The Times: 10th August 1911

[Weather-history]

Here is an article in the Times of that exceptionally hot day of 9th August 1911

July 1911 was the warmest July since 1868 with a CET of 18.2. There was an exceptional heatwave around the 21st, where temperatures soared into the 30Cs. 34.4C was recorded in parts of Northamptonshire, a questionable 36C on the 22nd at Epsom and 34.4C at Margate. There were some remarkable sunshine totals as well with Hastings recording a remarkable 384hrs for the month but the heatwave hadn't reached it's peak yet...

August 1911 was at the time, the second warmest August on record with a CET of 18.2. It was also fairly dry with a rainfall average of 54.9mm.

The most notable feature of the month was the fierce heatwave just before mid-month. High pressure was near Scandinavia and this drew a hot continental easterly flow across the UK. In the brilliant sunshine, temperatures responded accordingly with 36.7C recorded at Raunds in Northamptonshire and Canterbury; 36.6C at Epsom and Beddington on the 9th; 33.9C at Camden Square in London, 33.7C at Wokingham on the 11th; 35.6C at Salisbury, 33.9C at Sleaford.

37.1C was recorded at Ponders End in London but this has been discounted.

The heatwave ended when a cooler NEly flow developed on the 14th. The heatwave took its toll and it was reported that about 2500 children loss their lives because of the heatwave in London alone.

Riots and strikes were widespread during the summer of 1911 and the worst riots coincided with the peak of the heatwaves. In July 1911, Llanelli was badly hit by rioting but the worst came in August when a nationwide strike of transport workers crippled the country. Liverpool was badly hit by rioting again this coincided with the peak of the heatwave, much of the city was without electricty. The strikes were so crippling that a famine was feared.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/slp/1...slp19110808.gif

It is well known that there is a correlation between riots and high temperatures and humidity

[Weather-history]

Some more maxima I have found from the 9th August 1911

West Yorkshire

Huddersfield: 33.3C

Lincolnshire

Rauceby: 35.6C

Fulbeck: 35.4C

Lincoln: 35.4C

Norfolk

Hillington: 36.2C

Hertfordshire

Berkhamsted: 35.5C

Derbyshire

Matlock: 34.2C

Leicestershire

Belvoir Castle: 35.0C

West Midlands

Sparkhill: 35.5C

Berkshire

Reading University: 36.0C

Wokingham: 35.9C

Surrey

Brookwood: 36.1C

Kent

Canterbury: 36.7C

Tunbridge Wells: 35.2C

Wiltshire

Marlborough: 35.6C

[Pennine Ten Foot Drifts]

Aside from the actual data what really strikes me is just how well reported this article was. I doubt you'd get such a detailed report in any of our daily papers today. Such a shame that we live in a permanently dumbed down society these days.

[Nick H]

It is well known that there is a correlation between riots and high temperatures and humidity

Yes I've heard that one before.

Funnily enough the Poll Tax riots in Trafalgar Square on the last Saturday of March 1990 took place in unseasonably warm weather: 21C in London that day.

Hertfordshire

Berkhamsted: 35.5C

Very interesting indeed. I live half a mile from Berkhamsted (shop there etc) - you don't happen to know where the station there existed back in 1911, do you Kevin?

Edited August 31, 2007 by Nick H

[Weather-history]

Since we seem to be extreme heat mood. Here's a thread I posted months ago

More high maxima readings from 9th August 1911

Hampstead Observatory: 94.1F

Purley: 97F at 1pm

Tenterden: 95F (temp above 90F from 11am to 5pm)

Sevenoaks: 94.0F at 1pm

Ulcombe Place: 95.5F at 2pm

Mayfield: 98.5F

Ticehurst: 94.8F

Wootton: 92F

Micheldever: 94F

Finchampstead: 99.3F

Southgate: 97.3F

Bury St Edmunds: 95.8F

Hoar Cross: 97F

Bucknall: 97F

Mansfield: 94.5F

Doncaster: 94.2F

Meltham: 91.0F

Pitsford: 96.5F

Ross on Wye: 92.6F

Hodsock Priory: 94.4F

Buxton: 88.4F

Hull: 88.0F

Edinburgh: 78.7F

Fort Augustus: 76.9F

[Weather-history]

Its the 100th anniversary of this summer.

The first part of June 1911 was pretty warm but it tailed off during the second half.

Camden Square recorded a maximum of 87.6F on the 5th

Tenterden: 82.0F on the 5th

Totland Bay: 80.2F on the 6th

Ross-on-Wye: 82.6F on 8th

Southport: 81.4F on 1st

Hull: 81.0F on the 8th

Llandudno: 80.2F on 1st

Cargen: 81.0F on 1st

Balmoral: 83F on 2nd

[Summer of 95]

Please, please can we put the counties/areas in brackets after the locations in these posts:

88.4 at Buxton, 92 at Wootton in Staffordshire which is about 20 miles due south and 500ft lower, sounds about right.

Spellings have changed, so 97 at Bucknell near Bishops Castle?

About 95 here then :lol:

[reef]

Perhaps what is most remarkable is that August 1911 at the time was the second warmest on record, just 0.1C above the then standing record of 18.3C set in 1747. It was followed the next year by the coldest in the CET series - August 1912 with mean temp of only 12.9C.

The two summers were vastly different.

[Terminal Moraine]

Perhaps what is most remarkable is that August 1911 at the time was the second warmest on record, just 0.1C above the then standing record of 18.3C set in 1747. It was followed the next year by the coldest in the CET series - August 1912 with mean temp of only 12.9C.

The two summers were vastly different.

The summers of 1976 and 1977 were similar in that respect, although that of 1977 was neither as wet or as cold as in 1912.

The maximum of 34.2c at Matlock on August 9th 1911 compares to that of 34.1c at Wirksworth on 3rd August 1990.

Wirksworth is a small town about 5 miles south of Matlock and at about the same height above sea level.

The max' of 31.3c at Buxton on August 9th 1911 has been exceeded only by 3rd August 1990 when the max' reached 32.7c

(at my own station the max' was 31.7c on the same date)

Anything above 30c is a very rare event at Buxton, particularly so since the station was moved from the relative hollow of the hospital grounds to the terrace gardens further up the hill.

[Weather-history]

The summers of 1976 and 1977 were similar in that respect, although that of 1977 was neither as wet or as cold as in 1912.

Infact July 1977 was drier than July 1976 for England and Wales as a whole.

The thicknesses don't look particular special for that day not when you see a chart like early September 1906

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/archive/ra/1911/Rrea00219110809.gif

Just before the heatwave, there was flooding in one or two places. Windermere recorded 2.11 inches of rain in 3 hours on the 5th

[Weather-history]

100 years ago today