Weather catastrophe predicted 100 years ago

One hundred years ago, Australia was rocked by a doomsday prediction for the 17th of December

Doomsday generic image. Picture by iStock.

IT WAS 100 years ago when the residents across the globe were sent into a frenzy over 'doomsday' predictions.

The dire prediction was discovered when searching historic editions of Rockhampton The Morning Bulletin, with the following story published on Thursday, December 11, 1919.

The vague prediction that some dire cataclysm will befall the inhabitants of this planet on the 17th instant has ­apparently been arousing a certain amount of anxiety, says the Melbourne Argus of the 22nd instant.

According to a message we published yesterday, it has been taken particularly ­seriously in New Zealand, where people have been ­besieging the meteorological offices with inquiries, ­preparing for the "last trump" and even, as the message said, "going into hysterics".

The Acting Commonwealth Meteorologist, Mr R. F. Griffiths, poured scorn on any ­suggestion of alarm when questioned on the subject ­yesterday.

He said that he did not even know the source of the prediction.

In one quarter it had been attributed to Mr Clement Wragge and, according to another statement it had come from America.

"The idea seems to be," said Mr Griffiths, "that on this date several planets, including, I believe, Ascanus and Jupiter, will be more or less in line in relation to the earth and that in some extraordinary way they will have a disturbing effect on our weather.

When I say 'our' weather I mean, of course, the weather of humanity at large, for the prediction is delightfully vague.

Whoever made it is on tolerably safe ground, and as long as something phenomenal in the way of weather happens on the 17th of December, in some part of the world, his prophecy will be fulfilled.

The unknown is always mysterious, and many people are credible enough to take a vague statement like this as applying to the weather in their own suburb.

The fact of the matter is that no meteorological scientist takes long-term ­forecasting seriously and certainly no meteorologist considers that the planetary movements enter into the matter at all.

Needless to say, the doomsday prediction, which was actually made by meteorologist Albert Porta, , who believed the conjunction of six planets would cause a magnetic current that would pierce the sun, cause great explosions of flaming gas, destroy the Milky Way and engulf the earth, did not come true.

It did, however, destroy Mr Porta's reputation and career as he lost all of his credibility in his field.