LANDMARKS OF WORLD HISTORY
A Chronology of Remarkable Natural Phenomena
20th Century 1921-1930
Numbers show sources
Date
Location
Phenomenon
Description
1921
North Pacific
Sea wave
An ocean wave 70 feet from crest to trough. (56)
1921
Kent, England
An annual rainfall total of only 9.29 inches (235 mm.) at Margate. (92)
1921
Texas, United States
Meteor crater
Discovery of the largest meteorite crater at Odessa; 600 feet diameter, up to 18 feet deep. About 1 ton of meteoritic iron found. (144)
1921 January
Switzerland
Drought
‘Driest season for 90 years’; Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen vanished (111)
1921 January 3
New Zealand
Heat
A temperature of 100° F. (38° C.) at Ashburton. (141)
1921 January 29
Oregon and Washington, United States
Gale
“Severest storm’ in 200 years’; wind speed over 5 minutes 126 m.p.h., gust of 156 m.p.h. Great timber damage (25)
1921 February 7
New Zealand
Rain
3.12 inches of rain fell at Hokitika in 8 hours. (141)
1921 February 20
New York, United States
Blizzard
A foot of snow fell in 10 hours. “Traffic completely disorganised”. (111)
1921 April
Mexico
Volcano
A severe eruption of Popocatepetl. Activity began in 1920 after 200 years’ quiet. (110)
1921 April 5
England
Rare halo
An ‘irregular’ solar halo with two parhelia seen at Kew Observatory; halo radius 33 degrees. (162)
1921 April 14 - 15
Colorado, United States
Snow
76 inches (1,870 mm.) of snow fell at Silver Lake in 24 hours. (69)
1921 April 15
United States
Tornadoes
A tornado at Aviger, Texas, killed 61 persons. One of 30 tornadoes in the southern states on the 15th - 16th. (62)
1921 May 13
Aurora
Australia, etc.
Great magnetic storm. Aurorae seen in California, Samoa, and Watheroo, Australia, in bright moonlight. (168)
1921 May 13 - 15
British Isles
Aurora
An aurora ‘outshone the summer twilight’ on three evenings. ‘Enormous sunspot activity and great magnetic storms’. (34)
1921June 11
Gulf of Mexico
Waterspout and fall
A waterspout followed by a heavy downpour of salt water and a rain of fish. (138)
1921 June 23
China
Rain
7.45 inches of rain fell on the city of T’ung Chuan during a 12-hour thunderstorm. (25)
1921 June 26
London, England
Ball lightning
An incandescent pear-shaped mass hovered beneath clouds for 2 minutes at St. John’s Wood in a nocturnal thunderstorm. (61)
1921 June 30
Vietnam
Meteorites
Three stones, largest 10.8 kg., fell at Tuan Tac after detonations. (76)
1921 July 20
Ceylon
Tornado
A tornado with a track 3 miles long demolished a school at Veyangoda. One person was killed. (25)
1921 July 28
France
Heat
A ’strong hot wind for several hours’ in Paris; temperature rose to 101° F. (111)
1921 July 31
Atlantic Ocean
Ice
An iceberg was seen near the Azores. (107)
1921 July 31
Poland
Heat
A temperature of 104.4° F. (40.2° C.) at Proszkow. (69)
1921 August 7
California, United States
Comet??
A star-like object was seen 3 degrees from the setting Sun at Mt. Hamilton. (30)
1921 August 16
Germany
Hail
Violent hailstorms in Bavaria and Wurttemburg. Hail lay up to a foot deep; much damage. (111)
1921 October 4
Argentina
Rain
100 mm. of rain fell at Cerrito in a ‘terrific thunderstorm’, immense damage at Buenos Aires from wind and flooding. (111)
1921 October 6
England
Autumn heat
A maximum temperature of 84° F. (28.9° C.) in London. (85)
1921 November 26 - 29
Massachusetts, United States
Freezing rain
3 days of snow and freezing rain; ice snapped rows of telegraph and trolley-car poles. (25)
1921 December 19
Italy
Drought
Most severe drought in the Po Valley since 1621. (111)
1921 December 23
United States
Tornado
A tornado killed 36 persons in Arkansas and Mississippi. A severe frost followed. (111)
1922 January 4
Greece
Hail
A hailstorm accompanied by a violent wind destroyed several sailing vessels at Salonika. (115)
1922 January 4 (after)
Lebanon
Lightning
20 persons were killed by lightning during a severe thunderstorm. (115)
1922 January 9
London
Winter warmth
A maximum temperature of 60° F. (15.5° C.) (109)
1922 January 11
New York City
Snowstorm
A ‘hurricane’ with 100 m.p.h. gusts followed heavy hail and snow. 3 persons were killed. (115)
1922 January 17
Portugal
Gale
A nocturnal ‘hurricane’ on the Portugese coast caused much damage and loss of life. (115)
1922 January 22
Spain
Rare halo
A halo with a radius of about 16° was observed off the coast of Spain. (44)
1922 February 3
Cameroon, West Africa
Volcano
A lava flow from the Cameroon volcano reached the Atlantic coast. (67)
1922 February 7
Europe
Winter cold
’60° of frost’ at St. Moritz, Switzerland, Feb. 7. Intense cold and heavy snow in Austria, Herzegovina and Hungary. Snow fell in Rome on Feb. 8. (117)
1922 February 7
England
Bolide
A meteor fireball with detonations that ‘literally (shook) the ground’ passed from Oxford to Shropshire at 10 miles a second. (54)
1922 February 11
Atlantic Ocean
Meteor?
