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Christmas Eve Gale of 1997


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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

Hard to believe this was 20 years ago.

One of those weather events I won't forget, the Christmas Eve gale of 1997 was one of the worst gales to hit northern England and Wales in the last 25 years. A vigorous low tracked across Northern Ireland bringing severe gales to Eire, where gusts reached 80mph bringing down trees, powers lines and causing structural damage. The low, its central pressure was 976mb by that time, then tracked across southern Scotland and it was along its southern flank that the strongest winds occurred across north Wales and northwest England. Wind gusts in this region approached 90mph causing much structural damage to buildings, uprooting trees, bringing down power lines and at one stage, 50,000 people were without electricity. It was certainly one of the worst gales to hit this region probably since 1990. 

The sound of the gusts down the chimney was unforgetable and the lights flickered at times. Thought we were going to lose power. I remember Peter Cockcroft giving a severe weather warning between TV programmes, a fairly rare event. Christmas morning revealed the damage caused the winds, slate tiles broken on the ground, branches and even trees uprooted. A real mess.

BBC forecasts from Christmas Eve 1997

 

 

 

 

BBC news on the great gale

 

 

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Posted
  • Location: Purley, Surrey - 246 Ft ASL
  • Weather Preferences: January 1987 / July 2006
  • Location: Purley, Surrey - 246 Ft ASL

Yes, I was living in NE Wales at the time and can remember this very well.

Our fence got airborne and had to be nailed to the ground with some big steel pins we had in the shed. Also remember going out earlier in the evening and sitting in the car, it felt like it would blow over when the wind would gust.

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Guest Durham Weather

Remember it well. Lost a couple of slates which fell onto a neighbours car, which was parked in front of my house. Insurance company claimed it as an ‘Act of God’ and wouldn’t pay out. He didn’t park in front of my house any more after that. 

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Posted
  • Location: Dead Centre of the Vale of Clwyd
  • Weather Preferences: Cold Sancerre.
  • Location: Dead Centre of the Vale of Clwyd

Scariest weather event I have experienced. Felt like a hurricane! At the time, I had a 1.5 metre directional satellite dish on the flat part of our top roof, bolted to a large, old-fashioned 3" thick paving slab, which probably weighed more than I do. Before the internet I used the dish to watch worldwide news & events, so it was a big 'sail'. Over the course of a couple of hours in the evening it 'walked' along the flat roof - thump, thump, thump - it moved about 15 yards before it, thankfully, fell over. We couldn't go into the single story kitchen for fear of it falling through the roof and moved the cars from the front, just in case. Proper scary. I didn't have a weather station then - good job! The damage around here the next day was everywhere. I remember feeling sad driving to my parents the next morning and seeing so many houses without electricity - all those kids with new playstations etc. that were useless!

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Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

One of the most memorable weather events I can remember, probably because it caused alot of disruption at the peak christmas period. Remember the stormy very wet weather on christmas eve, driving rain, howling winds - not nice at all. 

However, the main event came on Christmas Day, when many people lost there power late morning, just when turkeys etc were going into ovens, the power didn't come back on until later in the afternoon - a very memorable christmas day!

Coincidentally the next christmas brought a similiar event on Boxing Day, not quite as powerful or disruptive, but notable all the same. Indeed the christmas periods from 1995 through until 2001 all brought quite interesting memorable weather - 1995 severe cold, 1996 biting easterlies and snow just after christmas, 97-99 all stormy and very wet, 2000 heavy snow and very cold just after christmas, 2001 cold and quite snowy but not as severe as 2000. The last seven however, have been devoid of much interest bar locally at least - zzz rain mild fest.. getting tired of it now.

Edited by damianslaw
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