482:. The largest hail is believed to have fallen over Offley, which sits to the southwest of Hitchin. The largest measured hail had a circumference of 343 mm (13.5 in), however anecdotal reports suggest hailstones may have reached as large as 445 mm (17.5 in), which would make these hailstones among some of the largest to have ever been documented. These circumferences correlate to hail diameters of between 110 and 140 mm (4.3 and 5.5 in). The pieces of ice were described as being of irregular shape, with some oval shaped, some rounded and some flat. In Hitchin, the ice reportedly piled up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) high. Local reports suggest that the hail was as large as a man's head. At Hitchin, a report was made of a hail diameter of an astonishing 60 cm (24 in), if accurate, this would make it the largest hailstone ever to be documented as having fallen anywhere in the world, by far.
36:. The storm moved slowly, beginning at 9 am and finishing by 2 pm local time. The parent storm's total track length was at least 25 km (16 mi) long. This hailstorm is widely considered to be the worst hailstorm ever documented in the United Kingdom, with the largest hail ever measured in addition. Widespread damage to property was reported where the hailstorm had passed through, with slate roof tiles smashed to pieces and resulting in at least 1 death.
47:. It is the only H8 hailstorm to have occurred in the UK, and is only joined by a few H7 rated storms in the country's recorded history. A H8 hailstorm is described by TORRO as being "destructive" and contains hail large enough to damage airplanes. Anything above a H9 rating is considered a "super hailstorm".
490:
The hailstorms slow movement meant that it caused severe damage, especially around
Hitchin and Offley. During the storm's passage, at least one person was killed due to the hail, a young shepherd caught outside during the falling of the bowling ball sized hailstones. The hailstones came into contact
494:
Widespread destruction was reported to crops, with every plantation 'felled before it ', and people found precarious shelter in their homes. As well as one fatality, one person was found bruised all over, presumably unconscious. Pigeons, rooks and smaller birds were found brought down, as well as
470:, Norfolk - a total distance of 335 km (208 mi). The last hailstorm in the UK to receive a rating of H6+ or above was the 5 September 1958 storm, to date since, there has not been any storm rated above H6.
491:
with the Earth with such speed that they 'tore up the ground' and were powerful enough to split great Oak trees down the middle. Any tiles or windows on houses were easily smashed by the stones.
458:
The worst hailstorm in
British history is the 1697 Hertfordshire hailstorm. The longest tracked hailstorm ever documented in the UK was the 22 September 1935 storm which travelled from
558:
66:). This hailstorm is analysed by TORRO to have attained a H7 rating, making it joint second place for the worst hailstorm in British history.
781:
50:
Just 5 days prior to the 1697 Hertfordshire hailstorm, another destructive hailstorm had travelled over 85 km (53 mi) from
690:
776:
559:"On this day in 1697 – Worst British hailstorm on record wreaks havoc from Hitchin to Potton, killing shepherd lad at Offley"
221:
418:
382:
435:
746:
177:
725:
582:
410:
786:
671:
478:
The hailstorm tracked for at least 25 km (16 mi) over the towns of
Hitchin, Potton and
700:
661:
298:
161:
386:
358:
306:
302:
201:
181:
649:
463:
459:
362:
330:
770:
675:
390:
366:
338:
261:
144:
21:
233:
55:
29:
525:
16:
On May 15, 1697, a severe hailstorm tracked south-westwards between the towns of
630:
602:
439:
249:
225:
44:
326:
63:
704:
695:
467:
354:
140:
59:
414:
277:
257:
229:
205:
96:
92:
51:
650:"Severe thunderstorms disrupt the Diamond Jubilee on Midsummer Day 1897"
334:
310:
33:
17:
666:
479:
443:
281:
253:
25:
394:
40:
185:
70:
All hailstorms rated H6+ and above in the UK since 1650
691:"Giant hailstones brought death and chaos in 1697"
112:St. Asaph, Denbighshire to Blackburn, Lancashire
126:Hitchin, Hertfordshire to Potton, Bedfordshire
8:
631:"Research - Hail - Most intense hailstorms"
495:fatalities to livestock such as chickens.
