Key: G=Geological phenomenon M=Meteorological A=Astronomical Back to top Key Year A.D. Month Location Phenomenon Description M 1502 July 1 Hurricane Bobadilla's fleet sunk M 1502 December 13 (c) Near Waterspout Spout passed between 2 of A 1504 Meteorite 'Large star' fell with noise like thunder A 1504 February 29 Lunar eclipse G 1505 Earthquake Great earth disturbances M 1506 Pouille Ball lightning? 3 'suns' at night amid clouds & lightning Doubtful date M 1506 January 13 Cold Sea froze at G 1507 Santorini Earthquake Part of island sank into sea M 1508 (before) Tornado Da Vinci observes vortex M 1508 August 3 Hurricane Most houses destroyed, 20 ships lost G 1508 September 9 Earthquake In M 1509 July 29 Hurricane City destroyed G 1509 September 14 Earthquake Sea invaded M 1509 September 26 Sea flood Storm flood. Much loss of life G 1510 June 10 Earthquake Nordlingen. 2,000 k. G 1510 July 25 Volcano Stones flung 40 km. Lava k. several. A 1511 September 4 Meteorites Many stones fell; man & animals k. One stone 100 lbs. G 1513 Bellizone, Earthquake Mountain fell & diverted River Brennio M 1513 July 21 Heat 'Hot Wednesday'. Several k. by heat G 1513 September 30 Landslide, flood Fall dammed R. Brenno; lake burst May 1515. 600 k. M 1514 January Cold M 1515 July 19 Rain floods 6 weeks of rain Extensive floods A 1516 Abdus R., Meteorites 1,200 stones fell Some of 120 lbs. M 1517 January 12 Severe winter Great frost began. M 1517 January 15 Snow 3 feet of snow in streets G 1517 June 26 Earthquake Produced great ruins M 1518 March 23 Snow 6 inches of snow M 1520 Erdfut Tornado? Rotating 'burning beam', much damage A 1520 May 26 Meteorit e 2 stones fell M 1522 Fall 'Manna' fell everywhere in hot summer M 1523 March 13 Thunderstorm Hens' egg sized hail, violent winds M 1523 November Cold winter Frostbite; deaths by cold G 1527 Volcano Volcan de Aqua destroyed city M 1527 April 12 Rain Every day till June 3 M 1528 July Rain Corn & vines destroyed A 1529 February 5 Comet Extended across sky M 1530 February Mild winter No snow, St. Gallen, flowers in Feb. A 1530 April 13 Sunspots? 'Two eyes & brows' on Sun G 1530 September 1 Earthquake Fort & many houses fell, clefts opened M 1530 October 8 Flood 12,000 drowned, 600 houses lost M 1530 November 4 Sea flood 400,000 drowned G 1531 January 26 Earthquake Many buildings fell, sea agitated A 1531 August 24 Halley's Comet Perihelion, reddish tail M 1532 November 2 Sea flood G 1532 Volcano G 1533 Volcano M 1535 April 21 Halo complex 22° halo, arcs, parhelia G 1536 March 23 Volcano Great eruption M 1537 January 6 Beam of fire at night M 1537 August 15 Hail 28 lb. stones, G 1538 Ground uplift A 1538 January 9 Comet Tail 45° long G 1538 September 29 Volcano Monte Nuovo formed & was 440 ft. high in 8 days M 1540 Warm year Sunniest for 500 years, glaciers melted M 1540 Hot summer Great heat & drought, agues k. many M 1540 March 23 Cold Vines frozen M 1540? April 28 Meteorites? Stone size of barrel fell in hailstorm, 2 ells into ground A 1540 November 26 Lunar event 'Star' on dark part of Moon 2 nights; 'flames' on 2nd night M 1541 Drought Rivers dried up,cattle died of thirst. Dysentery k. 1,000s G 1542 December 12 Earthquake Several towns ruined G 1543 Earthquake M 1543 April 20 Flood River 40 leagues wide M 1545 Hail Men & beasts k. Stones larger than lemons M 1545 June 25 Hail Fist-sized stones, Lancs. G 1545 September 6 Earthquake Throughout G 1546 Earthquake With seismic sea wave A 1547 April 23 Obscuration Red Sun for 2 days & stars appeared at A 1548 November 6 Bolide Detonating meteor. Clotted blood fell G 1550 Earthquake Ariano swallowed up M 1551 January 3 'Red rods' in the air A 1552 May 19 Meteorite Stone-fall G 1554 March 21 Earthquake Subterranean noise. More shocks in April G 1554 May Volcano Lava flow from fissure nr. M 1554 May 5 Fire like vapour in S. G 1555 Earthquake M 1556 Ball lightning 8 k. by 'fiery sulphureous