Weather

This section contains a selection of facts and figures about the New Forest's weather in the past and a link to the BBC and Met weather sites for up-to-date information.

www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweather/south/

www.metoffice.gov.uk

Year	Location	Event	Source
1749 - 1757	Beaulieu Estuary	Tidal Surge Numerous tidal surges recorded in the Beaulieu Estuary - 30 November 1750 was the highest remembered at that location.	National Oceanography Centre, Southampton University
1786	New Forest	Storm Many trees in the New Forest 'torn up by their roots' during two days of storms.	National Oceanography Centre, Southampton University
1787	New Forest	"The Hard Winter" Three hundred deer found dead in Bolderwood Walk	The Records of Burley by Felicity Hardcastle (revised 1987)
1821 (20 December)	Keyhaven	Hurricane	National Oceanography Centre, Southampton University
1824 (night of 22 & 23 November	Hurst Castle Spit	Hurricane and storm Spit driven back 40 metres. Floods in some areas of more than two metres above high tide.	National Oceanography Centre, Southampton University
1859 (October)	New Forest	Tornado An account of the storm by William Beach who saw more than one dead man, a haystack carried into the air and a family cowered in a ditch all night for fear their house would collapse. Seven hundred of the largest trees uprooted and damage to numerous others.	The New Forest Book - an illustrated Anthology of the New Forest by James O'Donald Mays 1989
1881	New Forest/Burley	Storm Road from Ringwood impassable. Burley ran short of bread due to a lack of flour. Buried sheep at Bisterne Close were discovered by jets of steam coming up through holes in the snow where each animal lay.	The Records of Burley by Felicity Hardcastle (revised 1987)
1886 (December)	New Forest	Heavy rain then... Large areas of Lymington submerged, drowned donkeys, pigs and fowl seen floating. Flood attributed to land water from the New Forest, reported that this had not been known before. Heavy snow Many New Forest people marooned in their homes because of the snow.	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1890 (December 10 - 18)	Burley	Frost The degrees of frost registered at Burley Manor between the 10-18 December were 1,9,14,15,19,11,10,11	The Records of Burley by Felicity Hardcastle (revised 1987)
1891 (February/March)	Burley	Hard winter Fifty-five days of hard winter weather. Heavy snow storms with a great snow storm of the 9 March where one of the famous twelve 'Apostles' trees was blown down.	The Records of Burley by Felicity Hardcastle (revised 1987)
1928 (25 December - 1January)	New Forest	Great blizzard followed by the great thaw One of the worst snow storms of the century. Drifts of 12 to 15 feet high were reported with cars buried, villages isolated, railway lines disappeared. Following the snow an 'enormous volume of water' exited via the Lymington River, isolating many communities including Brockenhurst and Beaulieu.	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1937 (March and December)	Hampshire and New Forest	Two great snowstorms in one year Weight of snow brought down branches and lines, and put thousands of telephones out of order. December - repeat performance when snow brought down scores of telegraph poles and lines in the New Forest.	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1949	New Forest	12 July was particularly hot and the young Princess Elizabeth offically handed over Avon Tyrrell House to the National Association of Girls' Clubs	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1953	Solent coastline	Storms, heavy seas, ferocious winds Landslips reported along the New Forest coastline of the Solent	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1962/1963 (December - March)	New Forest	Heavy snowfall Coldest Christmas since 1897. Snow started falling on Boxing Day 1962. Huge drifts. The New Forest Association and RSPCA carried out a remarkable feeding operation when the snow persisted and the New Forest ponies were in danger through lack of food. Seven feeding points were set up with reports of 100 ponies attending each station. Approximately 28 tons of hay distributed over the period. The snows did not thaw until March..	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1973	New Forest	Driest year of the century triggering storms and lightning strikes During this year only 18.6 inches (474mm) of rain were recorded which is only 65% of the yearly average. Some campsites in the New Forest were abandoned because of lightning	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1974	New Forest	Wet year A total of 43.9 inches (1122mm) of rain recorded at Lyndhurst	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1976 (June - September)	New Forest	Blazing summer For 14 consecutive days in June, temperature topped 90F (32C). Rivers dried up and heath fires started. The New Forest was in a dangerous condition. It was calculated that more than 8,000 mature beeches and sycamores died due to lack of water. the A31 across the forest was closed. 26 August alone reported 280 fire calls in the New Forest and firemen collapsed from exhaustion. The effect on wildlife was devastating.	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1978 (February)		One of the most severe blizzards of the century Up to 10 inches of snow fell, which was blown into enormous drifts. Snow plough cut its way to the avon Tyrrell training centre to 'rescue' 60 children trapped without electricity.	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1987 (October)	New Forest	Storm Early hours of morning, south-west winds increased to 45 mph. Gusting and turbulence of air-flow at ground level funnelled by natural features responsible for most damage. Greatest effect at Holmsley, Wilverley, Rhinefield, Pound Hill, Hurst Hill and Highland Water Inclosures. Most of oak and beech in leaf and sodden ground added to the trees vulnerability. At least 15,000 trees and possibly as many as 20,000 were blown down in the forest.	The New Forest Book - an illustrated Anthology of the New Forest by James O'Donald Mays 1989
1989 (16/17 December)	Hurst Spit	Summer of 1989 Hampshire and the New Forest became tinder dry. Fire brigade enrolled the help of the army to cope with many heathland fires. Storm South-westerly storms combined with a surge in excess of one metre flattened an 800m length of Hurst Spit. The Spit was rolled back up to 80m and 50,000 tons of shingle was pushed into Mount Lake or lost offshore.	The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Weather Book by Mark Davidson, Ian Currie, Bob Ogley
1990 (25 January)	New Forest	Hurricane, then following storms During the hurricane the Forestry Commission's preliminary estimates of loss of trees amounted to over 30,000 cubic metres of timber (compared with 25,000 cubic metres in 1987) Mostly broadleaved and conifers(75% in total). Hot summer Many heathland fires in the New Forest, the army assisted the fire service.	Hampshire County Council

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