Weather of 31st July 1978

[A Face like Thunder]

The hot sunny weather of today could not provide a greater contrast with that of Monday 31st July 1978, certainly so far as Dorset is concerned, which is where we were camping at the time. A storm broke on Sunday 30th at the conclusion of the Bovington tank display mid-morning and was of such intensity that the village open day had to be called off in the afternoon due to flooding. Unlike other summer storms, it continued to rain heavily throughout the night and all day on Monday 31st, and I believe that up to 4 ins or 100mm of rain was eventually recorded at Winfrith Heath. Ironically the 1st August was dry and fine, but the rain returned on the 2nd in the form of heavy showers and a further 1.5 ins of rain was recorded at Bournemouth. Not the weather for camping but we stuck it out.... just!