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Worst weather events of the prior centuries?


Hugo_HK

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Hello guys, 

 

I am putting together a list of the most notable weather events to affect England and Wales in the last several hundred years (say since 1600). Do you guys have suggestions of more events I might have missed and should be looking into?

 

21st century

 

2022: Hot summer and drought

2014: Exceptional series of Winter storms (Dec 2013-Feb 2014)

2013: Exceptional Spring cold spell in March

2010: Big Freeze in November-December

2006: July Heatwave

2003: very hot summer

 

 

20th century

 

1995: Very hot Summer

1990: Exceptional series of Storms in Jan-Feb, particularly Burns day storm on 25th January

1987: The Great Storm

1981/2: Very cold winter weather

1981: the UK’s worst tornado outbreak (104 tornadoes in a few days)

1976: Exceptional drought and heat

1976: Very severe storm in the North of England in January

1963: The Big Freeze (Dec 62 - Feb 63)

1955: hot summer

1953: The Great North Sea Floods (1st Feb)

1952: The Smog (December 1952)

1947: Exceptionally hot and dry Summer season

1947: Exceptional cold (late Jan - early March)

1940: Very cold winter in Jan-Feb

1933: hot summer

1913: October tornado outbreak (2 EF3s plus many other smaller ones)

1911: Exceptionally hot summer

 

 

 

19th century

 

1895: Very Cold Winter, especially Jan-Feb

1891: Very cold winter, especially Dec-Jan

1884: Severe winter storm jn January

1881: Jan 1881 cold snap and snow

1859: Royal Charter Storm or 1859 (late October - hurricane force)

1855: Feb 1855 cold snap

1846: Hot summer

1838: Exceptional cold spell

1826: Hot summer

1814: Exceptional cold spell

 

 

 

18th century

 

1795: Exceptionally cold winter

1789: Very cold winter

1784: very cold winter

1781: Exceptional hot summer

1780: Notable warm season

1779: Very hot summer and warm season

1776: severe cold spell

1740: Exceptionally cold winter

1716: Very cold winter

1709: Great Frost of 1709

1703: The great Storm

 

 

17th century

 

1698: very cold winter

1697: very cold winter

1695: Exceptionally cold and snowy winter

1684: Great Winter

1679: Very cold winter

1674: March Blizzard and cold wave (coldest March in CET history

1608: Great Winter

1607: Winter storm, Bristol Channel floods

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Posted
  • Location: Hamstreet Kent, recently of Pagham nr Bognor Regis
  • Location: Hamstreet Kent, recently of Pagham nr Bognor Regis

Summer 1912 - Exceptionally poor summer after the exceptionally good one in 1911.

Wettest summer and August on EWP record. Also, August the dullest and coolest (CET) on record.  

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Posted
  • Location: Wyke regis overlooking Chesil beach.
  • Weather Preferences: Snowfall
  • Location: Wyke regis overlooking Chesil beach.

 Hugo_HK

The Christmas Day blizzard of 1927 was every bit the equivalent of the 1933 snowstorm but for the southern half of the UK.

The New year thaw that followed allied with very high tides saw people drowned in basement flats in London as the Thames overtopped it embankments.

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Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)

 Harry's House 2000 Wettest Autumn on record..twas a truly miserable affair

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Posted
  • Location: Solihull, West Midlands. - 131 m asl
  • Weather Preferences: Sun, Snow and Storms
  • Location: Solihull, West Midlands. - 131 m asl

Can I suggest the 2 West Country major floods - at Lynton and Lynmouth, and this century the Boscastle inundation?

Surely they were epic events.

Also the 1947 event was exceptional for its 2 major blizzards, not necessarily just the cold.

Also how about the Great wind storm of 1722 when 100 mph is thought to have happened for a solid week. 

Are you aware that Michael Fish. Ian Mcgaskill and Paul Hudson have a book last published in 2007, called 'Storm Force' which goes back to 0 BC.?

I have noted some of the more major events documented in their book, if you want the notes.

Fantastic and well worth a read

MIA

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 Midlands Ice Age Hi, 

 

I did not know about this book.

 

Would be interested in notes regarding major events since 1600 if you have the time at some point?

 

to your point above the West Country floods and Boscastle ones, the problem with the boscastle floods it was just too localised to make on this I think. The idea is of national scale events which need to be severe on at least several counties out a time...

 

Interested to hear any info on the storm of 1722 as I haven't heard of this one

 

 

Edited by Hugo_HK
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 Harry's House

 

I like your idea of doing a 'year without a summer' category. However I need to come up with some criteria. 

