Rarely talked about weather events

[Weather-history]

Going through the newspaper archives, sometimes I have stumbled across a weather event that has been forgotten/ never talked about and yet I would have thought would have been notable to be remembered or talked about decades later especially if it happens out of season.

Here's an out of season snow event that hit parts of the West Country and south Wales on the 25th April 1971 which   brought disruptive snowfalls to parts of that area but I don't recall anyone ever mentioning this.

 

 

    

   

[AderynCoch]

The gale of 3rd December 1999 seems to have been quickly forgotten in Britain. Not so in Denmark:

Cyclone Anatol - Wikipedia

EN.M.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

The walk to school that morning was the worst ever. When I wasn't nearly getting blown into the road, rain was hammering into my face like nails.

 

[Weather-history]

1 hour ago, AderynCoch said:

The gale of 3rd December 1999 seems to have been quickly forgotten in Britain. Not so in Denmark:

Cyclone Anatol - Wikipedia

EN.M.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

The walk to school that morning was the worst ever. When I wasn't nearly getting blown into the road, rain was hammering into my face like nails.

 

 

[Weather-history]

April 24 1989

 

  

 

 

[Don]

9 hours ago, Weather-history said:

April 24 1989 

 

 

Do you have any articles from the 5th and 6th April 1989?

[Weather-history]

6 hours ago, Don said:

Do you have any articles from the 5th and 6th April 1989?

[A Face like Thunder]

I remember the 5th April 1989. I was trialling a group walk near my home in Surrey and came into Kingswood as the snow started, and by the time I got to Kingswood golf course, which I had to cross, it was a total whiteout and was actually quite scary, with absolutely no-one around to help. Philip Eden noted 18cm of lying snow at nearby Tadworth, which I can quite believe, and it was a memorable day for me although the snowfall of that day has been largely forgotten by others

[Don]

1 hour ago, A Face like Thunder said:

I remember the 5th April 1989. I was trialling a group walk near my home in Surrey and came into Kingswood as the snow started, and by the time I got to Kingswood golf course, which I had to cross, it was a total whiteout and was actually quite scary, with absolutely no-one around to help. Philip Eden noted 18cm of lying snow at nearby Tadworth, which I can quite believe, and it was a memorable day for me although the snowfall of that day has been largely forgotten by others

I remember on the afternoon of the 4th, sleet/wet snow fell in north west Surrey but didn't settle.  With milder weather forecast the next day, I thought that's it now and didn't give it much more thought.  However, awoke the next morning to heavy settling snow and think it totalled out at around 3 inches by lunchtime.  Luckily Easter was early that year, so occurred during the holidays, meaning we could make the most of it!  

Areas further east in Kent had mainly rain I think.

Edited March 4, 2023 by Don

[damianslaw]

No memories of April 1989, I was nearly 11 and surprised I don't have much recollection, I suspect any snow here wasn't up to much. I sort of remember it being a cold April on the back of a very mild winter with little if any snow. An odd month coming on the back of a very mild 4 month period which then carried on through until November. 

 

[LetItSnow!]

I remember severe storms rumbling across Kent during the course of June 28th, 2011 (not 12!) which caused lightning damage and flooding in the local area, indeed I remember seeing somewhere near by had been struck by lightning and caught a fire. The previous day had been the hottest day of the year and widespread storms were widespread were forecast that evening and into the early hours but, at least for my area (NW Kent) it was a bust and being particularly afraid of storms at the time (I was 10) I assumed it was all past. The following day however saw three big storms roll through our area. The most notable thing I remember is how cold it was by the evening with a very thick layer of low cloud, showing the weather front introdued much cooler air very quickly. Ironically, the same day a year later would become infamous in its own right.

 

I remember one day in January 2014 (might have been the 25th) brought in an unusually vigorous weather front with a nasty squall line that brought straight line winds and torrential rain which even at the time I remarked as unusual for the time of year.

I already wrote about the superstorm of June 25th, 2016...

The storm started building in the afternoon. I remember a very still atmosphere and bulging mammatus clouds and everything going quite dark. Heavy drops of rain began to fall, and over the course of the next 1-2 hours all hell broke loose! I was radar watching and what had happened was a backbuilding cell formed exactly over my house. The rainfall was extreme, as was the hail. For about an hour, rainfall rates between 90 to 250+ (probably way over 300) fell, also accompanied by big hail. Living at high elevation, the only flooding we tended to see was mild surface flooding, but it was so extreme that the road became a river and started flooding into the front garden. The hail was so intense that the following day on a walk the entire place looked like autumn as the trees were stripped bare from the pelting hail. Not only that, the temperature fell to 7C during the storm. Very bizarre. It was one of many intense storms that we had during that month. Locally, June 2016 probably ranks as one of, if not the wettest month on record. Insane amounts of rainfall that month as well as very dull. Miserable month.

