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Memorable Localised Weather Events


Summer18

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Posted
  • Location: North Leeds
  • Location: North Leeds

Hi all,

Long time lurker here, I was just wondering what people’s favourite less well known localised weather events are.

A couple stick out for me, one was a thunderstorm we had on the 25th October 2013.

It was a very humid day and then in the mid afternoon the skies darkened and the heavens opened. There were multiple lightning strikes and I was working at Leeds Bradford airport at the time and it caused flights to divert to Liverpool. It was all the more memorable because it was completely unexpected!

Another fairly localised event was an overnight snowfall on the morning of the 19th February 2011. It was all gone by afternoon but I remember there been a few inches on the ground in the morning. 

These were both near Leeds. 

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

Less well known weather events, so excluding the Great Storm of October 1987, the Burns Day Gale of January 1990, and the Surrey floods of September 1968, all of which I witnessed at first hand.

I think the Fylde snowfall of 5th and 6th February 1996 must come near the top of my list. A narrow and virtually stationary band of heavy snow along the West coast which caused chaos over two days in places such as Blackpool, but hardly touched other areas such as the upland Bowland Fells east of Preston.

A storm on the Spring Bank Holiday Monday, 31st May 1993, which dumped 1.5 ins of rain in 2 hours in the Morecambe area but did not affect the sun-lovers at Blackpool.

The Christmas Eve gale in 1997 which left large areas of the NW without heating and lighting on Christmas Day.

In South Cheshire, the gale of 18th January 2007 which caused widespread damage.

In Dorset, the rain of 30th - 31st July 1978 which dumped almost 4 inches of rain on parts of the county where we were camping.

Thunderstorms in August 1981 (South London), June 1985 (Crawley) and August 1998 (Winchester),  

 

 

    

 

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Posted
  • Location: Perth, Scotland
  • Location: Perth, Scotland

I wasn’t even born then but my mum always talks about the great flood of January 17th 1993. I think this effected most of central Scotland but my area Perth was the most effected by far. There were blizzards a few days prior to that with about a foot of snow then the temperatures shot up and there was torrential rain. The river Tay burst it’s banks and reached the highest level since 1814. The housing estate my mum lived on was apparently 6ft underwater in places and the army had to rescue her and my auntie by rowing boat and my auntie couldn’t move back in until the August. Most of Perth was a good 3ft underwater.

Ones I can remember would’ve been a big flash flood on the 6th July 2011 which flooded most of the town centre and brought flooding to many areas where there was burns. Another flash flood in July 2015 which effected a place called Alyth near me exceptionally bad.

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Posted
  • Location: North Leeds
  • Location: North Leeds

Another unexpected thunderstorm I encountered was on the 28th January 2013 after the January cold spell.

That Monday was a lot milder than the previous weeks, it struck in the evening and the lightening was a deep blue colour.

2013 was definitely a memorable year weather wise! 

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
3 hours ago, Harry233 said:

I wasn’t even born then but my mum always talks about the great flood of January 17th 1993. I think this effected most of central Scotland but my area Perth was the most effected by far. There were blizzards a few days prior to that with about a foot of snow then the temperatures shot up and there was torrential rain. The river Tay burst it’s banks and reached the highest level since 1814. The housing estate my mum lived on was apparently 6ft underwater in places and the army had to rescue her and my auntie by rowing boat and my auntie couldn’t move back in until the August. Most of Perth was a good 3ft underwater.

Ones I can remember would’ve been a big flash flood on the 6th July 2011 which flooded most of the town centre and brought flooding to many areas where there was burns. Another flash flood in July 2015 which effected a place called Alyth near me exceptionally bad.

If I may quote from Philip Eden's very good book, 'Great British Weather Disasters' - "a combination of heavy wet snow 25-50 cm deep and gale force winds caused chaos in central and southern Scotland on the 11th - 12th (Jan 1993). 51cm of snow lay at Aviemore. Heavy rain and a rapid thaw led to severe flooding in many parts of Scotland between the 15th and 18th, nowhere worse than on the Rivers Earn and Tay; at Perth, the flood was reported to be the highest since 1814."       So your mum was right!

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

7th December 2010, quarter of a mile away, there was nothing. a very heavy fog precipitate.

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and it happened almost 2 years before on New Year's Eve 2008 (photo was taken New Year's Day 2009) and again there was nothing a mile away.

mwcdzfy.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
3 hours ago, adam93 said:

Another unexpected thunderstorm I encountered was on the 28th January 2013 after the January cold spell.

That Monday was a lot milder than the previous weeks, it struck in the evening and the lightening was a deep blue colour.

2013 was definitely a memorable year weather wise! 

