1900 (February):
1. One of the WETTEST Februarys across England & Wales (using the EWP
series).
1901 (December):
1. NE GALE/SNOWSTORM 12th: cut communications in all parts of England. (TEC).
This was caused by a DEEP DEPRESSION moving east up the English Channel. In
England, SNOW heavily blocked roads and caused havoc for livestock. Many
telegraph wires were brought down and the railways were brought to a
standstill.
1902 (31st January): HIGHEST RECORDED
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE BRITISH ISLES.
1. The mean sea level PRESSURE reached 1053.6 mbar at Aberdeen Observatory in
north-eastern Scotland on the 31st January, 1902 at 2200GMT. (This value was
incorrectly listed as 1054.7mbar for over 80 years, due to an incorrect
conversion from inHg to mbar: see 'Weather'/July 2006/S.Burt). This is the
highest authenticated MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE value known in the British Isles.
1902/03: (various): VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
1. The following volcanic eruptions are known about this time, which may have
resulted (or at least played a part) in the 'poor' weather that follows:
8th May 1902: Pelee (Martinique) [ destroyed the city of St. Pierre, with 29000
deaths: possibly the deadliest volcanic explosion of the 20th century.]
24th October 1902: Santa Maria (Guatemala) [ killed at least 5000 - large ash
deposit, noted as far away as San Francisco, California. ]
February & March 1903: Colima (Mexico)
>According to a diagram in [VOLC], the intensity of solar radiation
decreased by between 10 & 20% after these events. ('The Weather', Kimble
& Bush; 'Volcanoes', Decker & Decker)
1902 (Summer):
1. The CET value of 14.3degC was low, but not exceptional in this series (about
1C below the all-series mean); however, according to the University of Berne
(reported by the RMetS/'Weather' 2004), this summer across the whole of
Europe was the COLDEST in a joint proxy / instrumental series which began
in 1500.
1902 (Annual):
1. A notably DRY year across England and Wales (using the EWP series).
1903 (February):
1. A notable RED RAIN (i.e. dust rain) event across the southern half of
England & Wales (and large parts of Europe) 21st-23rd February, 1903. The
dust/sand originated in the Sahara.
1903 (May to September): NOTABLY WET SUMMER & AUTUMN
1. These 5 months were all notably WETTER than average: the EWP % anomalies
were 129%, 128%, 168%, 160% and 132% (relative to the 1961-90 mean), which is
an average of 143% overall. As noted below, October was also very wet, and
adding this month in, the six months total EWP was 715mm (161%). Specifically
for the London area (based on Kew), the summer period in 1903 was the WETTEST
in that series which started in 1697 ('Weather' October 2004/R MetS/Mayes).
2. As to TEMPERATURES, for the three summer months (June, July & August),
the anomaly on CET for these was -1.3, -0.6 & -1.3C. For Kew specifically,
the mean TEMPERATURE anomaly was -2C, with June notably COLD. The anomaly on
June MAXIMUM temperature at Kew was -3C. Using the Camden Square (Westminster)
record, it was the COLDEST June for 46 years.
1903 (October): EXCEPTIONALLY WET MONTH OVER ENGLAND &
WALES.
With 218mm in the long-period England and Wales Rainfall series (began 1766),
this was the wettest month (any month) in that series. The next closest (20th
century only) was November, 1940 with 197mm.
1903 (Annual):
1. Notably WET by the EWP series: in the 'top-10' of wet years in that series,
and the wettest year since 1872. (For London/Kew Observatory specifically, it
was the WETTEST year in a series that began in 1697).
1904 (November):
1. There was widespread SNOW between the 20th and 23rd in 1904 when a large
area of southern Scotland and northern England averaged 46cm of level snow,
with heavy drifting in places.
1905 (January):
1. PRESSURE (MSL) of 1053.1 mbar recorded at Falmouth Observatory (Cornwall) on
the 28th. (According to Stephen Burt, the England & Wales record).
1905 (Annual):
1. A notably DRY year across England and Wales (using the EWP series).
1906 (Summer):
1. A fine summer. It ended with an intense HEATWAVE at the end of August 1906.
TEMPERATURES reached or exceeded 32degC widely on four consecutive days from
the 31st August. Of note, the September record MAXIMUM of 35.6degC was set at
Bawtry, South Yorkshire on the 2nd September.
1906 (November):
1. A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE of 20.0degC was recorded on the 23rd November, 1906 at
Lairg (Highlands/SE end of Loch Shin). One of only a handful of >=20degC
readings in November in the reliable UK thermometer record.
1906 (December):
1. HEAVY SNOWSTORMS 26th-30th in much of Scotland, as a succession of polar
lows/troughs moved south in an arctic airstream. Widespread SNOW elsewhere
across Britain, the snow though not reaching the London area until early on the
26th. Severe transport dislocation across northern Scotland (Aberdeen and other
centres isolated for at least 3 days), and snow disruption elsewhere over
Britain.
1907 (July):
1. During the afternoon of the 22nd July, 1907, HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS occurred
across a wide area of England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. These caused
extensive FLOODING in urban areas and severely DAMAGED standing crops in the
countryside. In Watford (Hertfordshire), significant FLOODING occurred. This
was caused by over 60 mm of RAIN falling in a couple of hours. In South Wales,
at least 80 mm of RAIN was recorded from one location in Monmouthshire,
together with a SEVERE HAILSTORM and associated LIGHTNING DAMAGE. The HAIL
(possibly as large as 'pigeons eggs') completely blocked a river & stripped
trees of bark and foliage and was still evident 10 days later (as ice).
(Currie, TEC & others)
1907 (October):
1. Very WET, though there were at least 18 wetter such-named months in the
England & Wales Precipitation series (1766-2005). The EWP figure of 153 mm
represents roughly 170% of the series average, and as this is an 'areal' value,
some places in England & Wales at least would have been much WETTER. For
example, at Ross-on-Wye (Herefordshire), the monthly total was 216 mm (or about
8.5 inches), and in some parts of Dorset, over 250 mm (or nearly 10 inches) of
RAIN fell. (Currie/Weather Eye & MWR/Met Office)
1908 (April):
1. In 1908 a SNOWY week over most of the United Kingdom culminated on the 24th
and 25th in one of the heaviest spring snowfalls on record in southern England.
1908 (July):
1. Very high TEMPERATURE recorded in southern Scotland. On the 2nd, the maximum
was 32.8degC at Dumfries (Dumfries & Galloway) .. see also 2003.
1908 (December):
1. 26th to 29th December: HEAVY SNOWFALL over many parts of Great Britain,
causing significant road (& railway?) chaos. On the 29th, 18 to 20 cm of
SNOW fell at Southampton, Hampshire and up to 25cm in Dumfries and Galloway.
1908 (Annual):
1. A notable year for HEAVY SNOWFALL.
1909 (Summer):
1. One of the 15 or so COLDEST summers using the CET record (13.9degC) across
England & Wales [in a record back to 1659].
