UK Weather - Spring 2012

[Simon Culling]

I was abroad for the first 11 days of spring, but going by the figures, it has started off mild. There was some sleet and wet snow here in Milton Keynes on the afternoon of the first Sunday (4th), but it has warmed up since then.

CET (up to the 12th) is 7.6*C (+2.4*C) and the EWR stood at 23mm up to the 11th, which is spot on average.

Will post a few photos from Val Thorens when I get a chance to download them. On Tuesday 6th March it was -8*C at resort level (2100m) at midday and -15*C atop the Cime de Caron (3200m) despite clear blue skies and strong sunshine. At least there was little or no wind!

[Simon Culling]

Warmest day of the year so far today. Still high pressure in command (its over the Balkans at the monment at approx 1030mb) with a line of lows stretching SW from the Norwegian Sea to the central Atlantic, but they are only affecting the far NW of Scotland. After a slight frost this morning (Thurs 15th March) and lots of fog over central and southern England, the skies cleared over eastern parts to give plenty of warm sunshine. However, the low cloud persisted over some central and western parts of England to give them a dull and cold day (shame!). Suffice to say, it was lovely and sunny here in the Costa del Milton Keynes. Max temps today were:

19.0*C at Gravesend (Kent)
18.1*C at Barking (Essex)
17.6*C at St James Park (Central London)
17.1*C at Andrewsfield Aerodrome (Essex)..............but
7.2*C at Little Rissington (Glos)
6.7*C at Coleshill (Birmingham)
5.7*C at Woodford Aerodrome (Gt Manchester)
4.8*C at Leek Thorncliffe (Staffordshire)

The low pressures are expected to make progress into the UK from tomorrow (Friday) just in time for it to rain at the weekend. Could be some convection (at last) on Sunday.

[Simon Culling]

CET up to the 20th March is 7.4*C (+2.0) and the EWR was 29mm up to the 19th which is approx two thirds of normal. The dry and settled weather looks set to continue until into next week with the high pressure residing over the Germany-North Sea area giving us dry easterly winds off the continent of Europe. No signs of any change in this pattern until at least April and any rain that falls then will be swallowed up by the plants.

[Simon Culling]

The unseasonably warm (and dry!) weather has continued and yesterday (Thurs 22nd March) was the warmest day of the year so far. With the winds from the east, the east coast remains shrouded in cloud and mist and stays cool, but inland the stronger spring sun burns away the fog and low cloud and we get a lovely sunny afternoon (its light now until 7pm). Inland southern and central England get the highest temps. Max's on Thursday were:

20.1*C at Otterbourne Water Works (Hants)
19.3*C at South Farnborough + Middle Wallop (both Hants)
18.6*C at Charlwood (Surrey)
9.8*C at RAF Donna Nook (Lincs, on the N Sea coast)
9.7*C at Weybourne (Norfolk)

Dry, sunny and warm until at least next Wednesday, although the models are toying with the idea of snow at Easter!

EDIT: Today (Friday 23rd) was even warmer with max temps of 21.3*C at Charlwood, 21.1*C at RAF Northolt (Middlesex) and 21.0*C at St James Park (Central London). Models are still keen on a major change into April with the rain + cold returning.....would make a change.

[Manukau heads obs]

I guess we need to realise that its like september in the UK at the moment, the NI of NZ would be unusual to see 21C for 24th September...would need to be a good northerly flow with lots of sun..looking back at my past september data for here we have had the occasional 20C max temperature in Sep

[Michael]

The 3 degree maximums in winter should be expected and 13c days in summer given its higher latitude(thus closer to the poles) than stewart island at its most southerly point yet they reach 30c more times than much of this country over summer. but the other hand dont have continent close by except our "useless" australia which guides the cold wet flows over us anytime.

[stepr]

Today saw more warm temperatures over the UK, with 22.2C recorded at Porthmadog in Wales. It was warm in most places except on the east coast, where the sea breeze and fog kept the temperatures lower.

