Weather records for A90 Toll of Birness, rainfall and windspeed: EIR release

"I would be looking for historic weather data for the closest weather station to Newburgh, Aberdeenshire. Ideally the information we would like (if it is recorded), is daily records of rainfall and wind speed for the period 15 August-present.

If possible, we would also like this information for the past 5 years (if available) from the period 15 August – Mid-October.

I have made a similar request previously and was given the raw data in excel format showing this information at 15 minute intervals, which I could then analyse myself. If this is all that is available then this would be more than acceptable.”

As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations.  We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA. 

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’.  Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.  We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes.  This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

Most of the information you have requested is available from  https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-18-02908/. This response covers 15 August 2014 to

12 October 2018. Under regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs, we do not have to give you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. 

Attached in Annex A and Annex B is the historic weather data for the closest weather station to Newburgh, Aberdeenshire which covers 15 October 2018 to 14 December 2018.

About FOI