1909 (December):
1. 19th to 21st December: Scotland, Wales and England (except the south): HEAVY
SNOWFALL. In Cardiganshire (Wales), the Peak District (central England) and
along the Welsh coasts, roads were heavily blocked with SNOW.
1910 (January):
1. 26th and 28th January: HEAVY SNOWFALL over Scotland and northern England.
1911 (31st May): SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER ENGLAND.
1. Violent thunderstorms were reported from many parts of lowland England on
this day, with local flooding/landslips, lightning and gust damage. In
particular, a total of 17 people were killed in the London area, and 4 horses
died on Epsom Downs on this 'Derby Day'.
1911 (Summer):
1. Notably WARM (& for some SUNNY, see below) summer: one of the top 7 or
so of the century, and just in the 'top-10' all-series summers (as at 2007).
Using the CET series (began in 1659), the values for the three 'standard'
summer months of June, July & August (with all-series anomalies) were: 14.5
(+0.2), 18.2 (+2.3), 18.2 degC(+2.6C). The July value placed that month just
outside the 'top-10' for that month, but that for August is ranked about 6th or
7th: certainly in the 'top-10' in this very long series! All the more
remarkable, as the 50-years 1900-1949 contained only 4 VERY WARM summers,
compared for example with 7 in the period 1950-1999.
2. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE on 9th August at Raunds (Northamptonshire) and
Canterbury (Kent) 36.7degC (98degF/converted?). Until the Augusts 1990 &
2003, the highest known / accepted in UK).
3. July 1911 was a spectacularly SUNNY month. There was an average of over 10
hours of bright sunshine (as recorded by the Campbell-Stokes recorder) over
much of southern England. 384 hours of bright SUNSHINE were recorded at
Eastbourne and Hastings, East Sussex during this month, and these are thought
to be the highest sunshine totals recorded anywhere for any month in the
UK. (NB: in July, not June!). For the SE of England as a whole, with something
like 300-350 hours of BRIGHT SUNSHINE, this month (with July 2006) is regarded
as the SUNNIEST month (any month) on record, though comparison with late 20th
century / 21st century figures are difficult due to changing instrumentation.
1912 (January):
1. 8th January: HEAVY SNOWFALL on this day. 25cm in Tayside at Crieff. Later in
the month, on 17th/18th January, the HEAVIEST SNOWFALL of 1912 occurred,
affecting all parts except southern England. Disrupting traffic and breaking
down trees.
1912 (March):
1. Notably WET across England & Wales (using the EWP series).
1912 (Summer):
1. Notably WET for the months of June, July & August. 409mm in the EWP
series ~ 200% of modern-day averages. The WETTEST such defined summer in the
EWP series. August 1912 was EXCEPTIONALLY WET with 193mm of RAIN, the wettest
such-named month in the EWP series.
1912 (Autumn):
1. A notably COLD period August, September and October: CET values were (with
anomalies to 1961-90 averages): August: 12.9(-2.9)/coldest such-named month
in the entire series, September: 11.1(-2.5)/in the 'top-10' of coldest
Septembers, and October: 8.2degC(-2.4C); The prolonged spell of depressed
temperatures may have resulted from the eruption of a volcano (Katmai) in
Alaska on 6th June, 1912. From a diagram in 'Volcanoes' [VOLC], the decrease in
intensity of solar radiation following this event was between 10 & 20%, and
may have been greater than that for Krakatau in 1883.
1912 (November):
1. 29th/30th November: A depression advanced east across southern regions of
England, with SNOW in many places. In the northern parts of Great Britain, SNOW
fell to 20 or 25cm, as far north as Strathclyde.
1913 (January):
1. 11th/12th January: a HEAVY SNOWFALL in southern Scotland and northern
England. SNOW fell in a considerable depth, especially in Perthshire with
SNOWDRIFTS of up to 3m in places. Railway and postal services were delayed.
1914 (March):
1. A very WET March across England & Wales. The EWP value was 120mm, around
160% of LTA and within the 'top-10' of wet Marches in that series. The WET
weather was particularly a problem for East Anglia, with local anomalies of
around 200% leading to much FLOODING. In London, it was the WETTEST March until
1947.
1914 (December):
1. 28th December: HEAVY SNOW event over England. SNOW, very thick and of an
'unusual' size (?) caused damage to many trees. At Chipping Campden,
Gloucestershire HEAVY SNOW fell for 4 hours amounting to a depth of 18cm.
1914 (Annual):
1. 31 DEATHS from LIGHTNING in this year. (TORRO).
1914/1915 (Winter):
1. The WETTEST winter in the EWP series (as at 1999) with 423mm for December,
January and February. At Coulsdon (Surrey) the total was some 500mm.
1915/1916 (Winter):
1. A notably WET winter by the EWP series. 374mm for December, January and
February. (see also 1959/60). NB: this might also imply that areas
across the English Channel were also WET, and of course at this time, the
protagonists taking part in the 'Great War' (UK, France, Germany & their
allies) were suffering in the 'sea of mud' in the trenches of NE France &
the Ardennes.
2. A notably WET February across England & Wales (using the EWP series).
1916 (March):
1. A WIDESPREAD SEVERE NORTHERLY GALE (STORM TO SEVERE STORM-FORCE in southeast
England) & associated BLIZZARD affected much of East Anglia, the east &
south Midlands, parts of Southeast England & the West of England/West
Country during the 27th & 28th March, 1916. Large numbers of trees brought
down due to combination of wet / sticky SNOW freezing on boughs, and HIGH
WINDS/northerly (over eastern areas to at least Beaufort Force 9 or 10, with
Kew Observatory reporting Force 11 for a short time early evening of the 28th
as the parent low moved NE across SE England and onto the Netherlands by the
29th**). The SNOW set in after nightfall of the 27th, and in some places lasted
over 24hr. SNOW depths were difficult to ascertain due to DRIFTING /
BLIZZARD-conditions, but some reports of 15-20cm over East Midlands seem
credible. 48hr RAIN/SNOW totals in a broad swathe from the Wash / Norfolk,
across the northern & far western Home Counties, to Somerset, Devon &
Cornwall exceeded 25-30mm, and in the Fens/East Midlands, upwards of 50-60mm
fell, with stations in Northamptonshire recording over 70mm for these 48hr. (It
was also very WET (mixed RAIN/SNOW here) in Cornwall.) Much DISRUPTION to
transport, both road & railway, across the southeastern 'quadrant' of
England - also large number of telephone / telegraph lines cut due to weight of
snow. At Margate (Kent) much DAMAGE to shop fronts, with Dover recording GUSTS
to 75kn. (**lowest PRESSURE estimated for this system 968mbar in Lyme Bay at
0100GMT on the 28th.) [ based on article in 'Weather' / RMetS 2004 ]
1916 (October):
1. On the 11th in 1916, 208.3 mm of RAIN fell at Kinlochewe (Kinlochquoich /
western Scotland). At the time, the highest 24hr rainfall recorded in the
British Isles, and now amongst the top 6 or 7 such events - still (at 2005) the
HIGHEST for October.
