Night of the Big Wind
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Duration | 6 January 1839 |
Extratropical cyclone | |
Highest gusts | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 918 hPa (mbar); 27.11 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 250–300 |
Damage | £500,000 |
Areas affected | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
The Night of the Big Wind (
Meteorological situation
The storm developed after a period of unusual weather. Heavy snow, rare in
Later on 6 January, a deep Atlantic depression began to move towards Ireland, forming a cold front when it collided with the warm air over land, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. First reports of stormy weather came from western County Mayo around noon, and the storm moved very slowly across the island through the day, gathering strength as it moved.[5][7][6] By midnight the winds reached hurricane force.
Damage
Contemporary accounts of damage indicate that the Night of the Big Wind was the most severe storm to affect Ireland for many centuries. It is estimated that between 250 and 300 people lost their lives in the storm. Severe property damage was caused, particularly in
Even well-built buildings suffered structural damage, including new factories and military barracks. The newly constructed St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Derrytrasna was completely destroyed; one of the steeples of the Church of Ireland church in Castlebar was blown down, and a number of large country houses were unroofed. Among the poorly built homes of the poor, damage was more severe and many were completely destroyed. A total of 42 ships, most along the less sheltered west coast, were wrecked while unsuccessfully trying to ride out the storm: a majority of the recorded casualties occurred at sea.[1][5]
Stacks of hay and corn were widely destroyed, resulting in severe starvation among livestock in the following months.[5][8]
Legacy
The Night of the Big Wind became part of Irish folk tradition.
The
Related writing
See also
References
- ^ S2CID 233247169. Archived from the original(PDF) on 9 March 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ doi:10.1080/00750770009478595. Archived from the original(PDF) on 6 March 2012.
- ^ "A Chronological Listing of Early Weather Events" (PDF). p. 388. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d e Bunbury, Turtle. "The calm before the Big Wind of 1839 was particularly eerie". The Irish Times.
- ^ a b c "Night Of The Big Wind". RTÉ Archives.
- ^ a b c "The 'Night of the Big Wind' in Ireland, 6–7 January 1839" (PDF). Irish Geography, Volume 22, Issue 1, 1989. ©Taylor & Francis Ltd.
- ^ "The night of the Big Wind". Connaught Telegraph.
- S2CID 165329787.
- ^ "History of Registration in Ireland" (PDF). Ireland: Department of Social Protection. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- S2CID 165329787.
Further reading
- Carr, Peter (1993). The Night of the Big Wind. Belfast: White Row Press. ISBN 1-870132-50-5.
- Burke, Mary (2017). "Forgotten Remembrances: The 6 January "Women's Christmas" (Nollaig na mBan) and the 6 January 1839 "Night of the Big Wind" (Oíche na Gaoithe Móire) in "The Dead"". S2CID 165329787.
- Burke, Mary (12 January 2016). "An Irishwoman's Diary on the 'Night of the Big Wind' – January 6th, 1839". The Irish Times.
External links
- Topic: Winds records from the Irish Folklore Commission, in Irish and English, many relating to the Night of the Big Wind
- "Oiche na Gaoithe Moire...the night of the big wind" by Bridget Haggerty Irish Culture and Customs