What year was the big freeze in Britain?

Imagine a time when snow was lying on the ground for more than 60 days and the temperature barely climbed above freezing for three whole months. That was the winter of 1962/63 - the coldest on record in East Anglia. It was dubbed the Big Freeze as the region stayed sub-zero for week after week.

How long did the freeze of 1963 last?

Last week's deep freeze was mercifully short-lived. It had brought back memories of 1962-63, when snow remained from Boxing Day until mid-March.

How cold was the big freeze UK?

The Big Freeze of 1962-1963

Temperatures dropped as low as -21°C, causing widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. Transport networks were crippled, with roads impassable and many railway lines unable to function. The severe weather conditions also led to powercuts and disruptions to essential services.

What caused the Big Freeze 1963?

The winter of 1963 - the coldest for more than 200 years

The weeks before had been changeable and stormy, but then on 22 December a high pressure system moved to the north-east of the British Isles, dragging bitterly cold winds across the country. This situation was to last much of the winter.

When was the worst winter in the UK?

The winter of 1962–1963 remains the coldest since at least 1895 in all meteorological districts of the United Kingdom, although in Scotland North the winter of 2009–2010 was equally cold.

The Big Freeze of 1963

Was 1976 a bad winter UK?

The summer and autumn of 1975 were very dry, and the winter of 1975–76 was exceptionally dry, as was the spring of 1976; indeed, some months during this period had no rain at all in some areas. The drought was at its most severe in August 1976 and in response Parliament passed the Drought Act 1976 to ration water.

What is the coldest day ever recorded in Britain?

What is the coldest day on record in the UK? Unsurprisingly, the lowest temperature ever recorded in the UK was in Scotland, with -27.2C recorded twice. The freeze was coldest in Braemar on January 10, 1982 and then Altnaharra matched it on December 30, 1995. In England Shawbury reached -25C in 1981.

Has it ever snowed in July in the UK?

11-12 July 1888, snow was reported to have fallen over the Isle of Wight, Kent, East Midlands, East Yorkshire, Isle of Man, and the south Midlands. The snow may have been mistaken for soft hail in parts of southern England. 16 June 1889, snow occurred across the high ground of N England and Scotland.

Has it ever snowed in June in the UK?

Snow in June is incredibly rare in the Midlands. But ten years later Mother Nature defied the odds again. On June 7, 1985, a sleet shower fell on Birmingham Airport. There were a few flurries in June 2009 as well – but nothing like the scenes 40 years back.

Is the UK going to have a cold winter 2023?

It could turn cold at times with the more blocked weather too, though confidence is low on how cold and where may be coldest and see risk of wintry weather. Increased chance that February will be drier than average.

What was the winter of 1976 like in the UK?

1976-77: Heavy wet snow fell in early December, mid December, and mid January. Mid January also saw some good coverings though, up to 6 inches lying at times. 1977-78: Mid January, 6 foot drifts! A week later, and 4 inches fell.

When was the last time it snowed on Christmas Day UK?

The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was in 2010.

Has the UK ever had a blizzard?

The Blizzard of January 1881 (17–20 January 1881) was one of the most severe blizzards ever to hit the southern parts of the United Kingdom.

When did the Big Freeze of 1963 start and end?

The frigid conditions began on Boxing Day of 1962 and persisted until March the next year. So why did we choose today specifically to mark the occasion? On February 25, 1963 temperatures dropped to -21 degrees Celsius, a record low at the time.

Could the winter of 1963 happen again?

Dr Burt concluded that it is not likely that this kind of weather event could happen again “but whether it is in five years or five hundred years, it is not out of the question that we could end up with another winter as cold as the one in 1963”.

What is the coldest winter ever recorded?

The lowest natural temperature ever directly recorded at ground level on Earth is −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F; 184.0 K) at the then-Soviet Vostok Station in Antarctica on 21 July 1983 by ground measurements.

What is the warmest place in Britain?

Bournemouth is the warmest place to live in the UK, a recent study has shown, although it is closely followed by Brighton and Plymouth.

Has it ever snowed in October UK?

1934 Mild and dull, but turning cold at the end of the month. Snow is rare in October, but there were snow showers in the Midlands on the 31st. 5 cms at Belvoir Castle in Leics., and a light covering in parts of the Chilterns. This is the last time there was snow lying in southern England in October.

What was the warmest Christmas Day in the UK?

When was the warmest Christmas day? The warmest temperature recorded on Christmas day in the UK is 15.6 °C recorded in Killerton, Devon in 1920.

Why was there no summer in 1816?

The climatic aberrations of 1816 had their greatest effect on New England, Atlantic Canada, and Western Europe. The main cause of the Year Without a Summer is generally held to be a volcanic winter created by the April 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora on Sumbawa.

Has it ever snowed on Christmas in England?

Snowflakes have fallen on Christmas Day in the UK 39 times in the last 53 years, according to the Met's records. By the above standards, the last white Christmas was technically 2021, when 6% of the country's stations recorded snowfall. However, less than 1% reported snow on the ground.

What are the chances of a white Christmas in UK?

According to betting.com, the chances of a white Christmas somewhere in the UK are 7/4, with London being an outside bet at 9/1. The latest odds were given on December 14. White Christmases were more frequent in the 18th and 19th centuries.

How cold was UK in Ice Age?

Period of ending of the last great Ice Age.

As regards conditions over southern Britain, by ~11500 BC, it is estimated that mean winter-time temperatures were between 0 and 4degC ( perhaps a little lower than today's values) & high-summer values between 12 and 16degC, again a little lower or similar to current figures.

What is coldest month in UK?

Winter is the coldest month in the UK, running roughly from December to February (although November can often suffer very wintry conditions too). Temperatures often get as low as freezing point (0^oC), though not too much colder usually.