A huge fireball, visible 3 minutes and 20 seconds, rose in the west, passed low over the N. horizon and vanished below the E. horizon off the coast of Brazil. (48)
1922 February 17
Ireland
Hailstorm
A hailstorm swept a path 7 miles long and 1 mile wide through County Cork. The hailstones contained black dust. Many poultry were killed and cattle stampeded. (148)
1922 February 21
Great Lakes
Glazed frost
“Freezing rain’ destroyed trees and telegraph wires, blocking streets and railways. (25, 117)
1922 February 24
East Africa
‘Cyclone’
A storm lasting 16 hours, with a calm centre, destroyed the port of Chinde, at the mouth of the Zambesi. (112)
1922 early March
Dauphine Alps
Fall
Many spiders, ants, caterpillars and other insects fell during heavy snow. (117)
1922 March 26
New Zealand
Tornado
A tornado destroyed trees and buildings at Wellsford, near Auckland. (143)
1922 April 11 (reported)
Latvia
Flood
Over 1,000 persons were killed after an ice jam caused the River Dwina to rise over 30 feet and flood Dvinsk. The barrier was finally destroyed by gunfire. (118)
1922 April 25
New Jersey
Bolide
An exploding meteor rocked buildings and shattered windows in southern New Jersey. The meteor was seen to fall into Barnegat Bay; ‘huge waves’ came ashore some minutes after. (165)
1922 May 13
France
Hailstorm
Hailstones about half an inch in diameter fell 4 inches deep at Montpelier; rain-washed heaps up to 2 feet deep blocked streets. (25)
1922 May 22
London
Spring heat
A shade temperature of 91° F. (32.8° C.) at Camden Square. (91)
1922 May 23 (reported)
Caribbean Sea
Obscuration
“‘A low hanging mist’ covered the whole Caribbean from Barbados to St. Kitts. (27)
1922 June 11 (or 12)
New York City
Tornadoes
A thunderstorm with tornadoes and waterspouts, lasting half an hour, unroofed buildings and uprooted trees. About 75 persons were killed. (116)
1922 July 5
France
Lightning
The 9th-century church of Premieres in Dijon was struck by lighting and burnt. (113)
1922 August 2 - 3
China
Typhoon
The centre of a typhoon passed over Swatow; barometer fell to 938 mb. (27.70 inches). A huge storm surge drowned 50,000 persons. (25)
1922 August 3
Estonia
Tornado
A tornado with a track 82 kilometres long. (152)
1922 August 27
Italy
Summer heat
A temperature of 112° F. at Foggia on the Adriatic. (113)
1922 September 5 (reported)
France
Fall
‘Little toads’ fell for 2 days at Chalon-sur-Saone. (135)
1922 September 8 (reported)
Italy
Tornado?
A storm unroofed 600 houses and damaged many churches at Lecce in Apulia. (119)
1922 September 13
Libya
Heat
A shade temperature of 136.4° F. (58° C.) at Al ‘Aziziyah. (70)
1922 September 20 -21
Orkney
Aurora
An aurora ‘in clouds of light’ at Deerness. It was reported to make a sound like the sifting of meal in skin sieves. (26)
1922 November 11
Chile
Earthquake
A mag. 8.5 earthquake in the Atacama region created a seismic sea wave which drowned hundreds of persons in coastal cities and reached Australia.
1922 December 2
Arabian Sea
‘Cyclone’
The SS Hawkins encountered a storm with a ring of hurricane-force winds only 4 miles thick and a calm centre 4 miles in diameter. (35)
1922 December 18
Salisbury, England
Ball lightning
‘Balls of bluish flame’ hovered or darted about the sky for 2 hours at Alderholt Lodge during a thunderstorm.
(24)
1923
Atlantic Ocean
Sea waves
Waves 80 feet high ‘and possibly higher’ reported from the North Atlantic. (56)
1923 February 3
Hawaii
Tsunami
A 20-foot seismic sea wave created by a Kamchatka earthquake struck Hilo, killing one person and doing much damage. (71)
1923 February 7
Ireland
Gale
A SW’ly gale blew for three hours with an average wind velocity of 60 m.p.h. at Valencia. A gust reached 95 m.p.h.