1916/1917 (Winter):
1. One of the most SEVERE WINTERS of the 20th century up to 1939/40. A major
problem in the Great War for all the parties to the conflict.
2. Feb/Mar/Apr CET values (anomalies) were: Feb: 0.9(-2.9), Mar: 3.2(-2.5),
Apr: 5.4(-2.5).
3. 16th January 1917: HEAVY SNOWFALL in England. 31cm at West Witton, West
Yorkshire and 15cm at Durham. This was followed by a HEAVY SNOWFALL in England
between the 25th and 26th January.
4. 26th January: HIGH TIDES and SEVERE GALES combined to bring a disaster to
the English Channel coast of the SW peninsula. The small fishing village of
Hallsands (South Hams of Devon, close to Start Point) was all but destroyed
when high winds / high seas broke over the few cottages in the
village. No-one was killed, but the village was virtually abandoned.
(Apparently previous dredging elsewhere to support the enlarged harbour at
Devonport down the coastline was a contributory cause, with the fore-shore
becoming destabilised as a result.)
1917 (Summer):
1. A WET summer in the EWP series, with 138% of LTA (1916-1950). It was
especially WET in the Kew Observatory series: 314mm was recorded there for the
three summer months, representing nearly twice the long-term average. I think
it reasonable to assume that this excessive RAINFALL was also representative of
conditions across the Channel along the northern portions of the War Front
(French/British/German).
2. On the 28th of June, a shallow depression moving eastward along the English
Channel brought remarkably HEAVY RAINFALL to a large area of southern England:
falls in excess of 50 mm were recorded from Cornwall to Sussex with a
daily/24hr RAINFALL total of 242.8mm recorded at Bruton in Somerset (about
127mm in 3 hours and 165mm in 5 hours). With only sporadic thunder, the bulk of
the fall was made up by a spell of steady/heavy rain over a wide of areas
during the night. The Bruton event is the highest known for June, and amongst
the top 3 or 4 for the entire record. 213.1mm was recorded nearby in the
Quantocks, at Aisholt, and 150mm at Street, Glastonbury. Needless to say, such
rain led to FLOODING & caused a local dam wall to be breached, which
contributed to downstream flooding on the river Stour.
1918 (January):
1. 7th January: HEAVY SNOWFALL: northern Scotland badly affected. At Deemess,
Orkney, SNOWDRIFTS of 120cm were reported, while the Highland railway in
Sutherland and Caithness was blocked by SNOW for some days. This was followed
over England by HEAVY SNOW between the 15th and 16th January. In the East
Anglian Fens, SNOW fell to a depth of 15cm, while in the Welsh mountains a
number of sheep were lost in SNOWDRIFTS.
1919 (January):
1. The first major SNOWFALL of 1919 occurred in the first week of January
between the 3rd and 4th. HEAVY SNOW occurred in the Midlands and northern
England, causing damage to telegraph wires in Derbyshire and 35cm of SNOW to
fall at Buxton, Derbyshire. On the 3rd, 22cm fell in Manchester. This was
followed at the end of the month by another HEAVY SNOWFALL in the Midlands and
northern England between the 27th/28th.
1919 (March/April):
1. A COLD couple of spring months (CET anomalies -1.6C and -0.8C respectively)
and one of the WETTEST Marchs over England & Wales (using the EWP series);
April had near-average RAINFALL.
2. During March 1919 there were several falls of SNOW in the London area, the
heaviest fall being on the 27th with a depth of 23cm noted.
3. In April, the widespread deep SNOWFALL as late as the 27th was most
remarkable. It was deepest in the eastern half of England, including the London
area, where in many places there was 30 cm of level snow.
1919 (September):
1. A late spell of HOT weather early in the month. (Raunds, Northamptonshire
max on the 11th was 32.2degC, Nottingham on the same day 29.4degC: the next day
[ 12th ] Nottingham MAXIMUM was just 13.9 degC).
2. Following the hot spell (see above), there was an exceptionally EARLY
SNOWFALL overnight 19th / 20th of several inches (at least 2 inches/ 5cm at
Princeton) on Dartmoor and other elevated areas (Herefordshire specifically
known: elevation ~300ft), with snow of lesser cover being reported from Wales,
The Midlands, Dorset & Devon. Reports of snow cover at low levels in
Scotland & Northern England, with a substantial covering over higher ground
throughout Wales (lying on slopes of the Black Mountains/SE Wales down to an
altitude of 1300ft), covering the Clee Hills in Shropshire and also over Exmoor
and Dartmoor (see above). Sleet showers observed at lower levels as far south
as the Thames Valley. Cyclonic/northerly flow.
1919 (November):
1. The 11th (the first anniversary of the armistice), saw the start of a
notably SEVERE/WINTRY spell. On the night 11th/12th, a SEVERE SNOWSTORM
occurred, depositing 8 inches (20 cm) in the streets of Edinburgh, 12 inches
over Dartmoor, and 17 inches at Balmoral.(GPE) Even in southern England, SNOW
fell on 7 days or more during the month.
1920 (May):
1. THUNDERSTORMS in central and northern England on the 29th May in 1920
resulted in serious damage, and people were DROWNED in their homes: in Louth,
Lincolnshire, at least 104mm of RAIN fell in two hours (and 117 or 119 mm in
three hours depending upon source, from about 2pm - see below), flooding the
town. The "Louth storm" was probably one of the most SEVERE in the
20th century. A depression moved north on the 29th. A storm developed on its
cold front. Not only was the rain heavy at Louth, but at Elkington Hall, three
miles to the west, 117mm (or 119mm, sources differ) fell in three hours. Even
more probably fell to the west, and recent estimates state at least 150mm
during the storm, possibly much more. As water fell on the Lincolnshire Wolds,
the River Lud rose by 6 feet (about 2 m) in 10 minutes, with FLOODING,
destruction of bridges, and 23 people were drowned as a torrent 200 yards wide
swept through the village of Louth, which formed a bottleneck to the river and
its tributaries. The river rose to 15 feet (4.6m) above normal, in just 15
minutes if eye-witness reports can be believed. (NB: on the same day 42mm fell
in twenty minutes and a total RAINFALL for the storm of 82mm at Leyland,
Lancashire.)
1920 (Summer):
1. A notably COLD summer using the CET record. The value was 14.0degC, placing
it in the 15 or so coldest summers in the series.
1920 (December):
1. Eastern and southern England: HEAVY SNOWFALL 11th/12th December - The SNOW
was reported as 'very dry'. It fell without any wind, and as a result, no
drifting occurred. Clacton (Essex) and Salcombe (South Hams of south Devon)
received depths of 35cm. Further HEAVY SNOWFALL was reported daily until the
16th. In Plymouth it lay on the ground for 10 days. This was considered (at the
time) to be the worst snow in the district since the blizzard of March 1891.
1921 (March - November):
1. In the EWR series, the DRIEST such period in the entire series (started in
1727).
