The 16th Century :- Feast and Famine ..Worcestershire.

[ANYWEATHER]

1509:-With most favourable weather conditionsthroughout the year ,and an equal balance of sunshine and rain ,the harvest was abundant ,with wheat at its lowest price for two centuries. 

1527:- A famine year,with great rains and sudden floods during the previous autumn and in the spring at sowing time.. Rain of particular intensity fell from 15th April to June 3rd.

1538-1541:- Extremely dry years with rainfall almost non- existent and rivers and streams drying out in parts.A remarkable series of droughts with a burning sun during the summer.

1564:- Winter began early this year with great frosts and early snow in November. Freezing rain hung so heavy on the trees that they broke under the weight.  Wind vanes on county churches froze solid and people had great difficulty getting about because of the deep snow. Rivers froze over with some people taking advantage of the weather and playing football and bowls on the ice.

[LetItSnow!]

I remember reading about  1540 being an absolutely extreme summer across the UK & Europe. Some of the reports, particularly on the advanced growth of fruits and such, really paint how extremely hot it must have been. If only we had 500mb charts and the C.E.T. series as old as that. Reports show a very mild and dry winter, very warm spring and then an exceptionally hot summer with water shortages by May (Italy). Even Scandinavia reported a lack of rain. Research seems to suggest it’s on a par with 2003, but there’s a 20% chance it could have been hotter than that. I can’t imagine the same type of set up in the modern age. 

[ANYWEATHER]

1 hour ago, LetItSnow! said:

I remember reading about  1540 being an absolutely extreme summer across the UK & Europe. Some of the reports, particularly on the advanced growth of fruits and such, really paint how extremely hot it must have been. If only we had 500mb charts and the C.E.T. series as old as that. Reports show a very mild and dry winter, very warm spring and then an exceptionally hot summer with water shortages by May (Italy). Even Scandinavia reported a lack of rain. Research seems to suggest it’s on a par with 2003, but there’s a 20% chance it could have been hotter than that. I can’t imagine the same type of set up in the modern age. 

I wonder if the Extreme heat made King Henry V111 go loopy with the year of the dissulotion of the Abbeys Just imagine knocking all those Iconic buildings down in that heat