The south and west fared best with 20C or higher being hit in the Bristol area, North Wales, and parts of the south coast of England.

There is potential that tomorrow could be warmer still.

I have my money on Hawarden getting between 22.5 and 23.0C, as the maximum temperature. Suits me as I'm going to be quite close to there tomorrow at a plant hunters fair!

[Orion]

I noticed the fog on the Arran Banner's Fife webcam. Good luck with your plant-hunt.

[Simon Culling]

Yes indeed stepr, it was another warm day yesterday (Sat 24th) with the highest temperatures migrating westward as the east feels the effects of the cool North Sea a little.....a trend that will be more apparent today as partial thicknesses fall across eastern and central England. The east coast has remained much cooler because of the influence of the still cold North Sea (with the winds form the NE or E), although most of the cloud and mist did clear on Saturday. Maximum temperatures on saturday were:

22.2*C at Portmadog (Gwynedd, N Wales) - equalled the UK date record
21.2*C at St Helier (Jersey)
21.1*C at Mona Airfield (Anglesey)
21.0*C at Trawscoed (Ceredigion, mid Wales)
20.8*C at Filton Airfield (near Bristol)
9.9*C at Boulmer (Northumberland)
9.6*C at Weybourne (Norfolk)

Brian, I often view the New Zealand in the same way by considering what it would be like here 6 months hence when the seasons would correspond. This run of warm and sunny weather so early in the year is not a regular occurance and it will be interesting to see where it fits into our historical record as it is likely to continue for a few more days yet.

Orion, the fog in Fife more likely came in from the North Sea as this would be the prime source of moisture in an easterly flow, although there could have been local radiative effects. Should be sunnier in eastern Scotland today (Sunday) and warmer, with highs of 22*C expected in the Highlands region + Aberdeenshire. The Scottish record for March is 22.2*C at Gordon Castle on 12th March 1957. Not so warm in Fife....probably 15-18*C here.

[Simon Culling]

Sunday did indeed see the Scottish March record temperature broken with 22.8*C recorded at Fyvie Castle and approached at Aboyne + Kinloss, who both recorded a max of 21.7*C.

It was much cooler in the SE of England as cold air fed in from the North Sea with inland temps in the range 12-15*C despite wall to wall sunshine. On the far SE coast (Kent), the max was just 6.3*C at RAF Manston.

Here in Milton Keynes it was cool but sunny with a max of just 13*C (compared to 19*C on Saturday....also in unbroken sunshine) after an o/night low of 3*C and a touch of ground frost.

Warmer today (Monday) and I think the Scottish record was broken again. The warmer weather will extend to England and Wales Tuesday + Wednesday with the mercury set for 21-22*C. A truly remarkable spell of warm and sunny weather for so early in the spring. And I forgot to mention that the water restrictions come into force next week because it has forgotten how to rain.

EDIT: Scottish March record was broken again on Monday, with 23.2*C at Cromdale and 22.9*C at Aboyne.

Another warm sunny day here in Milton Keynes with unbroken sunshine + a max of 18*C after a nip of ground frost overnight (min 1*C)

[stepr]

You are right Simon some remarkable weather at the moment, with warmth, dryness and sunshine levels taking centre stage. For the North and west it has been a spell that will go down in the record books.

Today and yesterday I got to put a double asterisk in my record, something I've felt I'm doing more and more of recently, to indicate a new monthly record (* for a date record and ** for a monthly record). Yesterday 21.1C and today, 21.4C has broken the March record in successive days here.

I suppose there is some truth in the old adage that no buses turn up for a while then they all come at once!

[Simon Culling]

Hello stepr. The remarkable warm weather has continued through Tuesday and Wednesday, although it is cooling off in Scotland as the winds turn more to the W or NW. The Scottish March record was broken again yesterday (27th) with 23.6*C recorded at Aboyne and the Northern Ireland record almost fell with 21.4*C recorded at Giants Causeway, which is just 0.3*C short.

