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| <<<<1600 - 1649 |
(T: warm/cold events; R: dry/wet events; S: 'stormy' events)
| Date | T | R | S | Description | Ref: |
| 1650-1699 | |||||
| 1651-1654 | Four successive fine (i.e. often dry / hot) summers. (London / South?) | 8 | |||
| 1655/1656 (Winter) |
A cold winter in western Europe / implied
for parts of Britain. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb). December 10th (OS)/20th(NS): The east coastal counties/areas of Scotland, particularly Fife, the Lothians & the Firth of Forth estuary, were affected by what Hubert Lamb has interpreted as a severe gale from the east. This brought, in addition to the high winds, much snow, and the combination of snow and wind (or blizzard conditions) for many hours drove ships onshore, wrecked vessels in harbour, and breached sea defences, piers, harbour walls etc. Many trees were also lost and buildings inland damaged or destroyed. This must have been some event given the implied wind direction, with a significant high 'block' to the north and strong cyclogenesis to the south. |
1, LWH, 23 |
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| 1657 (Summer) |
Some notably HOT & HUMID weather over England - noted as beginning from last third of June (C?), but no other details. | LWH | |||
| December 1657 to March 1658 | 11th December 1657: Beginning of one of
the longest periods of snow lying in England, lasting (reputedly) until 21st
March 1658. A notably severe winter over western Europe & much of Britain (Easton in CHMW/Lamb). [ see also entry below re: June.] |
1, 6, 8 | |||
| 1658 (June) |
A cold month - likened at the time to a 'winter' month. | x | |||
| 3rd September 1658 (OS) |
A 'wild & stormy night', with chimneys and roofs blown down and many trees uprooted. This was the night that Oliver Cromwell (the 'Lord Protector' of England during the 'Inter-regnum') died. | 8 | |||
| 1658 (December) |
16th December(OS)/26th(NS): East coast of Scotland, Fife and the Firth of Forth. Severe gale and heavy rain, after an extended wintry period, with snow. Flooding (melting of previous snow?) and people were drowned on the coasts of the Firth of Forth (which implies a storm surge!) The location of the weather may be biased here by the source (Fife); this event almost certainly affected a much wider area. | 23 | |||
| 1660 (November) |
Significant flooding is recorded in the Thames Valley on the 11th November(OS); taken together with the entry below (re: winter warmth), this implies a markedly zonal type (or high NAOI), with the associated mean jet translated far enough south to propel cyclonic disturbances across southern Britain in quick succession. | 8 | |||
| 1660/1661 (Winter) |
A mild winter - using the (early) CET record (nearest whole degC only), the average comes out at 5degC, or roughly one-and-a-quarter C above the all-series mean. Pepys mentions in late January that there had been a general lack of cold weather, and that it was 'dusty' (implying a warm & dry winter), with plants well ahead for the season. | CET | |||
| Early -mid winter 1661/62 |
A mild winter (second one in a row), and
to judge by some accounts (see below), a wet one too (unlike the previous
winter). Using the CET record (to nearest degC only at this early stage), the
DJF mean CET was 5.7degC, or roughly 2C above the all-series average. According to Evelyn .. "there having falln so greate raine without any frost or seasonable cold ..."; suggests mild, cyclonic, wet & windy regime much of the winter until at least the middle of January (1662). Reported at the time as … "like May or June". |
(LWH), Pepys, Evelyn |
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| 1662 (February) |
"WINDY TUESDAY"
[17th/18th February 1661(OS) / 27th/28th February 1662(NS)] A major severe gale / storm affected certainly the southern 'half' of Britain, with damage reported from widely scattered locations: according to Pepys, it was 'dangerous to go out of doors', with several people killed (5 or 6 in London?; several elsewhere across southern England), houses damaged / destroyed in London. Also reported are major falls of trees, e.g. "above 1000 oakes and as many beeches are blown down in the Forrest of Deane"; also, there is a report of 57 Elms being felled on an estate at Nettleton (Wiltshire) [thanks to Barbara Walker for this]: no doubt much damage was done to stands of trees around the southern UK. Defoe writes: " a very great storm of wind . . . began in the early morning . . . continued with unusual violence till almost night". Churches & windmills damaged or destroyed & three cathedrals damaged. A good deal of rain, hail & thunder reported too. [ Later in the year (1662), a commission was set up to enquire into the state of English forests, as of course these were important to the sustenance of the Royal Navy.] |
