The 1987 Great Storm was not a hurricane, but it changed meteorology forever.

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: On the night of 15-16 October 1987, a ferocious storm caught the UK off guard, killing 18 people and felling millions of trees. While a famous forecast gaffe suggested no hurricane was coming, the reality was a complex, high-speed weather event that exposed critical gaps in global forecasting technology.

The Great Storm of 1987 was an extratropical cyclone that formed over the Bay of Biscay. Its intensity was driven by a collision between warm tropical air and cold polar air, which created a rapid ascent and a deep low-pressure system. The storm’s ferocity was amplified by the 'Sting Jet' phenomenon—a process where cold, dry air descends from high in the atmosphere to create intense winds at ground level. At the time, this mechanism was unknown to meteorologists, though it is now a standard component of modern forecast models.

The storm’s path was particularly devastating because it tracked north and east across densely populated areas of the UK, reaching the Humber estuary by 5:30 am on 16 October. Coastal locations recorded gusts exceeding 100 mph, with a peak of 115 mph at Shoreham. Inland, the London Weather Centre recorded 94 mph. The event became a catalyst for massive investment in science and technology. In 1987, the Met Office supercomputer performed four million calculations per second; today’s systems handle 14,000 trillion, allowing for vastly higher resolution in weather models.

Beyond computing power, the storm fundamentally changed how the UK observes and communicates weather risks. Before 1987, satellite data was sparse, and observations from the Bay of Biscay were limited. Today, deep ocean weather buoys and extensive satellite coverage provide real-time data that feeds into global numerical prediction models. The National Severe Weather Warning Service was established in the aftermath to coordinate alerts, and the modern practice of naming storms—launched in 2015—ensures consistent communication to help the public and emergency responders stay safe during high-impact events.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The rare collision that created the North Atlantic's 'Perfect Storm'
• The 1974 Super Outbreak remains a defining moment in modern meteorological history and safety.
• The 1985 "Storm of the Century" that redefined hurricane evacuations
• How meteorologists predict the path of a storm days before it makes landfall
• A European computer model saw Sandy's sharp left turn nearly eight days early
• How a single journalist transformed the landscape of Greek politics
• How one DJ turned a turntable into a musical instrument
• In 12th-century England, two children with green skin appeared in the village of Woolpit.
• The Russian Grand Duchess who shocked Victorian society by nursing her own children
• How Green Day evolved from independent punk roots to global stadium rock icons
• The red soil and the pomegranate: uncovering the disputed origins of Granada
• Greenock Morton: The Scottish club that holds the record for top-flight movement

More in UK & Irish culture · More in Cultures · Latest · A–Z · All topics