1921 (July):
1. Within a remarkably DRY (extended) spell [ see above & below ], this
month was both DRY & very WARM. The EWP value of 29 mm was no record, but
represented around 50% of the long-term mean. However, the TEMPERATURES
averaged over England & Wales came out at 18.5degC (CET), an anomaly of
some +2.5C, and well into the 'top-10' of WARMEST Julys in that series (started
1659).
1921 (19th to 21st November): PERSISTENT DENSE FOG EVENT
1. Dense fog blanketed many parts of England during this period, causing many
road traffic accidents and seriously disrupting railway services, in the days
before automatic warning and signalling systems. Severe delays to shipping on
the Thames - in those days the Ports of London, Tilbury etc., were vital for
movement of goods, foodstuffs both nationally and internationally.
1921 (Annual):
1. Lowest PRECIPITATION TOTAL in any calendar year recorded at a station in
Margate, Kent: 236 mm [ but note possible gauge error ]. Part of the notable
DROUGHT of 1921: one of the longest of the 20th century, lasting for almost a
calendar year. In east Kent, barely half of the long-term average fell, whilst
for western Scotland it was an unusually WET year.
2. In the EWP series, this was the DRIEST year in the 20th century, with
just 629mm of RAIN. (The driest in the entire series is thought to be 1788 with
614mm -- so this is the second driest in this series. However, note that this
year was a 'true' anomaly in that the rest of the decade had average or
above-average PRECIPITATION.)(see also 1714, 2003).
1922 (January):
1. A SNOWSTORM affected northern parts of Scotland between 3rd and 5th January,
then another HEAVY SNOWFALL occurred just over a week later on the 15th
January, affecting a much wider area of Britain. WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD conditions
(GALES & HEAVY SNOW) in this latter event, again particularly SEVERE in
Scotland.
1922 (Summer):
1. A notably COLD summer using the CET series (began 1659). With a value of
13.7degC, it was (as at 2004), one of the 10 or so COLDEST by that measure.
July was particularly COLD, being in the top-5 such COLDEST named months.
1923 (February):
1. One of the WETTEST Februarys across England & Wales (using the EWP
record).
1923 (December):
1. 25th December: The final HEAVY SNOWFALL of 1923 occurred in Scotland and
northern England on Christmas Day. Glasgow had 20cm, which was reported to be
the heaviest SNOWFALL in the Glasgow area for 33 years. In Aberdeenshire, SNOW
fell to a depth of 60 to 90 cm.
1924 (January):
1. 8th/9th January: all parts of Great Britain experienced HEAVY SNOWFALL.
Depths in parts of London measured 15cm.
1924 (August):
1. On the 18th, at Cannington, Somerset, 238.8 mm of RAIN (and HAIL) fell in a
24 hr period (due to a series of localised, intense overnight THUNDERSTORMS),
with some 127mm in just 2 hours; all precipitation from this highly local storm
fell in the 'early hours'. This is the highest such event for August, and
amongst the top 5 or 6 such events in the known record (possibly in the top 3
according to source, attribution, accuracy etc.)
1925 (June): EXCEPTIONALLY DRY MONTH OVER ENGLAND AND
WALES
1. Using the England and Wales precipitation series, a value of just over 4mm
of rain was recorded in this series, which represents around 6% of the
(current/1961-90) series average. This was the driest June in the entire
series (began in 1766), and the second driest ANY MONTH in the same series,
after February, 1891 (3.6mm).
1927-1930 (Annual series):
1. A run of 4 consecutive WET years; not achieved again until 1965-68 (q.v.)
1927 (28th January): PAISLEY STORM
Paisley recorded a gust of 89 knots, amongst the highest gusts recorded in the
area since reliable wind records began. Eleven people were killed and over 100
were injured, with widespread damage throughout the Clyde valley area.
1927 (August, September & Summer overall):
1. Perhaps the WETTEST combination of such-named months in the EWP series for
the 20th century. (See also 1946). The summer (June, July & August) across
England & Wales comes out just over 150% of LTA. At Kew Observatory, the
total RAINFALL June to September inclusive=357mm (~170%), with August &
September, as elsewhere, notably WET.
1927 (25th-26th December): WORST CHRISTMAS PERIOD BLIZZARD IN A
CENTURY.
During the late evening of the 25th, what is regarded as one of the worst
SNOWSTORMS in the 20th century occurred. Most of the country experienced snow,
but the south bore the brunt: undrifted depths up to 60-70cm over higher
ground, with drifts in varying places up to 15 feet or more [over 4.5m] - many
roads blocked (some for a week) with vehicles stranded. The snow was noted as
'soft & clingy', bringing down many telephone lines - at this time few such
were in underground ducts.
1928 (January):
1. Notably WET across England and Wales - in 'top-5' of wet Januarys by the EWP
series.
1928 (6th/7th January): NORTH SEA SURGE/THAMES ESTUARY SEA
FLOOD
1. A north to north-westerly severe gale (speeds ~ 70kn, though whether gust or
mean is not clear), produced a strong surge down the North Sea coast of eastern
England, which combined with a high ('spring') tide in the Thames estuary,
produced severe flooding in the London area as the Embankment was breached in
several places with many roads damaged. The sea-level was some 6ft (about 2m)
above the predicted level. At least 14 people were trapped and drowned in their
homes due to the rapid rise of the water, with thousands left homeless.
1928/1929 (Winter):
1. One of the most SEVERE WINTERS of the 20th century (up to 1939/40). During
the January & February months in Hampshire, 150 hours of continuous FROST.
2. Thought to be one of the highest depths of undrifted SNOW ever recorded in a
single snowstorm in the British Isles (except at high mountain levels) occurred
on the 16th February in 1929 when 182cm [probably recorded as 6 feet] fell in
15 hours on the southern fringe of Dartmoor near Ashburton. Notable very heavy
SNOW STORMS.
1929 (January to April):
1. A notable DROUGHT affecting Britain: the anomaly across these four months
comes out at around 50% of LTA.
1929 (November):
1. Exceptionally heavy daily RAINFALL (211.1 mm) in the Rhondda Valley/ Lluest
Wen Reservoir (South Wales) on the 11th November in 1929: the highest for
November across the UK for a 24 hr period, and amongst the top 6 or 7 such
events in the entire record. Also, the highest daily rainfall total (known /
accepted) for Wales, up to 2004. SEVERE FLOODING in Glamorgan as a result.
1931 (June):
1. On the 14th, a MAJOR TORNADO cut a 12 mile long swathe through Birmingham
and its environs during the afternoon. Areas of STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. Other SEVERE
STORMS were reported from north Lancashire and southwest Cumberland with much
DAMAGE and one loss of life. (see also 2005/July)
1931 (August):
1. THUNDERSTORMS over much of England 3rd to the 6th. SE Oxford had 50mm of
rain on the 4th; Steeple Langford (Salisbury) had 114mm in 135 minutes (on same
day?). STORMS over London on the 5th: 85mm at Chingford, 53mm in 50 minutes at
Tottenham, and 26 mm in 22 minutes at Wimbledon in the morning (of the 5th).
48mm in 75 minutes at Puddletown.