Pepys, Evelyn, 23 (Defoe) |
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| Winters 1662/63 to 1666/67 | Three of the five winters in this period were cold, with severe frosts. It is claimed that skating was introduced into England during the winter of 1662/63 and that the King (Charles II) watched this new sport on the frozen Thames. | 8 | |||
| 1663 (Summer) |
Cold summer across England. By the (very crude at this time) CET record, the overall anomaly was about -0.5C. | CET, LWH |
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| 1663, August | Fog in London (in August!) .. not sure how significant this is. | 8 | |||
| 17th ( 7th old-style calendar) December 1663 |
A flood (driven by gales) submerged Whitehall, and was produced by a high tide that was said not to have been exceeded for more than 200 years. This storm-surge would have also damaged properties / structures elsewhere along the Thames Estuary, and perhaps coasts adjacent to the southern North Sea, though I have no references for this assumption. | 6, 8 | |||
| 1664 | Much thunder & lightning during the year. This implies frequent occurrence of cold air at middle levels, and might imply that the zone of mobility was transferred well to the south of its modern-day position. | 8 | |||
| 1664/65 (Winter) |
Severe frost from 28th December(OS) to 7th February(OS). 6th February(OS) reputed to be one of the coldest days ever in England (!?) | 8 | |||
| 1665 (mid/late winter to spring) |
cold / dry winter & a dry spring. Thought to be a factor in the outbreak of the 'Great Plague' later that year due with ideal conditions for breeding rats. | x | |||
| October 1665 | Cold weather & rain in London: death rate from plague began to fall off. | 6 | |||
| 1665/1666 (November to September) |
Every month from November 1665 to
September 1666 was dry. By August, 1666, the River Thames at Oxford was reduced
to a 'trickle'. This drought was a large contributory factor in the 'Great Fire
of London' (q.v.), bearing in mind that many houses in London had a high
proportion of timber in them - and presumably old timbers too. [ A rainy spell
started just after the Fire ... 9th by the old calendar, and there was
prolonged / heavy rain for 10 days early in October 1666. ] The dryness
extended to Scotland, at least from May to mid-July. Perhaps confirming an 'anticyclonic' bias to the broadscale type, The River Thames was frozen over in London by mid-December 1665. |
1, 8 | |||
| November 1665 | 7th: Deep depression probably brought the
lowest barometric pressure ever measured in London (about 931 mbar .. probably
still a record as at 2005). 30th: Climax to a month of wind & rain, the roads very bad. English ships trapped by ice in port at Hamburg (Pepys): obviously an anticyclonic spell had allowed near-continental temperatures to fall significantly - see below as the severe cold impacted on these islands. |
6 | |||
| December 1665 - January 1666 |
2nd December: Severe frost in London 2nd
to 7th. 21st December: Severe frost set in again, the Thames blocked by ice in London by 30th. The plague much reduced, but flared up again in the mild weather after 6th to 10th January 1666. A mild January followed. |
6 | |||
| February 1666 | On 3rd(OSP): according to Pepys: "a most furious storm", with houses blown down in London. | 6 | |||
| Summer 1666 | 27th June(OS): heat wave began: mostly
dry in London since the 12th(OS). On 5th July, 1666(OS), Pepys writes: "extremely hot ... oranges ripening in the open at Hackney". July 6th(OS): Beginning of period with occasional showers/heavy rains though often warm. July 26th(OS): Hail ' as big as walnuts ' in London and 27th(OS) on Suffolk coast. The climatological summer (June, July & August) of 1666 was amongst the top 10 or so of warm summers in the CET series (began 1659). |
6, CET, Pepys |
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| August & September 1666 |
The drought over these two months is
