{"id":181445,"date":"2025-06-13T15:47:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T15:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/181445\/"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:47:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T15:47:12","slug":"the-day-it-stayed-dark-all-day-in-may-a-weather-mystery-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/181445\/","title":{"rendered":"The day it stayed dark all day in May \u2013 a weather mystery revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was the darkest day ever recorded in the United States: on May 19, 1780, it got so dark in the middle of the day that New England was plunged into complete darkness. This wasn\u2019t just a legend; the event was thoroughly documented by universities and scientists.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That day, the sky<\/strong><\/a> darkened starting at dawn, stretching from New Jersey to Maine, including New York and Massachusetts. By noon, total darkness had settled, according to eyewitness accounts from that time. The people, left in the dark, had to light candles to see, and the sky didn\u2019t clear until the following night.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a true \u201cnightfall\u201d in the middle of the day, but rather a series of weather<\/a><\/strong> events that caused it. Contrary to what one might think, there wasn\u2019t an eclipse that day, and even if there had been one, it wouldn\u2019t have lasted the entire day.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An illustration of the dark day drawn at the time. \u00a9 Historic Ipswich on the Massachusetts North Shore<\/p>\n

The Day of Judgment or a Natural Phenomenon?<\/p>\n

This so-called \u201cDark Day\u201d was the result of several natural phenomena: an unusually large wildfire<\/a><\/strong> and a thick fog that appeared independently. Scientists investigating the event discovered signs of a major forest fire in the tree rings from that year. The fire is believed to have originated in Ontario, Canada, specifically in Algonquin Provincial Park, just north of New England.<\/p>\n

The people of 1780 couldn\u2019t comprehend the cause of this strange event, so they attributed it to their sins, thinking it was \u201cthe day of judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional evidence of the fire is found in historical accounts: people reported seeing a red moon<\/a><\/strong> several days before the dark day\u2014a phenomenon often associated with ash smoke clouds.<\/p>\n

\"karine-durand\" <\/p>\n

\t\t\t Karine Durand <\/p>\n

\n Specialist for extreme weather and environment <\/p>\n

A specialist in extreme weather phenomena and environmental issues<\/strong>, this journalist and TV host has been explaining climate topics since 2009<\/strong>. With over 15 years of experience<\/strong> in both French and American media<\/strong>, she is also an international speaker<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Trained in communication and environmental sciences<\/strong>, primarily in the United States<\/strong>, she shares her passion for vast natural landscapes<\/strong> and the impacts of climate change<\/strong> through her work on biodiversity and land management<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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