In article ,
Graham P Davis writes:
On Wednesday 03 Feb 2010 19:00, John Hall scribbled:

In article ,
Les Hemmings writes:
Maunder minimum & Little Ice Age spring to mind! Was kinda hoping, what
with
the very quet sun and all, that when the cold spell we just had hit that
we'd be having ice fairs on the Thames again!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20...Comparison.png

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sunspot_Numbers.png

No chance of frost fairs on the Thames in London, I'm afraid. The
demolition of the old London Bridge, which had very narrow arches which
obstructed the flow, and the embankment of the river have done for them.
1962-3, the third coldest winter in the CET record, showed that it's
pretty much out of the question.

I remember chatting to someone about this shortly after that winter and they
mentioned power stations being responsible for lack of ice. I think they
mentioned one station where there was ice on the river above it and none
below with a water temperature of 10C. Can't swear to the accuracy of it.
Other rivers were frozen and ships were trapped in the ice.


Good point. That may well have been a further factor in the river
failing to freeze. So now that Battersea Power Station has closed down,
maybe there's a faint chance. OTOH the river never froze in any of the
severe 19th century winters after the old London Bridge was replaced,
though ISTR reading that it came quite close to it in 1895. IIRC the
last occasion the river completely froze in London was 1814.
--
John Hall
"Acting is merely the art of keeping a large group of people
from coughing."
Sir Ralph Richardson (1902-83)