noteworthy because it preceded the Great Fire of London; apparently the east
wind, which prevailed during that period, had dried the wooden houses of London
until they were like tinder. When the fire started early in September (12th/New
Style), the east wind drove the flames before it and helped the fire to spread
rapidly; smoke from this reached Oxford in the days thereafter. The prevailing
weather was noted as 'hot & dry', and strong east Winds during the fire
caused great problems with fire-fighting. On the 2nd/old-style (the first day
of the fire), a 'strong' east wind is noted - Evelyn notes this as a
"Fierce" eastern wind in a very dry season. It is not clear though
whether the wind was caused by the fire, or was there anyway. However, Evelyn
does note that there had been a...."long set of fair and warm
weather". On September 4th (14th new-style), Evelyn still notes: "The
eastern wind still more impetuously driving the flames forward. "Later on
the 5th(OS), the wind is noted as 'abating' -- again not certain whether this
was due to the fire burning itself out. In any case, this was effectively the
end of the Great Fire. 15th September(OS): Foul weather in the southern North Sea began the breakdown of the long dry warm summer weather (see previous). 19th September(OS): The first considerable rainfall quenched London fire: rainy autumn followed. |
6, 8 | |||
| 1666/67 (winter & early spring) |
A cold winter over western Europe /
implied parts of Britain; cold weather, hard frost in London on 31st December;
Thames covered with ice on the 1st January. Using the CET series [ 'central'
England ], the overall figure for the three 'classical' winter months of
December, January & February showed an anomaly of -1.5degC on the
all-series mean. December was around a degree (C) below average, but January
was bitterly cold, with an approximate anomaly of at least -3degC; February was
about average, but this was followed by a very cold March (q.v. below). March of 1667 was very cold: nominal CET (to nearest 0.5degC and perhaps inaccurate?) was 2degC, representing an anomaly on the 'all-series' mean of at least -3degC. Perhaps in the 'top-5' coldest March's of the series. |
1, 8, CET | |||
| 1667 (summer) |
11th June: Beginning of long dry spell lasting until mid-August; great heat in June & July. | 6 | |||
| 1669 (Summer) |
Dry year, hot summer (London/South). Using the CET series (in its early, rather crude state), the overall summer-time temperature represented an anomaly of about +1C on the all-series mean | 8,CET | |||
| 1669 (October) |
13th October(OS)/23rd October(NS) - East coast of Scotland - A great storm of wind, rain & thunder arose in the night and caused great losses both on land and sea. Ships lost, even in harbour, e.g. at Dundee. In the Firth of Tay, some of the islands used for grazing cattle were submerged by the sea and all the beasts were drowned. Trees uprooted in many places. Lamb writes that this was probably an easterly or north-easterly gale, accompanied by some sort of tidal surge in the Forth and Tay estuaries. | 23 | |||
| 1669 (December) |
Colder in London on 26th December than for past 5 or 6 years; freezing quickly for some days. Much colder than 1665 and 1666. | 8 | |||
| December 1671 | Evelyn described the fog this month as ... "the thickest and darkest fog ever known in the memory of man". | 8 | |||
| 1671/1672 (winter) |
A cold winter over western Europe /
implied for parts of Britain. The anomaly on the 'all-series' CET figure was
approx. -1.5degC. December 9th (C?) - Southern England - Freezing rain - Great tree damage. |
1, CET, LWH |
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| 1672 (December) |
1. Possible great storm after Christmas
(old-style dating ~29th/30th December): Widespread reports of damage due to
high winds from the Channel Islands as far north as Richmond in Yorkshire and
Dunfermline in Scotland & eastwards to the Low Countries. [Although we can't be sure, it seems as if the widespread reports of
high winds point to a vigorous, rapidly deepening depression crossing northern
Britain, with a tightening gradient on it's rearward flank.] 2. There are reports of a 'great flood' in Worcester, on the River Severn, on the 23rd December, which taken with 1. above, implies that December 1672 was very unsettled & almost certainly MILD (though not notably so using the Manley CET series). |
(Widespread ecclesiastical records ex.