 

For example looking at CET: avg temp between June and Sept below 13.7 celsius; no month with avg temp over 15 celsius (which would mean an OK month); and would need to look at rain stats too. 

 

Does anyone have a link for monthly rain stats for England please? (Where can I find EWP - sorry I have never looked for this before!).

 

For now based on the temperature criteria: (years in red are out - for eg 1912 had an OK July at 16.1c avg temp for CET data. 

Screenshot2024-10-29at3_23_07AM.thumb.png.72a9dbef161e8597d84fb2950d2fcb1f.png

 

I think doing some rainfall requirement would fit nicely with this. 

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I've started adding 'years without summers) too and added the Christmas blizzard of 1927 too.

 

Also added a range of events from prior centuries. I think the list from the start of the 18th century is looking pretty good:

 

 

21st century: 6 events: 2 cold winter events; 3 hot summers; 1 storm event

 

2022: Hot summer and drought

2014: Exceptional series of Winter storms and floods (Dec 2013-Feb 2014)

2013: Exceptional Spring cold spell and blizzards in March

2010: Big Freeze in November-December

2006: July Heatwave

2003: hot summer

 

 

20th century: 20 events:  5 cold winters; 6 hot summers; 4 winter storms; 2 severe weather events; 2 others: (smog, ‘year without a summer’)

 

1995: Very hot Summer

1990: Exceptional series of Storms in Jan-Feb, particularly Burns day storm on 25th January

1987: The Great Storm

1981/2: Very cold winter weather

1981: the UK’s worst tornado outbreak (104 tornadoes in a few days)

1978/79: cold and snowy winter

1976: Exceptional drought and heat

1976: Very severe storm in the North of England

1963: The Big Freeze (Dec 62 - Feb 63)

1955: hot summer

1953: The Great North Sea Floods (1st Feb)

1952: The Great smog (December 1952)

1947: Exceptionally hot and dry Summer season

1947: Exceptional cold and blizzards (late Jan - early March)

1940: Very cold winter in Jan-Feb

1933: hot summer

1927: Christmas Blizzard in the South of England

1913: October tornado outbreak (2 EF3s plus many other smaller ones)

1911: Exceptionally hot summer

 

19th century: 17 events: 7 cold winters; 2 hot summers; 3 winter storms; 1 severe weather event; 2 floods; 2 others years without summers

 

1895: Very Cold Winter, especially Jan-Feb

1891: March blizzard in the Western part of the country - possibly the worst such event in centuries for England / Wales

1891: Very cold winter, especially Dec-Jan

1884: Severe winter storm jn January

1881: Jan 1881 cold snap and snow

1860: Year without a summer

1859: Royal Charter Storm or 1859 (late October - hurricane force)

1855: Feb 1855 cold snap

1852: major floods in the fall

1846: Hot summer

1839: the ‘Night of the Big Wind’ powerful storm in January, devastated Ireland and North Wales / NW England.

1838: Exceptional cold spell

1826: Hot summer

1816: ‘the Year without a summer’: very cold and damp summer. First frost noted on 2nd of Sept in London

1814: Exceptional cold spell

1810: October: worst tornado in recorded British History (down in Hampshire), with an EF4 rated tornado ravaging Portsmouth

1809: Major flooding across most of England, particularly in the Thames river and London

 

 

 

18th century: 19 events; 7 cold winters; 3 hot summers; 5 winter storms; 1 severe weather; 2 floods, 1 year without a summer

 

1795: Exceptionally cold winter

1789: Very cold winter

1786: in September, Major storm across England, particularly in the Midlands and the South

1784: very cold winter

1781: Exceptional hot summer

1780: Notable warm season

1779: Very hot summer and warm season

1776: severe cold spell

1771: Flooding up north due to persistent heavy rain that month?

