What were the weather conditions in London during the 1600's?

Answer 1

Storm in London on 1st February. 8 1601

(Late spring & all summer) According to East Anglian & Low Countries chronicles, the period covering (roughly) April to August was very dry across these regions. This would imply a persistence of anticyclonic weather. x 1601/1602

(Winter & early Spring) Possibly a severe winter in Scotland, lasting from November to the end of April. Frequent heavy snowfall. [ If the winter was severe enough for comment in Scotland, then no doubt it was equally so across northern England & perhaps further south, but I have no data as to that. It is also interesting to speculate that given the anticyclonicity implied by the entry for late spring/all summer (above), and the requirement for at least some element of high pressure to the north or northeast of Britain for a notably cold winter, then this may be an exceptional spell of anticyclonically, blocked conditions for these longitudes. ] x 1602 Drought in autumn & winter (London/South). 81603 January 1607

[1606 in reckoning of the time.] Flood: 2,000 died around the Severn Estuary, Tuesday, 20 January 1606 (OS)/30th January 1607 (NS). Lowlands on both sides of the Estuary suffered inundation, with the Somerset & Gwent levels suffering devastating effects. It is thought that a Severe gale from the west or southwest was responsible, coupled to an astronomically high tide: the excess over prediction was some 2.3m. As well as the cost in human life, much damage / loss of housing etc., and also cattle, sheep & horses perished. There would have been a great deal of salt-contamination of arable fields too. Bristol & Barnstaple were badly affected.

It is worth noting that great damage due to flooding was also recorded from East Anglian towns and villages, particularly across the Fens. ('Weather'/Oct 2006/Horsburgh & Horritt); H. Lamb hasn't included this event in his 'Historic Storms' (Ref: HS), yet it seems as if this may have affected at least the southern North Sea.

[ There is some debate whether this event was a 'standard' wind-driven storm-surge, or a Tsunami-like occurrence. Contemporary accounts mention 'high tides' & 'strong west winds', so I would plump for the more likely storm-surge cause.] [confusion with dates: although listed in original documents as January 1606, the 'year' 1606 would have run from March 1606 to March 1607 (in our reckoning).] TORRO,

R. Met.S,

17CWx 1607 Dry/hot summer (London/South). 8 1607/08

(Winter) The 'Great Winter'**: apparently, trees died due to the severity (and length) of the frost; ships were stranded by ice several miles out into the North Sea - this latter a major concern as much commerce was done in these days via coastal shipping. In December, a "deep" frost until mid-month, then a thaw until just before Christmas, then from ~21st December(OSP) intense freeze for much of the time until at least mid-January. Ice formed on the Thames in London, sufficient to bear all sorts of sports, perambulations and even cooking! The frost lasted overall for some two months. (much of the foregoing from Ian Currie). The severe weather lasted in parts of England until about 20th February(OSP), though with variations in depth of cold. For example, in records from Kendal (Westmorland / Cumbria) 'hard frost' is noted from November 3rd, 1607 to March 6th, 1608(OSP).

The Firth of Forth is noted as being 'frozen' during January 1608 & the River Exe (south of Exeter) also experienced major ice formation by the latter-third of January - at this latter location, damage was caused to a local weir.

(** lots of winters will be found in the literature known as "The Great Winter": treat this title with some caution, however, in a series developed by C.Easton, in CHMW / Lamb, this ranks near the top of the most severe winters of the last 1000 yr.)

[ This may have been the first occasion of the use of the term 'Frost Fair' ] 1, 6, 8, usw 1609/10

(Winter) Great frost commenced in October & lasted four months. Thames frozen and heavy carriages driven over it. (Possible confusion with 1607/08). 8,

LWH 1610 Hot, dry summer (London/South); from other records I have, there is mention of 'four months' of drought at Derby, so as might be expected, these hot, dry conditions extended across a greater part of southern & central England at least - more than that it would be wrong to assume. 8 1611

(Annual) From various reports across England, it was probably a wet year: floods noted in January in the West of England in both January & February; July & August are also noted as being wet with flooding: hay was spoiled during August; also floods in November & December - severe flood at Tewkesbury - possibly early in the year when other significant flooding was noted in the west. However, there is also a note that there was a drought from the end of February to the end of May, then 'great rains' began from early June, so we shouldn't assume that the wet weather was either universal or persistent. x 1611/1612

(Winter) Possibly a severe winter, at least for southern & central England.

[ It is interesting to speculate, given the entry below, that once again some long-lived anticyclonic activity was involved - see for example, 1601/02 above. ] 17CWx 1612

(winter / spring) Drought from January to May (London/South). The extended period of dry weather was apparently widespread over England at least, with that affecting the Lake District noted as not breaking until early August. 8,

17CWx 1612

(Summer) Overlapping with the entry above (q.v.), it was apparently a hot, dry summer over England at least. 17CWx 1614

(Spring & Summer) Drought at York lasting from spring to August - severe shortage of fodder and grain.

[ Obviously, this would have affected a much wider area - this is just the record from the ecclesiastical centre for the North Country. ] x 1614/1615

(winter/early spring) Several reports of 'great snowfall' from various parts of the country; for example, from Derbyshire, a major snowfall began on the 20th January(OSP) and further new snowfall was noted until at least 12th March(OSP); great snowfall was also recorded across Yorkshire. Further north, in Scotland, this winter was noted as being of 'great severity' (Annals of Scottish History), & by February, the Tay was frozen over, such that foot and horse traffic could pass over it. An 'enormous' fall of snow took place early in March (place unspecified), but this ties in with the Derbyshire report [above]. In Scotland, this was stated to have lasted at least three days, to be the greatest 'within living memory' and many deaths (horses and men) occurred as people tried to move about. It was particularly bad across northern Scotland. (LWH & others) 1615

(spring) Following the heavy snowfall as noted above, significant flooding ensued following thaw (& presumably heavy rain - you tend to need a high-yield rainfall event for significant flooding after snow), with Yorkshire being particularly badly hit. The Ouse flood lasted around 10 days, carrying away bridges - the dates are not given, but as April was noted as being fair/dry with a dusty ground and significant drought (until late summer), then the melt-event probably followed the final snowfall in the second week of March. x 1615

(May) 1st (C? / OSP & probably 'May Day' - it might not have attracted notice otherwise!) A late snowfall; Snow to 1 foot (~30cm) depth reported from Derbyshire.

[ The problem here is that there are parts of Derbyshire today that would get a useful snowfall on May 1st - particularly in the Peak District villages, so it is difficult to know how significant this report is. ] LWH 1615

(late Spring to mid-summer) Extended dry conditions / notable drought across central & southern Britain - great stress due to lack of fodder, harvest etc; In Derbyshire (and almost certainly across a much wider area of Britain), noted as running from 25th March (Lady Day) to 4th August (both OSP). Great dearth of corn & hay. 17CWx 1616 Hot summer with drought (London/South & almost certainly elsewhere across England). 8,

17CWx 1616

(September) River Aire flooded houses in Leeds (Yorkshire) after 38 hours of rain. x 1617

(Summer) From reports of shipwrecks, wet weather & floods, it appears that the summer of 1617 was notably unsettled. 17CWx 1620

(Summer) Possibly a very wet summer. 17CWx 1620/21

(Winter) Frost fair held on the Thames. A severe winter over Western Europe / implied much of Britain. (Easton, in CHMW/Lamb)