Mastodawn

Ed Hawkins Jan 6, 2023

184 years ago today an extreme windstorm hit Ireland & the UK, known as the 'Night of the Big Wind'. This event was one of the most severe & damaging windstorms to ever hit these islands.

We now need some help to learn from this event... #Archives

We have found a surprising number of locations with barometer measurements of pressure during Jan 1839. This should allow us to build a reanalysis to inform about the risks of such events today.

But, are there other sources we have not yet found?

Show thread

Ed Hawkins Jan 6, 2023

Have been told about one new source in south Wales which is great. Am certain that local and regional archives or institutes will have other sources.

Show thread

Chris Nelder 🤘Jan 6, 2023

@ed_hawkins Have you tapped the dendochronology researchers? Bet they have something on that. Try Valerie Trouet at U of Arizona... I know her team has been assembling some European data over the past few years. And check out my conversation with her in Ep. 65 of @TransitionShow: https://xenetwork.org/ets/episodes/episode-65-climate-science-part-9-jet-stream/

[Episode #65] - Climate Science Part 9 - Jet Stream | The Energy Transition Show

The changing jet stream is associated with many of the extreme weather events in recent years, and tree-ring data shows that climate change is to blame.

The Energy Transition Show

Show thread

Ed Hawkins Jan 6, 2023

@chrisnelder Thanks Chris! The dendro data is useful for many aspects but for this specific purpose we need instrumental observations of atmospheric pressure to constrain the reanalysis. 1839 is pushing the availability of such data close to its limits!

Show thread

Chris Nelder 🤘

@ed_hawkins I see... well I wouldn't rule it out... there also ought to be ship-measured data from that period... maybe @hausfath can point you to something useful.