The Times 1841 - 1850 Penrith Thunder Storm, July 8, 1846

Penrith Thunder Storm, July 8, 1846

AWFUL THUNDER STORM....PENRITH, JUNE 6. Yesterday afternoon, one of the most terrific and awful thunder storms ever remembered, accompanied with hail, visited Penrith and its neighbourhood. The morning was fine and clear, the sun shining brightly, and scarcely a cloud was visible to dim the horizon.  Soon after noon, the air became quite sultry and overpowering, and thunder was occasionally heard at a distance. At about 3 o'clock the sky suddenly became dark and lowering, and the clouds might be seen moving through the air in different directions at a rapid rate.  About 4 o'clock daylight was almost shut out by the sudden darkening and overhanging clouds, and about this time an awful clap of thunder was heard, accompanied with lightning, and after a short interval one of the most severe and tremendous hail showers commenced that was ever witnessed by the oldest inhabitant living in the neighbourhood, and continued with unabated fury for upwards of half an hour;  the hail stones were the largest ever seen, being about the size of a common Spanish nut;  and the streets were covered with them for some time, until the rain fell in torrents. During the continuance of this severe hail storm, the thunder continued in one continuous and awful roll, no interval between each peal intervening;  and the air seemed literally in one electric flame of fire, flash succeeding flash, without any intermission during the continuance of the storm. The fury of the tempest did not last above an hour, but during that time, most of the streets of Penrith were sheets of water, and the dwelling-houses in low situations were mostly inundated. We have not as yet heard of any damage done by the lightning, but a considerable number of skylights and windows in exposed situations have been broken by the force and size of the hailstones, and nearly all the glass frames in the gardens of the neighbourhood have been destroyed or damaged by the severity of the storm. It is supposed that great damage will have been done to the standing crops in the country by the hail-storm;  but as yet we have not heard the particulars. It is only about a week since the mountains overhanging Keswick were covered with snow, which seems very extraordinary at this season of the year. [The date from THE TIMES is July 8; the date from the article itself is June 6] _______________________________________________________

 

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