Internet). CET |
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| 1673/74 (winter) |
A 'mixed' but extended winter: bitterly cold in December, with a CET anomaly around -3degC, followed by a mild January (+2degC), then a cold or very cold February (-2degC). [ This was followed by a very cold March - see below.] | CET | |||
| March 1674 |
13-day snowfall / blizzard - "The
thirteen drifty days" in the Scottish Borders began about 5th to 8th March
(new style). Most of the sheep perished. From Norwich cathedral records (listed
as 1673 some records, but I think this is the ecclesiastical year), a great
snow (East Anglia / Norwich) from February 24th, which lay on the ground until
Easter (end March) when it suddenly thawed. (Norwich/Cathedral records) In the CET series, the coldest March, (since 1659), with value 1degC (poor accuracy for the record so early on, but obviously very extreme). This represents an anomaly (on the 'whole-series' mean) of something like -4degC; |
6, CET | |||
| 1674 (Summer) |
The estimated value of CET for this season was 13.7degC. At this point, only values to the nearest whole degree C are available, but there is little doubt that this summer was one of the coldest such seasons across England & Wales in the CET series (began 1659). [Interesting to note that it comes only 2 years after, and 2 years before, notably warm summers!] | CET | |||
| 1675 (Summer) |
Wet, cool summer. For the second time, a notably cold summer using the CET record: the value was estimated to have been 13.7degC, the same as in 1674. | CET, 8 | |||
| 1676 (Spring & Summer) |
1. Spring 1676 was on the chilly side,
with the CET averaged over the three months of March, April & May just
below average. (Note that the previous two Springs had been much colder); it
was also dry, probably excessively so for many across large areas of England,
as there are parish records (e.g. from Wintringham, Yorkshire &
Westonzoyland, Somerset) which make note of extended dry conditions; indeed,
the drought extended through the summer, and there are notes in local records
from the Somerset levels for example, that sluices had to be set so as to admit
water to farmland (rather than the more common need of keeping sea water out).
2. With a CET value of 16.8degC, this was one of the 20 or so warmest summers across England & Wales in that series (began 1659). In particular, June 1676, with a value of 18.0degC was the second warmest such-named month in that series (as at 2005). Note that this Summer followed two notably cold summers: see above. There was 'exceptional' heat 19th June to 1st July 1676. 3. Taken together, the cold spring, warm / hot summer & extended drought suggests frequent anticyclonic episodes, with a bias for the highs to be centred to the north or NW, favouring easterly or northerly winds. |
6, CET | |||
| 1676/1677 (Winter) |
A cold winter western Europe / implied for parts of Britain. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb); Thames frozen; huts to sell brandy built on the river. | 1, 8 | |||
| Christmas 1680 to June 1681 |
According to Evelyn ... hardly any rain.
.... " there still continues such a drought as has hardly ever been known
in England". However, there is some doubt surrounding this, as the price
of wheat was not unduly high. In Scotland, end of 4 months spell of dry,
easterly winds; there are reports of DROUGHT conditions being reported
elsewhere (i.e., away from the 'southeast'), e.g. Derbyshire - in this latter
case, the drought is recorded as having 'ended' (presumably notable rain
returning) on June 20th(OSP). The winter 1680/81 noted as 'severe'. |
6, 8, Evelyn |
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| 1681/1682 (Winter) |
Some notable storms (of wind) across Scotland during this winter. | 23 | |||
| 1682 | Thames flood. (month & type not known, i.e. whether land-water after high rains, or storm-surge type.) | 8 | |||
| 1682 (May) |
A severe thunderstorm at Oxford 31st May (old-style calendar). Nearly '2 feet' of 'rain fell' into a 4 foot diameter container. Almost certainly accompanied by a tornado and there is much speculation about how much of the rain was due to a collapsing very strong updraught or tornado vortex. | x | |||
| 1682 (October) |
Drifting snow around the end of the month reported from Fife in Scotland; depths of 12 to 20 feet were recorded (~4 to ~8m). [ This dating needs confirmation - it may be October 1683. ] | x | |||
| 1683/84 (winter) |
One of the four or five coldest winters
over the British Isles (& large parts of Europe), and the coldest in the
CET record. (LW/Manley -'Weather', but note that the CET record to the nearest
0.5degC at this time). The 15th December 1683 saw the onset of a great frost in
England & central Europe: Thames frozen down to London Bridge by 2nd
January 1684, with booths on the ice by 27th January and for more than a