(5)
1923 February 12 (reported)
Warwickshire, England
Anomalous phenomenon
An ‘uncanny light’ was seen ‘thousands of times’ wandering down a valley near Fenny Compton in the Burton Hills. (60)
1923 February 13 - 14
United States
Blizzard
A snowstorm with winds of over 50 m.p.h. on the plains of North Dakota and Minnesota. Over 20 persons and many cattle froze to death. (25)
1923 March 2
Vietnam
Volcano
A submarine volcano off the S.E. coast of Vietnam created two small islands. (67)
1923 March 15 - 18
S.E. Europe
Floods
Heavy rain and thawing snow caused severe floods in Macedonia, Serbia and Thessaly; great loss of life and property damage. (120)
1923 March 23
Middle East
Floods
The River Tigris rose to unprecedented heights after heavy rains and melting snow in Kurdistan. 300 miles of desert were flooded and Baghdad isolated. (120)
1923 March 30
Atlantic Ocean
Waterspout
A huge waterspout struck the liner Pittsburgh. See here. (98)
1923 March 31
Essex, England
Tornado
A funnel cloud ‘like an elephant’s trunk’ touched the ground at Ingatestone but did no damage. (45)
1923 (or 1925) April 29
Germany
Ball lightning
An object like a ‘golden beer barrel’ struck the ground and ‘exploded into lightning ‘ after falling from a funnel cloud over Troebigau, Saxony. (88)
1923 May 2
Ireland
Ball lightning
Two fireballs were seen at Kilmurry, Co. Cork, during a thunderstorm. (101)
1923 July
Europe
Summer heat
A ‘heat wave’ in western Europe caused 150 deaths in two weeks in Holland. (121)
1923 July 9 - 10
England
Thunderstorms
6,294 lightning flashes in 6 hours caused many fires in London. 69 mm. of rain fell at Hampstead. (87)
1923 July 10
Russia
Hail
23 persons were killed by hailstones up to 2 pounds in weight at Rostov. (98)
1923 July 12
Wales and England
Summer heat and storms
A shade temperature of 93° F. (33.9° C.) at Newport, Gwent. Trees uprooted and chimneys felled by a possible tornado near Rotherham, Yorkshire. (91, 157)
1923 July 13
London
Summer heat
A shade temperature of 96° F. at Camden Square. (91)
1923 early August
Burma
Tornado
A tornado ‘caused great havoc’ at Moulmein. (122)
1923 August 8
France
Summer heat
A temperature of 111.2° F. (44° C.) at Toulouse. (69, 122)
1923 August 11
China
Tornado
A waterspout became a tornado with a track 5 miles long at Shantung, near Tientsin. (62)
1923 August 12
Scotland
Rain
Rain was measured every day from August 12 to November 8 on the island of Islay; total 27.77 inches. (158)
1923 August 18
Hong Kong
Typhoon
The eye of a typhoon passed 14 miles from Hong Kong. Outside the calm centre a gust of 127 m.p.h. was recorded. (25)
1923 September 1
Japan
Earthquake
Tokyo and Yokohama were destroyed by a mag. 8.2 earthquake, lasting 5 minutes, and following fires. 142,807 persons were killed. 237 aftershocks were recorded on the same day. (41)
1923 September 1
Japan
Tornadoes
One of 30 tornadoes formed during the fire after the Tokyo earthquake killed 40,000 persons at the Army Clothing Depot. (41)
1923 September 2
Ball lightning
Yorkshire, England
A ball of fire during a thunderstorm rolled up the aisle of Selby church and exploded. (101)
1923 September 23
Brussels, Belgium
Lightning
3 balloons in the Gordon Bennet Balloon Race were destroyed by lightning with 5 aeronauts killed. (16)
1923 December 23
Mediterranean Sea
Lightning
The French airship Dixmunde exploded after being struck by lightning near Sicily. 50 persons were killed. (59)
1923 December 25
South Africa
Lightning
360 lightning flashes in 3 minutes at Pretoria. For about an hour, 100 flashes a minute were recorded. (98)
1924 January
Laos
Cold
An air temperature of 33.4° F. (0.8° C.) at Luang Prabang. (69)
1924 January 5
North Atlantic Ocean
Bolide
A meteor lit up the sea with ‘a blaze of light’ and left a long-lasting smoke trail. 2 minutes after disappearance there was a detonation and reverberations. (102)
1924 January 6
United States
Blizzard
A snowstorm disrupted traffic in the northern United States. Several persons froze to death. (123)
1924 January 23
London
Fog
“High fog’ (smoke and fog) caused darkness at mid-day in Westminster. (28)
1924 February 3
Austria
Tornado?