> More INTENSE RAINFALL on the 8th: 145mm at Bolton, 100mm of it 150
minutes. Local FLOODING. Also on the 8th, at Boston, Lincolnshire, around 117
mm of RAIN fell in 3 hours and about 137 mm in 5 hours. (I have some suspicion
that Bolton and Boston have been mixed up here, but for the moment can't
separate the two.)
> More STORMS on the 14th in London.
> 15th: VIOLENT HAILSTORM in Southwold (Suffolk coast), which 'caused cattle
to stampede & bathers on the beach were bruised and hurt by large
HAILSTONES'.
1931 (Summer):
1. A distinctly WET summer using the EWP series for England & Wales. The
%age on LTA was circa 150%.
1931 (September):
1. Following the excessive RAINFALL of the preceding summer (see above), it was
not surprising that localised torrential downpours produced problems on
presumably saturated ground: STORMS over the first four days of the month led
to SEVERE FLOODING over the Midlands and north of England. At Lutterworth
(Leicestershire) 30mm of RAIN was reported in 5 minutes on the 3rd; and another
20mm in 14 minutes fell during the next day. 127mm fell at Castleton (North
Yorks.) on the 4th. This led to extensive FLOODING of the River Derwent. There
was a notable FLOOD in the Malton, Yorkshire area - and no doubt in adjacent
areas. (JMet); Serious FLOODING was also noted in Leeds (W. Yorkshire),
apparently from a 'localised event', similar to those detailed above. Depth of
waters 2 to 3 feet (up to ~1m) with many industrial properties flooded.
1932 (Spring):
1. Notably WET spring in the EWP series.
1933 (February):
1. In 1933 between the 23rd and 26th GALES and HEAVY SNOWSTORMS swept across
much of Britain; this was probably the first occasion the Meteorological Office
issued a forecast for road traffic dislocation due to snow to the general
public. Described as a 'Great BLIZZARD' in Ireland, Wales, northern England,
Midlands, southwest England: Whipsnade (Bedfordshire) up to 60 cm, and 45 cm at
Harrogate, Yorkshire. The HIGH WINDS / GALES (easterly) in the west & north
provided the mechanism for DEEP DRIFTING. Up in the higher southern Pennine
towns, the depths were even greater, with level SNOW values of around 70cm
observed at Buxton (Derbyshire) & Huddersfield (Yorkshire). There were
reports in these areas of drifts of around 2 m, but of course in the highest
parts of the Yorkshire Dales & North York Moors, for example, DRIFTS of at
least 4 m were reported. Even across southern England, depths of between 15
& 30 cm were common. Many villages in South Wales and Yorkshire were
isolated, with trains from Fishguard to London badly delayed.
1933 (Summer):
1. Notably WARM summer: one of the top 7 or so of the century. Regarded as
extending from Jun through to September: The CET values for each month, with
anomalies (rel. to 1961-90 averages) were: Jun:15.6(+1.4), Jul:17.8(+1.7),
Aug:17.6(+1.8), Sep:14.9(+1.3).
1933 (Annual):
1. One of the two DRIEST years in the EWP series in the 20th century & in
the 'top-10' for the series overall (as of 2002). Nominally, 718mm of rain for
the year: other low years: 1921=629mm and 1964=731mm.
1934/1935 (Winter):
1.One of the WARMEST winters (by CET) in the series which began in 1659. Up to
1997, rank=8 Value=6.13; Dec=8.1, Jan=4.5, Feb=5.8 (Others: 1686, 1734, 1796,
1834, 1869, 1975, 1989 and 1990.)
1935 (May):
1. Widespread SNOW affected Scotland, northern England, Wales, parts of the
English Midlands & SW England on the 16th/17th: one of the LATEST
SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL events across southern England (TEC: see also 1955). On
the 16th (according to TEC), SNOW 3 inches deep at Cambridge; Falls of SNOW
produced 11cm (recorded as 5 inches I suspect) as far south as Tiverton (Devon)
on the 17th. There were SNOWDRIFTS 2 feet deep in the Yorkshire Dales (GPE),
and much greater values in the Pennines. Other values (from JMet): Woffelee
(Borders) & Giggleswick (N. Yorkshire) 15cm. Snow fell on the higher ground
between Blackburn (Lancashire) and Leeds to a depth of 30cm on the 16th. In
western England, SNOW is very rare in May, but Lancaster & Southport (both
Lancashire) reported snow falling on the 17th. (Apparently the first snow
observed in these two low-level locations in May since 1891). At Birmingham, it
was the worst May SNOWSTORM for 60 years. SNOWDRIFTS up to 1m high blocked
several roads in the Pennines. Snow showers even reached the normally (for May)
very mild Isles of Scilly.
1936 (29th August): LARGE RANGE OF TEMPERATURE IN ONE DAY
1. In the Rickmansworth 'frost-hollow', within 9 hours on the 29th August,
1936, the TEMPERATURE rose from an overnight low of 1.1 degC to an afternoon
high of 29.4degC...a range of 28.3degC. In degF, which may in fact be what the
values were recorded in: this equates to 34.0degF to 84.9degF: a range of
50.9degF. ( see also 1978 & 1995.)
1937 (February):
1. One of the WETTEST Februarys across England & Wales (using the EWP
series).
2. 28th February: GREAT SNOWSTORM/BLIZZARD - W & N BRITAIN
A great snowstorm which set in on the 28th February, on a northerly gale,
produced snow drifts some 13 feet deep in many western and northern parts of
Britain. The drifts lasted in some places throughout March.
1938 (February to April):
1. An exceptionally DRY spell over England & Wales, with an anomaly of
roughly 30%. In Scotland, not so dry, with anomalies up around 70%.
1938 (June+July):
1. Noted (in 1998) as the WETTEST in the Scottish rainfall series (started:
1869)...see also 1998.
1938 (October):
1. In the early hours of the 4th, a VERY INTENSE DEPRESSION moving
east-north-east across northern districts of Scotland, brought EXCEPTIONALLY
SEVERE GALES to most parts of the British Isles, especially England and Wales,
resulting in considerable DAMAGE / some DEATHS. The Irish Sea received the full
force of this storm, mean hourly winds of 50kt or more being recorded at
Fleetwood, Southport, Bidston Observatory and Holyhead; 56 knots at the two
latter places were the highest recorded (at that time) in any month during the
long records of these stations. The HIGHEST GUSTS in this region were 83kt at
Bidston Observatory, 80kt at Holyhead and Manchester, and 78kt at Southport.
The highest GUST in this storm was one of 90 knots at St Ann's Head
(Pembrokeshire/Dyfed).
2. A WET month by the EWP series with circa 150% of the long-term average by
that measure (though by no means a record.) Watendlath Farm (Cumbria) recorded
475mm from the 2nd to the 12th of the month.
1938 (November):
1. On the 5th this month, the MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE reached 21.1degC at a number
of places across East Anglia; one of only a handful of occasions when the
November temperature has reached or exceeded 20degC in the UK. (See also 1906,
1946, 1997 & 2003).
