I am conducting my masters research in the KGNP and I have obtained weather data for various weather stations in the KGNP. However, I only have data ranging from 1960-2013 for Mata-Mata, Twee Rivieren and Nossob from the South African Weather Services. I am trying to locate a longer climatic record possibly dating further back than 1960 and for more weather stations other than the three mentioned above.
Hi Nicky, I think that your best bet will be to contact South African National Parks. You can get in touch with the rangers in the park directly or the research staff in the Conservation Services section stationed in Kimberley. As I recall they do keep records for other locations throughout the park but these data are not as regular as those from the rest camps themselves.
You can obtaion some satellite and gridded staion data from the IRI Data Library at http://iridl.ldeo.columbia.edu/
Maybe you could consider meteorological reanalysis product.
MERRA is easy to use and freely provides global meteorological hourly data with a spatial resolution of approx. 75 km since 1985.
You can also obtain gridded data from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) which includes many climate variables (such as min, max, mean temperature, diurnal temp range, frost, rainfall, cloud frequency, wet day frequency, vapor pressure, potential evapotranspiration) from 1900 - 2010 (not sure if they have updated to 2013 yet)
http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/data
Nicky
I had similar challenges when doing my M.Sc. in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. The challenge is that data prior to 1960 is in many cases sketchy, non-coherent and in some cases unreliable due to a stop-start effect due to limitations of staff to do the readings.
You will have to interpret the data in conjunction with the country's history.
I suggest that if you really get stuck you also make contact with Prof. Mark Jury at the University of Zululand and Prof. Chris Appleton of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Prof. Jury is a great meteorologist/climatologist and Prof. Appleton has great insights on environmental factors and insects.
If all else fails there is the national archives in Pretoria. Just take your hay fever tablets along.
Good luck!
Burnie
There are some nearby stations that could be downloaded at Climate Explorer - here are nearby ones with monthly (daily would be different - try that too - http://climexp.knmi.nl)
KIRIIS OST NAMIBIA (NAMIBIA) -26.3 N 19.6 E Found 17 years with data in 1909-1936
MOROKWENG (POL) SOUTH AFRI(SOUTH AFRICA) -26.12 N 23.78 E Found 89 years with data in 1898-1997
EXCELSIOR I NAMIBIA (NAMIBIA) -26.1 N 16.4 E Found 41 years with data in 1951-1991
TSABONG BOTSWANA (BOTSWANA) -26.1 N 22.4 E Found 64 years with data in 1934-1997
BERSEBA NAMIBIA (NAMIBIA) -26 N 17.8 E Found 77 years with data in 1899-1999
GRABSTEIN NAMIBIA (NAMIBIA) -25.9 N 19.3 E Found 62 years with data in 1937-1998
ARUAB (NAMIBIA) -25.7 N 16.5 E Found 81 years with data in 1916-1996
KUTEB NAMIBIA (NAMIBIA) -25.5 N 17.1 E Found 64 years with data in 1921-1992
DUWISIB NAMIBIA (NAMIBIA) -25.3 N 16.5 E Found 50 years with data in 1913-1987
PERSIP NAMIBIA (NAMIBIA) -25.3 N 18.8 E Found 55 years with data in 1929-1983
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