Factfile: The 1987 Great Storm
The Met Office has compiled a fact file about the Great Storm of 1987.
- 18 people are killed in Britain, four in France.
- Devastation costs are reported to be more than £1billion.
- An estimated 15 million trees were lost.
- Thousands of homes were without power for several days.
- Wreckage blocked roads and railways.
- A ship capsized at Dover, a Channel ferry was driven ashore near Folkestone and a detention ship off Harwich broke its moorings.
- It was the worst storm since 1703 and was analysed as being a one in 200 year storm for southern Britain.
- Average wind speeds of 50 mph were observed across south east England with a peak gust of 115 mph observed at Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex.
- A public enquiry was announced shortly after the storm and an internal enquiry was conducted by the Met Office.
- Government funds the Met Office to set up the National Severe Weather Warning Service.
- The Royal Sovereign lightship on the south coast recorded an average wind speed of 86 mph.
- Temperatures rose by up to 10C for a short period overnight as the storm pushed north.
- Storm centre pressure fell to 951mb over the English Channel.
- A pressure rise of more than 20mb was observed in just three hours as the low moved away to the north.
Remembering the Great Storm
