R2OK!

iwarburton · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 2133 Location: Northumberland

Most of us recall the 1987 hurricane in the South of England but a similar event occurred in the early hours of Monday 15 January 1968 in Central and Southern Scotland, together with much of Northern Ireland and Northern England.

The biggest single centre of destruction seems to have been the Glasgow area, where 20 people were killed and over 40 injured. About 1000 homes were damaged and 50 had to be demolished. Two years and more later, repair of damage and submission of insurance claims were still in progress.

I remember this only too well, as I lived in Chester at the time and we were just on the edge of it. But, until the Telegraph ran a short piece on it today, it had faded into complete obscurity. A dreadful night, nonetheless.

Ian.

Lord Evan Elpuss · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 3417 Location: Cloud Cuckoo Land

Yes, The 1987 one does seem to hog the limelight and, yes, I do remember it well, however, the storm I had the closest encounter with was the 'Burns day storm' of January 1990 which was almost as bad as the 1987 one but it scarcely gets a mention in the various medias, who always seem to home in on 1987. The reason I remember the January 1990 one so well is that I was out in it, as I was with all that followed in the rest of January & February 1990, when every low pressure system that crossed the UK seemed to blow up into a fully fledged storm!! Just for the record, summer 1990 was one to rival the 1976 scorcher, but the media only remembers 1976! I hadn't got out of my pit during the 1987 storm.
I don't remember the January 1968 one Ian, but I would love to read about it as the weather is one of my interests and I love a good weather story, whatever part of the country it happened in. Here 'darn sarf' the major 1968 weather story came in September of that year and was a weekend of thunderstorms, with, of course attendent torrential rain but it was more than the usual summer thunderstorm, this was a prolonged downpour and caused much flooding. Being only about 9 at the time I have little personal recollection but I've certainly read about it.
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Lord Evan Elpuss, Your ideal job is a Lumberjack.

iwarburton · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 2133 Location: Northumberland

Thanks, Lord Evan. I tried to do a weblink but can't find one. In fact I've reproduced the bulk of the article in my posting above.

I too find weather stories interesting and remember hearing of the Sept 68 floods--in Cheshire we missed the worst of these.

I'll ponder over whether I can come up with some of these but shall leave you with one more.

On Monday 6 August 1956 (Bank Holiday, which in those days fell on the first rather than last Monday of August), during a pretty miserable summer, parts of Kent, including the Tunbridge Wells area, had a hailstorm of such intensity that it looked for a time as if snow had fallen. My late father-in-law, who was a Kentish man, remembered this very well. I (just coming up 8 at the time) can just remember this being reported on BBC TV's fledgling news bulletins, with film of the event.

Ian.

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19382 Location: Cheshire

Can't remember that storm of 1968 at all but I was living pretty much where you are now Ian, so it must have only affected the west side of the country.

I do remember the 1990 Burns night one though, but I don't think it was as severe as the 1987 one, I was in the US when that one happened but back a few days later.

As for 1990 being a scorcher it must have only been in the South as I don't recall it being fantastic in the NW!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

Mark Mayhew · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 2897

Talking about severe weather I remember working in New Orleans some years ago when a message came through that we all had to evacuate as a hurricane was coming our way.

I remember being taken to the airport to be airlifted out. My memory of the trip from the hotel to the airport is still very vivid in my mind- as the storm started to roll in-winds, rain, hail etc like I'd never seen before.

We were taken to Houston before being allowed back about a week later.

The damage on arriving back was "seeing is believing". Whole streets had been destroyed to the point where there was nothing left, cars in trees , buses/lorries floating in rivers-unbelievable stuff.

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19382 Location: Cheshire

We've had to evacuate from coastal Florida when a hurricane was approaching and been on an alert on a couple of other occasions.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

The 1987 storm was not felt much here either, but the scale of damage to high profile sites, such as the Seven Oaks and the RHS gardens, and the disruption caused in central London, including the suspension of City business, ensured that it became a major historical event.

I have relatives down there. They said the noise of the wind, and the crackling and flashing of power lines being ripped, and the sensation of the whole house being shaken and at one point lifted was not something they would wish to experience again.

I do remember strong winds here in January 1990. They ripped off many houses' tiles, including two of our ridge tiles which ended up so deeply embedded in the lawn I had a job digging them out.

The Telegraph's weather page on Saturday usually carries reports recalling notable weather events of the past, often as a contrast to the current situation. I have also noticed a book in the shops, "The Wrong Kind Of Snow" which gives a day-by-day account of extreme weather events and anecdotes - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wrong-Kind-Snow-Antony-Woodward/dp/0340937874/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200908557&sr=1-6 if anyone's interested.
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Ron