The 1808 United Kingdom heat wave was a period of exceptionally high temperatures during July 1808. In the

Central England Temperature The Central England Temperature (CET) record is a meteorological dataset originally published by Professor Gordon Manley in 1953 and subsequently extended and updated in 1974, following many decades of painstaking work. The monthly mean surface a ...

series, dating back to 1659, at the time it was the 2nd hottest July on record, the hottest since 1783. As of 2022, it is the 9th hottest July on record. The month included some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in the UK. Temperature records from this time are likely dubious as the

Stevenson screen A Stevenson screen or instrument shelter is a shelter or an enclosure to meteorological instruments against precipitation and direct heat radiation from outside sources, while still allowing air to circulate freely around them. It forms part of ...

was not introduced until the 1860s.

Weather

July 1808 was the second hottest July on record, at the time with an extreme notable heatwave from the 12th to 15 July, peaking on the 13th and 14th. Temperatures above were recorded in many areas on the 13th and 14th, with

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

reaching on the 13th, with a possible reading of . * Reports from Weather Stations around the United Kingdom When the heatwave was coming to a close on the 15th, there were some very severe thunderstorms. These most severe of the storms affected

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

. However, a swath was also damaged between Bath and Bristol. Reports of hail stones up to long were recorded in

, with hailstones of a more general being reported as well.

Ball Lightning Ball lightning is a rare and unexplained phenomenon described as luminescent, spherical objects that vary from pea-sized to several meters in diameter. Though usually associated with thunderstorms, the observed phenomenon is reported to last ...

was also observed in

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

, and was noted as destroying one of the pinnacles at the west end of Gloucester Cathedral. It is thought that this is one of the most severe hailstorms in the history of the United Kingdom, along with that of 1697.

Impacts

As a result of the hot temperatures and following thunderstorms, many people lost their lives, especially in the counties of

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

, Buckinghamshire and Northampton. Animals were also badly affected as a result of the hot weather, with 50 post horses dying as a result on the Great North Road alone. Farmers also struggled. Despite being able to harvest their crops early, other products melted quickly such as butter and honeycomb.

References

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

- Simons, P
Killer heatwave that brutalised Britain
(13 July 2018) * Clark, C
The heatwave over England and the great hailstorm in Somerset, July 1808
(29 December 2006)

External links

{{Heat waves in the United Kingdom Heat waves in the United Kingdom 1808 in the United Kingdom 1808 disasters in the United Kingdom