Warmer today (Weds 28th) here in the south with many inland stations reaching 21-22*C as the wall to wall sunshine continues here in cloudy Britain. The satellite picture below (courtesy of Meteosat) was taken on Monday (26th) afternoon and shows a cloud free UK......a rare sight indeed.

[Simon Culling]

CET for March is 8.4*C (+2.8*C) up to the 27th, which is not far from the record of 9.2*C set in 1957. EWR up to the 27th is running at 30mm, well below half the average.

This remarkable spell of warm and sunny weather (which commenced on Weds 21st) has continued thru yesterday and today (Weds 28th + Thurs 29th) with the warmest weather now over England. Max temps for Weds 28th were:

22.8*C at London Heathrow + St James Park
22.1*C at Northolt (Middx)
21.9*C at Watnall (nr Nottingham)
21.8*C at Durham
21.3*C at Boscombe Down

Slightly cooler today, but still 20*C+ in the south and east of England. Tomorrow (Fri) is likely to be the last of the warm + sunny days with progressively cooler (but still dry) weather spreading from the NW. The models are still pushing for a significant pattern change next week with the return of wetter and colder weather....and still the hint of a northerly (and some snow) over the Easter weekend. But that is a long way away.

[Simon Culling]

Not so warm today (Fri 30th March) as the low cloud from overnight persisted until late afternoon before it cleared to give a sunny end to the day. The temperature struggled up to 13*C today here in Milton Keynes, but it has remained warm in the far NE and SW of these islands. Max temps were:

19.7*C at Durham
19.2*C at Strathallan (Perthshire)
18.9*C at Leuchars (Fife)
17.8*C at Dunkeswell (Devon)
17.5*C at Bournemouth Hurn Airport.

The forecast is now for much colder weather from Monday (also cooler over the w/end) with the dreaded snow and frost being mentioned for midweek.

[Simon Culling]

It has cooled down over the weekend and temperatures have returned to near normal with a cold and frosty start on Sunday morning to remind us that the nights are still fairly long. Minimums were:

-5.1*C at Ravensworth (N Yorks)
-4.6*C at Benson (Oxon)
-3.6*C at Woburn (Bedfordshire)
-3.2*C at Pershore (Worcs)

The rain in the north of Scotland has turned to snow this evening (Monday 2nd) and will sweep south tomorrow to give a little sleet and snow even here in the south, although its the rain we need more. Max temp for Wednesday is expected to be just 5*C here in Milton Keynes......a far cry from the 20*C a week or so ago.

[Orion]

What a contrast, alright - the Arran Banner's webcams at the moment show snow (possibly still falling) in Fife, and rough seas with white-capped waves in Brodick Bay, Arran.

Edit to add link: ferry sailings disrupted.
http://status.calmac.info/service-statu ... ?routeID=5

[Simon Culling]

The snow set in over Scotland overnight Monday into Tuesday, particularly over the eastern side with snow depths reported at 0900GMT on Tuesday morning:

25cm at Tornaveen (Aberdeenshire)
18cm at Aviemore (Highland)
15cm at Westhill (suburb of Aberdeen)
5cm at Aberdeen Dyce Airport

The snow spread further south on Tuesday/Wednesday night into England giving heavy falls over the higher ground (>200m amsl) of northern England and Wales and with the snow being very wet and combined with a strong NE wind (up to 50mph+) the result was many downed power lines due to icing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17604412

Here in Milton Keynes we had our first rainfall since the 13th March with approx 15mm o/night Tues/Weds, followed by a cold breezy day on Wednesday with a max of 9*C. Parts of the Midlands were dull and wet all day on Wednesday with sleet and snow at times and a max of just 3*C.

[Simon Culling]

There was a sharp frost over England + Wales on last Friday (6th April) morning with lows reported as:

-6.0*C at Sennybridge (Powys) + Santon Downham (Norfolk)
-5.7*C at Benson (Oxon)
-5.1*C at South Farnborough (Hampshire)
-4.7*C at Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe (Glos), Cavendish (Suffolk) + Pembrey Sands (Carmarthanshire, S Wales)

A low pressure area (979mb) is crossing Scotland this evening (Monday 9th) and will become resident to the NE of the UK for much of this week giving us a slack northerly flow and a few days of 'April showers'. Some convection at last with the prospect of some hail and thunder.

