In 1697 there was the most severe hailstorm in British history with hailstones of 4 inches diameter. Several hailstorms have reached H7 in Britain, but only one H8 has been recorded on the TORRO (Tornado and Storm Research Organisation’s) international scale which extends from intensities H0 to H10.
On May 15th 1697, a H8 hailstorm tracked from Hitchin to Great Offley – although this makes a track length of only 5 km, the true hail swathe must have been much longer.
“A Great Storme of Haile, 9 inches about” was recorded in Ware Parish Records.
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