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Severe Thunderstorm July 25th/26th 1985

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  • Registered Users Posts: 12,811 ✭✭✭✭billy the squid


    Tristrame wrote:
    google simple minds croke park that should do it.

    It was 1986 snowbie that I remember and it was towards the end of june and it was the day before the world cup final of that year iirc so theres a better google.

    I remember June, If I recall it was June 26th 1986, or June 27th.

    Travelling on a train from Dublin to Limerick and were caught in the middle of massive storm around 10am. sky was dark green 360 degrees around.

    The train shook with the lightning (Cloud to Ground) and we had to stop in the midlands to let the storm.

    Hurricane Charley came in August of the same year. the weather was a little mad in the Summer of 86.

    1997 we had the Hurricane Noel, I think we are overdue a major weather event.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 524 ✭✭✭DerekP11


    This brings back very very bad memories. I was 13 for the 85 storm. I remember the day so well. I was with some pals in the park. It was sunny and very warm. As the day progessed it got cloudy. By tea time the sky was very dark and I could hear distant rumblings from what appeared to be the south. At that age you didn't think much of it. Only really made an impression when the real party woke me later that night. I sat in my bedroom window watching the lightening bolts, waiting for it all to pass. But clearly etched in my mind was when the lightening flashed and the thunder clapped, very loudly, almost simultaneously. I know the science of it now. Spent the rest of the night in my parents room. It was the first time I saw real fear on my parents faces.

    I was at the Simple Minds gig for the '86 storm. While not as bad as 85, it was up there. Remember it kicking off as the band finished their set.

    Personally, as an adult now, I never want to witness storms like that again.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 131 ✭✭Dac51


    nlgbbbblth wrote:
    Simple Minds played Croke Park in 1986.

    I remember a violent thunderstorm in 1986. Pretty sure it was the night of the France vs Brazil World Cup quarter final. No electricity so missed it.

    You are correct! While reading this thread I began to remember a huge thunderstorm that took place in my youth. I remember Brazil were playing someone in the 1986 world cup on that same night!

    Here in Waterford I managed to see for the first and only time in my life, at least four or five bolts of fork lightning hit the ground at the same time and the noise from the thunder was incredible.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 651 ✭✭✭Paddy.1


    Believe it or not. but all dates are correct.

    The storm of July 1985 was severe alright. But the big storm that hit countrywide, and that we will probably never see the likes of again happened on the night of the 27th June 1986 into the following day.

    The storm of 85 was countrywide also, but lacked the severity of the 86 storm.

    The summer of 86 is on record for being extremelly thundery. With most stations recording an average of 7 storms a month between May and August.

    Station reports suggest the south and west bore the brunt of the 86 storm, whereas the east and southeast took the worst battering in July 85.

    Interestingly, 1987 was also unusually thundery, with a number of 'dry storms' reported throughout the summer. Which brought frequent night time lightning throughout june to August, and often, very little rain.

    Don't you just wish it was the mid 1980's again....:rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,033 ✭✭✭Snowbie


    Paddy.1 wrote: »
    Believe it or not. but all dates are correct.

    The storm of July 1985 was severe alright. But the big storm that hit countrywide, and that we will probably never see the likes of again happened on the night of the 27th June 1986 into the following day.
    I disagree,the '85 line squall was the severist continous storms i have ever witnessed in this country.Most people i know would refer to '85 rather than '86 as the big one or in some cases most terrifying.
    The storm of 85 was countrywide also, but lacked the severity of the 86 storm.
    Thats the first i heard of the '85 storm was countrywide,never heard the west being affected but in a line moving east of the Sth midlands,midlands,east and Nth east where the places where it was most severe with the Dublin,Kildare and Meath regions badly affected by large hail too.
    1986 storms had not got a patch on that July '85 night but were spectacular too.Most noted by the 4 successive days of storms that broke out well here anyway.
    The summer of 86 is on record for being extremelly thundery. With most stations recording an average of 7 storms a month between May and August.
    A thundery summer alright with the 4 days a rarity in itself.


