Jump to content
Snow?
Local
Radar
Cold?
IGNORED

July 1955: a very dry, sunny month but floods in places.....


Recommended Posts

Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

July 1955 was an odd month. It was a very warm month with a CET of 17.7, the warmest July since 1934 and the driest month for England and Wales (26.1mm) since 1911 but thunderstorms gave flooding and enormous rainfall totals at a few loactions.

Bury St Edmunds recorded no rain this month, yet Martinstown, Dorset recorded 279.4mm on the 18th 

From 19th July 1955 Guardian

8peVelI.jpg

zBi0LHo.jpg

From 20th July 1955 Guardian

7EOP2bl.jpg

14th July thunderstorms caused the death of 6 people through lightning strikes

Ug2gMxI.jpg

XXilziY.jpg

zJJSrrs.jpg

It was a very sunny month, Southport had their sunniest month since records began in 1896. 

Sunshine % of average

Engand and Wales: 146

Scotland: 172

Northern Ireland: 184

It was a hot day for NE Scotlaand on the 6th July 

cVwWu2O.jpg

Rainfall totals for the month

Camden Square, London: 5.8mm

Cardiff: 15mm

Edinburgh: 39.6mm

Aldergrove: 31.2mm

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Dublin, Ireland
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, snowy winters and warm, sunny summers
  • Location: Dublin, Ireland

This month holds the record highest monthly sunshine total for various stations in Ireland as well as the national record of 308.2 hrs which was strangely at Valentia Observatory - a station normally prone to cloud and exposed to southwesterlies so a weird quirk but is indicative of how unique of a month July 1955 really was. 

Dublin Airport wasn't far off with 305.9 hrs, May 2020 was the closest competitor to this with 295.0 hrs. 

June 1957 and June 1959 were also exceptionally sunny; 292.7 hrs at Belmullet (northwest Ireland) and 301.0 hrs at Rosslare (sunny southeast) in the respective Junes.

Yes a long time ago but July 1955 and August 1947 are terribly forgotten if you ask me, both gems of summer months in vintage years for weather too. 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

Thank you for this Weather-history, most interesting. The figure for Martinstown, Dorset, was astonishing and was (I believe) a record rainfall and the only time that 10+ inches of rain fell in a 24 hour period in the 20th century (correct me if I'm wrong). I wonder what caused this terrible rainfall and loss of life? Presumably a low pressure system of some sort. We had 4 ins of rain in Dorset in 24 hours when we camped there at the end of July 1978, and thought that was bad, but July 1955 was on another scale.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

The synoptic setup on 18 July 1955 had a ridge of high pressure over the north, a thundery-looking low to the south:

image.thumb.png.a612ef7bad3c8035cc5824656ca35a1f.png

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Broxbourne, Herts
  • Weather Preferences: Snow snow and snow
  • Location: Broxbourne, Herts
On 12/07/2021 at 22:58, A Face like Thunder said:

Thank you for this Weather-history, most interesting. The figure for Martinstown, Dorset, was astonishing and was (I believe) a record rainfall and the only time that 10+ inches of rain fell in a 24 hour period in the 20th century (correct me if I'm wrong). I wonder what caused this terrible rainfall and loss of life? Presumably a low pressure system of some sort. We had 4 ins of rain in Dorset in 24 hours when we camped there at the end of July 1978, and thought that was bad, but July 1955 was on another scale.

And they had nothing to blame it on back then......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: halifax 125m
  • Weather Preferences: extremes the unusual and interesting facts
  • Location: halifax 125m

Also interesting to note was that this summer was sandwiched between arguably the two worst summers in living memory,that of 1954 and 1956,both worse than either 2008 and 2012

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • UK Storm and Severe Convective Forecast

    UK Severe Convective & Storm Forecast - Issued 2024-03-29 07:13:16 Valid: 29/03/2024 0600 - 30/03/2024 0600 THUNDERSTORM WATCH - FRI 29 MARCH 2024 Click here for the full forecast

    Nick F
    Nick F
    Latest weather updates from Netweather

    Difficult travel conditions as the Easter break begins

    Low Nelson is throwing wind and rain at the UK before it impacts mainland Spain at Easter. Wild condtions in the English Channel, and more rain and lightning here on Thursday. Read the full update here

    Netweather forecasts
    Netweather forecasts
    Latest weather updates from Netweather

    UK Storm and Severe Convective Forecast

    UK Severe Convective & Storm Forecast - Issued 2024-03-28 09:16:06 Valid: 28/03/2024 0800 - 29/03/2024 0600 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH - THURS 28 MARCH 2024 Click here for the full forecast

    Nick F
    Nick F
    Latest weather updates from Netweather
×
×
  • Create New...