The early hours of September 1st, 2017 brought unexpected thunderstorms across the SE that is one of the most severe I've actually experienced. Some time after midnight flashing began just to the north and then followed about an hour or so of biblical rain and even some rotating clouds but nothing that turned into a full blown tornado. It was so unexpected but it came in an exceptionally wet and thundery period locally that started in mid-July and ended in mid-September.

Edited March 5, 2023 by LetItSnow!

[Eskimo]

Herts/Essex tornado - 16th June 2009. 

Barely any information on the web. A line of strong thunderstorms developed across Hertfordshire along a convergence zone and dropped a weak tornado near the Essex border. I lived in Buntingford at the time and there was strong rotation above me amongst the blackest sky I've ever seen. A tornado dropped near Hare Street producing some structural damage. The most noteworthy thing was that the storm also dropped over an inch of hail that was reportedly marble-sized at one point and caused flooding to some dwellings. 

Would have been newsworthy had it impacted a high-population centre. 

[Weather-history]

4 hours ago, LetItSnow! said:

I remember severe storms rumbling across Kent during the course of June 28th, 2011 (not 12!) which caused lightning damage and flooding in the local area, indeed I remember seeing somewhere near by had been struck by lightning and caught a fire. The previous day had been the hottest day of the year and widespread storms were widespread were forecast that evening and into the early hours but, at least for my area (NW Kent) it was a bust and being particularly afraid of storms at the time (I was 10) I assumed it was all past. The following day however saw three big storms roll through our area. The most notable thing I remember is how cold it was by the evening with a very thick layer of low cloud, showing the weather front introdued much cooler air very quickly. Ironically, the same day a year later would become infamous in its own right.

 

Amazing picture here, considering it is just a week after the solstice and even though it was a day/night match, this was mid-afternoon. And there was still a result, England won the one day match.

 

[RhHh]

14 hours ago, A Face like Thunder said:

I remember the 5th April 1989. I was trialling a group walk near my home in Surrey and came into Kingswood as the snow started, and by the time I got to Kingswood golf course, which I had to cross, it was a total whiteout and was actually quite scary, with absolutely no-one around to help. Philip Eden noted 18cm of lying snow at nearby Tadworth, which I can quite believe, and it was a memorable day for me although the snowfall of that day has been largely forgotten by others

I can remember that well at Gatwick.  A Paramount Airlines aircraft almost came a cropper due to not having been deiced properly. Only just got airborne. 

[Weather-history]

February 22/23 1981

 

 

   

 

[Sun Chaser]

The thunderstorms of 27th May 2017.

Not sure how localised they were, but here we had the most violent thunderstorms I've ever witnessed in my life raging for around five hours. Very little rain but intense, loud thunder the entire night starting shortly after midnight and never seemed to stop. 2017 was a good year for thunder actually, with probably the second best thunderstorm I've ever seen coming in the early hours of December 29th 2017, with biblical rain and bright flashes very close by.

Honourable mention to June 25-26th 2020, a hot snap and very intense thunderstorm that came in the middle of a very poor period of summer weather. June 25th 2020 actually set the highest temperature for Plymouth since 1990 I believe. 

[Weather-history]

Mid March 1964

 

[Weather-history]

1st/2nd March 1956 gale

             

 

          

[Summer8906]

On 11/03/2023 at 07:03, Weather-history said:

February 22/23 1981

 

 

   

 

I very distinctly remember that one. It was a Sunday and produced lying snow in NW Sussex. Became milder by the afternoon so the snow didn't stick, but even still, enough to make that a "lying snow" winter. In the 80s, only the winters of 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1989 (Jan years) produced no lying snow where I was.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

How about June 1, 1997, in south Hampshire. Not an especially dramatic event, but unusual synoptically.

The previous week or so had been warm and sunny, with very clear blue skies and low humidity, temps climbing into the mid 20s.

June 1 was somewhat cooler than the preceding days with temps down to the low 20s and still with very low humidity, so not at all thundery. It also had clear blue skies with scattered fair weather Cu. However low pressure was over the near continent with NE winds, and in the evening, an area of thundery Ac cloud advanced from the southeast (and it was definitely the southeast). This came overhead around dark, and was followed by some thundery showers, with fairly frequent thunder and lightning. It cleared after midnight and the following day was bright but much more humid and hazy, so presumably air from lower latitudes had arrived behind the front. Nonetheless pressure fell, and set the scene for an exceptionally wet and dull June, the next spell of settled weather not arriving until early July.

So not dramatic, but synoptically odd. Fresh, low-humidity air transitioning to high-humidity air behind a thundery, presumably warm, front.

Something very similar was forecast to happen in the first week of May 1993, which had also been bright, slightly on the warm side (high teens) but fresh with low humidity. There was an anticyclone just to the west, and again, low pressure to the SE. A thundery warm front (and I distinctly remember this in the forecast) was expected to move in late on Fri 7th from the E or SE, which, on that fresh day with clear blue skies, seemed incredible and (in my own experience to that date) unprecedented. Like 1997, it was then forecast to be followed by humid, warmer, more unsettled weather from the SE.