fortnight thereafter - coaches were observed on the ice and the royal court
(King Charles II) visited the fair held on the frozen Thames. Many birds
perished. This great frost was claimed to be the longest on record; the Thames
in London was completely frozen for about two months and the ice was reported
to be 11 inches (circa 28 cm) thick. Sea ice was reported along the coasts of
SE England and many harbours could not be used due to ice: according to some
sources, ice formed for a time between Dover & Calais, with the two sides '
joined together '! Severe problems for shipping accessing such ports on either
side of the North Sea. Near Manchester, the ground was frozen to a depth of 27
inches and in Somerset to more than 4 feet. The winter was 'incredibly severe'
according to John Evelyn and a Frost Fair was held on the ice. "No vessels
could stir out or come in while a thick fog occurred towards the end of January
which made it difficult to see across the streets". (This latter due to
warm advection no doubt, as a thaw set in over snow/ice covered surfaces). HH Lamb has constructed a tentative mean seasonal pressure pattern with High pressure in the Faeroes area, an arctic northerly from Spitzbergen to the Baltic, thence an anticyclonic east or northeasterly over NW Europe / British Isles. See also 1739/40; 1813/14 and 1962/63. (Technically, this winter was the coldest in the CET series, but series here is noted to the nearest 0.5degC only). Using the CET series, both January (-3.0) & February (-1.0) has sub-zero mean temperatures, only one of four instances of successive 'sub-zero' months in that series (see also 1740, 1878/79 & 1963). This was the winter that was described so vividly by R.D. Blackmore in his novel: "Lorna Doone". First half of February: based on reconstructed records: CET averaged (minus) 6.6 degC: the coldest 15 day period of the entire 336 year record (up to 1995, and almost certainly beyond that). On 18th Feb. 1684, rain / thaw after 8 weeks with Thames frozen: ships could reach Port of London by 20th/22nd. |
1, 8, CET, LWH |
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| 1684 (Spring & Summer) |
Drought: dry & hot spring & summer (London/South). | 8 | |||
| 1684 (December) |
December 23rd (C?) - southern England - blizzard - many froze to death. | LWH | |||
| 1685 (late Winter & Spring) |
Drought: no rain for many months before June (London/South). | 8 | |||
| 1685/86 winter | One of the warmest winters (by CET) in the series which began in 1659. Up to 1997, rank=5 Value=6.33; Dec=6.5, Jan=6.5, Feb=6.0 (Others: 1734, 1796, 1834, 1869, 1935, 1975, 1989 and 1990.) | CET | |||
| 1686 | Hot, dry summer (London/South). | 8 | |||
| 1687 - 1695 | A spell of often cool summers; the summers of 1694 & 1695 were particularly cold. Both of these latter years (overall) were cold. | 8, CET |
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| 1687 (May) |
On May 12th a hurricane(!) occurred in London. (no more details on this .. treat with caution). | x | |||
| December 1687 | 5th December: boats plying in the streets of Dublin after heavy rains 4th/5th. | 6 | |||
| 1688 (October / November) |
William of Orange, later William III of
England, Ireland & Scotland, (married to Mary, daughter of British king,
James II - hence his claim on the title) was 'invited' to take over the throne
[ The 'Glorious Revolution' ]. He set sail from Holland on October 16th to
cross the North Sea. Autumn storms forced the fleet to return to Holland when
only half-way across the North Sea (not unusual in this era of sail). On October 30th (some texts have November 1st), the fleet sailed again, intending to land in Yorkshire, but again a significant gale, initially SW'ly, soon veering NW'ly and accompanied by a high sea, forced the fleet to return to port - they suffered much loss - sounds as if a North Sea storm surge was involved. Strong, cold winds then prevented another attempt at a North Sea crossing until a few days later; however, the east or northeast wind, which was described as a 'gale', favoured the Dutch fleet, but prevented the English Royal Navy from leaving the Thames Estuary (3rd). The Dutch fleet sailed for Torbay - they couldn't land (due to 'haze' - perhaps thick mist/fog), but on the 5th, after an air-mass change, visibility picked up and a 'southerly' wind blew the fleet back to Torbay (from near Plymouth), and William's forces were able to land on English soil and claim the title. |
23, x |
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| 1688/89 (Winter / January) |
From late December 1688 to early February 1689, extended period(s) of bitterly cold weather across England. Noted as a 'Severe winter' (though the overall winter CET not impressive). However, January 1689 was notably cold, with an estimated anomaly (on the whole-series) of at least -2.5C. A frost fair was held on the Thames, which implies persistent sub-zero temperatures & often strong east winds to allow the ice to form to sufficient thickness / stability. | 8, CET, LWH |
