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Great Storms 1880s

  • 12 Oct 2011
  • Weather
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1802  January 20.    A hurricane occurred doing great damage in the city and around. The windmill at Kempsey was set on fire by the sails being whirled round with so great rapidity.

1808  July 15.   A most awful tempest. The thunder continued in one unbroken roar for 11/2 hours; the hailstones were like fragments of a vast plate of ice, being broad, flat and ragged. Many were unmelted the next morning.

1811  The famous Worcester hailstorm, such as was scarcely ever known in this country before. Between 4 and 5 pm came clouds of horrible blackness, with hideous noise. A storm of ice, flakes 5-6 inches in circumference; windows in almost every house facing S.E. smashed, gardens laid to waste. The hail storm was succeeded by tropical rain. The Severn 6ft in 1 hour, reaching 25 ft above normal level, and swept away whole herds of cattle. 1200 panes broken in Barr's China factory, 200 in Messrs Chamberlain's, 500 in the workhouse etc, 150 rooks dead in White Ladie's Rookery and a vast number of birds elsewhere dead. The cost of repairing glass in the City was around £5000. All the glass available soon gone. A glazier who purchased al the glass he could at Stourbridge, is said to have laid the foundation of his fortune.