The flood of July 25th 1983 on the Hermitage Water, Roxburghshire

Abstract

On July 25th 1983 a severe thunderstorm brought torrential rain and flooding to a small valley near Newcastleton in Roxburghshire. At one site within the valley, around 65 mm of rainfall was recorded in 75 minutes, though this was probably 2 km from the centre of the storm. The resulting peak flow was estimated at almost 170 m³s^‐1 from a drainage area of 36.9 km². Lightning killed some livestock whilst many more were drowned. The storm triggered peat slides on several hillsides and caused extensive erosion of river banks and damage to buildings and bridges. The associated high sediment load killed fish stocks in the receiving waters. The flood was a significant event in terms of its human disruption and its impact on the natural environment.