1770: November: one of the rainiest months on record in England with some severe flooding of the river Severn

1770: August: Major thunderstorm outbreak across England leading to many flash flooding events and hail storms

1756: In October, Major storm over England and Wales, particularly in the North

1740: Exceptionally cold winter

1735: January: strong winter storm in southern England,

1725: ‘Year without a summer’

1717: Series of storms in November/December causing great damage and coastal flooding around the North Sea and the channel areas particularly in December

1716: Very cold winter

1709: Great Frost of 1709

1703: The great Storm

 

 

17th century

 

1697: very cold winter

1695: ‘Year without a summer’

1695: Exceptionally cold and snowy winter

1694: ‘Year without a Summer’

1684: Great Winter

1679: very severe winter

1674: Great March blizzard lasting two weeks

1663: December storm surge op the Thames, worst in a few centuries

1662: ‘windy Tuesday’ in February - very powerful storm over Southern England

1646: Violent ‘severe weather’ outbreak including at least 3 tornadoes and large hail / thunderstorms

1608: Great Winter

1607: Winter storm, Bristol Channel floods

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Posted
  • Location: Hamstreet Kent, recently of Pagham nr Bognor Regis
  • Location: Hamstreet Kent, recently of Pagham nr Bognor Regis

  Hugo_HK I have the following link. Hope it works for you.

 https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadukp/data/download.html

 

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Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)

Your missing the great SW blizzard of Feb 1978 ..one of the biggest blizzards to hit the UK in the 20th Century 

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Posted
  • Location: Solihull, West Midlands. - 131 m asl
  • Weather Preferences: Sun, Snow and Storms
  • Location: Solihull, West Midlands. - 131 m asl

 Hugo_HK

Your list is now getting extensive and mine is the briefest notes that I obtained when I found  the book in the library on a cruise ship. (about 2010).

I do remember that I read it avidly and had it for a couple of days before the end.  So at the last moment I made the notes, before handing the book in.

I had the notes hidden away, and had forgotten about them,  but I found them recently.

I will list them here if you haven't already listed them above..

PS my memory failed me it was the Great Wind storm of 1703, I was referring to above not 1722. Also I seem to think that the events listed only those where deaths occurred. (that may be incorrect!).

By the way, I think the Linton and Lynmouth floods killed over 30 people, after 8inches of rain fell in a storm over Dartmoor. (1952), A very terrifying event. Boscastle was similar but less severe, with about 10 people killed, (from memory !).

Anyway here goes -  (with my very brief notes before I left the ship.)

1601 TIdal Surge North Sea

1658     ditto

1748  widespread red ice snowfalls

1836  Xmas snowstorm over the UK.

1839 400  killed in Ireland in the outbreak you report above.

1878 - 79 Widespread rainfalls in Cumbria, and much flooding in N of England

1879 Tay Bridge disaster gale in Scotland.

1897 North Sea inundation  again

1917 Somerset (assume levels) flooding after constant rains

1928 Thames flooding

1954 Tornado outbreak in England.

1962 Hurricane force winds in Pennines  . and in Yorkshire at Sheffield many people were killed.

1967 Torrey Canton disaster storm (remember it well)

1979 The famous Fastnet race storm in which more than 20 were killed of  SW England.

We were travelling to Guernsey on that day on the ferry!!!. We have friends in Guernsey who lost a lot of friends. It was both happy and horrifying waiting to see some crippled yachts  get back, but some didn't make it.

2004 Boscastle - see above 

2007 Widespread heavy rains across the Midlands 4 - 6 inches in 24hrs caused extensive flooding in the lower Severn and Avon catchment areas, also  Leamington, Tewkesbury and Gloucester.. November I think, and this was a front which stalled and then moved back south..

That's all the extra ones they included, There are lots more before 1600, and they give a paragraph on each event. I seem to remember that I may have only picked up the more serious (based upon deaths) as there were more reported.

By the way, you have my full support in this venture as it brings to light that the weather in the UK has always been very stormy and changeable.   

MIA

Edited by Midlands Ice Age
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Posted
  • Location: West Yorkshire
  • Location: West Yorkshire
1 minute ago, Midlands Ice Age said:

2007 Widespread heavy rains across the Midlands 4 - 6 inches in 24hrs caused extensive flooding in the lower Severn and Avon catchment areas, also  Leamington, Tewkesbury and Gloucester.. November I think, and this was a front which stalled and then moved back south..

Might be worth also adding under 2007 the summer floods of that year that affected Yorkshire and other parts of Northern England.

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 Harry's House Awesome thanks. In green are the years I added as 'years without summers'. Looking back at a website showing earlier records, I also added 1648 as year without a summer. So since 1600: 1648, 1674, 1694, 1695, 1725, 1816, 1860, 1879, 1954 (although this last one was not quite as cool, it still must have hit pretty hard by 20th century standards). 