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| 1690 - 99 | 6 out of 10 of these winters defined as
'severe' in the CET series. That is, CET mean temperature value for the months
December, January and February, below 3.0 degC. Although that series applies strictly to a closely-defined area of central & southern England, it is clear from accounts of the time that 'harsh' weather occurred elsewhere within this period: for example, in NE Scotland, much outward migration of farming folk occurred after a series of bad harvests - with tales of mills falling into disuse. > The mean value of the CET for these 10 years is around 8.1degC (low-resolution to the series at this time), which is at least 2C below the modern-day average value & is the coldest decade in that series. There were four years with a mean CET below 8degC: 1692(7.7), 1694(7.7), 1695(7.3) & 1698(7.6). These years are respectively the 6th, 5th, 2nd & 4th coldest years in the entire series. |
CET | |||
| 1690/91 (winter / early spring) |
In Fife, many areas were 'knee-deep' in snow from January until the beginning of April; there was 'great distress' by reason of sickness. | x | |||
| 1691 | Dry year. Hot / dry during late summer & autumn - dry winter. (London/South). | 8 | |||
| 1692 | A cold year (London/South). | 8 | |||
| Feb. 1692 | Freezing NE gale and heavy snow in Highlands ended mild, fair weather and brought renewed severe/wintry weather, as had held sway Dec 1691-Jan 1692, thereby providing cover for escapes from the Massacre of Glencoe. | 6, 8 | |||
| May 1692 | Warm thundery spell set in on the 30th May, 1692 & lasted about 3 weeks. | 6 | |||
| 1692 (Summer) |
The summer of 1692 was exceedingly wet
and rather cold & was stated to be the worst summer since 1648. June 19th: wind and rain stripped trees of their leaves, climax of 3-day rainfall around London. Continual rain / floods went on through July & August. |
6, 8 | |||
| 1692 (late Summer / early Autumn) |
August 26th: Beginning of fair warm weather which lasted until 14th September after the summer rains. | 6, 8 | |||
| September 1692 | 25th: NE gale introduced long spell of stormy NE-NW winds, mostly dry but very cold day and night: frosts around London from 9th October prevented fruit ripening. | 6 | |||
| 1694 | 1694 was a cold year (London/South): the CET value for 1694 was ~ 7.7degC [ crude data at this date ], which is some 1.5C below the long-period average & would place it in the 'top 5 or 6' coldest years in that series; a notably cold summer using the CET record. | 6, 8, CET | |||
| 1694 (November) |
Early-November(NS). Notable storm, wind
possibly F11. Villages in NE Scotland (near the Moray coast) buried in sand due
to a prolonged (Lamb indicates 36 hours) northerly or north-westerly gale.
November 1st/2nd (NS) - Scotland - sandstorm - Culbin village 'lost' for 230
years. This was, apparently, one of the most fertile areas in northern
Scotland. [ As with many such events, the area was probably at risk of sand inundation for centuries before, nevertheless, this does seem to have been a spectacular storm. The drifting of sand in the area was only stopped when the area was extensively planted-up with trees in the early part of the 20th century.] |
1, LWH, 23 |
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| 1694/95 (winter & spring) |
Long & severe frosts during the
winter of 1694/95. A severe winter. December 1694 - frost / snow started in London on 25th(OSP). At Oxford, frost began around 28th(NS) January 1695 - Fairly general 'severe' conditions. Thames frozen on 23rd(OSP) and by the 30th(OSP), frost / continual snow had last for 5 weeks in London. February 1695 - Deep snow after heavy falls 8th/9th(OSP). More snow end of month London area. March 1695 - further 'significant' snowfall. April 1695 - severe frost / heavy snow continuing well into the latter part of the month. The third-coldest spring (March/April/May) in the CET record: with a value averaged over those three months of 6.0degC, the anomaly was approx. -2C below the all-series mean. (see also 1770 & 1837) |
6, 8, CET, LWH |
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| 1695 | This is thought to be, for the British Isles as a whole, one of the coldest years 'ever known' (though sources don't make it clear if this is within the 'instrumental' era, or a much longer historical time-span. By the CET record (covering 'Midland' & parts of SE England), it is technically the second-coldest in that series (began 1659), with a value of 7.25degC. Only 1740 was colder. However, the series at this point is in its early phase with data given to the nearest 0.5degC only and based on few observations. | 6, 8, CET | |||
| August - October 1695 |
August 1695: 21st - N wind and night
frost at the end of a cold summer with continual rain and westerly gales.