A ‘hurricane’ swept over Vienna, causing extensive damage and injuring several persons. (128)
1924 February 4
Central America
Cold
An air temperature of 59° F. (15° C.) at Madden Dam, Canal Zone. (69)
1924 March 30
Europe
Floods
Heavy rains and a sudden thaw resulted in widespread floods. In Poland the River Vistula was 27 feet above normal. Seville (Spain) was flooded and many persons drowned. (25)
1924 April 25
India
Tornado
A tornado destroyed 3 villages and killed 45 persons in the Hardoi district of Oudh. (140)
1924 April 29 - 30
United States
Tornadoes
22 tornadoes destroyed 26 towns in seven southern states. 115 persons were killed. (62)
1924 May 22
Silesia
Thunderstorms
A 15-minute hailstorm left stones lying up to 6 feet deep. Many persons were badly hurt. A thunderstorm flood 2 hours later swept away railways and bridges. There were many lightning deaths. (125)
1924 May 31
India
Heat
A temperature of 115° F. at Calcutta. (125)
1924 June 13
Tennessee, United States
Rain
12 inches of rain fell in just over 3 hours, Carter County. (11)
1924 June 13
Hungary
Tornado
A tornado at Bai with a track 30 miles long and 2 miles wide. (62)
1924 June 19
Spain
Meteorite
Five stones, total 331 pounds, fell at Olivenza. (76)
1924 June 28
Ohio, United States
Tornado
A tornado became a waterspout on Lake Erie before striking Lorain. 78 persons were killed. (62)
1924 July
China
Floods
“Unparalled floods’ after a July rainfall of 26 inches at Peking. 5 million persons were homeless in Chil-li province. (19)
1924 July 6
Colorado, United States
Meteorite shower
After detonations, many stones fell at Johnstown. The largest weighed 15 pounds. (144)
1924 July 14
Black Sea
Tornado
A waterspout moved along the coast and turned inland at Temruk. Two persons were killed and two disappeared. (138)
1924 August 19
Somerset, England
Rain
8 inches of thunderstorm rain fell in 5 hours near Cannington. (25, 66)
1924 September 7
Formosa
Typhoon
A typhoon in the port of Taihoku killed over 300 persons and sank 60 vessels. (126)
1924 September 23
Russia
The River Neva flooded Leningrad to a depth of 12 feet after a storm in the Gulf of Finland raised sea levels and blocked the river flow. (25)
1924 October 10 - 11
Florida, United States
Rain
23 inches of rain fell in 24 hours at Smyrna. (98)
1924 December 20
Wyoming, United States
High barometer
A barometric pressure of 31.29 inches (1059 millibars) at Lander. (63)
1924 December 26
Iraq
Snow
Snow fell in Baghdad for the first time in 15 years. (127)
1925
Brazil
Meteorite
A 32 kg. (70 pounds) iron fell at Patos de Minas. (76)
1925 January 3
Iraq
Cold
A minimum temperature of 12° F. at Mosul. (84)
1925 January 4 (circa)
England
Floods and storm
Extensive floods on the Thames, Medway, Bath and Bristol. A ‘hurricane’ at Newbury racecourse. (22)
1925 January 30
Ireland
Gale
3 coaches of a Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway train were blown off a viaduct by a gale. (91)
1925 February 2
Canada
Earthquake
A strong earthquake caused damage in Quebec. The shock was felt in Virginia and the Mississippi River.
1925 February 27
North Atlantic Ocean
Sea wave
The RMS Olympic was struck by a huge wave which badly damaged her navigation bridge 75 feet above sea level. (106)
1925 March 7 - 9
Peru
Rain and floods
Great floods in the coastal regions of Peru after 8.9 inches of rain fell in 3 days. The area is usually ‘almost rainless’. (25)
1925 March 18
United States
Tornado
“Possibly the most violent tornado ever recorded’ touched down in Missouri and moved E.N.E. at up to 73 m.p.h. (transitional velocity) before dissipating in Indiana. 695 persons were killed. (62)
1925 April 16
North Sea
Gale
The airship R.33 was blown stern first across the North Sea to Holland by a 45 m.p.h. westerly gale. (21)
1925 April 11
Sweden
Anomalous meteorite
After a smoke-trailing meteor, fragments of white porous limestone ‘differing from the local rocks’ were found at Blackenstad. (76)
1925 May 23
Japan
Earthquake
A severe earthquake devastated parts of S.W. Japan. At Kinosaki only one building out of 2,000 survived. About 300 persons were killed. (78)
1925 June 23
United States
Landslide
A fall of sandstone 5,000 feet long, 2,000 feet wide and up to 200 feet deep blocked the Gros Ventre River, and formed a lake. The lake burst on May 18, 1927, destroying Kelly village and killing 6 persons. (159)
1925 June 29
California, United States
Earthquake
An earthquake devastated Santa Barbara, ‘causing great destruction and loss of life’. (79)
1925 July 17
Hong Kong
Rain
10.24 inches of rain fell in 11 hours after a thunderstorm. Floods and landslides caused much damage. (25)
1925 July 22
London
Hail
Hailstones ‘as large as a man’s fist’ caused much damage in Woolwich and Pliumstead. (32)
1925 August 10
Holland
Tornado
A powerful tornado destroyed substantial buildings at Buroulo. 4 persons were killed and 200 injured. (13)
1925 August 10
Germany
A hailstone 10 inches long and weighing over 4 pounds fell through a roof at Heidgraben, Schleswig-Holstein. Date may be August 19. (18)
1925 August 11