68:
43:as having reached "H8" intensity on their
39:This particular hailstorm was assessed by
665:
603:"TORRO | Research ~ Hail ~ The H Scale"
504:
7:
624:
622:
583:"Weather in History 1650 to 1699 AD"
553:
551:
549:
547:
545:
526:"TORRO | Research ~ Hail ~ Extremes"
520:
518:
516:
514:
512:
510:
508:
751:Netweather Community Weather Forum
733:Flash Flood History of East Anglia
648:Webb, Jonathan D. C. (July 2012).
14:
726:"Flash Flood history East Anglia"
81:Hail destructivity index (H1-10)
629:TORRO, TORRO (15 January 2023).
1:
45:hailstorm destructivity scale
689:Eye, Paul Simons: Weather.
803:
747:"Thunderstorms in history"
427:165 km (103 mi)
318:225 km (140 mi)
782:Weather events in England
452:150 km (93 mi)
402:115 km (71 mi)
374:30 km (19 mi)
346:30 km (19 mi)
290:32 km (20 mi)
269:95 km (59 mi)
241:60 km (37 mi)
193:65 km (40 mi)
152:36 km (22 mi)
132:25 km (16 mi)
118:85 km (53 mi)
777:Spring weather events
284:to Ronaldsay, Orkney
71:
421:, Buckinghamshire
69:
456:
455:
432:5 September 1958
794:
761:
760:
758:
757:
743:
737:
736:
730:
724:Paris, Matthew.
721:
715:
714:
712:
711:
686:
680:
679:
669:
667:10.1002/wea.1959
645:
639:
638:
626:
617:
616:
614:
613:
607:www.torro.org.uk
599:
593:
592:
590:
589:
579:
573:
572:
570:
569:
555:
540:
539:
537:
536:
530:www.torro.org.uk
522:
299:Stow-on-the-Wold
162:Northamptonshire
72:
802:
801:
797:
796:
795:
793:
792:
791:
767:
766:
765:
764:
755:
753:
745:
744:
740:
728:
723:
722:
718:
709:
707:
688:
687:
683:
647:
646:
642:
628:
627:
620:
611:
609:
601:
600:
596:
587:
585:
581:
580:
576:
567:
565:
557:
556:
543:
534:
532:
524:
523:
506:
501:
488:
476:
387:Buckinghamshire
359:North Yorkshire
303:Gloucestershire
218:19 August 1800
202:Helford Passage
198:18 August 1797
182:Isle of Sheppey
178:Tunbridge Wells
174:19 August 1763
12:
11:
5:
800:
798:
790:
789:
784:
779:
769:
768:
763:
762:
738:
716:
681:
660:(7): 174–175.
640:
618:
594:
574:
541:
503:
502:
500:
497:
487:
484:
475:
472:
454:
453:
450:
447:
433:
429:
428:
425:
422:
408:
404:
403:
400:
397:
380:
376:
375:
372:
369:
363:Barnard Castle
352:
348:
347:
344:
341:
324:
323:3 August 1879
320:
319:
316:
313:
296:
295:9 August 1843
292:
291:
288:
285:
275:
271:
270:
267:
264:
247:
243:
242:
239:
236:
219:
215:
214:
211:
208:
199:
195:
194:
191:
188:
175:
171:
170:
167:
164:
158:
157:5 August 1761
154:
153:
150:
147:
138:
134:
133:
130:
127:
124:
120:
119:
116:
113:
110:
106:
105:
102:
99:
90:
86:
85:
82:
79:
76:
32:) in Southern
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
799:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
774:
772:
752:
748:
742:
739:
734:
727:
720:
717:
706:
702:
698:
697:
692:
685:
682:
677:
673:
668:
663:
659:
655:
651:
644:
641:
636:
632:
625:
623:
619:
608:
604:
598:
595:
584:
578:
575:
564:
560:
554:
552:
550:
548:
546:
542:
531:
527:
521:
519:
517:
515:
513:
511:
509:
505:
498:
496:
492:
485:
483:
481:
473:
471:
469:
465:
461:
451:
448:
445:
441:
437:
434:
431:
430:
426:
423:
420:
416:
412:
409:
406:
405:
401:
398:
396:
392:
391:Brightlingsea
388:
384:
381:
379:24 June 1897
378:
377:
373:
370:
368:
364:
360:
356:
353:
350:
349:
345:
342:
340:
339:Hertfordshire
336:
332:
328:
325:
322:
321:
317:
314:
312:
308:
304:
300:
297:
294:
293:
289:
286:
283:
279:
276:
274:24 July 1818
273:
272:
268:
265:
263:
262:Monmouthshire
259:
255:
251:
248:
246:15 July 1808
245:
244:
240:
237:
235:
231:
227:
223:
222:Upper Heyford
220:
217:
216:
212:
209:
207:
203:
200:
197:
196:
192:
189:
187:
183:
179:
176:
173:
172:
168:
165:
163:
159:
156:
155:
151:
148:
146:
145:Staffordshire
142:
139:
137:14 July 1719
136:
135:
131:
128:
125:
122:
121:
117:
114:
111:
108:
107:
103:
100:
98:
94:
91:
89:30 June 1687
88:
87:
83:
80:
77:
74:
73:
67:
65:
61:
57:
53:
48:
46:
42:
37:
35:
31:
27:
23:
22:Hertfordshire
19:
754:. Retrieved
750:
741:
732:
719:
708:. Retrieved
694:
684:
657:
653:
643:
635:TORRO.org.uk
634:
610:. Retrieved
606:
597:
586:. Retrieved
577:
566:. Retrieved
562:
533:. Retrieved
529:
493:
489:
477:
474:Measurements
457:
436:W. Wittering
407:4 July 1915
351:8 July 1893
234:Bedfordshire
123:15 May 1697
109:10 May 1697
84:Path length
56:Denbighshire
49:
38:
30:Bedfordshire
15:
440:West Sussex
250:Poyntington
226:Oxfordshire
787:Hailstorms
771:Categories
756:2023-01-15
710:2023-01-15
612:2023-01-15
588:2023-01-15
568:2023-01-15
535:2023-01-15
499:References
411:Highbridge
367:Co. Durham
327:Teddington
160:Benfield,
64:Lancashire
705:0140-0460
696:The Times
676:120650963
563:The Comet
468:Mundesley
355:Baldersby
169:Unknown.
141:Seighford
104:Unknown.
78:Location
60:Blackburn
52:St. Asaph
446:, Essex
415:Somerset
278:Stronsay
258:Monmouth
230:Clophill
213:Unknown
206:Cornwall
97:Cheshire
93:Alvanley
654:Weather
486:Damages
460:Newport
419:Winslow
335:Watford
311:Norfolk
34:England
18:Hitchin
703:
674:
480:Offley
444:Maldon
383:Slough
331:London
307:Horsey
282:Orkney
254:Dorset
26:Potton
24:) and
729:(PDF)
672:S2CID
464:Gwent
449:H6-7
424:H6-7
395:Essex
371:H6-7
343:H6-7
266:H6-7
75:Date
58:) to
41:TORRO
735:: 3.
701:ISSN
210:H6+
186:Kent
166:H6+
149:H6+
101:H6+
662:doi
466:to
442:to
417:to
399:H7
389:to
361:to
333:to
315:H7
305:to
287:H7
256:to
238:H7
228:to
190:H7
180:to
129:H8
115:H7
773::
749:.
731:.
699:.
693:.
670:.
658:67
656:.
652:.
633:.
621:^
605:.
561:.
544:^
528:.
507:^
462:,
438:,
413:,
393:,
385:,
365:,
357:,
337:,
329:,
309:,
301:,
280:,
260:,
252:,
232:,
224:,
204:,
184:,
143:,
95:,
759:.
713:.
678:.
664::
637:.
615:.
591:.
571:.
538:.
62:(
54:(
28:(
20:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.