Yes indeed, the Saltburn and Redcar floods of 6th September 2013, followed by the North Sea storm surge in Whitby on 5th December 2013, will be remembered by many in those areas of the North Yorkshire coast. The Saltburn event was filmed and appears on YouTube, and it must have been frightening for anybody who was close to the sudden flooding near the promenade which occurred when a river in flood met the incoming high tide and overwhelmed a nearby car park. I was actually near Whitby on 6th Sept and can confirm that it was extremely wet that afternoon although the consequences were not as bad as further north.    

Edited by A Face like Thunder
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Posted
  • Location: Wyke regis overlooking Chesil beach.
  • Weather Preferences: Snowfall
  • Location: Wyke regis overlooking Chesil beach.

The thunderstorms of the Sunday 5th June 1983 spring immediately to mind affecting southern coastal regions of Dorset and Hampshire.

3.5 inches of rain. Giant hail. Accompanied by coal and coke falling from the sky having been taken up to cloud level by a tornado and coated in ice.

massive shelf cloud as the storm approached which local in Poole described as looking lik the end of the world.

just around the corner from my current address a local grower saw 5,000 lettuces shredded in 5 minutes by the giant hail which also

injured participants in a fun run in Bournemouth.
 

another even more localised event happened in February 1979 when the Isle of Purbeck had a fall of 4-6 inches of snow while nowhere else in Dorset had a flake.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

May 1985 and there was a  major incident at the Crystal Palace as several Girl Guides were overcome with severe hypothermia at a 75th anniversary event. I remember the day and I can confirm it was perishing cold in South London and Surrey!

Edited by A Face like Thunder
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Posted
  • Location: North Leeds
  • Location: North Leeds

Another snowfall event that was fairly memorable (at the time) here in Yorkshire was around the first week of December 2008. The snow was on the ground here for at least a week. Obviously was overshadowed by the snowfall of the next few years after that! 

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Posted
  • Location: Efford, Plymouth
  • Weather Preferences: Misty Autumn Mornings, Thunderstorms and snow
  • Location: Efford, Plymouth

The thunderstorm of the night of Monday 10th July 1995.

Never have I known a night like it here in Plymouth.  Started rumbling in from the channel about 2230hrs, literally stalled over the City and reloaded time after time, hour after hour , only finally moving North at around 0430hrs that Tuesday morning.

I worked for BT at the time and remember clearly seeing Plymouthians at lunchtime walking around like they'd not slept that night which most wouldn't have done.

 

The only storm which came close since was 27th May 2017 in terms of lightning here but not in terms of thunder and didnt last all night! 

Edited by philglossop
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Posted
  • Location: Basingstoke
  • Weather Preferences: In summer, a decent thunderstorm, and hot weather. In winter, snow or gale
  • Location: Basingstoke

In the Basingstoke area there was a decent fall of snow on 18 December 1999, which I think was localised and don't see quoted anywhere.  It was only about 4 inches, but was, apart from February 1991, the biggest snowfall of the 1990s.  Of course it has since been surpassed.  I just dont think other places were affected.

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

A thunderstorm on 14th September 2016 which started in Hampshire (Winchester) just after 8pm following a very hot couple of days and lasted most of the night, accompanied by heavy rain. Flooding at Newbury and elsewhere in a line covering Hants and Berkshire. Another storm which would have kept the local population awake for most of the night, it certainly did for my wife and I who were staying at a lodge prior to a cruise from Southampton. We couldn't get on the ship quick enough!

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Posted
  • Location: Basingstoke
  • Weather Preferences: In summer, a decent thunderstorm, and hot weather. In winter, snow or gale
  • Location: Basingstoke
44 minutes ago, A Face like Thunder said:

A thunderstorm on 14th September 2016 which started in Hampshire (Winchester) just after 8pm following a very hot couple of days and lasted most of the night, accompanied by heavy rain. Flooding at Newbury and elsewhere in a line covering Hants and Berkshire. Another storm which would have kept the local population awake for most of the night, it certainly did for my wife and I who were staying at a lodge prior to a cruise from Southampton. We couldn't get on the ship quick enough!

Yes indeed this was an absolute cracker of a storm.  The best one I can ever remember in the basingstoke area.  It certainly kept me awake all that night!

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Posted
  • Location: North Leeds
  • Location: North Leeds

Very interesting to hear these stories of lesser known events that seemed to only effect one area! Another one I have just remembered was a huge thunderstorm that struck Leeds on the 14th September 2006, intense lightning and torrential rain. It even caused a small tornado in the city centre with extensive flash floods. It seemed to appear from nowhere, however I didn’t read this forum or have lightning tracking apps back then! 