1938 (18th to 26th December): BEST 'WHITE CHRISTMAS' OF THE 20TH
CENTURY
During the very severe December of 1938, over a foot of snow fell in places
over the eastern part of Britain, and to the west, it was in the realms of 2
feet! Snow fell variously from the 18th until the 26th, and with little of the
traffic pounding of recent years, contributed to a fine, winter event.
1939 (January):
1. A notably WET month: in the 'top-5' wet Januarys by the EWP series. The area
between London and Norwich (across the northern Home Counties and into East
Anglia) had 300% of average RAINFALL, e.g. 128mm of RAIN at Chelmsford (circa
220%). There are several reports of significant FLOODING due to the high
rainfall totals.
2. Quite a 'SNOWY' month overall. 25th/26th: Widespread SNOW southern England
and South Wales, with significant SNOWFALL in parts of the London area. Depths
of up to 14 inches (35cm) were measured on Hampstead Heath. In central London
though, nothing like the amount of snow due possibly to the heat-island in the
City. A SEVERE SNOWSTORM over the higher ground in the Southwest of England
& South Wales. 50cm of SNOW in Berkshire, Wiltshire & Hampshsire. Much
DRIFTING in the strong winds. In South Wales, SNOW caused a train to stop,
while in parts of Berkshire, Hampshire & Wiltshire, snow fell to a depth of
60cm. 2000 people lost their telephone lines in Reading. On the 26th, the
Cantref Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons, received 35cm of SNOW and on the
morning of the 26th, Stanford Dingley (Berkshire) had nearly 50cm. DRIFTS of
3.5m were also reported on the high ground in SW England over these two days.
1939/1940 (Winter): FIRST WINTER OF WORLD WAR II
1. The winter of 1939-40 was not so intense as that of 1894-95, but was longer
and SNOWIER. Using the CET record, the overall value for the combination of
December, January & February was 1.5degC, some 2C below average
TEMPERATURE. The key 'cold' month was January (see below).
2. January 1940 was one of the 20-or-so COLDEST Januarys in the CET record,
with a value of -1.4degC (roughly 4.5C below the all-series average), and just
outside the 'top-10' of coldest such-named months. The month started cold, but
with a mild spell towards the end of the first week; however, bitterly COLD
conditions set in with a vengeance during the second week, with some days of
persistent FREEZING conditions, frequent SNOWFALL and biting winds. The month
was notable for a GLAZED FROST event at the end of January 1940 (26th) as the
bitterly cold conditions of the previous three weeks started to be displaced,
though there was more significant SNOWFALL 27th/28th before the milder weather
finally took over by the month's end.
3. January 1940 was quite a SNOWY month, especially for Scotland & England.
On the 16th/17th, SNOW occurred in many parts of the UK. It was heavy in
eastern parts of Kent & east Sussex, where deep DRIFTS occurred. 30 cm
(possibly more) at Eastbourne, Sussex. On the 26th HEAVY SNOW over the north;
four feet (circa 120cm) of SNOW in Sheffield on the 26th and 10 foot (circa 300
cm) DRIFTS reported in Bolton, Lancashire on the 29th. Most of England &
Scotland experienced SNOWFALL during this last week. Much of Yorkshire,
Derbyshire & Cheshire received between 30 and 60 cm. In Sheffield (South
Yorkshire), 120cm of SNOW fell. The West Highland railway line in Scotland was
blocked, with some villages isolated. By the 28th, 27 cm of snow lay at
Pontefract (West Yorkshire), while as a direct comparison London only reported
15cm. On the 29th, the SNOWFALL on the western parts of the Pennines made a
train snowbound a few miles south of Preston (Lancashire) for 36 hours.
[ Although the land war, as far as western Europe was
concerned, was very much in its 'phoney' phase, hostilities on the high seas (
surface & submarine raiders ) ensured that trade was hit from early in the
War; reduction of supplies was aggravated by the sometimes severe weather,
though we were more self-sufficient (in food terms) than we are now in the 21st
century, and our expectations are higher in modern times. ]
1940 (May & June): FINE WEATHER: FALL OF
FRANCE/DUNKIRK
1. WARM & SUNNY. Allowed air operations on both sides [ i.e. RAF &
Luftwaffe ] to proceed unhindered during the 'Fall of France', Dunkirk [
Operation 'Dynamo' ] etc. The last week of May, and the first week of June,
1940, the weather in the eastern Channel was unusually quiet, which allowed the
'little' ships to operate where they were not designed to do so. Even Force 5
or 6 winds would have significantly changed the course of history, as many
fewer than the 364 000 troops of all nationalities (mainly British &
French, but also Poles and Belgians) would have been recovered to the English
side of the Channel. (ended 4th June, but the principal period of evacuation
was 27th May to 1st June. The weather wasn't the primary factor - it allowed,
for example, the Luftwaffe to attack formations trying to embark to cross the
Channel; the main reason the troops were evacuated in such large numbers was
that German High Command failed to press home the advantage for whatever
reason. (Ref: 14)
1940-1942 (Winters): SEVERE WINTERS OF THE SECOND WORLD
WAR.
1. The three winters of the early war years (1939/40 to 1941/42) were notable
for some harsh conditions. In the '39/'40 winter, not only was snow a
significant problem, but it contained the longest-lasting RAIN-ICE event (27th
January to 3rd February, 1940) known for these islands, with severe transport
dislocation, and many injuries on the ice in a large area from north Wales
across parts of the south-west Midlands to the southwest and central-southern
England. During the same period, a great SNOW storm with a VIOLENT GALE
affected southeastern England with snow drifts well above 15 ft. January, 1940,
with a CET of minus 1.4degc, was the coldest (to that date) of the century,
only later beaten by January 1963(q.v). On January 19th 1942, a great SNOWSTORM
affected much of Britain with much dislocation of life. February 1942 was
notably COLD - one of the 10 coldest Februarys in the CET series. The severity
of these winters caused much hardship, particularly as the convoys across the
North Atlantic were being severely interrupted by U-Boat attacks. However, its
worth noting that the severe weather affected much of the continent of Europe
as well!
2. December 1941 and January 1942 saw the harsh Russian winter weather put paid
to the German advance on Moscow. From early in December 1941, TEMPERATURES just
outside Moscow were down to (minus)45degC or lower, over a full SNOW cover. The
main attack on the capital occurred on 22nd December, but by then conditions
for troops were extreme, who lacked proper winter clothing & whose tanks,
guns etc., had not been 'winterised'. Military historians suggest that the
failure of German High Command to press home the attack on Moscow in the late
summer of 1941 was the key error, meaning that major offensive operations had
to occur in the depths of the Russian winter. By January, 1942, TEMPERATURES as
low as (minus)52degC were being recorded. Estimates are that more German
soldiers died from bitter cold than from combat action; however, Soviet losses,
both military and civilian, were also high. (Ref.14)
1941 (January):
1. Much SNOW just after midmonth: The first major SNOWSTORM of 1941 occurred
between 18th & 20th January: In Scotland & northern England, SNOW fell
to a depth of 60cm, with 30 cm in parts of the Midlands. On the evening of the
20th, nearly 45cm fell at Birmingham. At Hoylake (Merseyside), SNOWDRIFTS were
up to 3m high. In Scotland, the SNOWSTORMS were especially SEVERE, with parts
of Sutherland & Caithness isolated by DRIFTS up to 4.5m. 50cm at Balmoral
on the 22nd. BLIZZARD north-east England and southeast Scotland - noted at the
time as the 'worst since March 1888'. At Consett, Derbyshire, SNOW DEPTHS of up
to 4 feet (120 cm) reported.
