1816: The Eruption of Mount Tambora

1816: The Eruption of Mount Tambora

Author: AccuWeather April 5, 2022 Duration: 2:43
This Date in Weather History
History
The summer of 1816 was not like any summer people could remember. The National Center for Atmospheric Research reported that, snow fell in New England and gloomy, cold rains fell throughout Europe. It was cold and stormy and dark. 1816 became known in Europe and North America as “The Year Without a Summer.” The year before on April 5, 1815, Mount Tambora, a volcano, started to rumble with activity. Over the following four months the volcano exploded - the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history. Many people close to the volcano lost their lives in the event. Tambora ejected so much ash and dust into the atmosphere that the sky darkened and the Sun was blocked from view. The large particles spewed by the volcano fell to the ground nearby, covering towns with enough ash to collapse homes. Smaller particles spewed by the volcano were light enough to spread through the atmosphere over the following months and had a worldwide effect on climate. They made their way high into the stratosphere, where they could distribute around the world more easily. Earth’s average global temperature dropped more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The Year Without a Summer had many impacts in Europe and North America. Crops were wiped out - either by frost or a lack of sunshine. This caused food to be scarce. The lack of successful crops that summer made the food which was grown more valuable, and the price of food climbed. Because the price of oats increased, it was more expensive for people to feed their horses. Horses were the main method of transportation, so with expensive oats, the cost of travel increased. The gloomy summer weather also inspired writers. During that summer-less summer, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, a horror novel set in an often stormy environment.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Every day has a story written in the wind and rain, and This Date in Weather History uncovers those narratives. With AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Myers as your guide, this daily podcast connects the present to pivotal moments where weather dramatically altered the course of events. You might hear about a forgotten blizzard that stranded a city, a hurricane that redirected a war, or a simple shift in the breeze that allowed a historic discovery. It’s more than just a list of facts; it’s a look at how the atmosphere has been a relentless and fascinating character in the human drama. Each brief episode offers a specific, grounded tale, revealing how the climate has shaped cultures, economies, and personal lives in ways we often overlook. Tune in for a thoughtful blend of meteorology and historical context, delivered with the authority of AccuWeather. This podcast turns the calendar into a map of atmospheric intrigue, reminding us that the past is always present in the sky above.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
This Date in Weather History
Podcast Episodes
This Date in Weather History Update [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10
This Date in Weather History podcast update from AccuWeather. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2014: Hail storm causes $400 million in damage in Abilene, TX [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25
On June 12, 2014 a hail storm that hit Abilene produced more than $400 million in insured losses to vehicles, homes and commercial property. "This is the worst storm damage I've seen in my 41 years in the insurance busin…
2008: F3 tornado strikes Scout camp near Little Sioux, IA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49
June 11, 2008 marks the tragic loss of 4 teenagers at a Boy Scout camp near Little Sioux, Iowa; 48 more were injured. The tragedy struck at the 1,800-acre camp about an hour north of downtown Omaha. An EF3 tornado, with…
1752: Benjamin Franklin famously flies kite in thunderstorm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:13
Benjamin Franklin, inventor of bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, one of those that wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, ambassador, Governor of Pennsylvania, on June 10 1752 in Philadelphia, fle…
1984: Violent tornado outbreak in Russia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:19
The tornado outbreak of 9 June 1984 is among the most important tornado events in Russia’s history because it was associated with substantial loss of life with 400 deaths, and contained one of two F4 tornadoes ever recor…
The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58
The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak was a devastating tornado outbreak sequence spanning three days, two that featured tornadoes each causing at least 90 deaths—an F5 occurring in Flint, Michigan on June 8, 1953, a…
1984: F5 tornado destroys 90% of Barneveld, WI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16
On June 7 1984, nine people died and 200 were injured when a tornado slammed into the Iowa County, Wisconsin community of Barneveld. The F5 twister destroyed 90% of the town of 580 residents. What made Barneveld’s tornad…
1944: How weather forecasting impacted D-Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:44
The story of how weather forecasting impacted the Allies invasion of Normandy on D-Day in 1944.https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/d-day-anniversary-how-the-weather-forecast-changed-the-tide-of-war/359733 Hosted…
1925: Temperature reaches 100 degrees in Washington DC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41
Rainfall totals in the northeastern United States from January through the end of May 1925 had only reached half the normal total in most cities. This meant, at least for the first 5 months of the year the climate was mo…
1976: Strong tropical cyclone and 40' storm surge hits India [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43
On June 4, 1976 a strong Tropical Cyclone, known in the US as a Hurricane, hit the port cities just north of Mumba on the west coast of India. In the decades prior to the storm, massive Tropical Cyclones has battered bot…

12345...10»