The 1947 Heatwave, Which The Met Office Keeps Quiet About
We are told that these sort of temperatures are unheard of at this time of year and are only occurring because of climate change. Weather like this would have been impossible in the past, they infer.
And it is an omen of what the future holds, as records successively get broken by a degree or more.
But is any of this true? Have we never had equally hot weather at this time of year?
In 1947, another intense heatwave hit England at the end of May and the first three days of June. Temperatures peaked on the 3rd June, hitting 94F at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, as well as at two London sites, Camden Square and Kensington.
This compares to the record of 95F at Kew yesterday.
Bear in mind that RAF Waddington was little more than a grass field in 1947, flying Avro Lincolns, the successor to the Lancaster on which it was based. The aerodrome is in a perfect rural environment and would have had none of the artificial heat sources that affect modern airfields, such as Heathrow, Coningsby and Waddington itself now.
In contrast, 95F at Kew probably includes at least three degrees of UHI. It is certainly true that the UHI effect in London is much greater now than in 1947, so the temperatures at Camden and Kensington then are probably comparable to Kew.
The 1947 heatwave came from an easterly direction and it was widespread. As well as Waddington and the two London sites, six other locations registered 93F:
Norwich
Mildenhall
Santon Downham
Cambridge
Greenwich
Regents Park
Significantly only four sites were hotter than 93F on Monday:
Kew
Heathrow
Northolt
Teddington
The last three are all junk sites.
By all estimation, the June 1947 heatwave was every bit as intense as this week’s, arguably more so. Yes, it occurred three days after the end of May, so technically is counted as in June. But is there any climatological or meteorological significance to those three days?
Of course not. Average temperatures on Tuesday 3rd June would be no different to Saturday 31st May.
It is always difficult comparing one weather event with another, particularly eight decades apart, because they are all unique,. But the evidence from June 1947 does more than undermine Met Office claims that this week’s heatwave is evidence of climate change. It raises the question why they are not giving the public all of the relevant facts by telling them we have had similar weather in the past.
Let’s be clear.
This week’s heatwave is an exceptionally rare event for this time of year, but it is not unprecedented, even during the few brief years our temperature records date back.
It has happened before and will undoubtedly happen again.
It has nothing to do with climate change.
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