1941 (February):
1. 18th to 20th February, 1941: BLIZZARD eastern England/southern Scotland with
worst hit area between Tees Side and North Yorkshire. Six trains were buried in
DRIFTING SNOW north of Newcastle upon Tyne, with over 1000 people on board. At
Durham, snow depth 105cm and at Newcastle upon Tyne 70cm. Sunderland and Durham
were completely cut off for a while. Considerable telephonic disruption due
wet/freezing snow clinging to overhead telephone lines. (NB: First winter of
the 'real' war after the phoney winter 1939/40: food shortages acute.)
1942 (January/February):
1. On January 19th 1942, a great snowstorm affected much of Britain with much
dislocation of life (& the war effort e.g. air operations). February 1942
was notably cold - one of the 10 coldest Februarys in the CET series. The
severity of these winters caused much hardship, particularly as the convoys
across the North Atlantic were being severely interrupted by U-Boat attacks.
However, its worth noting that the severe weather affected much of the
continent of Europe as well!
2. December 1941 and January 1942 saw the harsh Russian winter weather put paid
to the German advance on Moscow. From early in December 1941, TEMPERATURES just
outside Moscow were down to (minus)45degC or lower, over a full SNOW cover. The
main attack on the capital occurred on 22nd December, but by then conditions
for troops were extreme, who lacked proper winter clothing & whose tanks,
guns etc., had not been 'winterised'. Military historians suggest that the
failure of German High Command to press home the attack on Moscow in the late
summer of 1941 was the key error, meaning that major offensive operations had
to occur in the depths of the Russian winter. By January, 1942, TEMPERATURES as
low as (minus)52degC were being recorded. Estimates are that more German
soldiers died from bitter cold than from combat action; however, Soviet losses,
both military and civilian, were also high. (TWF)
1943 (January):
1. Notably WET over England & Wales (using the EWP series).
1944 (6th June): "D-DAY" NORMANDY LANDINGS
1. The most critical phase of the second World War for the western Allies was
the landing of thousands of troops and large amounts of material in the initial
attack on the German occupied north coast of France (Normandy beaches). The
attack was postponed from the 5th to the 6th based on a weather forecast of
unsuitable weather, and even on the 6th, conditions were not ideal, with
landing craft having problems with HEAVY SWELL. One of the important factors in
the decision to delay by one day was that RAF Bomber Command and USAAF
Strategic Air Force could not attack important targets in the invasion area
(and the key 'junction' / supply points to the rear), without some prospect of
sighting the targets: this also applied to the Allied naval forces, as they
needed to 'spot' shore targets for success. As it turned out, if the attack
had taken place on the 5th, heavy and extensive CLOUD COVER over
northern France would have seriously hampered these operations - by the morning
of the 6th, the cloud had either cleared, or become 'lifted' and well broken,
allowing more accurate (for the times) targeting.
> The month of June, 1944 was most unusually unsettled, and two weeks later,
June 19th/20th, a MAJOR STORM affected the Channel area disrupting follow-up
operations. A strong northeast WIND - onshore to the post-invasion bridgehead
beaches - at least Beaufort force 7 at times, was accompanied by thick, LOW
CLOUD. This disturbed weather lasted to at least 22nd June with only slight
easing of the wind. These conditions caused havoc to the build of forces and
supplies, but by this time, the foothold in France was sufficiently firm (and
German forces were anyway on the 'back foot'), and the liberation of western
Europe was never really in doubt. (but see also 1944: December - the 'Battle of
the Bulge').
[NB: May 1944 was largely a 'benign' month - with a lot of fine, anticyclonic
weather which aided the build-up of forces and positioning around the southern
and western coasts of Britain and Northern Ireland. Indeed, it transpires that
German forces (von Rundstedt / Rommel) in France were on a high state of alert,
fearing the attack during May. By early June, German meteorologists and
intelligence assessed that the threat was less, due to the weather
deterioration, and withdrew some forces for training etc. The fact that the
Allied forces (Eisenhower) decided to 'go' in a "WEATHER-WINDOW" in
an otherwise unfavourable set-up may have caught German High Command
off-balance. The STORM of the 5th was also helpful in keeping Luftwaffe
reconnaissance aircraft on the ground, so failing to spot that the Allied
forces had had a 'false start'! ]
1944 (15th December): GLENN MILLER'S PLANE LOST
1. On this day, Major Glenn Miller, USAAF, flew from a small airfield in
southern England, heading for Paris across the English Channel. The aircraft
did not arrive. There is great doubt surrounding the loss of Miller, (probably
the greatest band-leader of the time) and his aircraft, but it seems likely
that a returning bomber-wave off-loaded ordnance over the English Channel prior
to returning to English bases; with heavy cloud cover, it could not be
ascertained that there was air traffic below - and in any case, one small
aircraft would be difficult to spot, so it is assumed that Miller's aircraft
was caught by this redundant ordnance.
1944 (16th December - 23rd December): BATTLE OF THE BULGE/ARDENNES
OFFENSIVE
1. German High Command asked for climatological information on when was the
best time to launch a counter-attack (to oppose the
US/British/Commonwealth/Free-Europe forces sweeping across northern France and
the Low Countries). Conditions required were that CLOUD COVER should be so
complete & persistent that allied aircraft could not define targets (the
German air-force, the Luftwaffe, was essentially of little use to oppose the
allied air-fleets supporting ground operations). The period chosen by German
staff meteorologists was early to mid-December, and on the 12th, the date of
attack was set for the 16th. The "Ardennes Offensive" (as German High
Command named the operation) progressed well as allied air forces could not
support ground-troops safely, and as there was a snow-cover, the radar
altimeters were not accurate for precision bombing. However, by the 23rd, cloud
was lifting/breaking and the first allied attack and support sorties (food,
ammunition etc.), were flown. The German attack ran out of steam, and on 3rd
January, 1945 (despite heavy SNOWFALL), a renewed thrust by US & allied
forces began & by 16th January, all territory lost to the Ardennes
Offensive (or "Battle of the Bulge") was re-taken. (Ref.14).
1945 (January):
1. SNOW a feature of this month.
> 9th/10th: Bellingham (Northumberland) up to 60 cm of SNOW in the first
half of the month.
> Later in the month, 22nd up to the 25th, South Wales & SW England
experienced significant SNOWFALL (noted in JMet as on the 25th) with up to 60
cm in Glamorgan; Cardiff 45 to 75 cm (the latter figure is quite remarkable for
a low-ground location).
