The Uninvited

didn’t know?In 1783, people believed the world wascoming to an end when Europe wassmothered beneath an oppressive andunchanging lid of black cloud. Theresulting social upheavals lasted the bestpart of a year, from late winter into thefollowing autumn. Crops were ruined andmany were driven to madness and selfharm.Religious mania exploded. Slowly,the climate returned to normal and thesun’s brightness returned. But it was overa hundred years before the ‘summerwithout end’ was fully explained.Meteorologists confirmed that aconjunction of volcanic eruptions nearIceland and Japan had dimmed thestratosphere, stifling Europe with aneiderdown of ash.