Tracing a Typhoon to Europe

Abstract

AT the meeting of the Royal Meteorological Society held on November 18, a paper by Mr. Henry Harries, on “The Typhoon Origin of the Weather over the British Isles during the second half of October, 1882,” was read. The author had prepared daily charts of the North Pacific Ocean from September 26 to October 10, and by permission of the Meteorological Council the charts of the area between the western coast of America and Eastern Europe were utilised. The earliest evidence of the formation of the typhoon was on September 27, some distance east-south-east of Manilla. At first the movement was towards north-west, 5 miles an hour, but on September 30, when the storm-area extended to 1300 miles north-west of the centre, it curved towards north-east, crossed the south-eastern corner of Japan at 33 miles an hour, and attained a maximum rate of 51 miles per hour on October 2 to 3, after leaving the Japanese coast. In the neighbourhood of the Aleutian Archipelago the progress was very slow until the 9th, when it rapidly increased to 35 miles an hour, and entered Oregon on the 10th. The Rocky Mountains proved to be no obstacle to the progress of the typhoon, which crossed the range at 36¾ miles an hour, and, maintaining this rate, passed across the Northern States into Canada. Thence it crossed Hudson's Bay and Labrador, into Davis Strait. Altering its course to south of east it passed the southern point of Greenland on October 16, and two days later, in lat. 55° N., long. 27° W., it was joined by another disturbance, which seems to have formed about October 9 in 20° N., 48° W. The junction of the two storms was followed by a complete cessation of progressive movement for a week (October 19 to 25), and it was during this period was formed as a subsidiary the gale which suddenly arrived over our south-eastern counties upon the morning of October 24, completely upsetting to south-west of Portland, while off the Start at 8.30 am. the wind veered to W.N.W. a strong gale. At 9 am. the wind off Portland veered to W. and blew with terrific violence. Further east, as far as the Downs, the wind had by noon changed to W. and S.W., and increased to a furious storm, with violent squalls and a terrible sea. As this gale passed away the primary moved into the Bay of Biscay and entered France on the 27th. As in Japan and America, its advance was marked by violent gales and destructive floods over a very extensive area—from Algeria northwards. The damage caused by the floods in the Meteorological Office forecasts of the previous night The author quoted several records from ships, which went to show that this secondary storm had not formed until nearly midnight; and that reports from outlying coast-stations would not have enabled successful forecasts to be issued before 3 am. on the 24th. The 8 a.m. observations for the Daily Weather Report show that with the exception of Hurst Castle the winds on the northern side of the Channel were moderate, but along the French coast heavy gales were blowing. Ships' records indicate that off Start Point a moderate easterly gale began at 6.20 am. By 8 a.m. a whole gale from S.E. was blowing England was serious, but trifling compared with the losses in Southern and Central Europe, the destruction being enormous. This typhoon was the principal contributor in making October, 1882, by far the worst within living memory. With this final effort it seemed to have expended its fury, and in crossing France and the Netherlands it gradually filled up. The last trace of the typhoon was in the Baltic on November 1, when it quietly dispersed, after covering over 14,000 nautical miles in thirty-six days, the longest track hitherto followed day by day.