Sunday, 7 November 2010

The Death of David Kelly - Weather on 17th and 18th July 2003?

A straightforward question.

Does anyone know if there is anywhere online that it might be possible to retrieve weather information for Oxford or Oxfordshire for 17th and 18th July 2003?

I'm asking partly to see if it might be possible to get a better set of confidence limits for the time of death.

I assume, but don't know, that the temperature for most of 18th July 2003 would be significantly higher than that of 20.8 degrees centigrade measured at 19.15 or thereby, when the rectal temperature was measured by Dr. Nicholas Hunt.
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6 comments:

  1. Rowena Thursby7 November 2010 at 18:43

    Came across an article from Scotsman (Kelly told wife this wasn't world he wanted) where it was written 'Dr Kelly also had left his home without a coat and the weather had taken a turn for the worse, with a heavy rainstorm soaking the surrounding fields.'

    As an aside, Dr Kelly was found wearing a coat, so did he set out wearing one, or not? Ruth Absalom could tell us, because she met him while on her walk on 17th, but she's now in a nursing home.

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  2. felix7 November 2010 at 19:08

    Acting Superintendent (an Area Commander at the time?) Dave Purnell stated that Dr Kelly set out "despite poor weather" (!) according to Norman Baker. This might be the source for the Scotsman. There is a report somewhere (Can't put my finger on it just now) that a significant amount of rain did fall, perhaps in a sudden summer rainstorm, on the 17th.

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  3. Andrew Watt8 November 2010 at 13:36

    Rowena and Felix,

    It would be really useful to get an authoritative answer to try to separate the wheat from the chaff, wouldn't it?

    Anther point on which the Hutton Inquiry is frustratingly silent.

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  4. felix8 November 2010 at 14:56

    Andrew

    The weather on the Sussex Coast was recorded that day as being extremely humid - 92 per cent!!! A record figure there since 2000!! Dawn temperature 18.2 degrees - and an office temperature of 30 degress during the day. Seemingly an unpleasantly warm day with overcast skies an morning drizzle (in Sussex)
    The general Met Office record implies overcast,warm or hot, with scattered thundery showers,not attaching times of the day.

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  5. Anonymous8 November 2010 at 23:41

    I lived about 10 miles from Southmoor and recall a very heavy rainstorm on the 18th. I'm sorry I cannot recall what the weather was like the previous day.

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  6. Andrew Watt15 November 2010 at 14:12

    Daphne,

    Thanks.

    Both the weather on the 17th July 2003 and 18th July 2003 are relevant, I think.

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