THE FORGOTTEN WINTER? THE BIG FREEZE OF 1987.
Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2014 2:14 pm
A short discussion on a largely forgotten winter?
The winter of 1987 or to be more precise the first 3 weeks of January of that year.
Although it was short and sharp the cold snap of that month did more damage to the exotic plants along the south coast and the Isles of Scilly then any other winter since 1962/1963.
Even more damage was done to the exotics in south west Europe right down as far south as Biarittz where all the CIDPs and many other palms including Cordylines were either defoliated or killed outright.
Cities like Pau recorded night temperatures down to as low as -17c and even Bordeaux recorded -15c.
In Paris -12c was a common night low and some places in north east France recorded below -20c.
The Netherlands were badly hit as well with extreme lows recorded there.
Here in Southampton I recorded -11c in my side entrance on 2 nights and that record has not been broken since I set up a thermometer there.
The most noticable feature of that winter was the incredible strength of the north easterly wind which exceeded force 8 for 4 days in Southampton and along the south coast of the UK.
The coldest day maxima ever recorded in the City center was on the 12th of January when the temperature didn't rise above -7c all day and fell to around -11c during the night.
As the wind was so violent the temperature in the City center was exactly the same as my side entrance.
All my cordylines were cut to the ground and my 30 foot mimosa tree was blown over plus my greenhouse was totally destroyed by the relentless gale force winds.
Many trees were lost or destroyed on Tresco and the Ventnor botanical gardens lost most of its exotics as well.
On the Continent the famous Agave collection in the City of Pau were wiped out and all the CIDPs were destroyed or turned to mush.
As for snow we didn't get much in Southampton but Kent had a classical fall of about 18 inches in places and Tresco had 5 inches.
Below is a list of the temperatures I recorded in my side entrance for that cold spell.
Bear in mind that the cold snap started a week earlier in Europe and carried on for another week after it finished in the South of England.
Southampton temperatures for the winter of 1987.
Jan 8.1.87 max +4c - min-4c.
Jan 9.1.87 max+5c - min-4c.
Jan 10.1.87 max-4c - min10c.
Jan 11.1.87 max -7c - min -11c.
Jan 12.1.87 max-5c min 8c.
Jan 13.1.87 max -5c min-9c
Jan 14.1.87 max-5c min-10c.
Jan 15.1.87 max -1c min-7c.
Jan 16.1.87 max +1c min-3c.
Jan 17.1.87 max+1c min-3c.
Jan 18.1.87 max 0c min-2c.
Jan 19.1.87 max +1c min-2c.
Cold spell finished on Jan 21st in Southampton as temperatures climbed climbed back into double figures.
Other forum members in the UK and on the Continent should check the temperature readings for their areas as well because a spell of weather like this can happen in any future winter to come and for Southampton these figures haven,t been beaten since even during the winter of 1962/63.
billdango
The winter of 1987 or to be more precise the first 3 weeks of January of that year.
Although it was short and sharp the cold snap of that month did more damage to the exotic plants along the south coast and the Isles of Scilly then any other winter since 1962/1963.
Even more damage was done to the exotics in south west Europe right down as far south as Biarittz where all the CIDPs and many other palms including Cordylines were either defoliated or killed outright.
Cities like Pau recorded night temperatures down to as low as -17c and even Bordeaux recorded -15c.
In Paris -12c was a common night low and some places in north east France recorded below -20c.
The Netherlands were badly hit as well with extreme lows recorded there.
Here in Southampton I recorded -11c in my side entrance on 2 nights and that record has not been broken since I set up a thermometer there.
The most noticable feature of that winter was the incredible strength of the north easterly wind which exceeded force 8 for 4 days in Southampton and along the south coast of the UK.
The coldest day maxima ever recorded in the City center was on the 12th of January when the temperature didn't rise above -7c all day and fell to around -11c during the night.
As the wind was so violent the temperature in the City center was exactly the same as my side entrance.
All my cordylines were cut to the ground and my 30 foot mimosa tree was blown over plus my greenhouse was totally destroyed by the relentless gale force winds.
Many trees were lost or destroyed on Tresco and the Ventnor botanical gardens lost most of its exotics as well.
On the Continent the famous Agave collection in the City of Pau were wiped out and all the CIDPs were destroyed or turned to mush.
As for snow we didn't get much in Southampton but Kent had a classical fall of about 18 inches in places and Tresco had 5 inches.
Below is a list of the temperatures I recorded in my side entrance for that cold spell.
Bear in mind that the cold snap started a week earlier in Europe and carried on for another week after it finished in the South of England.
Southampton temperatures for the winter of 1987.
Jan 8.1.87 max +4c - min-4c.
Jan 9.1.87 max+5c - min-4c.
Jan 10.1.87 max-4c - min10c.
Jan 11.1.87 max -7c - min -11c.
Jan 12.1.87 max-5c min 8c.
Jan 13.1.87 max -5c min-9c
Jan 14.1.87 max-5c min-10c.
Jan 15.1.87 max -1c min-7c.
Jan 16.1.87 max +1c min-3c.
Jan 17.1.87 max+1c min-3c.
Jan 18.1.87 max 0c min-2c.
Jan 19.1.87 max +1c min-2c.
Cold spell finished on Jan 21st in Southampton as temperatures climbed climbed back into double figures.
Other forum members in the UK and on the Continent should check the temperature readings for their areas as well because a spell of weather like this can happen in any future winter to come and for Southampton these figures haven,t been beaten since even during the winter of 1962/63.
billdango