Greek Islands
Volcano
An eruption of Thera (Santorini). (80)
1925 September 3
United States
Thunderstorm
The airship Shenandoah was lifted into a thunderstorm squall over Noble County, Ohio, and twisted into three piece. 14 of the crew were killed. (53)
1925 November 30
United States
Hurricane
‘The latest hurricane to strike the United States’ near Tampa, Florida. (74)
1925 December 12
Bermuda
Tornado
A tornado 300 yards wide caused light building damage. (103)
1926 January 1
Germany
Floods
After rain and a thaw, the River Rhine rose 32 feet above low water level at Cologne, and three-quarters of the town was under water. Severe flooding in Holland. (25)
1926 January 1
Tahiti
Typhoon
Over 50 inches of rain fell in 48 hours; great damage from landslides. (104)
1926 January 17
Greenwich
A great sunspot crossed the solar disc from 17 to 31 January. (168)
1926 January 18
Canary Islands
Gale and rain
Widespread damage; at Las Palmas ’scarcely a house was left standing’. (25)
1926 January 20
North Atlantic Ocean
Aurora
‘A brilliant red glow in the sky’ bearing E.N.E. which reflected faintly on western clouds. (150)
1926 January 22
New Zealand
Rain and flood
8.21 inches of rain fell in 10 hours at Pokoro in the Nelson district, causing a ‘record flood’. (142)
1926 January 24
Greenwich, London
Sunspot
‘The largest sunspot since 1874’, 70,000 miles long, area 4,000 million square miles. (25)
1926 January 24
-
Solar flare
A brilliant solar flare appeared over and around a large sunspot. (1)
1926 January 26 - 27
North Atlantic Ocean
Gales
A ‘continuous succession of heavy gales’ swept shipping routes in January. On January 26 - 27 the steamers Antinoe and Laristan sank in the same storm. (75)
1926 February 9
China Sea
Marine luminescence
‘The whole sea…appeared as if lighted up from below’, from the SS Kwangtung. (42)
1926 April 5
California, United States
Rain
1.02 inches of rain fell in one minute at Opid’s Camp in the San Gabriel Range. (25)
1926 April 5 - 6
California, United States
Tornadoes
Tornadoes at San Diego and National City on April 5. Next day a tornado caused much damage near Escalon. (62)
1926 April 7 - 8
California, United States
Whirlwinds
An oil tank farm at San Luis Obispo was set on fire by lightning. Hundreds of tornadic fire-whirls were formed. One carried a cottage 150 yards, killing 2 persons. (77)
1926 April 25
Russia
Floods
After a rapid thaw, Moscow, Leningrad and many other towns were flooded. Drifting ice blocks caused much damage. (25)
1926 May 8
Texas, United States
Hailstorm
A 15-minute storm with cricket-ball sized hailstones did widespread damage in Dallas. (98)
1926 May 16
England
Rare haloes
Haloes of 15°, 22° and 35° radius were seen at Cambridge. Elsewhere, ‘Rankin’s halo’, of 17° to 19° radius, was observed. (89)
1926 May 24
India
Tornado?
A cyclonic storm about a mile wide, lasting a few minutes, struck Calcutta, doing great damage to shipping. (8)
1926 June 1
North Atlantic Ocean
Aurora
An auroral corona formed over the SS Port Sydney, about 48° N., 46° W. (154)
1926 June 25
Atlantic Ocean
Ice
An iceberg about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide in 30° 20’ N., 62° 33’ W. The water temperature was 80° F. (17)
1926 June 30
Yugoslavia
Floods
Large areas of southern Serbia and Hertzogovinia under water. (25)
1926 July 5
Germany
Floods
The Coburg, Passau and Hirschberg districts of Silesia were flooded by ‘cloudbursts’. (137)
1926 July 9
Persian Gulf
Tornado?
A ‘whirlwind of hot air and sand’ beneath heavy clouds struck the SS Barpeta. The temperature rose to 99.2° F. (96)
1926 July 10
New Jersey, United States
Lightning
An ammunition depot near Mt. Hope exploded after being struck by lightning. 19 persons were killed. (164)
1926 July 18 - 19
Hong Kong
Rain
19.885 inches of rain from a filling typhoon fell in 8 hours, Low ground was flooded several feet deep. (10)
1926 September 6
Britain
Bolide
A brilliant meteor illuminated almost the whole of the British isles at 9.50 p.m., and was seen from Belgium and France. The meteor exploded near Sheffield, with rumblings for 43 seconds. (25)
1926 September 17 - 18
Florida, United States
Hurricane
Miami’s first hurricane for over 20 years, with winds exceeding 100 m.p.h. Over 100 persons were killed. (59)
1926 September 19
London
Autumn heat
A temperature of 90° F. at Camden Square. (57)
1926 September 30
Arabian Sea
Marine luminescence
A luminous sea appearing ‘as a large number of circular beams radiating swiftly counterclockwise around dark spots’. (72)
1926 October 8
Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Meteor?
A large explosion followed by rumbling sounds at about 10.55 a.m. heard from Butaritari. The sky was clear. (155)
1926 October 15
Near Oslo, Norway
Aurora
During a bright aurora, two witnesses heard a faint undulatory whistling sound. The aurora’s height was measured at 90 to 132 kilometres. (51)
1926 October 20
Cuba
Hurricane
The ‘most violent hurricane for 80 years’, wind velocities of up to 130 m.p.h. 650 persons were killed. (139)
1926 November 15
Off South Africa
Meteor?
