Knowledge (XXG)

1987 United Kingdom and Ireland cold wave

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Western Europe and picked up further moisture from the North Sea which produced the heavy snowfall. This caused serious disruption of transport in the area including the cancellation of many train services and the closure of many roads and railway lines. Motoring organisations had to deal with more than 4000 car breakdowns and 500 schools were forced to close. The extreme cold even affected the chiming hammer of
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12 centimetres (4.7 in) of snow was reported, and is the highest depth of snow since snow observations began at Roches Point since 1961. As well as the snow record, the temperature dropped down to −7.2 °C (19.0 °F) on 13 January, and is the coldest temperature recorded at Roches Point
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The cold spell lasted from the 7th to the 20th, and was probably the most intense of the twentieth century. Temperatures stayed well below freezing on many days. On the 12th, maximum temperatures were between −6 °C (21 °F) and −8 °C (18 °F) over much of England, with −9.1 °C
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In Ireland, the amount of snowfall was far less pronounced, but had a similar weather pattern to the United Kingdom. The amount of snowfall was greater in areas further inland than coastal areas. Around 12 centimetres (4.7 in) of snow was recorded in the Irish Midlands and the East of Ireland,
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This was due to a high pressure system over Siberia that moved into Scandinavia which in turn dragged a strong easterly airflow and brought very cold temperatures across Europe and the United Kingdom. A low pressure system over Italy caused the airflow to drag the very cold air from Siberia to
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also had heavy falls. Several towns were cut off due to the heavy snowfall including the Isle of Sheppey which needed airlifts during the height of the storm.
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since record observations began in 1867. It's also likely that this figure marks the coldest temperature during the cold wave.
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During the cold wave, more than 50 centimetres (20 in) of snow fell in parts of Kent, Essex, London and Surrey, and the
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between 11 and 14 January and was the heaviest snowfall to fall in that part of the United Kingdom since the
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was also affected by the cold wave, reporting more than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in some areas.
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with some places recording snowfall as high as 19 centimetres (7.5 in) in the east.
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reported more than 75 centimetres (30 in). Parts of West
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event that affected the United Kingdom, mainly the areas of
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Over 50 centimetres (20 in) of snow fell in 105: 81: 61: 53: 259:"Top ten coldest recorded temperatures in the UK" 414:"Snow Britain: Wrong kind of snow strikes again" 450:"Record Cold Spell of 1987: How It All Started" 85:−23.3 °C (−9.9 °F) (13 January 1987, 253: 251: 510: 8: 21: 517: 503: 495: 463:"BBC1 Hourly News Summary 13 January 1987" 27: 20: 1620:January 1987 events in the United Kingdom 22:1987 United Kingdom and Ireland cold wave 433:"Thames News: Big Freeze, January 1987" 247: 473:from the original on 15 December 2021. 443:from the original on 15 December 2021. 286: 284: 282: 7: 197:(15.6 °F) the daily maximum at 236:Winter of 1990–91 in Western Europe 16:Weather event in the UK and Ireland 14: 1615:Winter weather events in Ireland 1610:Cold waves in the United Kingdom 412:Eden, Philip (2 February 2009). 461:Baldwin, David (1 April 2008). 448:Woodcock, Andy (January 2003). 389:"Rainham Kent Snow Photos 1987" 295:. Continuum. pp. 313–314. 293:Great British Weather Disasters 555:United Kingdom weather records 1: 550:Drought in the United Kingdom 538:Climate of the United Kingdom 961:North Sea and Irish Sea 2013 431:ludensian (28 March 2008). 1641: 1625:1980s disasters in Ireland 979:Widecombe-in-the-Moor 1638 806:Holmfirth 1738, 1777, 1944 323:. May 2006. 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Index


Sheerness
Caldecott, Rutland
snowfall
lake-effect type snow
East Anglia
South-East England
London
winter of 1981/82
South East England
Ireland

AA
North Downs
Cornwall
Big Ben
Southend-on-Sea
Warlingham
Caldecott, Rutland
East Midlands
Roches Point
Winter of 1990–91 in Western Europe


"Top ten coldest recorded temperatures in the UK"
Met Office



ISBN

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