In article ,
Scott W writes:
Luke Howard paints an often bleak picture of the climate of
London in his observations from the early 1800s to 1830. Just three
examples include recording a low of 1F (-18C), the River Lea being
'a mile wide' with flood water between Bow and Stratford,
frequent ice floes in the Thames with the recording of the last
Frost Fair in 1814. Even taking into account the urban heat island
effect we've yet to see anything like those extremes

True. Though without the embankment of the Thames and the demolition of
old London Bridge in the 19th century, the river would almost certainly
have frozen over in London in 1962-3.
--
John Hall
"Madam, you have between your legs an instrument capable
of giving pleasure to thousands and all you can do is scratch it."
Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) to a lady cellist