Southampton turns into the windy city

12:33pm Monday 21st January 2008

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GLOBAL warming might be a major concern today but, more than 60 years ago, Hampshire was experiencing far from normal weather in a time when no one would have heard of the greenhouse effect.

The gale that swept in and battered the county, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, on Wednesday, August 28, 1946, was one of the worst storms in living memory.

For about 48 hours the south was forced to batten down the hatches as powerful gusts of wind, torrential rain and damaging squalls played havoc along the coast.

Every day, for the previous four weeks, the soggy south had suffered a wash-out summer with heavy rainfall dampening the spirits of holidaymakers and local people alike.

Blowing in from the west with winds of more than 60 miles an hour, the gale brought down countless telephone wires, uprooted trees, flattened valuable crops, broke yachts and other boats from their moorings as well as damaging homes and businesses over a wide area.

In the Bevois Valley area of Southampton the roof of an empty house, next door to a fish and chip shop, collapsed amid fears that the whole property would crash to the ground while at Woodmill the road was closed after willow trees were brought down and four elderly men narrowly escaped with their lives at Shirley Recreation Ground when a large branch totally destroyed a wooden seat on which they had been sitting.

The Daily Echo reported: "A large branch crashed from a chestnut tree near the Cenotaph while in the Avenue branches also fell, and the Common presented a most untidy appearance.

"In the Romsey district serious damage was done to crops. Orchards were practically stripped with hundreds of bushels of fruit now lying on the ground.

"Hampshire fields present a sorry sight. Acres of golden brown corn ready for reaping a week or fortnight ago lie broken and flat after the fierce battering from the gale.'' Those people who did venture out on the Southampton waterfront found themselves fighting against strong winds and lashing rain as waves washed over the shoreline.

Drifting Several disused naval crafts broke away from their moorings and drifted across the River Test off the Western Docks until tugs took them in tow. One, a tank landing craft, was driven against the liner, Sterling Castle at 105 berth.

Ropes had to be attached to the craft from the tugs, Canute and Neptune before being taken to Town Quay where the naval vessel became partially submerged.

The rain continued over the following days and even resulted in Southampton Football Club's first game of the new season being postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Newport County's ground at Somerton Park.

Saints' manager at the time, Bill Dodgin said: "This a big disappointment to everyone in the club and particularly the players. Jokingly they said: People will think we are getting as soft as cricketers, being rained off!''