1990 United Kingdom heat wave
Encyclopedia
The 1990 heat wave
in the United Kingdom
was a particularly severe heat event with temperatures hitting record highs of 37.1°C on 3 August. The temperature was recorded at Nailstone
, Leicestershire
, and was a full degree Celsius above the previous record, set in 1911. However, this record was subsequently broken in the 2003 heatwave
.
and the Peak District
. Some 100 square miles (259 km²) of the Peak District was closed to the public to try to prevent further fires occurring from careless visitors. Roads were clogged as people flocked to the coast, and holiday resorts throughout the country. This was further hampered as the train services around the country were slowed, due to concerns over anomalies in the railway track network, because of the intense heat. Reservoirs also fell, but not to levels seen in other heatwaves such as the famous 1976
drought.
Heat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was a particularly severe heat event with temperatures hitting record highs of 37.1°C on 3 August. The temperature was recorded at Nailstone
Nailstone
Nailstone is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England, situated to the west of Leicester and north-east of Market Bosworth. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 521....
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, and was a full degree Celsius above the previous record, set in 1911. However, this record was subsequently broken in the 2003 heatwave
2003 European heat wave
The 2003 European heat wave was the hottest summer on record in Europe since at least 1540. France was hit especially hard. The heat wave led to health crises in several countries and combined with drought to create a crop shortfall in Southern Europe...
.
Impact
While domestic holidays increased, most of the impacts of the heat were negative. Moorland fires were common during the height of the heat wave, occurring in North YorkshireNorth Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
and the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
. Some 100 square miles (259 km²) of the Peak District was closed to the public to try to prevent further fires occurring from careless visitors. Roads were clogged as people flocked to the coast, and holiday resorts throughout the country. This was further hampered as the train services around the country were slowed, due to concerns over anomalies in the railway track network, because of the intense heat. Reservoirs also fell, but not to levels seen in other heatwaves such as the famous 1976
1976 United Kingdom heat wave
The summer of 1976 was the hottest summer in the UK since records began. As well as the heat, Britain was in the middle of a severe drought.-Heatwave and drought effects:The temperature reached 80°F every day between 22 June and 16 July...
drought.
See also
- Drought in the United KingdomDrought in the United KingdomDroughts in the United Kingdom are a relatively common feature of the weather in the UK, with one around every 5–10 years on average. These droughts are usually confined to summer, when a blocking high causes hot, dry weather for an extended period. However droughts can vary in their characteristics...
- DroughtDroughtA drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
- Heat waves