On this day in 1983: Severe hailstorms impact the UK

On this day 40 years ago, a severe hailstorm delivered hail among the largest ever recorded in the UK.

On June 7th, 1983, northern Wales and northwest England were hit with a barrage of supercell storm systems.

As these supersized storms passed, they delivered mammoth hailstones, measuring up to 7.5 cm in diameter, causing significant damage.

Responsible was an anticyclone which moved over Scotland towards Denmark on June 6th, this led to a south-easterly wind developing bringing warm, unstable air to the UK.

Large thunderstorms spread from Cornwall to Wales before moving northeast towards Cheshire and Manchester. One hail swath was measured to 130 km in length.

Reports first arrived from mid-Wales, by the end of the day around 60 reports of large hailstorms were filed.

The hail smashed home windows, car windscreens, and greenhouses. Adding to the flooding and miscellaneous thunderstorm damages.

Greater Manchester fire brigade responded to 189 emergency calls due to the severity of the storms, while Welsh brigades received 150 calls.

Hail from the event remains among the largest ever seen in the UK, though an extreme hailstorm in 1697 rests as the most destructive according to the TORRO Hail Destructivity Index.