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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 16,677 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gonzo


    I cant remember the storms of 1986 but I very much remember that famous storm in 1985, it went on for nearly 24 hours of continuous thunder and lightning! Never seen anything remotely like it since.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 651 ✭✭✭Paddy.1


    Snowbie wrote: »
    I disagree,the '85 line squall was the severist continous storms i have ever witnessed in this country.Most people i know would refer to '85 rather than '86 as the big one or in some cases most terrifying.

    Thats the first i heard of the '85 storm was countrywide,never heard the west being affected but in a line moving east of the Sth midlands,midlands,east and Nth east where the places where it was most severe with the Dublin,Kildare and Meath regions badly affected by large hail too.
    1986 storms had not got a patch on that July '85 night but were spectacular too.Most noted by the 4 successive days of storms that broke out well here anyway.

    A thundery summer alright with the 4 days a rarity in itself.

    Ok, my earlier post was badly put. Will attempt to verifiy my earlier post!:)


    The 1986 storms were actually more severe and widespread as a whole.(this I confirmed Niall Brooks of the Climatological Division in Met Eireann last year). The Storms of 85 indeed were countrywide, but, as you say. were more severe and 'felt', so to speak, within the eastern region. (this I would loved to have experienced:))

    I think where we may be crossing wires is that the June 86 storms were not as impactive in the North and East of the country as were the July 85 storms, (which was no less severe the the 86 storm, but on a more localised scale.) and vice versa.

    It also is down to reporting. Events of this scale were more likely to be reported if they happen in around the Dublin region, due to the accessiblily of resourses and so forth at the time.

    One thing the two storms have in common, though happening at different periods within various locations..was the absolute severity of them.

    Though only a kid at the time, and going by my own experience of the 86 storm, was the incessent 'nearness' and frequecy of cloud to ground lightning.
    Thunder was constant, loud and truly frightning.

    I remember I was out playing with my brother on that evening, and I will never forget the cloud formations that occured. Severe lightning started around 8 that evening, yet rainwise, very little until about 12 midnignt. The peak of the storm hit us around 3am that night, and I really thought the end of the world had come!!

    My grand uncle, who had lived in the Texas pan handle for a number of years was back over for a visit at the time, and he was to comment that he had never witness such a violent and longliving storm in the American midwest.

    Now that is saying something...

    Bring back the 80's I say...:o




  • Paddy.1 wrote: »
    Severe lightning started around 8 that evening, yet rainwise, very little until about 12 midnignt.
    Funny enough,that was also the experience in the june 27 Dublin storm.
    Bolts of CG behind the stage in croke park at the end of the simple minds concert but no rain.
    The lightning continued with loud long and near/overhead booms for two hours before the rain started at about midnight.


    The 1985 event killed cows on the farm next door here and was indeed very severe here in the East aswell.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,033 ✭✭✭Snowbie


    Paddy.1 wrote: »

    The Storms of 85 indeed were countrywide, but, as you say. were more severe and 'felt', so to speak, within the eastern region. (this I would loved to have experienced:))
    In all fairness,when the front was moving west and interacted with the warm air being advected ahead of it and the cooler air undercutting and force to rise too, would have to happened over the west and pushed eastwards which makes sense.

    Obviously it became more potent and severe as it crossed over a warmer land moving eastwards.You be the first one from the west i have heard of the outbreak on your side of the world.Would have loved to see a doppler image of that beauty growing and crossing the country.:)
    I think where we may be crossing wires is that the June 86 storms were not as impactive in the North and East of the country as were the July 85 storms, (which was no less severe the the 86 storm, but on a more localised scale.) and vice versa.
    Exactly,you probably would have getting something similar to what i experienced the year before.
    I do recall some of the storms(single celled in nature) on the horizon being exported from the midlands,with one being totally electrified(dry).
    My grand uncle, who had lived in the Texas pan handle for a number of years was back over for a visit at the time, and he was to comment that he had never witness such a violent and longliving storm in the American midwest.
    lol ditto, My Aunt who emigrated to Australia 5 years previously was back over here to witness the '85 storm and had not seen the likes growing up here or in Oz since she has been there.

    She been another weather nut has said recently on another visit,it has yet to been repeated in Australia and on that note has yet to been repeated here too.

