Black rain reports: 11th April 1877

[Weather-history]

Here's a few reports of black rain that fell during a thundery spell over parts of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire on the 11th April 1877

Streatley Vicarage (Berks): "Between 2pm and 3pm thunderstorm passing west of this station. Slight rain. The water was black, like the streaky appearance of washing inkstand. The next day, I heard of black rain having fallen and spoiled the washing of linen put out to dry. I understand it occurred over a space of fifty or sixty sqaure miles."

Long Wittenham (Oxon): " About 0.10 in. of black rain at 3.30pm"

Addington (Bucks): "A very severe storm of thunder and hail and rain. Two valuable horses killed by the electric fluid - they were close together. All the rain caught in this neighbourhood on that day was of a very dark colour and said to contain a large amount of carboniferous matter"

[grab my graupel]

Where do you find these Kevin?

That would be so weird if that were to happen again.

I would love to have different colored rain though, say red on one day, and yellow the next and so on.

It would make those miserable wet days 'we often get' so much more interesting.

Another great article though

Brian

[Guest Mike W]

Do we know what caused this black rain to occur?

[PersianPaladin]

Do we know what caused this black rain to occur?

Probably pollutants getting caught in strong updraughts?