globe' indoors G 1556 January 23 Earthquake 830,000 k. Loess cave houses collapsed G 1556 January 24 Earthquake 26 towns ruined M 1556 September 23 Waterspout War fleet sunk & 600 drowned. Uncertain date M 1558 July 7 Tornado 7 k. at A 1559 Meteorites 5 pieces of iron the size of a human head fell Miskolcz M 1560 January 30 'Burning spears' M 1560 June 2 Coloured rain Red rain at Louvaine. Also Embden A 1560 December 24 Lillebourne Meteor? Set fire to magazine M 1560 December 27 Great brilliancy M 1561 April 14 Halo complex? Globes, crosses & tubes near Sun, Nuremburg A 1561 May 17 Meteorites 3 stones fell. Weight 39 lbs. M 1563 January 4 Tornado Houses fell at Leicester M 1563 December Auroral sounds reported G 1564 July Earthquake 7 villages destroyed, Nice & Provence A 1564 October 7 'Flames of fire' in N. G 1565 Guatimala Earthquake Volcano Paraya erupted M 1566 August Anomalous phen. Dark spheres around the Sun. Turned red & went out. A 1567 April 9 Solar eclipse Circle of light round Sun M 1569 October 30 Tornado 60 yards wide, lasted 7 mins. Destroyed all in its path G 1570 Earthquake Sea retreated, great landslips M 1570 January 12 Torches & pillars M 1570 November 1 Sea flood 4000,000 drowned G 1572 January 6 Earthquake With ' fall of aerolites' M 1572 November 1 Cold winter Deep snows & freezing rains to Jan. 6 A 1572 November 11 Supernova Cassiopeia; equals Venus. Tycho's Star M 1573 February 2 Cold M 1574 October 1 Sea flood 20,000 Spanish troops k. M 1574 November 14 'Burning clouds' N. to S for 2 nights M 1575 February 13 Spears & armies in the air. Again Sept. 25 M 1575 November Cold winter G 1575 December 6 Earthquake & seismic sea wave M 1577 March 17 Tornado Buildings overthrown M 1577 August 4 Tornado? 'Black dog' entered A 1577 November 8 Comet Nucleus bright as Moon, tail over 60° long G 1577 November 30 Earthquake 'Very remarkable earthquake' M 1578 Fall Yellow mice fell M 1578 February 4 Snow People & cattle lost. Snow to Feb. 8 A 1578 February 22 Comet Stretched across heavens A 1578 November Comet Tail 90° long G 1580 Volcano Sao Jorge erupts. Nuee ardentes G 1580 April 6 Earthquake 2k. in G 1580 May 1 Earthquake A 1580 May 27 Meteorite Shower of stones A 1580 October 1 Comet Tail stretched across Milky Way A 1581 July 26 Meteorite 39 lb. stone fell M 1581 August 27 Pillars & crosses in sky G 1582 Earthquake A 1582 May 13 Comet Tail over 100° long M 1582 August 12 Tornado Tempest of lightning & whirlwind. Houses destroyed A 1582 September Comet Blue; stretched over sky A 1583 January 9 Meteorite 33 lb. stone fell at Castrovillari G 1584 Landslide 300 k. G 1584 March 1 Earthquake Also M 1584 July 24 Lightning Many men & cattle k. G 1586 Guatimala Earthquake City ruined. Fuego volcano erupted G 1586 July 9 Earthquake Sea wave flooded land G 1586 September Earthquake With seismic sea wave. Great earth clefts M 1586 October 8 Gale Houses & trees destroyed A 1586 December 6 Bolide Black & red dust fell at Verdun A 1587 March 5 Lunar event? 'Star' in body of Moon M 1587 July 2 Tornado Funnel cloud seen in thunderstorm. 1st tornado picture M 1587 September Floods A 1587 October Comet Tail 60° long G 1588 March 25 Earthquake Yellow 'smoke' for hours G 1590 September 15 Earthquake A 1590 December 7 Sunspot 'Great black spot' on Sun. Seen at sea G 1591 July 26 Earthquake Land & sea disturbances M 1592 Cold winter Wolves entered A 1594 March 1 Meteorites Shower of stones fell at Crelvacore M 1594 March 30 Gales 1,000s of trees fell M 1594 Cold winter Lagoons of G 1595 March 12 Volcano Mudflows after eruption k. 636, Nevado del Ruiz G 1595 June 25 River burst Ice fall blocked R. Dranse; dam burst k.140 G 1596 July 22 Earthquake Sea rose; rain of ashes. Towns ruined M 1596 December Ball lightning? Dark, football-sized 'thing' exploded in Wells church G 1597 January 3 Volcano 18 craters on fissure A 1598 March 7 Solar eclipse Ring of light round Moon