 

Screenshot2024-10-29at5_20_12AM.thumb.png.0db100f03ec4b179c8b0b528e71a713d.png

 

 

 

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Posted
  • Location: Solihull, West Midlands. - 131 m asl
  • Weather Preferences: Sun, Snow and Storms
  • Location: Solihull, West Midlands. - 131 m asl

 Hugo_HK

Looking at your list and dates it occurs to me that periods with ''tempests' of some sort or other occured fairly regularly in the past (certainly last 2-300 years) . The only real gaps are those of the 30's, and more recently the period of 1990  to about 2007 - 10. 

Could this latter period of about 20 years, be spoiling our perception of what is normal, in the view of the weather patterns of today? 

When complete it could be a useful data repository.

MIA

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Posted
  • Location: Brixton, South London
  • Location: Brixton, South London

 cheeky_monkey You beat me to it. I was at boarding school in Wellington Somerset at the time. I recall that we had a long spell of very cold anticylconic weather beforehand followed by a fairly deep depression approaching from the south west. Unusually the depression would advance slightly stall and then retreat for about a week. North east Cornwall Devon, Somerset and parts of south east Wales were particularly badly affected. Suffering from 'flu I was taken by my father to Surrey on a Saturday (there was about 5" of snow at that time). About 18" of level snow accumulated by the end of Saturday night with gales on Sunday into Monday piling up terrible snowdrifts. By Wednesday we were able to get back to Wellington; I was astonished by the great banks of snow along the M4 and M5 (too risky to try the A303).  

ACB

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Hi all thanks for your contributions. 

 

I am still not sure where I stand on whether to include major snowstorms that were not followed by major cold snaps. My main issue here is that I don't really have a record of such events prior to 1850 (only the 1836 xmas blizzard and the 1677 13 day snow storm). 

 

this troubles me as there must have been such events in the past, only I can only find record of xmas 1836 blizzard prior to 1850. that means I'm missing out on events between 1600 and 1850, likely because there is little record of them. And hence it will be difficult to compare the lists for the 18th century vs the 20th century for example.

 

does anyone have records of comparable examples in the 17th and 18th centuries?

 

the other issue is that such events also occurred during very cold winters (for eg 1881, 1895, 1963, 1947, 2010). there are two implications here: do we have to count snow storms in cold winters separately? Because then suddenly the list becomes really expansive, and is an event really that exceptional if a similar event is recorded every 8-10 years? (it would mean snowstorms have affected the UK in 1927, 1933, 1940, 1947 twice, 1963  twice, 1978, 1979, 1981/82, dec 2010, march 2013... so about once every ten years.

 

interested in your thoughts?

 

one method would be to have them as 'tentative events' or in a separate list for snow storms without major cold blasts associated to them. 

 

 

 

Edited by Hugo_HK
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Current list: the blizzard with no cold spells attached are now in italic while I make ups my mind on these:

 

21st century: 6 events: 2 winters; 3 summers; 1 storm

 

2022: Hot summer and drought

2014: Exceptional series of Winter storms and floods (Dec 2013-Feb 2014)

2013: Exceptional Spring cold spell and blizzards in March

2010: Big Freeze in November-December

2006: July Heatwave

2003: hot summer

 

 

20th century: 20 events:  5 winters; 3 potential blizzards; 6 hot summers; 4 wind storms; 2 severe weather events; 2 others: (smog, ‘year without a summer’)

 

1995: Very hot Summer

1990: Exceptional series of Storms in Jan-Feb, particularly Burns day storm on 25th January

1987: The Great Storm

1981/2: Very cold winter weather and heavy snow

1981: the UK’s worst tornado outbreak (104 tornadoes in a few days)

1978/79: cold and snowy winter

1978: February blizzard in the SW

1976: Exceptional drought and heat

1976: Very severe storm in the North of England

1963: The Big Freeze (Dec 62 - Feb 63)

1955: hot summer

1954: ‘Year Without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1953: The Great North Sea Floods (1st Feb)

1952: The Great smog (December 1952)

1947: Exceptionally hot and dry Summer season

1947: Exceptional cold (late Jan - early March

1940: Very cold winter in Jan-Feb

1933: hot summer

1933: Blizzard in the north (!?)

1927: Christmas Blizzard in the South of England (?)

