Bedfordshire
High Winds and Storms
The Gales of 1976
Places > Bedfordshire > Weather
Storms with wind speeds of up to 96 mph ripped through Bedfordshire in January 1976. Cardington Weather Centre was reported as saying the storms were the worst recorded since records started in 1932.
16,000 people were left without an electricity supply and Eastern Electricity reported the worst damage ever experienced in the Bedford district (Bedford Record, 6th January, 1976). The Clarence Public House in St. John's Street had the chimney knocked off and a large part of the roof hit the ground.
In Toddington the hurricane damaged the 750 year old St. George's Parish Church and caused two large sections of the parapet to collapse and masonry to crash through the roofs of the north and south aisles.
Many roads were closed in the county due to falling trees and cables.
Sources:
- Newspaper cuttings from the Local Studies Collection in Bedford Central Library
The Gales of 1976 by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2005
Page last updated: 4th February 2014