1968 Scotland storm

The origins of this violent storm appear to be from a cold front near Bermuda on 13 January 1968. The storm continued to move over Northern Europe before dissipating on 18 January 1968. == Impact ==

United Kingdom 15 January 1968 began as a mild day, then temperatures grew cooler as the day progressed. Officials said at least seven ships sank or went adrift in the river Clyde causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage. A Glasgow police spokesman said that it was 'absolute havoc' in the city. Electrical power also failed in Glasgow, leaving the whole city in darkness. In England and Wales, a five-day freeze ended with some roads flooded by up to of water. Large waves pounded the English Channel coastline. == Aftermath ==

After the storm moved away, the death toll continued to rise. 30 people died in accidents during subsequent house repairs. On 16 January 1968, about 150 troops from Edinburgh came to Glasgow to help with the clean-up operation. There was little national press coverage of the storm, despite it affecting most of northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. An interest-free loan of £500,000 was given by the Labour Government to the affected areas. Singer Frankie Vaughan began to raise funds for the victims of the storm by holding a special concert at Alhambra Theatre in Glasgow. After the devastation of the storm in the area, the Glasgow City Council quickly imposed a new policy to improve housing in the city. == See also ==