In the event, no such active front appeared on the 7th but the expected transition did take place, as it became more humid, cloudier and warmer over the weekend, but without rain. Indeed on the 10th and 11th, IIRC, there were thundery showers around with some notable inland Cbs on the former day and much Ac cast on the latter.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

On 12/03/2023 at 10:17, plymsunshine said:

The thunderstorms of 27th May 2017.

From the Solent area I do remember seeing very, very distant lightning perhaps an hour or so after sunset, so around 2200, to the south or southwest. It wasn't yet completely dark and the sky appeared clear.

I arrived home at midnight and it was still a clear, starry night. Didn't see lightning, as my earlier observations were in a location with a very low S/SW horizon.

Some hours later, maybe 0300, I did hear elevated thunder accompanied by some heavy rain, though it wasn't overly dramatic and didn't last so long. But for me, seeing the lightning at such a distance, perhaps 5 hours before the activity came overhead, and with the sky apparently completely clear, was the notable thing.

[Summer8906]

On 05/03/2023 at 01:02, LetItSnow! said:

I remember severe storms rumbling across Kent during the course of June 28th, 2011 (not 12!) which caused lightning damage and flooding in the local area, indeed I remember seeing somewhere near by had been struck by lightning and caught a fire. The previous day had been the hottest day of the year and widespread storms were widespread were forecast that evening and into the early hours but, at least for my area (NW Kent) it was a bust and being particularly afraid of storms at the time (I was 10) I assumed it was all past. The following day however saw three big storms roll through our area. The most notable thing I remember is how cold it was by the evening with a very thick layer of low cloud, showing the weather front introdued much cooler air very quickly. Ironically, the same day a year later would become infamous in its own right.

Interesting it was so dramatic over in Kent. I remember the weekend heatwave, 25th/26th, peaking on the Sunday and then it rapidly cooling down, but I seem to remember it was a 'dry cooling' with no rain to speak of, let alone thunder. Can't remember the specific weather on the 27th-29th though remember the 30th was cool with some Sc 'infill' during the afternoon.

On 05/03/2023 at 01:02, LetItSnow! said:

 

I remember one day in January 2014 (might have been the 25th) brought in an unusually vigorous weather front with a nasty squall line that brought straight line winds and torrential rain which even at the time I remarked as unusual for the time of year.

I remember that one clearly, it was the 25th, and a Saturday. I was actually on high ground at the time so felt the full force of it! The day started bright and very mild and it became more and more cloudy. There was talk of rain later but wasn't quite expecting this! It became dark on the NW horizon perhaps around 4.15-4.30pm and this rapidly advanced, to pass over where I was (Blackdown, W Sussex) around 4.45pm. Even before it passed through, you could see brighter skies behind the squall. It was extremely windy for about 2 minutes with fairly heavy rain. And then it disappeared as quickly as it arrived with the skies rapidly clearing.

It was enough to cause widespread travel disruption that evening, with many of the railway lines in the area blocked.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Summer8906

[MP-R]

Anyone remember the cold spell that preceded the hot spell in April 2003. Sleety snow flurries on the 10th… summer by the 15th. We often talk about the sun and warmth of that month but I feel the quite chilly interlude from the northeast just before gets forgotten.

[Don]

2 minutes ago, MP-R said:

Anyone remember the cold spell that preceded the hot spell in April 2003. Sleety snow flurries on the 10th… summer by the 15th. We often talk about the sun and warmth of that month but I feel the quite chilly interlude from the northeast just before gets forgotten.

I do remember snow flurries in April 2003 just before turning rather hot!

[Bristawl Si]

On 03/03/2023 at 07:17, Weather-history said:

Going through the newspaper archives, sometimes I have stumbled across a weather event that has been forgotten/ never talked about and yet I would have thought would have been notable to be remembered or talked about decades later especially if it happens out of season.

Here's an out of season snow event that hit parts of the West Country and south Wales on the 25th April 1971 which   brought disruptive snowfalls to parts of that area but I don't recall anyone ever mentioning this.

 

 

    

   

Remember this late April snowfall, as if it was yesterday.

I was 9 years old and being brought up a Catholic my parents sent me to the nearest Catholic school. It meant I had to travel a couple of miles. I always caught the school coach every morning from bottom of our street in Hanham, to go to school a couple of miles away, in Kingswood. My mum would walk me down to the bus stop and wait with me, for the school coach to turn up.

We had about 6 inches of snow overnight. But by the time we were waiting for the coach, about 8 o'clock in the morning, it was melting from the power lines. If my memory serves me right it was gone by late morning.

Still went to school though, none of this modern day "school's off because a few teachers cant be ar#ed to travel to school" malarkey.

[Weather-history]

6 hours ago, Don said:

I do remember snow flurries in April 2003 just before turning rather hot!