1674 derecho

The 1674 derecho, also known as Het Schrickelik Tempeest (English: The Terrible Tempest) in the Netherlands, was an extraordinarily powerful, extremely destructive, and deadly derecho that devastated parts of Western Europe on August 1, 1674. In some parts of the Netherlands, the derecho happened on July 22, as the Gregorian calendar was not used in the whole country yet. The return period of the derecho was estimated to be between 1,000 and 10,000 years, based on the reported hail in Northern France. Hail stones up to 15–20 cm (5.9–7.9 in) were observed in Northern France, which were one of the largest hail stones ever observed. After moving through France and nowadays Belgium, the derecho attained its peak intensity over the Netherlands with the highest winds occurring in the province of Utrecht with estimated winds of 198–325 km/h (123–202 mph) in the city of Utrecht. The recovery of Utrecht took over a century and the nave of the Dom cathedral was never rebuilt. The derecho caused over 1,050 deaths in the Netherlands, making it one of the deadliest weather events of the past centuries in the Netherlands. The 1674 derecho was the deadliest and most intense derecho in recorded history.