![]() The reanalysis is beneficial for understanding the risks of extreme weather events as it showed that the winds experienced in some locations during Storm Ulysses would be rarer than once in 100 years. Comparisons with independent weather observations, such as rainfall data, as well as photographs and written accounts from 1903 that outlined the devastation caused by the cyclone, helped to provide credibility for the reconstruction. Using the new digital data, the research team was able to use techniques similar to modern weather forecasting to simulate the storm and accurately assess the strength of Storm Ulysses' winds. The cyclone caused multiple deaths and heavily damaged infrastructure and ships when it passed across Ireland and the UK between 26 and 27 February 1903. Published today (Monday, 24 April) in Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, the research indicates that many storms that occurred before 1950 are left unstudied as billions of pieces of data exist only on paper, stored in archives around the world.īut a team of scientists led by Professor Hawkins delved into the archives to convert hand-written observations relating to Storm Ulysses from paper to digital. Unlocking these secrets from the past could transform our understanding of extreme weather and the risks they pose to us today." "This study is a great example of how rescuing old paper records can help us to better understand storms from decades gone by. He said: "We knew the storm we analysed was a big one, but we didn't know our rescued data would show that it is among the top four storms for strongest winds across England and Wales. Professor Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist at the University of Reading and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, led the research. These observations from the past can help experts to understand the risks of extreme weather now and in the future. Old weather measurements, first recorded on paper after Storm Ulysses hit the UK in February 1903, have shed new light on what was one of the most severe storms to have hit the British Isles.īy turning hand-written weather data into digital records, the research team has laid the way to better understand other historical storms, floods and heatwaves.
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