A celestial event causes an unusual temperature drop....

[Weather-history]

The 8th of April 1921 was an unusual day for the UK as an annular eclipse of the sun was seen from British soil for the first time since 1858.

An annular eclipse is when the moon is too small to completely cover the sun and a ring of sunlight is left around the moon at maximum ecipse.

Courtesy of Fred Espenak

The track of annularity was across the Western Isles, northern Scotland and the Northern Isles. Within this region, the moon covered about 95% of the sun and an eerie twilight would have been seen.

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgo...r08Agoogle.html

Across the rest of the UK, a very large partial eclipse of the Sun was widely observed with over 80% of the Sun covered. Weather conditions were favourable and it was seen by many during the mid morning period. A notable temperature drop was observed during the eclipse.

On the 31st of May 2003, an annular eclipse of the sun was seen in the same region and the next annular eclipse of the sun to be seen form British soil won't be until 2093.

Here is from the Times of 9th of April 1921 of the celestial event.

[Chris Knight]

The 1999 August 11 total eclipse was about 95% in West London, on what would have been a hot summers day, except we were receiving about the same amount of sunlight as you might expect on Uranus, and the temperature plummeted near the maximum of the eclipse, seemingly cooler than you would expect nighttime temperatures to be. Does anyone here have any temperature records for that day?

Edit: Snipped the quote

Edited April 3, 2008 by Wibs

[Rob]

wow its only looking at this that you realise how far advanced our technology is

[Phil UK]

Does anyone here have any temperature records for that day?

Just having delved into my weather archives on back up CD. Unfortunately, the bulk of the work I did on that day is sitting on a floppy disk and my current PC doesn't possess a floppy drive.

But in Solihull, total solar disk obscured was 96%

Temperature and weather conditions between 09:00am and maximum solar disk coverage as follows...

Temperature at 09:00am was 15ºc

Conditions were of high cloud after a very clear sunrise.

Temperature at 10:00am was 16ºc

Conditions were again of high cloud but some convective activity beginning to show. Sun around 45% covered by this time.

Temperature at maximum eclipse which was around 11:10am : 13.9ºc

Conditions were the convection decaying, an eerie silence but not what I thought would be the semi darkness that I was expecting. But it was a strange sort of light. Maybe because of high cloud refracting what little light was left, downwards.

Temperature at 12:00pm rose again to 17ºc but conditions went from bad to worse then on with the cloud that ruined totality in Cornwall making its presence further north.

But still, an experience never to be forgotten.

Phil.

[Chris Knight]

Just having delved into my weather archives on back up CD. Unfortunately, the bulk of the work I did on that day is sitting on a floppy disk and my current PC doesn't possess a floppy drive.

But in Solihull, total solar disk obscured was 96%

Temperature and weather conditions between 09:00am and maximum solar disk coverage as follows...

Temperature at 09:00am was 15ºc

Conditions were of high cloud after a very clear sunrise.

Temperature at 10:00am was 16ºc

Conditions were again of high cloud but some convective activity beginning to show. Sun around 45% covered by this time.

Temperature at maximum eclipse which was around 11:10am : 13.9ºc

Conditions were the convection decaying, an eerie silence but not what I thought would be the semi darkness that I was expecting. But it was a strange sort of light. Maybe because of high cloud refracting what little light was left, downwards.

Temperature at 12:00pm rose again to 17ºc but conditions went from bad to worse then on with the cloud that ruined totality in Cornwall making its presence further north.

But still, an experience never to be forgotten.

Phil.

Thanks Phil.

Spent most of my young life in Birmingham and teens in Shirley. Plenty of garden birds to go quiet there, unlike where I was in Isleworth, Middx, in 1999, between the N. & S. Heathrow incoming flight paths. Though I cannot remember if the planes were coming over or not that day. No thin high cloud apparent.

The light was odd - bright, sharp, but "thin", and the shadows were weird - due to the thin crescent slit of sun changing the nature of the penumbra, and colours were strange too - Now I think about it, like looking through neutral tinted sunglasses.

PS I have a USB floppy drive I can't think of a use for PM me if you are interested

Edited April 4, 2008 by Chris Knight