1913: October tornado outbreak (2 EF3s plus many other smaller ones)

1911: Exceptionally hot summer

 

 

 

19th century: 18 events: 6 cold winters; 2 potential blizzards; 2 summers; 3 wind storms; 1 severe weather event; 2 floods; 3 ‘years without  summers’

 

1895: Very Cold Winter, especially Jan-Feb

1891: March blizzard in the Western part of the country - possibly the worst such event in centuries for England / Wales

1891: Very cold winter, especially Dec-Jan

1884: Severe winter storm jn January

1881: Jan 1881 cold snap and snow

1879: ‘Year Without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1860: Y‘Year Without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1859: Royal Charter Storm or 1859 (late October - hurricane force)

1855: Feb 1855 cold snap

1852: major floods in the fall

1846: Hot summer

1839: the ‘Night of the Big Wind’ powerful storm in January, devastated Ireland and North Wales / NW England.

1838: Exceptional cold spell

1836: Xmas blizzard in the North of England (?)

1826: Hot summer

1816: ‘Year Without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1814: Exceptional cold spell

1810: October: worst tornado in recorded British History (down in Hampshire), with an EF4 tornado ravaging Portsmouth

1809: Major flooding across most of England, particularly in the Thames river and London

 

 

 

18th century: 19 events; 7 winters; 3 summers; 5 wind storms; 1 severe weather; 2 floods, 1 year without a summer

 

1795: Exceptionally cold winter

1789: Very cold winter

1786: in September, Major storm across England, particularly in the Midlands and the South

1784: very cold winter

1781: Exceptional hot summer

1780: Notable warm season

1779: Very hot summer and warm season

1776: severe cold spell

1771: Flooding up north due to persistent heavy rain that month?

1770: November: one of the rainiest months on record in England with some severe flooding of the river Severn

1770: August: Major thunderstorm outbreak across England leading to many flash flooding events and hail storms

1756: In October, Major storm over England and Wales, particularly in the North

1740: Exceptionally cold winter

1735: January: strong winter storm in southern England,

1725: ‘Year Without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1717: Series of storms in November/December causing great damage and coastal flooding around the North Sea and the channel areas particularly in December

1716: Very cold winter

1709: Great Frost of 1709

1703: The great Storm

 

 

17th century (still a work in progress): 7 cold winters, 1 potential blizzard, 3 wind storms, 1 severe weather event, 4 'years without summers'

 

1697: very cold winter

1695: ‘Year Without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1695: Exceptionally cold and snowy winter

1694: ‘Year without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1684: Great Winter

1679: very severe winter

1674: ‘Year Without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1674: Great March blizzard lasting two weeks

1663: December storm surge op the Thames, worst in a few centuries

1662: ‘windy Tuesday’ in February - very powerful storm over Southern England

1658: Very long winter

1648: ‘Year Without a Summer’: cold temperatures and heavy rain

1646: Violent ‘severe weather’ outbreak including at least 3 tornadoes and large hail / thunderstorms

1621: Very harsh winter, Thames frozen over

1608: Great Winter

1607: Winter storm, Bristol Channel floods

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Does anyone have any thoughts on the storm of early February 1850? Any interesting material I can use for this one?

 

BasicallyI'm also working on a list of major storms in Europe, and trying to figure out if force 12Bft was reached or not during this storm... I think it's borderline in terms of intensity.

Will share my findings on european storms in next few days

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Hi all, I am putting my current list of events below - I have added ratings out of 3 (1 out of 3 means the event barely made the cut, 2 out of 3 means it was remarkable without being truly exceptional, and 3 out of 3 was really exceptional). In bold, all the events I considered to be truly exceptional by their extent and intensity etc...

Screenshot2024-10-31at4_32_06AM.thumb.png.0d729652f2c03c984cf3b2ebb0e7f167.png

Screenshot2024-10-31at4_32_52AM.thumb.png.0227e9bd2d242adbc865fa9211c73f26.png

Screenshot2024-10-31at4_33_18AM.thumb.png.0a5448d1ba6dd74eaaa4fa553a914cf7.png

Screenshot2024-10-31at4_33_35AM.thumb.png.51655a86e3da88b37947aea905e12d3f.png

Screenshot2024-10-31at4_33_58AM.thumb.png.89c0d61322b02a55fd5e0c0c7bff9864.png

 

Happy to discuss any of these

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

No disrespect but I am certain the 'smog' of Dec 1952 deserves more than a '1', particularly in view of the loss of life and the resulting introduction of Clean Air legislation which has helped to clean up our towns and cities to a considerable degree. 

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you're right, I had it as a 3 originally, but... it is a man made disaster more than a natural disaster. the real problem was the pollution, not the weather condition which exacerbated them... there would have been a bad smog anyway, probably a bit like December 2006, but nowhere near as bad if we hadn't been burning truck loads of coal and pumping other crap in the air!

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