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Posted
  • Location: North Leeds
  • Location: North Leeds

Going by old home video footage it looks like we had some heavy snowfalls in Staffordshire (lived there at the time) between the 6th-9th March 1999. Surprising from such a mild winter as it was. 

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Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)

even though i live in Edmonton Alberta..famous for bone chilling cold and snow during winter..im going for the Great South West Blizzard of February 1978..i was living in Exeter at the time and have never seen snow like it since..possibly the worst snow storm to hit that area in the last 100 years  and probably one of the worst anywhere in the UK also

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Posted
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Continental winters & summers.
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset

Some ones that come to mind in North Somerset from the 2000s and early 2010s are:

28th January 2002 - I'm not sure how localised it was but I can't find much mention of thunder and lightning on this day. I remember a particularly stormy morning with blackening skies to the west and between 9-10am, a squall thunderstorm moved through with even gustier winds than the already-present gales, and hailstones that accumulated enough to turn the ground white. The afternoon turned bright and breezy but much calmer.

22nd October 2002 - a tornado, that was originally a funnel further SW, touched down just north of where I live and was of moderate intensity for a couple of miles. It was part of a greater very showery and windy day.

11th May 2004 - three separate thunderstorms moved North-South over my area during the evening. This came after a generally more thundery day nationwide on the 10th, but was less thundery in my locale. In similar fashion to this current spell of weather, they were very slow moving and the raindrops were huge, falling in tropical intensity.

19th December 2004 - a slider low that had brought rain the day before turned to snow overnight and gave a covering of a few inches on the morning of the 19th (a similar thing happened a day earlier in 1999). Again, I don't see many reports of snow on this date but it helped ensure that each month in that winter had snowfall at some point.

01st October 2006 - a trough within a rPm setup brought a series of thunderstorms during the morning, dumping 32mm of rain. The storms formed in lines, and my locale was right under one that seemed to keep spawning new cells. The gunshot thunder on this date was notable.

21st December 2009 - a snow streamer directly off the Severn Estuary brought a covering of snow in the early hours, even more so along the actual coast. I don't think areas north of Bristol or south of Weston had much if any snow, just a strip in the middle.

17th December 2010 - again, another snow streamer, this time running NW-SE from the Severn Estuary. I remember driving out of Bristol where there had been a few light snow showers, into the band of heavy snow that, by the time I got home, was like a whiteout. A difference of only 8 miles.

04th August 2012 - backbuilding thunderstorms formed along a convergence line just inland from the Severn Estuary. There were clear skies to the east and out west but thunderstorms formed in a line SSW-NNE through North Somerset and my house was right underneath a number of forming cells. It's always in these rPm setups that I register my heaviest rainfall rates.

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Posted
  • Location: Perth, Scotland
  • Location: Perth, Scotland
On 15/06/2020 at 15:40, A Face like Thunder said:

If I may quote from Philip Eden's very good book, 'Great British Weather Disasters' - "a combination of heavy wet snow 25-50 cm deep and gale force winds caused chaos in central and southern Scotland on the 11th - 12th (Jan 1993). 51cm of snow lay at Aviemore. Heavy rain and a rapid thaw led to severe flooding in many parts of Scotland between the 15th and 18th, nowhere worse than on the Rivers Earn and Tay; at Perth, the flood was reported to be the highest since 1814."       So your mum was right!

There’s a plaque on the Perth bridge detailing the height of the floods and 1814 is probably about 8ft tall. My mum talked about how the flood actually led to a few bungalows being almost completely underwater in 1993. Really wish I had witnessed it. There’s a couple of videos on YouTube on it.

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Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire

A tornado on my 15th birthday in South Tyneside on 22 June 1999.  There had been sunshine and showers from a north-westerly on the 20th and 21st but the 22nd was forecast to be a dry and bright, if rather chilly, day prior to the arrival of a rain belt from the west.  However, showers unexpectedly developed early that morning in the Tyne and Wear area and one of these showers spawned a tornado that was visible to the west of Cleadon village at around 8:30am.

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
On 17/06/2020 at 17:07, Philipsfd said:

 

 

Flooding in the Manchester area in the afternoon of 14th June 2002.

Remember this one. The sky was amazing as it approached. Rain was phenomenal and there was thunder. I would say it was a cloudburst. 

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  • 7 months later...
Posted
  • Location: London
  • Location: London

The North London tornado of 7th December 2006 for me. Woken up with the rain so heavy the windows were banging, not too far away a lot of homes in Kensal Rise were badly damaged.

I’m also told that as a toddler in 1990 I happened to slam a door at the precise moment the Bishop’s Castle earthquake of 2nd April happened, making my parents think I’d caused the building to shake. We were living in the West Midlands then so closer to the epicentre.

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