The SS Dundrum Castle observed ‘a strange meteor consisting of two parts…speed quite slow’. It resembled ‘an aeroplane in flight’. (145)
1926 December 3
Malacca Straits
Marine luminescence
The SS Aeneas observed ‘two distinct systems of phosphorescent wheels’, rotating clockwise to port and starboard. (2)
1926 December 19
Portugal
Earthquake
A severe earthquake at Lisbon. The waters of the Tagus River rose, and were covered with thousands of dead fish. (31)
1927
Pacific Ocean
Volcano
A submarine eruption of Falcon Island built a cone 300 feet high and 3 miles round. it lasted until 1949. (98)
1927 January
Australia
Heat
The most severe heat wave for 15 years in South Australia. On 5 successive days the temperature rose above 100° F., with a maximum of 113° F. (130)
1927 February 10
Corsica
Snow
A storm followed by heavy snow; 18 persons were killed by the first avalanches recorded in Corsica. (130)
1927 February 11 - 12
Turkey
Snow
Intense cold and heavy snowfalls in Constantinople. (130)
1927 February 14
Eastern Europe
Earthquake and sea disturbances
An earthquake in Herzegovinia and Dalmatia. “Convulsive seas’ near the Straits of Messina and the Egyptian coast. (106)
1927 February 15
Japan
Snow
All communications were suspended in Niigata province after heavy snow. 62 persons were killed. (130)
1927 spring
Nigeria
Meteorite
A 226 pound stony-iron was found after a detonation. (76)
1927 early March
Burma
Hail
Orange-sized hailstones damaged buildings at Wuntha. (166)
1927 March 7
Japan
Earthquake
A strong earthquake killed 3,017 persons and ruined several towns in the Tango peninsula. (25)
1927 March 23
South Africa
Hail
Ice lumps up to 3 inches in diameter fell on Pretoria for half an hour, followed by heavy rain. (166)
1927 March 23
Plymouth, England
Ball lightning
At least one fireball exploded over Cattewater, fusing electric lights and damaging buildings. (131)
1927 April 12
Texas, United States
Tornado
The town of Rocksprings was ‘wiped…out of existence’ by a tornado. 74 persons were killed. (62)
1927 April 15
United States
Floods
Great floods in the Mississippi Valley from February to July. An area of 28,573 square miles were flooded and 214 persons killed. (25)
1927 April 30
Herefordshire, England
Spring cold
A thermometer 4 feet above ground fell to 16° F. (50)
1927 May 9
United States
Tornadoes
92 persons were killed by tornadoes in Arkansas and Missouri. (62)
1927 May 22
China
Earthquake
An earthquake centred near Gulang killed 40,900 persons.
1927 June
Russia
Waterspout and fall
A rain of fish at Serupukhov after a waterspout emptied a small lake near Moscow. (138)
1927 June 1
Holland
Tornado
A tornado in eastern Holland did great damage. (43, 166)
1927 June 2
Canada
Tornado
A tornado in south Quebec overturned a Canadian Pacific passenger train. 2 persons were killed. (37)
1927 June 4
Kansas, United States
Hail
A hailstorm 5 miles wide in Grove County killed horses, cattle, and other livestock. Hailstones formed drifts up to 15 feet deep. (7)
1927 June 18
Saskatchewan, Canada
Tornado
A tornado at Elfros destroyed thousands of trees in a path 7 miles long and 200 yards wide. Trees were piled in heaps up to 50 feet high. (98)
1927 June 26
Wyoming, United States
Tornado
A tornado levelled nearly every derrick in the Salt Creek Oil Field. (38)
1927 July 8
Minnesota, United States
Tornado
Lucille Handberg photographed a tornado near Jasper. See here. (23)
1927 July 8
Germany
Flood
A thunderstorm flood in Saxony killed 145 persons. (166)
1927 July 11
Palestine
Earthquake
An earthquake killed 200 persons in Palestine and 68 in Transjordan. (81)
1927 July 13
Illinois, United States
Meteorites
Three stones, largest 110 pounds, fell at Tilden. (76)
1927 July 25
China
Typhoon
Mountain floods caused by a typhoon drowned 10,000 persons near Changshowfu, Amoy. (167)
1927 July 31
Iraq
Heat
A maximum temperature of 124° F. at Mosul. (84)
1927 August 18
Phillipines
Typhoon
A sea-level pressure of 26.18 inches (885.9 millibars) measured by a steamer 460 miles E. of Luzon during a typhoon. (147)
1927 August 30 - 31
Spain
Floods
Storm floods drowned 180 persons in the valleys of Galicia. (131)
1927 September 9
Brazil
Heat
An air temperature of 111° F. (43.8° C.) at Ibipetuba. (69)
1927 September 13
Japan
Typhoon
A typhoon and storm surge wrecked the towns of Kojima and Nakamura. 700 persons were killed. (165)
1927 September 29
Missouri, United States
Tornadoes
At least two tornadoes struck St. Louis. Associated winds gusted to 96 m.p.h. 72 persons were killed. (73)
1927 November 3 - 4
New England, United States
Floods
Torrential rain, 9 inches over 500 square miles, caused severe floods in New England, with much damage and loss of life. (25)
1927 November 5
India
Floods
Storm floods in Nellore killed about 200 persons. (165)
1927 November 12
Arabian Sea
Violent storms sank several ships in the Arabian Sea. 5 inches of rain fell at Bombay. (165)
1927 November 25
Algeria
Floods
The Wad Fergoug dam burst after torrential rains. About 2,000 persons were drowned. (165)
1927 December 25
England
Blizzard
Heavy snow and strong N.E. winds over S. E. England for 3 days. Some drifts were 20 feet deep. (25)
1928 January 6 - 7
London
Flood
The River Thames rose 6 feet above predicted height after a storm surge in the North Sea, and broke through embankments in the City, Westminster and westward. 14 persons were drowned. (25)
1928 January 22
*
Sunspot
A great sunspot group about 125,000 miles long. (39)
1928 January 26
Java
The new volcano Anak Krakatoa emerged above sea level in the Krakatoa caldera, and was destroyed by waves 9 days later. (153)
1928 March 29 -31
Ohio, Unite States
Freezing rain
A ‘glaze storm’ in N. W. Ohio. Ice coating and wind broke 8,561 telephone poles. (36)
1928 April 5
India
Hail
4 persons and 50 cattle were killed by a hailstorm near Peshawar. (132)
1928 April 7
London
Optical phenomena
A solar and a lunar halo were visible simultaneously at Hurlingham, 5:30 p.m. (149)
1928 April 19
Connecticut, United States
Dust storm
A dust storm and a ‘hot squall’ for an hour at New Haven. The fine ochre dust penetrated windows. (160)
1928 April 26 - 29
Eastern Europe
Fall
A great fall of dust with darkness in a W.N.W. direction from the Sea of Azov. In southern Russia the dust formed heaps over a foot deep. (25)
1928 May 1
Romania
Hail
6 children were killed and 10 other persons injured by hens’ egg sized hailstones at Klausenberg. (98)
1928 May 25
United States
Bolide
An exploding meteor shook parts of Georgia and South Carolina and alarmed thousands of persons. (165)
1928 June 22 (or June 16)
Kansas, United States
Tornado
Will Keller observed the interior of a tornado near Greensburg. (93)
1928 July 6
Nebraska, United States
Hail
A hailstone collected after a storm at Potter measured 17 inches in circumference and weighed one and a half pounds. (95)
1928 July 7 - 8
United States
Aurora
An all-sky aurora over New England with 6 arches and an auroral corona. (64)
1928 August 4 - 5
East Indies
Volcano
An eruption of Rokatinda on Paloeweh island unit September 25. Landslides created fatal sea waves. 226 persons were killed. (139)
1928 August 17
Algeria
Tornado?