'Greater frosts were not always seen in winter' (John Evelyn at Wotton,
Surrey). With a CET value (based on crude data at this point in the series) of 13.2degC, it was a notably cold summer - one of the 'top-5' cold summers using that series. (This summer was one of the first of a sequence of disastrous harvests in Scotland, where famine ensued). August 27th: Renewed rain / gales (winds mostly between NW & E) set in, and lasted until 12th October. September 12th (OS)/September 22nd (NS) - violent storm affecting the southern North Sea, the English Channel, Belgium, northeast France & coasts of England adjacent (i.e. Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent & perhaps Sussex). Many ships lost or damaged (significant of course given that much commerce was sea-borne); for example, 70 coaling ships were beached, with much loss of life as well as property, on the East Anglian coast. Trees felled in London (at least) & lives lost elsewhere due to shipwrecks. |
6, CET, 23 | |||
| December 1695 to February 1696 |
An interval of snow / frost in the London area after mild, dark misty weather and before a long wet spell which lasted until February 1696. Intense frost (London/South?) on 26th January, temperature 9 degrees (?F) below zero in London. (in degC this would be: -23degC.) | 6, 8 | |||
| Summer, 1696 | Westerly winds and frequent rains / gales set in on the 4th July, after warm, thundery June, and lasted until 15th August. | 6, 8 | |||
| August & September 1696 |
18th August: End of rains in the South, where W winds brought mostly fair weather over the next month; dearth of food becoming serious in Scotland. | 6 | |||
| 1696 (September) |
18th September: stormy wet weather returns | 6 | |||
| November 1696 |
13th: Mostly fair weather, but with severe frosts near London, set in 13th to 20th after frequent stormy winds and rain since 18th September (q.v.). | 6 | |||
| December 1696 to February 1697 |
1696/97 A severe winter. 11th December: East wind brought in spell of snowy weather lasting until February 1697. West wind 27th to 29th December brought more snow but did not break the long frost near London. 8th January: NE gale renewed the frost ( after brief intermission with rain and drizzle in the London area 6th to 8th ). February 1697 was a severe month in a severe winter in a decade of severe winters. CET=+ 0.5degC (at this point, the series is the nearest half-a-degree C only). [c.f. with the 1961-90 mean of 3.8degC.] Not a 'record-breaker', but certainly colder than we have become used to. |
6, 8, CET | |||
| 1697 & 1699 | Appear to have been dry years. The total in the Upminster record for 1697 was 15.6 ins / 396 mm. Particularly dry (& warm) in the London area in 1699. | 8 | |||
| May 1697 |
May 14th or 15th (NSP) 1697, a damaging hailstorm affected parts of Hertfordshire, observed to run from Hitchin to Great Offley (Hertfordshire), though the track may in fact have been longer: this would imply a movement from ENE to WSW. Several people killed. The size (diameter) of the hail from contemporary reports must have been in excess of 6 cm, and probably up to 8 or 9 cm. [ see also 1808: July & the TORRO web-site. ] | TORRO, LWH |
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| June 1697 | Severe flood caused by lake burst in bog near Charleville, Co. Cork, the spring having been uncommonly wet in England and Ireland with frequent rain/hail. | 6 | |||
| 1697 (Autumn) |
A very cold season. The mean CET for the
season (September-October-November) was 8.3degC (data to nearest half-degree),
and placed it within the coldest two-dozen autumns in the series. 1st/2nd October (new-style calendar): Two weather-related disasters imply an event similar to that of January, 1953: (a) A sand-drift disaster on the island of North Uist, where an inhabited site was buried by sand in the autumn of 1697, and (b) a great storm-surge affecting both sides of the southern North Sea, though apparently it was most destructive on the continental shore. This was a notably stormy period at the end of the 'Little Ice Age'. Both events were thought to have been caused by Gale/severe gale force north-westerly winds lasting over 24 hours. Frosts sharp/severe in November, with rivers in Netherlands were blocked unseasonably early (even for those cold times). Fall of snow in the London area on the 24th November. Remaining cold/sleet/snow to the end of the month. |
