The Great Storm of 1987 Hits Both France & England

Hurricane, cyclone, typhoon – they’re all the same thing, though its scientific term is Tropical Cyclone. Tropical Cyclones only occur over the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. These cyclones emerge only over warm water and occur through a cycle of warm air rising, new air coming in through pressure, and the process growing faster and harsher until winds reach destructive levels.

On this day October 15th, in 1987, the Great Storm of 1987 wreaked havoc on France and England. Scientists stated that these winds were actually strong enough to be a Tropical Cyclone, a hurricane, despite it not being over the Pacific or the Atlantic.

News had warned of bad weather, most of it being heavy rain, but no one predicted 80 mile per hour winds to be rushing through their towns. In some areas winds even went over 120 mph! Both France and England took a lot of damage, and this event was categorized as extremely rare, something that would only happen every few hundred years. Yet only a few years later the Burn’s Day Storm hit England. So much for the Weatherman forecasting the right weather.