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The Whitehaven News - Thursday July 29 1852

Dreadful Thunder Storm

       About midnight on Friday, the 23rd instant, this town was visited by a
most appalling thunderstorm, of several hours duration. During Friday, as
well as throughout the week, the atmosphere had been close and sultry, and the
heat almost unbearable. Every evening as soon as day-light was gone, the whole
atmosphere seemed in a blaze with sheet-lightening, and about midnight the
thunder was heard rolling in the distance. Between two and three o'clock the storm
began to approach the town, when the lightening flashed almost incessantly
with an awful brilliancy, amid a continuous roll of thunder which appeared to
cause a vibration in every dwelling. Meanwhile the rain descended in torrents
such as we believe are only seen in tropical climates. The water poured from the
clouds  in such extraordinary quantities, that the ordinary channels were
unable to contain it, and the streets from side to side had all the appearances
of river courses; the gratings in the Market Place and other parts soon became
flooded to a great extent, and considerable damage was done thereby.
 
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