Long-term temperature and precipitation records from the Falkland Islands

In this article, we develop long-term series of monthly average temperatures and precipitation totals for the modern recording site on the Falkland Islands (at Mount Pleasant Airport). The air temperature series extends back to 1895, but with 16 missing months in 1902 and 1907/8. The precipitation series extends back to 1904, but has all but four months missing in the period 1921-1923. All missing values during the early 1980s are infilled using the ERA-Interim Reanalysis. We compare long-term variations in both variables with the nearest long-term record from Punta Arenas in Chile, and for air temperature with a sea surface temperature series from around the islands.