The Great Storm of 1703 is the most severe storm ever recorded in the British Isles. It affected southern England and the English Channel. It started on November 24, 1703, and did not die down until December 2. A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic storm that tracks across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe in the winter months. ... This article may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche, IPA: , the sleeve), also for some time known in England as the British Sea, is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the... November 24 is the 328th day (329th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events February 2 - Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 - Earthquake in Norcia, Italy April 21 - Company of Quenching of Fire (ie. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Observers at the time recorded barometric readings as low as 973 millibars (measured by William Derham in South Essex ^[1]), but it has been suggested that the storm may have deepened to 950 millibars over the midlands. William Derham (November 26, 1657 - April 5, 1735), English divine, was born at Stoulton, near Worcester. ...

The Great Storm also coincided with the increase in English journalism, and was the first weather event to be a news story on a national scale. Special issue broadsheets were produced detailing damage to property and stories of people who had been killed. A compilation entitled The Storm, produced in 1704, is traditionally attributed to Daniel Defoe. Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (1660 [?] â€“ April 1731) was an English writer, journalist and spy, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. ...

Damage

• At sea, many ships were wrecked with about 8,000 lives lost.
• The first Eddystone Lighthouse was destroyed on November 27, killing six occupants.
• The number of oak trees lost in the New Forest alone was 4,000.
• On the Thames, around 700 ships were heaped together in the Pool, the section downstream from London Bridge.

The Eddystone Lighthouse is situated some 9 miles (15km) South West of Rame Head Cornwall, England on the treacherous Eddystone Rocks 50°10. ... November 27 is the 331st day (332nd on leap years) of the year. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related genera, notably Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus. ... Bucklers Hard on the Beaulieu River The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and old-growth forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... The current London Bridge, viewed from the south-west London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, between the City of London and Southwark. ...

Beliefs and response

• The storm was generally reckoned to represent the anger of God.
• In recognition of the "crying sins of this nation", the government declared December 16 a day of fasting, saying it "loudly calls for the deepest and most solemn humiliation of our people".

God is the term used to denote the Supreme Being ascribed by monotheistic religions to be the creator, ruler and/or the sum total of, existence. ... December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Fasting is the act of willingly abstaining from all food and in some cases drink, for a period of time. ...

See also

• European windstorm
• List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll

A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic storm that tracks across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe in the winter months. ... List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll is a list of major disasters (excluding acts of war) which occurred in the United Kingdom or involved UK citizens, in a definable incident, where the loss of life exceeded 40. ...

External links

• Analysis by Risk Management Solutions (pdf)
• BBC - The Great Storm of 1703

References

1. ^  - Philosophical Transactions (1704-5), 24 (no. 289), 1530-4

• Defoe, Daniel; Hamblyn, Richard (2005). The Storm, Penguin Classics. ISBN 0141439920.