    Edit:Just seen Tristrame's post.Probably the same storm he witnessed and i mentioned about the dry storm on that evening in '86.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭ian_m


    I opened my bedroom door to see a silhouette of the virgin mary on my sisters window ledge from the flashes of lightening. I was 6 and frozen with fear. I had never experienced anything like it and hardly knew what a thunderstorm was.

    My mother brought me to bed and told me it would be over soon. My father stored gas cylinders in a shed and he was afraid the shed would be struck and the place would blow to smithereens! I remember he looked out the window to check everything was alright and the place illuminated from the lightening.

    I sometimes think of that storm. It made me fear lightening for a long time but now I find it fascinating. It was a cool event. Ill never forget it.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭cilamc


    Cor!

    I've just been thinking back to 1985, and my abiding memory of that year eas the massive thunderstorm in the summer, which frightened the bejaysus out of me at the time. I was 7 years old. so I Googled "thunderstorms dublin 1985" and this thread popped up. So thanks for sharing your memories and providing details you lot!

    I grew up in Balbriggan, and I remember the relentless thunderbolts and lightning flashes starting quite late in the evening. But they really did continue all night long, and none of my family had any sleep that night. Neighbours told us that our house was struck several times by the storm, not sure if that's true though.

    Another thing I'll never forget was the colour of the sky the following morning - it was the most incredible orange hue. There was a lot of flood water also. And I remember the news reports the following day also.

    I also remember the similar storm of 1986, which didn't seem quite so severe at the time. But I've no recollection at all of the August 1990 storms mentioned here. One of my earliest memories is of the snowfall of 1982, so I'll do some more googling on that I think.

    For some reason I always associate the '85 storm with the equally terrifying and apocalyptic "Threads" which was shown on BBC at the time. But that's probably my hysterical childhood imagination running riot. (You can find "Threads" on YouTube, and it remains "****-yer-pants-scary" to this day.)

    Not sure if this is of interest to anyone but myself, but I've looked up the UK Top 40 singles chart on the day of the '85 storm to see if it conjures up any other memories of the time. You can find that here:

    http://www.chartstats.com/chart.php?date=25%2F07%2F1985


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2 Deusvia


    I can remember it well. Although I was only 8 at the time it stands out in my memory because that very night my mother had her 9th child. A baby boy called Shane. My father had gone in alone to be with Mum leaving the rest of us at home with my oldest sister Maureen, 15, and brother Andy who was just 13 at the time looking after the rest of us. It was definitely the most amazing thing I have ever experienced weatherwise in my life. With only a 180 degree view of the sky from our back garden, I can remember venturing out to stand beside Andy and my sisters to watch the sky light up all around us with simultaneous streaks of lightning flashing across the purple dusky evening sky. On some occasions it was all to much and I would have to leg it to the sanctuary of the indoors. Then to top it all off when it was over our father arrived home to tell us we had a new baby brother.
    There was a magical Aura about that night.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,913 ✭✭✭Danno


    And it's 23 years ago tonight. Damn I feel ould!


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,720 ✭✭✭Hal1


    I clearly remember it and have been waiting for something moderatly close to it for the past 23 years :pac:. I was eight at the time and totally fasinated by it, unbelivable storm. Its probably something we will witness maybe once every 100 years, dam those charts changing their minds at the last minute grrr.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,033 ✭✭✭Snowbie


    Happy anniversary, we bloody well miss the likes of you.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,150 ✭✭✭Deep Easterly


    Ditto. I was thinking, why don't we all meet up in some central point, say the Bog of Allen, and do some sort of raindance? It just may work. The gods seem to be asleep at the moment. Thor certainly not around. So should we do it? I know it sounds mad, but madness is relative. I am sick of this non climate, and I feel I am not alone. Or maybe I am, as I could be replying to a post I imagined rather than read. Do we exist outside of my mind, or am I just nuts?


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,322 ✭✭✭ian_m


    It freaked the sh*t out of me at the time. I love thunderstorms now...


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,720 ✭✭✭Hal1


    I'd say a visit to the time travel forum is in order to witness this storm of '85 :pac:.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,033 ✭✭✭Snowbie


    Just watched the forecast on RTE just there and what a trip back down memory lane. Gerry Fleming done the forecast there, just like he done the forecast on the eve of that infamous night some 23 years ago. By then he was less thin on top ( moreof a perm:eek:) and using the magic wand (as my Dad use to call it) stick they used back then pointing at a B&W chart on a wall with a forecast in letter blocks beside it.

