January 1976

[Weather-history]

The first 3 weeks of January 1976 were mild with little frost and snow. The first week was especially stormy with a very severe gale on the 2nd and 3rd (discussed in a separate article).

The pressure patterns changed on the 22nd as high pressure rose rapidly over Greenland and this linked with the Azores high producing a northerly over the UK by the 24th.

This was the first real wintry spell for January since 1972 with snow showers and severe frosts. By the 28th, the northerly was gone as low pressure replaced the mid-Atlantic ridge. Pressure rose over Scandinavia and the low to the west of the UK sank southwards producing a cold easterly over the UK, the first winter easterly since January 1972.

January 1976

CET: 5.9

Up to 23rd: 7.7

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The Great Storm of 1976

When the year 1976 is mentioned whilst talking about the weather nearly everyone talks about the famous summer but there was a weather event that was far more deadly and is now largely forgotten, eclipsed by that remarkable summer.

On the evening of 2nd January of 1976, a deepening depression moved across Scotland and deepened as it moved into the North Sea. The central pressure of the low at midnight was 968mb. On the SW flank of the low, there were severe gales with gusts up to hurricane strength. The severe gales were at their peak from 8Pm to 12am and the worst hit areas were a band from Ulster across the Irish Sea to Lancashire down through the Midlands into East Anglia. 100+mph gusts were recorded in this area, places like Wittering, recording a gust of 105mph, Cromer:- 102mph, Norwich:- 100mph and at Middlesborough, 114mph. The highest gust recorded was 134mph at Lowther Hill, Strathclyde.

The severe storm caused an enormous amount of damage, every road out of Norwich was blocked with over 600 trees in the city itself uprooted. Nearly every county there was reported structural damage with fallen roof tiles and collapsed chimney pots, a newly built ferry at Liverpool was sunk and there were massive power failures. 24 people died as a result of the Great Storm of 1976.

[Michael Winston]

Thanks for that, Mr. Data. I was in college in Twickenham from 1973 to 1976 and I was trying to remember significant cold events but I couldn't. I remember the really hot summers ('75 and '76) but no real snow in that part of the world. That's set part of the record straight for me. Very useful. Many thanks.

Regards,

Mike.

[Rustynailer]

Sounds like more than a passing resemblance to what could happen this year IMO Mr Data.

I remember the 76 storm, i drew a picture and was praised by my teacher for being the only one in class to pick the recent storm, just a couple of days earlier , she did ask for topical pictures

Manchester airport tunnel road looked to me like the same level of destruction i observed in the later 87 storm.(in Manchester for the 76 and Herne bay for the 87)

Its funny how that one isn't remembered as much.

Russ

[davehsug]

If I'm correct this is also the storm that blew the roof off the Butler street stand at Stoke's old Victoria ground. The club, already broke, had to sell players to replace it. It ended the best period in the clubs history & we've never fully recovered since!

dave

[Steve C]

If I'm correct this is also the storm that blew the roof off the Butler street stand at Stoke's old Victoria ground. The club, already broke, had to sell players to replace it. It ended the best period in the clubs history & we've never fully recovered since!

dave

Just reading through old posts - researching the storm of 1976.. I guess Stoke are doing all right now. :winky:

[Weather-history]

On 16/01/2007 at 13:29, Weather-history said:

 

This was the first real wintry spell for January since 1972 with snow showers and severe frosts. By the 28th, the northerly was gone as low pressure replaced the mid-Atlantic ridge. Pressure rose over Scandinavia and the low to the west of the UK sank southwards producing a cold easterly over the UK, the first winter easterly since January 1972.

 

 

 

 

    

 

            

      

[A Face like Thunder]

'The twentieth century's most violent and destructive windstorm in England & Wales up to 1987'. That is how Eden described the gales of 2nd January 1976. I recall hearing about it but, unlike 1987, we were not really affected by it in S London / Surrey, hence, surprise surprise, the storm has been largely forgotten. Nor can I remember any snow event in early 1976. 1976 was an interesting year in weather terms, the gales (repeated in Scotland on 20-21 January), the long heatwave, and then the flooding in N Yorkshire and Co Durham in September 1976 which my parents got caught up in, along with parts of the West Country and Scotland.  

Edited January 10, 2023 by A Face like Thunder