Digitizing historical daily weather bulletins through citizen scientists: The ReData project

In recent decades, numerous climate data rescue programs have begun in many
countries worldwide. These projects aim to preserve data recorded on paper sheets,
which are vulnerable to deterioration, and to make them accessible to the scientific
community. This enhances the accuracy of climatological studies and historical
reconstructions, including those focused on specific events. This study presents the
designed framework developed in the ReData (Recovery of Data) project, launched
by the Meteonetwork association in collaboration with the University of Milan in
2017, and upgraded in 2024 on the Zooniverse platform, which engages volunteers
in scientific research activities; in particular, it showcases the methodology implemented
for this climate data rescue initiative. The job leverages the potential of
citizen science to digitize meteorological data, collected by the Italian Royal Central
Meteorological Office (RCMO) from 1879 to 1940 and published in daily meteorological
bulletins, on a platform specifically designed to facilitate large-scale digitization
and ensure user accessibility. In addition, as a practical application of digitized data,
a case study is presented involving a synoptic reconstruction of the flood event that
affected the River Adige in northeastern Italy in September 1882. The overall project
provides critical data for reanalysis models, and it enhances the understanding of
historical climate trends over the Italian peninsula, offering significant cultural and
scientific value.