A 15-minute storm ‘devastated’ the town of Jijella and nearby areas, killing 5 persons. (132)
1928 August 29
Italy
Tornado?
A 15-minute storm over Milan killed 10 persons. (132)
1928 September 11
Sweden
Waterspouts
‘A thunderstorm accompanied by waterspouts’ did much damage in North Jutland and the west coast of Sweden. (132)
1928 September 12 - 16
West Indies
Hurricane
A violent hurricane caused great destruction in Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, Montserrat, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Florida. The barometer fell to 27.43 inches at West Palm Beach, Florida.
1,836 persons were killed in Florida and 300 in Puerto Rico. (156)
1928 September 27
*
Sunspot
A giant sunspot group with an area 2587 millionths of the solar hemisphere. (33)
1928 October 6 - 10
New Zealand
Fall
200,000 tons of Australian dust fell on New Zealand, forming a layer 5 inches thick at Otago. (94)
1928 October 14
Russia
Waterspout
A huge waterspout, with heavy rain and hail, moved for 9 miles on the lake of Issyk-Kul. (138)
1928 October 22
London
Tornado
A tornado did much damage in a track from Victoria Station to Euston. (98)
1928 October 25
Surrey, England
Ball lightning
A ball of fire about 3 feet in diameter exploded at Horley on a day of heavy showers. (49)
1928 November 11
Sicily
Volcano
Lava flows from Mount Etna destroyed the towns of Mascati and Nunziata, reaching the sea on Nov. 11. (139)
1928 November 12 (circa)
Argentina
Tornado?
A ‘cyclone’ killed and injured 40 persons in Cordoba province. (134)
1928 November 19
Switzerland
Contrail
A ‘streak of cirrus’ formed behind an aeroplane at 33,000 feet and was ’successfully photographed from the ground’. (25)
1928 November 19
India
Solar event
An eruptive prominence observed from the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory rose at 145 miles a second to a height of 570,000 miles above the Sun’’s chromosphere. (25)
1928 December 26
Germany
Freezing rain
A ‘glazed frost’ at Munich caused many injuries. (132)
1929 January 21 - 22
North Atlantic Ocean
Gale
A huge storm off Newfoundland. Ships foundered. Pressure at Belle Isle was 28.34 inches for 2 days. The wind exceeded 100 m.p.h. at Mt. Evans, Greenland, and temperature rose to over 50° F. (Fohn). (65)
1929 January 28
Java
Volcano
Anak Krakatoa rose above sea level until July 3. (153)
1929 January 30
Wales
Winter warmth
A temperature of 63° F. at Aber in Bangor. (158)
1929 February 9
Lithuania
Meteorites
A shower of stones fell at Padvarninkai. (76)
1929 February 10
Poland
Winter cold
A temperature of -41.1° F. (-40.6° C.) at Zgwiec. (69)
1929 February 11
Czechoslovakia
Winter cold
A temperature of -41.8° F. (-41.0° C.) at Viglas-Pstrusa. (69)
1929 February 16
Dartmoor, England
Snow
Snow fell undrifted to a depth of 72 inches in S.E. Dartmoor. (98)
1929 February 24
Kent, England
Fog
Fog lasted for weeks over Kent. On the 24th the SS Olivia rammed and sank the South Goodwin lightship. No lives were lost. (99)
1929 February 26
Spain
Meteorites
A shower of stones at fell at Olmedilla de Aloucon. The largest weighed 14 pounds. (76)
1929 March 11
Meteor
Belgian Congo (Zaire), Africa
A large meteor fell and was followed by a ‘tremendous thundering’. Between Lieke and Yafela, trees were felled and grass burned.
