1983 British Isles heat wave
The 1983 Great Britain and Ireland heat wave was a severe weather event that affected the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and was once the warmest July on record for the United Kingdom, until it was beaten by the summer of 2006[1]. Both United Kingdom and Ireland have also experienced low rainfall throughout the month of July[2].
Great Britain[edit]
In Great Britain, the heat wave of 1983 was once the warmest July on record until the European heat wave of 2006. The CET Central England Station recorded a daily mean temperature of 19.5 °C (67.1 °F) for the month of July[3], and a daily mean temperature of 17.07 °C (62.73 °F) for the entire summer of 1983[4]. Before the heat wave formed, many locations in the English Midlands, East and South East England received less than their average rainfall for the month of June, with only 12 millimetres (0.47 in) of rainfall recorded at London Heathrow in June 1983[5].
London Heathrow and other locations around Great Britain recorded over five consecutive days with temperatures over 30 °C (86 °F), making it an official heatwave in the United Kingdom[6]. Many locations in Wales, Scotland, South West and Northern England received less than 50% of their average rainfall, with some places even receiving less than 20%[7].
| Station | County / UA | July 1983 rainfall amount[8] |
|---|---|---|
| Braemar | Aberdeenshire | 34.4 millimetres (1.35 in) |
| Cardiff | Cardiff | 18.0 millimetres (0.71 in) |
| Chivenor | Devon | 18.4 millimetres (0.72 in) |
| Eskdalemuir | Dumfries and Galloway | 37.4 millimetres (1.47 in) |
| Leuchars | Fife | 13.4 millimetres (0.53 in) |
| Lowestoft | Suffolk | 15.5 millimetres (0.61 in) |
| Nairn | Highland | 09.1 millimetres (0.36 in) |
| Newton Rigg | Cumbria | 31.0 millimetres (1.22 in) |
| Paisley | Renfrewshire | 28.0 millimetres (1.10 in) |
| Sutton Bonington | Nottinghamshire | 28.6 millimetres (1.13 in) |
| Valley | Anglesey | 09.3 millimetres (0.37 in) |
After the heat wave in July, much of the country received less than 50% of it's average rainfall, with places including parts of the East Midlands, East of England and North East Scotland receiving less than 20% of it's average rainfall. For the month of August, the weather station at Sutton Bonington recorded only 11.5 millimetres (0.45 in) of rainfall[9], the National Institute of Agricultural Botany in Cambridge recorded only 10.5 millimetres (0.41 in) of rain[10], Lowestoft received 10.9 millimetres (0.43 in)[11] and Braemar received 22.5 millimetres (0.89 in) of rainfall[12]. After August, Great Britain saw average rainfall in September[13].
Ireland[edit]
During the heat wave of 1983, the a temperature of 30.8 °C (87.4 °F) was recorded at Shaw's Bridge in Belfast on 12 July, marking the current highest recorded temperature Belfast, and in Northern Ireland[14]. Other temperatures recorded in Belfast during July include 29.7 °C (85.5 °F) at Stormont Castle[15] and 28.6 °C (83.5 °F) at Belfast International Airport[16]. Armagh has obtained a temperature of 30.0 °C (86.0 °F) recorded on 13 July[17], and has also only received 15.1 millimetres (0.59 in) of rain, which is less than 30% of Armagh's average rainfall in July[18].
Many weather stations in Ireland have their current highest July temperature obtained during the heat wave, with some stations recording a temperature over 30 °C (86 °F). The highest temperature likely to be recorded in the Republic of Ireland during the heat wave is 31.4 °C (88.5 °F), recorded on July 13 and 14 at Kilkenny.
Impacts[edit]
In the Republic of Ireland, record breaking temperatures and excessive use of water led to water shortages and hosepipe bans across the nation. The message to civilians by local authorities in the Republic is to "enjoy the water, but don't waste it"[19]. The hot weather in the Republic of Ireland lead to 115 casualties in rural areas, many who are the young and elderly[20].
Crown Dependencies[edit]
In the Isle of Man, the heat wave was also less pronounced than Great Britain, but the highest temperature on the island was recorded during the heatwave, recording 28.9 °C (84.0 °F) at Ronaldsway in July. The Channel Islands were also less pronounced than the rest of Great Britain, with the temperature reaching 30.3 °C (86.5 °F) at Guernsey Airport and 29.8 °C (85.6 °F) at Jersey Airport[21].
References[edit]
- ↑ "Heat wave history in graphics". Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ↑ "Climate Anomalies". Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ↑ [1] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [2] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [3] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [4] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [5] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [6] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [7] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [8] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [9] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [10] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ "Climate Anomalies". Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ↑ [11] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [12] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [13] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [14] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [15] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [16] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ [17] Retrieved 12 Apr 2018
- ↑ "Climate Anomalies". Retrieved 12 April 2018.
Weather events in Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Coldwaves |  | |
| Floods |
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| Heat waves | ||
| Windstorms | ||
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