Burns' Day storm
Encyclopedia
The Burns' Day Storm occurred on 25–26 January, 1990, over north-western Europe
, and is one of the strongest storms on record. This storm has received different names as there is no official list of such events in Europe. It is also known as Daria. Starting on the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns, it caused widespread damage and hurricane-force wind
s over a wide area. The storm was responsible for 97 deaths (according to the Met Office
), although figures have ranged from 89 to over 100.
over the Northern Atlantic Ocean
on 23 January. By the 24th, it had a minimum central pressure
of 992 mbar. It made landfall on the morning of the 25th over Ireland
, where 17 died, including 8 on a bus which was struck by a falling tree. It then tracked over to Ayrshire
in Scotland
. The lowest pressure of 949 mbar (in line with a strong Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
) was recorded near Edinburgh
around 16:00. After hitting the United Kingdom, the storm tracked rapidly east towards Denmark
, causing major damage and 30 deaths in the Netherlands
and Belgium
.
The strongest sustained winds recorded were between 70 and 75 mph (110–120 km/h), comparable to a weak Category 1 hurricane. Strong gusts of up to 104 mph (170 km/h; strong Category 2) were reported, and it was these which caused the most extensive damage.
, because the storm hit during the daytime. The storm caused extensive damage, with approximately 3 million tree
s downed, power
disrupted to over 500,000 homes and severe flooding in England
and West Germany
. The storm cost insurers in the UK £3.37 bn, the UK's most expensive weather event to insurers.
Most of the deaths were caused by collapsing buildings or falling debris. In one case in Sussex
, a class of children was evacuated just minutes before the whole building came down. The 'Allo 'Allo!
actor Gorden Kaye
received severe head injuries when part of a billboard
blew through the windscreen of the car he was driving, delaying both the 1990 tour of Australia (in which he and the cast of the show were to perform) and also the start of the show's 7th series. He made a slow recovery before returning to work less than 6 months later, and has had a visible dent in his forehead ever since.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and is one of the strongest storms on record. This storm has received different names as there is no official list of such events in Europe. It is also known as Daria. Starting on the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns, it caused widespread damage and hurricane-force wind
Wind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
s over a wide area. The storm was responsible for 97 deaths (according to the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
), although figures have ranged from 89 to over 100.
Meteorological evolution
The storm began as a cold frontCold front
A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing a warmer mass of air.-Development of cold front:The cooler and denser air wedges under the less-dense warmer air, lifting it...
over the Northern Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
on 23 January. By the 24th, it had a minimum central pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
of 992 mbar. It made landfall on the morning of the 25th over Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where 17 died, including 8 on a bus which was struck by a falling tree. It then tracked over to Ayrshire
Ayrshire
Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The lowest pressure of 949 mbar (in line with a strong Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale , or the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale , classifies hurricanes — Western Hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms — into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds...
) was recorded near Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
around 16:00. After hitting the United Kingdom, the storm tracked rapidly east towards Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, causing major damage and 30 deaths in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
The strongest sustained winds recorded were between 70 and 75 mph (110–120 km/h), comparable to a weak Category 1 hurricane. Strong gusts of up to 104 mph (170 km/h; strong Category 2) were reported, and it was these which caused the most extensive damage.
Impacts
Casualties were much higher than those of the Great Storm of 1987Great Storm of 1987
The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15/16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of southern England and northern France...
, because the storm hit during the daytime. The storm caused extensive damage, with approximately 3 million tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s downed, power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
disrupted to over 500,000 homes and severe flooding in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. The storm cost insurers in the UK £3.37 bn, the UK's most expensive weather event to insurers.
Most of the deaths were caused by collapsing buildings or falling debris. In one case in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, a class of children was evacuated just minutes before the whole building came down. The 'Allo 'Allo!
'Allo 'Allo!
'Allo 'Allo! is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC One from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes. It is a parody of another BBC programme, the wartime drama Secret Army, and was created by David Croft, who also wrote the theme music, and Jeremy Lloyd. Lloyd and Croft wrote the first 6...
actor Gorden Kaye
Gorden Kaye
Gorden Kaye is a BAFTA-nominated English comic actor, best known for playing René Artois in the British TV comedy Allo 'Allo!.-Early life:...
received severe head injuries when part of a billboard
Billboard (advertising)
A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure , typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers...
blew through the windscreen of the car he was driving, delaying both the 1990 tour of Australia (in which he and the cast of the show were to perform) and also the start of the show's 7th series. He made a slow recovery before returning to work less than 6 months later, and has had a visible dent in his forehead ever since.
See also
- List of natural disasters in the United Kingdom
- Great Storm of 1703Great Storm of 1703The Great Storm of 1703 was the most severe storm or natural disaster ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain. It affected southern England and the English Channel in the Kingdom of Great Britain...
- Great Storm of 1987Great Storm of 1987The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15/16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of southern England and northern France...
- Kyrill
- European windstormEuropean windstormA European windstorm is a severe cyclonic windstorm associated with areas of low atmospheric pressure that track across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe. They are most common in the winter months...
- European windstorm names