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Home > Weather in History 751 to 999AD
Date T R S  Description  Ref:
 
 759/760
(Winter)
 A cold winter. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb) [ Some accounts have this as 761 .. usual dating problems ].  1
 763/64
(Winter
& later)
 The winter is noted as being 'severe' .. and was followed by a " long and terrible drought " .. in the spring/summer of 764: suggests abnormally persistent blocking / high pressure situation (at least, 'abnormal' in length of persistence in the same 'phase'), with the primary jet perhaps shunted well to the south. Some sources note 'great snow', with an 'intense' frost. In 'London Weather' entry, .... "one of the severest winters known in history". (Probably affected large areas of continental Europe, again suggesting a 'Scandinavian High' situation.)  1, 8
 ~770 - ~800 A period of higher frequency of cold winters (note: not necessarily every winter). This leads to the suggestion of blocking of the main Atlantic, westerly flow by often slow-moving, intense anticyclones, or an increased frequency of east or northeast flow with higher pressure to the north of these islands. This would tie in to a certain extent with the idea that Scandinavian exploration / raids were assisted by lack of 'westerly-storminess'.  1
 798
(Winter)
 Ireland: snow - men & animals died.  LWH
 ~800
(December)
 December 24th (original recorded as the 'Eve of Christmas', so presumably we must regard this as an 'Old Style' dating. Also, the exact year is subject to the same uncertainty as other events so long ago): gale: Great SW or W wind. Cities destroyed (!); Lamb has this comment in ref. 23: " The first recorded one of a series of storm floods .. which reduced the size of the island of Heligoland by more than half by the year 1300."  LWH, 23
 804
(March)
 March 17th: Ireland - Tornado(?): thunder, wind & lightning. '1010 men killed'. [ I wouldn't normally detail all 'tornado' events, but the death-toll warrants mention, and I do wonder given that over a thousand died, whether this was in fact a 'storm' event due to a major depression rather than a small-scale tornadic event.]  LWH
 817/818
(Winter)
 December 25th (assumed 817, presumably logged as 'Christmas Day'): Ireland - snow: many rivers & lakes frozen to February 22nd. [ Although only tied to Ireland, given the severity & length of the event, Britain must also have been affected. ]
[ The following from research work on Irish texts (and coupling same to major volcanic eruptions affecting the stratosphere) . . . " There was abnormal ice and much snow from the Epiphany to Shrovetide. The Boyne and other rivers were crossed dry-footed; lakes likewise. Herds and hunting-parties were on Loch Neagh, (and) wild deer were hunted. The materials for an oratory were afterwards brought by a large company from the lands of Connacht over Upper and Lower Loch Erne into [Leinster]; and other unusual things were done in the frost and hail. Epiphany is 6 January, Julian Calendar or 10 January, Gregorian Calendar. Shrovetide is a moveable feast relative to the date of Easter, occurring in later January this year. Loch Neagh and Upper and Lower Loch Erne are large Irish lakes. Source: Annals of Ulster, 818 CE.
Source: http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article ]
 LWH,
(see text)
 821/822
(Winter)
 A severe winter. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb)  1
 827  Possible severe winter. Thames frozen for nine weeks.  8,
LWH
 838
(December)
 Major North Sea storm/surge affected Dutch coastal communities; possibly the worst (known!) such storm of the 9th century, with high loss of life. [ event catalogued for Dutch coast/may not be applicable for English coast, but proximity would suggest some impact this side of the North Sea. ]  GOTT
 844/845
(Winter)
 A cold winter. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb)  1
 850
 855/856
(Winter)
 A cold winter. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb); Great ice & frost until Jan. 7th - rivers & lakes froze.
[ From research work on Irish contemporary texts, we have the following … " much ice and frost so that the principal lakes and rivers of Ireland could be crossed by people on foot and on horse-back from the ninth of the kalends of December (27 November, AD855, Gregorian Calendar) to the seventh of the ides of January (11 January, AD856, Gregorian Calendar)' (Annals of Ulster). These conditions are clearly severe for Ireland. "; thought to be coupled to major volcanic eruption affecting the stratosphere. Ref: http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article ]
 1,
LWH,
(see text)
 856  Ireland: gale: very great wind; woods felled.   LWH
 859/60
(Winter)
 A severe winter in England.  1, 8
 873/874
(Winter)
 A cold winter. (according to Easton, in CHMW/Lamb); Scotland: specifically a cold winter - great frost from November to April; thaw brought floods.  1,
LWH
 880/881
(Winter)
 A cold winter. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb)  1
 892(?)
(November)
 11th November: Ireland - gale, many trees and houses fell.   LWH
 908  Possible severe winter. Most English rivers frozen for two months.  8,
LWH
 910 - 930  Extended droughts with regularity: also thought that the summer half-years were warm or very warm more often than not - some notably hot summers.  1
 912/913
(Winter)
 A severe winter. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb)  1
 917
(Winter)
 Ireland: severe winter - Great snow. Lakes frozen. [ As elsewhere, implies a blocked pattern, with occasional 'Atlantic' incursions. Must have affected Britain as well I would have thought.]  LWH
 923  Possible severe winter. Thames frozen for 13 weeks. Year may be 928 or 929.  8,
LWH
 927/928
(Winter)
 A cold winter. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb)  1
 934  Katla eruption / Iceland: the severe fissure eruption in 934 was one of the largest lava eruptions in the past 10,000 years. [Possible atmospheric effects but for obvious reasons not well documented: need to do a bit more digging around on this one.]  x
 939/940
(Winter)
 A cold winter. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb)  1
 941
(Winter)
 Ireland: cold - Lakes & rivers froze. [ I wonder if this belongs to the winter noted above? ]  LWH
 944  Possible severe gale/storm in London; many houses destroyed. 1500 houses "fell" (destroyed?): affected the whole of England.  8,
LWH
 946 - 948  England: drought - 'no rain for 3 years' (unlikely to have been "no" rain - more likely a marked shortage of rainfall / winter snowfall).  LWH
 955
(Summer)
 Wales: Hot summer. [ Must surely have affected other parts of Britain - indeed, the heat may have been 'exceptional', if the summer was notably hot as far west as Wales.]   LWH
 973  Thames flood in London.  8
 974/75
(Winter)
 Probably a severe winter across Britain .. usual doubts about dates etc. Severe winter over whole of Europe until March 11th (OS).  1, 8, LWH
 990's  Extended droughts with regularity: also thought that the summer half-years were warm or very warm more often than not - some notably hot summers.  1
 992  Ireland: Storm flood - tempest (high wind?) submerged island fort in one hour Wicklow. [ The way this is written up suggests that this was a 'storme surge' event, rather than necessarily due to heavy rain - though the latter may have played a part.]  LWH
 995
(Summer)
 Summer cold throughout Europe; severe frost & ice (quite remarkable if true in July as given on this site!)  LWH
 998  Possible severe winter. Thames frozen for five weeks.  8,
LWH

<<500 to 750AD

Researched by and published with permission of Martin Rowley

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