And now for the weather...
(to view any of the links in the forecast, right click and select open in new window)
And, because lets face it, we all love chatting about the weather. Here are a few of the more freaky incidents in Surrey's history for you to drop into the conversation while chatting by the water fountain...
Freak weather...in Surrey
The strongest winds
On November 25-26, 1703, a tempest of unprecedented violence blew across Surrey. The hurricane force winds were chronicled by writer Daniel Defoe, whose barometer reading was so low he thought it was broken. Countless homes were damaged, and the steeple of All Saints’ Church, Kingston, came crashing down, and has never been replaced.
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The worst flash flood
On Friday July 6, 1973, an hour-long thunderstorm gave such torrential rain at Hook, near Chessington, that 300 homes were flooded – some to a depth of four feet. A total of 4.65 inches of rain – the equivalent of two months’ worth – fell in just 90 minutes.
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The coldest night
On February 23, 1947, Redhill schoolmaster Christopher Bull recorded a numbing -17C (1F). Snow lay on the ground for two months in the first part of 1947.
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The coldest day
On January 12, 1987, the mercury failed to climb above -9C (16F) at Warlingham and -8C (18F) at Charlwood.
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The hottest day
On August 10, 2004, during a sizzling summer, the temperature soared to an incredible 37C (99F) across Surrey. An unofficial reading of 100F was measured at Reigate.
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The most severe hailstorm
On July 16, 1916, thousands of windows in Kenley, Purley and Coulsdon were smashed by a bombardment of hailstones.
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The worst snowstorm
On January 18, 1881, a blinding blizzard of snow buried Surrey. So forceful was the white-out that snow settled on the counters of Croydon Post Office. A similar snowstorm occurred on Boxing Day 1927, isolating downland villages like Tatsfield for a week.
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And, of course, there is always the small matter of...
The Great Storm of October 16, 1987...
Read The night we will never forget from October 2007's Surrey Life or visit the digital version for the full experience here