> Later still, 29th/30th, HEAVY SNOW again affected the north of England and
southern Scotland. Edinburgh had 25 cm on the 29th, while on the 30th, 25cm
fell at Harrogate (North Yorkshire). SNOWDRIFTS of 6m blocked roads in
Morayshire, Sutherland and parts of Dunbartonshire and in northern Scotland
snowdrifts trapped many trains.
1945 (Spring):
1. A notably WARM season over England and Wales (see also 1990). If including
February, then the spring was especially notable for early occurrence of warm
days. CET values were (with anomalies rel. to 1961-90 averages): Feb:7.1(+3.3),
Mar:7.9(+2.2), Apr:10.1(+2.3).
1946 (August & September):
1. A notably WET combination of months. By the EWP, the total was=263mm, though
some places would have had much more than this. In the 20th century, in the top
3 or so such pairings - perhaps the 2nd wettest, only beaten by 1927=293mm;
much FLOODING.
1946 (November):
1. On the 3rd, the TEMPERATURE reached 20.6degC at Aber in North Wales; the
next day (4th), it rose to 21.7degC at Prestatyn (North Wales/Denbigh-Flint).
This latter value is the HIGHEST November TEMPERATURE in the UK (as at
2006). Temperatures of 20degC or more in November are a rarity, and these
events are one of only a handful of such. (See also, 1906, 1938, 1997 &
2003).
[ The CET anomaly was greater than +1.5C on the modern-day average for a
November, and placed it within the 'top-20' of WARMEST such-named months.]
1946/47 (Winter): HARSH, POST SECOND WORLD-WAR WINTER - SEVERE
RATIONING
1. COLDEST February in the CET record, and coldest February at Edinburgh since
1764. One of the HARSHEST winters experienced in the British Isles, though
there was little hint of severe weather until after mid January. Also regarded
as the SNOWIEST winter in the century, and for perhaps back to the middle of
the previous century.
2. The winter continued at its most SAVAGE in March, 1947, hitting particularly
hard at a time of fuel and food shortages after the second World War.
3. Some notes from the usw ng: "The worst of the weather began in
late January and the spell did not finally relinquish its grip until mid March.
Some very HEAVY SNOWFALL - a sequence of severe BLIZZARDS led to accumulations
estimated at between 50 and 120 cm across the English lowlands, with drifts
often in excess of 10 feet, sometimes 15 feet (quite remarkable compared with
late 20th / early 21st century experience). The Second World War had been over
for only 18 months, fuel was rationed, as well as food and clothing. Power cuts
were common, frequent and widespread, and there was a shortage of coal (the
main source of heat other than gas), due to transport problems, and the need to
divert coal to the power stations. Mean TEMPERATURE below 0degC for 9 weeks.
Bulldozers were diverted from bomb clearance to snow clearance. Ice-breakers
had to be used in the River Medway (no dates or further details for this).
There were severe losses to agriculture; 2 million sheep died, and the FROSTS
destroyed much of the late potato crop. The aftermath was equally severe, with
widespread burst pipes, local flooding as snow melted: winter of extreme
misery.
4. THE SNOWY WINTER OF 1947: This event began late, as up until
mid-January, although there had been cold spells, the weather was not
particularly extreme. Includes the coldest February (by CET = minus
1.9degC) in that series, and you had to go back to 1895 for a comparable value
(minus 1.8). This is now thought to be the snowiest winter of the 20th century
(and perhaps the snowiest since 1814), with some snow falling somewhere across
the country between 22nd January and 17th March & the greater part of the
UK had some form of snow cover continuously from 27th January to the 13th
March. Level snow depths exceeded 2ft (circa 60cm) and there was much drifting.
Much dislocation (railways particularly badly affected - a vital part of the
infrastructure at this time) and great hardship emphasized the reduced
circumstances the general population were enduring after the recent War.
1947 (March): ...AND THE HIGH RAINFALL/SNOW-MELT FLOODS OF
1947
1. As the heavy accumulation of SNOW was eroded by rapidly rising temperatures,
along came the RAIN which caused major FLOODING. March 1947 EWR rainfall was
over 177mm (over 300% of average) - the WETTEST March across England &
Wales by that series (as at 2004).
2. Warm air and heavy RAIN moved slowly across the south-west of England on the
10th, spreading slowly northeastwards thereafter, and FLOODS affected huge
areas by the 13th due to a combination of the HEAVY RAIN & rapid THAW. At
Teddington Lock (Thames / Middlesex), the second highest stream-flow was
recorded (at the time), in a record that started in 1883/84. There was
significant RAINFALL on almost every day from the 12th March to the 4th April,
1947. The Thames was reportedly nearly a 'mile wide' at Maidenhead [Berkshire].
Water supplies were contaminated with raw sewage. Many thousands of properties
were FLOODED / DAMAGED, with up to 6000 in the Thames basin alone. A
Commonwealth Disaster Fund was set up, to help relieve the food shortages: and
all this for a country that had recently 'won' the War!
3. A severe south-west GALE on the night 16th/17th coupled to the high tides
and high inland water levels, combined to breach dykes in eastern Fens of
England. Much of lowland eastern England, from Yorkshire down to Essex were
affected by flooding.
1947 (Spring):
1. (see also individual notes above): this season was the 4th WETTEST
such-named in the England & Wales series, with only 1979, 1818 & 1782
wetter. The total in this dataset was 314mm, representing around 160% of the
LTA. As noted above, the exceptionally WET March proved the deciding factor.
1947 (Summer):
1. Notably WARM summer: one of the top 7 or so of the century.
1947 (August to December):
A notably DRY spell, particularly over England & Wales.
1948 (January):
1. Notably WET over England and Wales - the WETTEST January in that series (as
at 2003). Exceptionally WET in many central and northern areas of England and
over north Wales: new records for Valley (Anglesey/NW Wales), Ringway
(Manchester), Tynemouth (NE England) and Watnall (Nottingham).
1949 (April):FINE/WARM EASTER - RECORD TEMPERATURES
1. The start of Easter saw sunshine and RECORD April TEMPERATURES in many parts
of the country; 23 degC was exceeded in places on the 15th. On the 16th (Easter
Saturday) in 1949 the TEMPERATURE reached 29.4 degC at Camden Square in London,
the highest April temperature - recorded in the United Kingdom (and England)
for the 20th century (and perhaps in the known record**). On the same day, the
TEMPERATURE reached 28.9 degC in Kensington, Wealdstone and Greenwich, and some
authorities regard this latter value as a truer representation of
the-values-on-this-day. (** also possibly the earliest known date in the 20th
century for '80degF' or more to be recorded.)
1949 (Summer):
1. Notably WARM summer: one of the top 7 or so of the 20th century.
1949 (Annual):
1. A notably VERY WARM year: almost equalling the years 1999 and 1990 about
which so much fuss is made. In the CET record in fact (which roughly represents
the central lowlands of Midland and Home Counties England), it ranked (as of
2006), as fourth warmest, with 2006 then the warmest year.