    I also remember the word Thunderstorm being used several times on that forecast and by God was he right. No GFS, no ECM, no graphics, just a chart and a stick and an experts view on what was going to happen.

    Gerry aka wink wink Fleming you Legend.;)

    Useless info i know but thought i share cause she wont't listen to me.:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,507 ✭✭✭✭dsmythy


    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1985/0727/Pg001.html

    Can't really see the story unless you pay for it but it's there.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,720 ✭✭✭Hal1


    dsmythy wrote: »
    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1985/0727/Pg001.html

    Can't really see the story unless you pay for it but it's there.

    Well I suggest copy & paste or at least give us the gist of wtf your on about:confused:


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,134 ✭✭✭✭maquiladora


    Even though I was quite young I remember this event well. I can remember my father showing me the lightning through our old living room window, which is now sealed up. Looking at the forked lightning tearing up the night sky almost constantly was stunned but I don't remember feeling frightened. I vaguely remember my mother shouting at my father to take me back away from the window.

    Never seen lightning like that in this country since then.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,507 ✭✭✭✭dsmythy


    Hal1 wrote: »
    Well I suggest copy & paste or at least give us the gist of wtf your on about:confused:

    You can see a small story towards the bottom of the front page about the weather event.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,720 ✭✭✭Hal1


    dsmythy wrote: »
    You can see a small story towards the bottom of the front page about the weather event.

    Well I'm not a subscriber of the irish times so can't see the article in question. Maybe you could take a screenshot of an enlarged version of it? thanks.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25 caz34


    I remember a really bad storm but earlier than 85/86 I would guess it was maybe July/August 82 or 83. It started during the night and went on for hours. It could have been localised to north dublin maybe. The pavement outside our house was struck and a watermain burst - in bed with the folks saying decades of the rosary all night. It was discussed in School when we went back after the holidays so it might have been close to back to school time. Does anyone else remember this?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,507 ✭✭✭✭dsmythy


    Hal1 wrote: »
    Well I'm not a subscriber of the irish times so can't see the article in question. Maybe you could take a screenshot of an enlarged version of it? thanks.

    Neither am i unfortunately. :o Just put it up if anyone happened to be one and wanted a look.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,720 ✭✭✭Hal1


    Hey don't get me wrong dsmythy, I want a look and I am sure others do too. It's just not a good enough report, just 1 headline from that time. We want stats and more details. :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,150 ✭✭✭Deep Easterly


    Synoptic overview for July 25th/27th 1985: (without frontal analysis; will have more detailed charts down the line when I consult the vaults:P)

    Image12.jpg
    Image13.jpg
    Image14.jpg
    Image15.jpg
    Image16.jpg
    Image17.jpg

    And for June 26th/29th 1986:

    Image1-3.jpg
    Image2-1.jpg
    Image3.jpg
    Image4-1.jpg
    Image5.jpg
    Image6.jpg
    Image7.jpg




    Snowbie, is it possible to save these images as a slideshow? I attempted this on photobucket but failed. If you could help on this I would be grateful as for one, it would save a lot of space, and two, the synoptical flow of each of the events would be easier analysed. Cheers. :)

    Edit: Not sure why some of the images came out smaller than others, but will ammend this later on when my head is given back to me.

    Images courtasy of The European Centre of Medium Range Forecasts


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,351 ✭✭✭djhaxman


    Good thread folks. I remember this one well, was 10 and living in Monaghan at the time. It was the first time I'd been awake the whole night, wasn't a chance of sleeping with that racket going on (although my brother who was 7 at the time managed it - never heard a thing :eek: ) The storm seemed to come and go, peaked at 1 am, faded away for a few minutes at around 3, and then came back with a vengeance at around 5, I've yet to see a storm to come close to that one. Florida was close, but didnt last anywhere nearly as long and I'm not long back from Croatia and they get some serious light shows there too.

    A once in a lifetime thing that one.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,720 ✭✭✭Hal1


    Anything is possible in this country if conditions are ripe, but just not easy to predict accurately. These guys have been spot on in the past though :).


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