Bicentennial of the Great Gale’s Impact on England’s South Coast

A destructive storm impacted England’s southern coast on the night of November 22, 1824, persisting for two days. Hurricane-strength winds led to extensive damage. Flooding affected homes, entire villages were obliterated, ships were lost at sea, and approximately 100 lives were claimed. In Plymouth, 22 ships were submerged by the storm, which also dislodged over 200,000 tons of stone from the city’s recently constructed breakwater. Two centuries subsequent to the event, The Great Gale is being commemorated throughout southern England, with the Environment Agency utilizing its anniversary to highlight the dangers of severe weather. Among the survivors of the harrowing night of November 22-23 was James Simmons, the keeper of the Eddystone Lighthouse, situated off Rame Head. Mr. Simmons subsequently documented the intensity of The Great Gale in a letter. He stated: “The sea was tremendous and broke with such violence on the top and round the building, as to demolish, in an instant, five panes of the lantern glass.” A dramatic painting also depicted the tumultuous sea encircling the lighthouse. William Daniell’s artwork, “Eddystone Lighthouse, During a Storm,” illustrates immense waves reaching the tower’s summit. Although the lighthouse endured the storm, it sustained considerable damage. Mr. Simmons recounted: “At times the whole building appeared to jump as if resting on an elastic body. “The water came from the top of the building in such quantities, that we were overwhelmed, and the sea made a breach from the top of the house to the bottom.” This oil painting, first displayed at the Royal Academy in 1825, is currently exhibited at The Box, within the Port Of Plymouth gallery. The artwork, now recognized as a symbol of the storm, recently underwent restoration to fully convey the turbulent sea. According to the gallery: “Daniell captured the enormous power of the towering waves that almost envelop the lighthouse.”The sea and the night sky merge, creating an oppressive darkness with only a small burst of light visible above the surging waves.” The Environment Agency is leveraging the bicentennial of The Great Gale to enhance public understanding of severe weather and flood risks. Meteorologists attribute The Great Gale to an uncommon confluence of hurricane-strength winds, spring high tides, exceptionally low pressure, and colossal waves. Its intensity was so profound that its annual recurrence probability is estimated at 1 in 10,000. Andrea Summers, the Environment Agency’s flood and coastal risk manager for Wessex, commented: “This anniversary serves as a stark reminder of the destructive power of nature and the devastating impact flooding can have on communities.”Needless to say, we are much more resilient now than we were then, with major innovations in forecasting, warning and defence systems. “But our climate is changing, sea levels are rising and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.” Connect with BBC Devon on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Submit your story concepts to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Details concerning our external linking policy are available.