The Severe Thunderstorms Of 22nd August 1987

[Weather-history]

I remember these storms well.

On the 21st of August 1987, a Spanish plume and low spread northwards and was expected to only affect SE parts however, it spread further west to affect much of England and Wales.

I remember Friday evening with deep altocumulus castellanus spreading over and large drops of rain falling. Thunderstorms accompanied the low and on the 22nd, the Saturday, further thunderstorms broke out.

82.7mm fell at Elmdon and large hail was reported at Chelmsford and Ipswich, the size of golfballs and up to 30cm deep in places

On the Saturday afternoon, a severe weather flash came on BBC TV of a severe thunderstorm in the Greater Manchester and Cheshire area. Indeed, we had torrential rain and very loud thunder. Many roads in the region were affected by flooding with 1m of floodwater near Preston

A man was killed and 9 others were injured by lightning at a cricket match at Isleworth.

All in all, an eventful day.

[Weather-history]

Does anyone remember these storms or I'm the only one? :blush:

[Nick F]

Don't really remember August 1987 being particularly thundery in South Kent, infact the whole of summer I don't recall any storms of note. I suspect most storms were 'home-grown' and formed North of London anyway.

I suppose many are too young to remember 1987 aswell.

[Lightning Ed]

Only thing I remember from 87' was the hurricane!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/s...000/2533219.stm

I remember this very well (well some details) I was 7. It must have been pretty immense at the time, to form such long memories as it has. I remember the roof creaking and tiles falling off etc, and the walk in the park the day after lol

[Nick H]

Don't really remember August 1987 being particularly thundery in South Kent, infact the whole of summer I don't recall any storms of note.

Funny you should say that because I can't recall this either and I was in the south-east too. I certainly can recall the topic of the other thread: the Bank Holdiay in August 1986.

Edited August 24, 2006 by Nick H

[Summer of 95]

Don't really remember August 1987 being particularly thundery in South Kent, infact the whole of summer I don't recall any storms of note. I suspect most storms were 'home-grown' and formed North of London anyway.

I suppose many are too young to remember 1987 aswell.

I can remember the January cold snap well, and the headlines after the storm (I thought "what's all the fuss about?")- also I remember the March having some more snow, April being gloriously warm and sunny, much of summer being dull and wet but can't remember any big thunderstorms- this was in Newport (S.Wales), I moved to Shrewsbury in the November.

[Weather-history]

I remember the day after these storms, the 23rd, being very wet in the Manchester area as well on that Sunday with the odd rumble of thunder.

[Nick F]

think 1987 has got to be one of the most interesting years for weather in my lifetime so far, in Kent there was the infamous intense cold spell with lots of snow in early January, followed by a very cold March bringing more snow - the month ended with gales. A very warm April. A poor cool and wet summer then ensued. Then in October the Great Storm brought winds gusting to 108 mph in our locality wiping out masses of trees in the woods with loss of power for three days. Only thing that was missing were notable thunderstorms in summer, which other areas further North recieved.

[Andy Bown]

Funny to see people trying to recall weather from their childhood.

Things that stick in my mind are snow events, thunderstorms

(cowering in parents bed at night or under tables at school) and one

other occurence.

My best guess is that it was summer and 1986 or 87. I recall it being

totally dark in mid morning and watching from the kitchen as our

dustmen came around. Mum was sorting washing out. Funny how

certain things stick in the mind. It was total day darkness, unlike last

Saturday which was really day dusk. The cloud must have been so

thick for that to happen, however there was no rain or storm. I can't

put any other date on it other than the possible year .

[Snowyowl9]

Does anyone remember these storms or I'm the only one?

For some reason I don`t remember any severe storms in 1987.

Do you remember any severe thunderstorms in august 1985 in england/wales?

This was on a friday only event.

S9.

Edited August 24, 2006 by Snowyowl9

[Snowly does it]

'87 was certainly a beauty for weather. I remembr the October storm very clearly as the giant fir trees in the field behind the house were getting all horizontal-like!

The trouble with my historic weather recollection is that I was only 'passingly' interested back then, it was events like the Oct 87 and the Burns Night storm that really got me hooked.

[Weather-history]

Do you remember any severe thunderstorms in august 1985 in england/wales?

This was on a friday only event.

S9.

I think you maybe thinking of 26th July 1985, there were some severe thunderstorms then, Northern Ireland really got hit. We had a couple of thunderstorms here in Manchester.

[Summer of 95]

Funny to see people trying to recall weather from their childhood.

Things that stick in my mind are snow events, thunderstorms

(cowering in parents bed at night or under tables at school) and one

other occurence.

My best guess is that it was summer and 1986 or 87. I recall it being

totally dark in mid morning and watching from the kitchen as our

dustmen came around. Mum was sorting washing out. Funny how

certain things stick in the mind. It was total day darkness, unlike last

Saturday which was really day dusk. The cloud must have been so

thick for that to happen, however there was no rain or storm. I can't

put any other date on it other than the possible year :lol: .

Regarding 80s summers, I see everyone saying how bad they were but except for July 1988 which certainly was dire, and summer 1987 which after a lovely April I recall being dull and damp most of the time; I don't recall them as that bad! In fact I remember some hot spells, which must have been in 1985 or 1986, years which looking at the stats were poor summers.

Is it me or was April a much more interesting month in the 80s? I remember a lot of them being warm, sunny and dry with the rest being cold and frosty, none of the monotonous dull, mild, showery muck they all seem to bring nowadays (in the last 8 years notable weather in April is pretty much limited to that week in 2003).

[Snowyowl9]

I think you maybe thinking of 26th July 1985, there were some severe thunderstorms then, Northern Ireland really got hit. We had a couple of thunderstorms here in Manchester.

Thanks for that.

It was school holiday time that`s why I remember as I left by 1987 and I don`t recall much that summer.

S9

[Thundery wintry showers]

Regarding 80s summers, I see everyone saying how bad they were but except for July 1988 which certainly was dire, and summer 1987 which after a lovely April I recall being dull and damp most of the time; I don't recall them as that bad! In fact I remember some hot spells, which must have been in 1985 or 1986, years which looking at the stats were poor summers.

Is it me or was April a much more interesting month in the 80s? I remember a lot of them being warm, sunny and dry with the rest being cold and frosty, none of the monotonous dull, mild, showery muck they all seem to bring nowadays (in the last 8 years notable weather in April is pretty much limited to that week in 2003).

Looking at the stats, the Aprils of the 1980s were certainly more varied in character than those of the 1990s and 2000s, though it seems to me to be a part of the trend towards homogeneously warm months in general.

As for summers 1985 and '86, Summer 1985 was dull and wet all the way through for most northern areas, but June had near or a little above average sunshine in parts of the west, and July was quite warm/sunny in the SE. June 1986 was generally warmer, drier and sunnier than average over much of the country, so I suspect that those memories will have been genuine.

[Weather-history]

June 1986 was generally warmer, drier and sunnier than average over much of the country, so I suspect that those memories will have been genuine.

June 1986 was probably the best summer month for England and Wales out of the summer months from 1985 to 1988.

The second half of June was notably warm, it had a CET of 16.8

[MP-R]

I wasn't alive then - in fact - not even thought of yet. :lol: My Grandfather's diary for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday go as follows. H ewrites a note of the weather every day:

Thursday 20th - Warm and mostly sunny, quite humid 25C

Friday 21st - Very warm & humid all day, sunny with light cloud 27C

Saturday 22nd - Hot, humid and sunny. Thunder and rain later 28C

I don't think the southwest got quite what further north did. Hardly surprising