The Halifax Storm

[PersianPaladin]

Anyone remember the storm of 1989?

Following information courtesy of www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~taharley/1989_weather.htm

"May. Very dry, very sunny, and very warm (13.0C CET). Over 300 hours of sunshine was widely recorded for the first time since 1909. There was no rain at all in some parts of London, yet 83 mm fell in two hours in a multi-cellurlar thunderstorm in Halifax on the 19th; and approximately 193.2 mm at Walshaw Den Lodge near Hebden Bridge, in 2 hours. This is the record daily rainfall for May, and the most intense 2 hour rainfall recorded in Britain. It is known as the "Halifax Storm". It was associated with high pressure but air being forced up the Pennines asociated with an old cold front. It was hot to the south of the front, and cool to the north (-2C that morning in NE Scotland). A SE breeze pushed hot air into the frontal zone and up the mountains The downpour started about 4pm. Obviously the flash-flooding led to damage, carrying trees and destroying small footbridges. Less than five kilometres away only 7 mm of rain fell. There was a notable dust devil at Hurst Green (Surrey) on the 9th. It reached 27C on Skye on the 21st. It was very hot on the 23rd, and then there were some severe thunderstorms in the Midlands on the 24th. It was on average the driest May of the century over England and Wales."

Following information about the damage it caused, courtesy of http://reports.eea.eu.int/Environmental_Is...enviissue21.pdf

"In West Yorkshire, a torrential, localised, two-hour thunderstorm with a small amount of hail occurred on 19 May 1989. Many properties were flooded in Halifax, with erosion and severe damage to river-retaining walls, mill foundations, culverts and sewers. A landslide was caused by a peat bog bursting. Cars and sheds were swept away and houses flooded to a depth of a metre at some sites."

[Portland Paul]

Anyone remember the storm of 1989?

Following information courtesy of www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~taharley/1989_weather.htm

"May. Very dry, very sunny, and very warm (13.0C CET). Over 300 hours of sunshine was widely recorded for the first time since 1909. There was no rain at all in some parts of London, yet 83 mm fell in two hours in a multi-cellurlar thunderstorm in Halifax on the 19th; and approximately 193.2 mm at Walshaw Den Lodge near Hebden Bridge, in 2 hours. This is the record daily rainfall for May, and the most intense 2 hour rainfall recorded in Britain. It is known as the "Halifax Storm". It was associated with high pressure but air being forced up the Pennines asociated with an old cold front. It was hot to the south of the front, and cool to the north (-2C that morning in NE Scotland). A SE breeze pushed hot air into the frontal zone and up the mountains The downpour started about 4pm. Obviously the flash-flooding led to damage, carrying trees and destroying small footbridges. Less than five kilometres away only 7 mm of rain fell. There was a notable dust devil at Hurst Green (Surrey) on the 9th. It reached 27C on Skye on the 21st. It was very hot on the 23rd, and then there were some severe thunderstorms in the Midlands on the 24th. It was on average the driest May of the century over England and Wales."

Following information about the damage it caused, courtesy of http://reports.eea.eu.int/Environmental_Is...enviissue21.pdf

"In West Yorkshire, a torrential, localised, two-hour thunderstorm with a small amount of hail occurred on 19 May 1989. Many properties were flooded in Halifax, with erosion and severe damage to river-retaining walls, mill foundations, culverts and sewers. A landslide was caused by a peat bog bursting. Cars and sheds were swept away and houses flooded to a depth of a metre at some sites."

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That sounds awful!

I vaguely recall some heavy thunderstorms here, in that month, but not until the last week. I do remember it very well though, as being a superb hot and suny moonth...... :lol: