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We have developed a database and methodology for calculating daytime/daily ambient temperature for any time in a day and location over the European subcontinent. The grid database with spatial resolution of 1x1 km was developed in a GIS by spatial interpolation of monthly-averaged 7 daily values of temperature – minimum/maximum and 5 measurements at three-hour interval from 6:00 to 18:00 GMT. A polynomial-fit from the interpolated data was used to estimate temperatures between the measurement times during the daytime (from sunrise to sunset). The ESRA double-cosine method was applied for calculation of full daily temperature profiles.

With a rather sparse input data set available (a little over 800 meteorological stations), we obtained a cross-validation RMS error of 1.0 to 1.2°C, while the interpolation error is significantly lower, at 0.5 to 0.7°C. The polynomial fit of the daytime temperature profile increased the overall interpolation error only slightly. The curve-fit coefficients make it possible to calculate a number of derived data sets from the primary GIS database, such as average daytime temperature, maximum daytime temperature and time of its occurrence within the region.

All data represent monthly averages of period 1995-2003. More info in the below mentioned paper.

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© European Communities, 2001-2008

Date: 30.10.2008