1929 March 29
Yorkshire, England
Spring warmth
A maximum temperature of 77° F. (25° C.) at Wakefield. (85)
1929 June 11
Lake Superior
Meteor
A ‘huge meteor’ fell into Lake Superior near Michipicoten Island. Rumbling for 2 minutes, and the lake level rose. (40)
1929 June 17
New Zealand
Earthquake
Much damage in Nelson Province by a magnitude 7 shock; 17 persons were killed. Hillsides were torn out and flung across valleys. (4, 58)
1929 July 20
Sussex, England
Sea wave
A 20-foot wave washed onto the beach at Brighton from a calm sea, followed by heavy rain. One person was drowned. (29)
1929 August 17
India
Flood
The Shyok River, blocked by the Kumdan Glacier, burst the ice dam at Khalsar and rose 93 feet above its normal level. (25)
1929 September 25
Atlantic Ocean
Hurricane
A hurricane at Nassau, Bahamas, caused great destruction and loss of life. The barometer fell to 27.64 inches. (156)
1929 November 3
Guatemala
Volcano
An eruption of Santa Maria volcano killed 1,000 persons. (146)
1929 November 6 - 8
England
Aurora?
A luminous night sky, half as bright as moonlight, at Seaton. (34)
1929 November 18
Atlantic Ocean
Earthquake
A submarine earthquake on the Grand Banks crated a ‘seaslide’ 200 miles wide which cut 12 undersea cables. A sea wave in the Azores. (31, 98)
1929 December 6
Scilly Isles
Gale
A wind speed of 111 m.p.h. was recorded. (97)
1929 December 8
Yugoslavia
Fatal meteorite
A meteorite struck a wedding party, killing one person. (165)
1930
Tanzania, Africa
Meteorite
An iron meteorite weighing 25 to 27 tons was found at M’bosi. (76)
1930 January 12
Gale
England
A ‘furious gale’ caused widespread damage to buildings. 14 persons were killed on land. (83)
1930 January 17
Portland, Oregon
Fall
After a dust storm in Washington on the 16th a heavy fall of reddish-brown dust covered snow at Portland. (12)
1930 January 21
South Pacific Ocean
Rare halo
A lunar halo of 22 degrees and a partial halo of 32 degrees seen from the S.S. Maimoa. (108)
1930 January 25
Siberia
Meteor
‘A huge meteorite’ accompanied by a roar and brilliant light, fell into woods near the Mongolian border. (165)
1930 February 17
Arkansas, United States
Meteorite
After a huge fireball, two stones (820 pounds and 80 pounds) fell at Paragould. The large stone made a funnel-shaped hole 8 feet wide and 4 feet deep. (76, 144)
1930 February 24
United States
Winter warmth
A maximum temperature of 84° F. at Washington and 75° F. at New York. (25)
1930 March 10
France
Flood
Heavy rain and melting snow caused the River Tarn to burst its banks and flood the town of Moissac. Houses collapsed ‘in rapid succession with a noise like gunfire”. 120 persons were killed. (20)
1930 March 13
United States
Planet
Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto. (46)
1930 March 15
California, United States
Tornado
A tornado did much damage and injured 2 persons in the Los Angeles area. (55)
1930 March 23
Natal, South Africa
Tornado
A tornado damaged trees near Impendhle. The funnel was photographed. (161)
1930 March 26
United States
Snowstorm
‘The worst blizzard ever recorded’ in Chicago. 10 persons were killed and 1,500 tramcars abandoned. 19 inches of snow fell. (82)
1930 May 5
Burma
Earthquake
A strong shock centred near Pegu wrecked the city and killed 600 persons. 45 persons were killed in Rangoon. (25)
1930 May 6
Persia
Earthquake
A shock centred in the Azerbaijan district killed about 2,000 persons. (25)
1930 June 13
Java
Volcano
Anak Krakatoa rose above sea level. It reached a height of 170 feet until destroyed on August 9. (153)
1930 June 13
Greece
Hail
22 persons were killed by hailstones in the Siatista district. (98)
1930 July 3
India
Earthquake
A shock centred about 320 miles N.W. of Calcutta disturbed an area of half a million square miles and was strong over 300,000 square miles. No loss of life was reported. (25)
1930 July 20
United States
Summer heat
A temperature of 106° F. at Washington D.C. (163)
1930 July 21
Delaware, United States
Summer heat
A temperature of 110° F. at Millsboro. (163)
1930 July 23
Italy
Earthquake
A shock in the Basilicata and Campania provinces killed 1,883 persons. (52)
1930 July 29
Mississippi, United States
Summer heat
A temperature of 115° F. at Holly Springs. (163)
1930 August 13
Java
Volcano
The cone of Anak Krakatoa reappeared and reached a height of 30 feet. (153)
1930 August 13
Brazil
Meteor impact?
‘Three great meteors’ set fire to ‘hundreds of miles of jungle’ after explosions and an ash-fall. (151)
1930 September 3
Dominica
Hurricane
A hurricane with winds up to 160 m.p.h. struck Santo Domingo, killing over 4,000 persons. (136)
1930 November 25
Greenwich, London
Solar event
An eruptive prominence was blown out of the solar chromosphere with a velocity of up to 450 kilometres per second. (6)
1930 November 27 - 28
Spain and France
Dust fall
After a great sandstorm in French Morocco, yellow dust fell heavily at Barcelona. On the 28th there was a mud rain in northern France.
1930 December 3 - 5
Belgium
Fog
A heavy fog in the industrial Meuse Valley became ‘smog’. 64 persons were killed. (14)
1930 December 18
Java
Volcano
An eruption of the Merapi volcano killed 1,300 persons. (3)