23, CET |
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| January 1698 |
Before the cold / snow got going in earnest (see below), a wet / stormy period on the 3rd/4th January 1698. (Not unusual - see for example, 1947). | x | |||
| Winter 1697/1698 & year 1698 |
A severe winter (1697/98). Using the
monthly mean values of CET, all three winter months (Dec, Jan & Feb) can be
classified as 'very cold'; that is December 2.5degC; January 0.0degC and
February 0.5degC, giving a seasonal mean of 1.0degC (NB: series
only to nearest half degree C at this point in the record). When
compared with the 1961-90 long period average, this represents an anomaly of
-3.1 degC. In general, frosty weather with heavy snow and frozen rivers occurred during much of this January (of 1698) in south-east England (and perhaps elsewhere - record not available). From the 10th January 1698, snow with deep drifts reported across the southeast of Britain. [ This would imply that British Isles weather was dominated by a blocking high extending westwards over the country from Russia (using mean monthly reconstructed mslp maps).] Frost, hail & snow persisted from January to May in this year (1698). 1698 reputed to have been the coldest year between 1695 & 1742. First week of February. 1698: ice 8 inches (circa 20cm) thick on the sea coast of Suffolk. There was deep snow all over England on the 3rd May (after snowfall up to 6 inches/15cm in Yorkshire on the 1st - and a keen frost) and the spring of 1698 was the most backward for 47 years; further snowfall 13th May in London and Yorkshire, with corn/fruit crops damaged. More snow 19th in Shropshire - described as 'deep'; Before the cold/snow got going, a wet / stormy period on the 3rd/4th January 1698. [see also notes re: February & March below] |
6, 8 | |||
| 1698 (February & March) |
The severe conditions that occurred at the end of the January (see above), continued into February, but a rapid thaw set in on the 3rd which lasted until the 14th. On the 24th February, with a return to wintry weather, a great snowstorm occurred with strong northerly winds: roads became blocked with drifts to 3m or more. [No further details as yet]. After a temporary thaw at the end of February, 1698, March turned out to be another 'winter' month: A cold easterly flow became re-established in early March, with freezing conditions, and by the 8th, rivers in south-eastern England were again frozen with ice 10cm or so thick. This cold spell, one of many that winter, lasted until the latter part of the month. On the 21st March though, milder southwesterly winds set in. | x | |||
| 1698 (May/spring) |
May, 1698 was the coldest May in the CET
series (also for large parts of west/central Europe). The mean temperature for
the month was 8.5 degC, almost 3 degC below the 1961-90 mean, and barely above
the normal for April. The spring of 1698 followed a severe winter, and even in
the 'Little Ice Age' was reputed to be the most backward for almost 50 years.
Contemporary accounts spoke of frequent heavy frosts, snow and hail throughout the spring, with a "great deep snow all over England" on 13th May(NS). [ Some sources have this as the 3rd May(OSP) ] |
CET, 8 | |||
| 1698 (Summer & Annual) |
The summer of 1698 was notably cold using
the CET series. It may have also been wet (but no data on that), as the remark
below implies that the growing crops were held back - usually a sign of a
combination of cold and wet. Added to the events listed above (q.v.), 1698 turned out to be another cold year (within Lamb's 'Little Ice Age'), with the CET value placing it within the 'top-5' of coldest years in that dataset (began 1659). |
CET | |||
| August 1698 |
20th: Beginning of a short period of fine weather which saved some of the harvest in Yorkshire: later a long wet autumn ruined most of the crops, which sprouted before harvest. | 6 | |||
| 1699 (Annual & Summer) |
With 1697 (q.v.), a dry year: a notably dry summer - the first of several hot summers after nine successive cold summers. | 8 |
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