Historical Weather Resources Online for Genealogists
John D Reid, for the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa, 14 February 2026
Early descriptive weather information is found in documents such as diaries and early newspapers. Measurements started with the invention of the barometer and thermometer in the 17th century. Widespread systematic weather observations now available online came with the establishment of the British Meteorological Office (1854), the US Weather Bureau (1870) and the Meteorological Service of Canada (1871).
| Region / Organization | Description | Available Data | Research Link |
| General Weather History | WeatherWeb Premium: Timeline from 11,000 BC to the present | Focus on UK historical weather and events | WeatherWeb Premium |
| United Kingdom | The Met Office holds primary records for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland | Digitized Daily Weather Reports and Summaries (since 1850); observations of temperature, sunshine, and wind speed | Met Office Library & Archives |
| Ireland | Met Éireann includes historical context for major weather events (e.g., “Night of the Big Wind,” Great Famine) | Searchable databases for rainfall and temperature deviations; regional climate maps | Met Éireann Historical Data |
| Canada | Environment and Climate Change Canada: essential for research on early North American settlers and Loyalists | Interactive search by province/date; records mostly from the 1870s onward; hourly data since the 1950s | ECCC Historical Data |
| Western University Tornado Resources (Canada) | Specialized archives and research on severe wind events | Mike Newark Digitized Tornado Archives; Northern Tornadoes Project (post‑2018 tornado documentation) |
Digitized Tornado Archives - Northern Tornadoes Project |
| United States | National Weather Service historical observations | Climate data primarily from the late‑19th century onward | NWS Climate Data |
| NOAA (U.S.) | Synoptic weather maps of the Northern Hemisphere (1899–1971) | Digitized daily synoptic charts | NOAA Synoptic Maps |
| International (Copernicus) | Global climate data and visualizations | Interactive ERA Explorer showing international datasets | Copernicus ERA Explorer |
Serendipity
Historical sea ice and iceberg conditions in the North Atlantic and the Gulf of St Lawrence, back to 1810 – https://newicedata.com/
Weather Lore: A Collection of Proverbs, Sayings & Rules Concerning the Weather, by Richard Inwards – https://archive.org/details/b24870638
Symbolic associations between birth weather and personality traits.
Sunshine and Clear Skies – Joy, optimism, warmth, and clarity.
Cloudy or Overcast Skies – Mystery, depth, and introspection.
Rainy Days – Renewal, nourishment, and introspection.
Stormy Weather – Strength, passion, and transformation.
Snowy Conditions – Purity, resilience, and quiet strength.
Windy Days – Change, freedom, and adaptability.