EDIT: the frost hollow at Chipstead Valley (Surrey) fell to a low of -7.8*C on the 6th,

[stepr]

Some very sharp frosts for the time of year.

Tonight, I'm keeping a close eye on my readings, because there is apossibility that my local all time record could be broken. It's currently 1.6C which in April is fairly bizarre, but with a record of just under -3C, it could well be swept aside tonight. Unprecedented falls in temperature anyway, seldom seen in April on the coast.

[stepr]

It didn't break the long term standing record last night, however it was the coldest April night since 1973.

-1.2C was the minimum which is very rare.

Tonight could fall even lower, this is an unprecedented run of cold nights for these parts in April.

[Simon Culling]

With the greatest of respect stepr, I would not say these temperatures were unprecedented for April, even on the Wirral coast. Two other (Met Office) coastal stations near to you recorded a frost on Sunday (15th) morning, i.e. Blackpool Airport with -1.0*C and Crosby Coastguard with -1.6*C. Even Rhyl on the North Wales coast got down to +0.3*C.

The weather pattern seems to have finally changed as we have now had nearly a week of NW winds with plenty of showers, thunderstorms and some significant hailstorms (see link below) and this coming week is expected to see a progression of low pressures arriving from the Atlantic. Won't be enough to ease the drought as the plants will drink most of this!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/walesnature/ ... _peas.html

The hail was so heavy it lowered the temperature sufficiently for snow to follow!

It was another frosty start here this morning (-2*C in Milton Keynes) and lower elsewhere in S England:

-5.9*C at Benson
-4.4*C at Santon Downham
-3.7*C at Woburn and South Newington

[Orion]

Simon, thanks for the link to that interesting blog. Great pictures of the snow!
Hope the weather gets into a normal pattern for you soon - "April showers" and all that.

[stepr]

Simon, -1.2C in April here is a unusual occurrence, perhaps unprecidented was the wrong word, but it is certainly unusual. In fact looking back on official records, although falling to 0C is not so uncommon in April, falling below -1C is reasonably unusual, given our location in the area

In Hilbre Island off the coast of Wirral (which has an official weather station) it is actually genuinely unheard of.

ps the day after it fell to 1C minimum.

The days are a few degrees below average for the time of year, but with more rain, it is a better outlook for the reservoirs.

That said the threat of frost, is, according to various models, set to stay with us into early May at least.

I certainly won't be planting any bedding plants out until late May or June this year.

[Simon Culling]

We will have to agree to disagree on the frost point! For information, the all time low for Squires Gate Airport at Blackpool (right on the coast) for April is -6.1*C and Hilbre Island recorded -0.2*C in April 2008.

Last week was very unsettled with a low (down to 975mb) taking much of the week to cross England and into the North Sea. This gave us April showers every day. Here in Milton Keynes I have recorded hail on 5 out of the last 7 days but no thunder heard. Next week looks even wetter, so talk of the drought has quietened down!

CET for April is 7.0*C (-0.5*C) up to the 21st and the EWR was 67mm up to the 20th. This compares to the average of 62mm, so its gonna be a wet month.

EDIT: First thunder of the year heard around 5pm this evening.

[stepr]

Well perhaps i didn't see that original -0.2C, I will go back to the records and check again. Blackpool however I feel, is in something of a frost trap, in calm weather.. we saw this in December 2010 so it does not surprise me at all that Blackpool has witnessed -6.1C in April. Blackpool often experiences the same phenomena as Crosby weather station, which is around 200 metres from the coast in northeasterly or calm conditions.

Well another interesting statistic.. currently the absolute maximum this April stands at 12.6C, and although the southeast of the UK possibly look like becoming warmer towards the end of April, here in the Northwest, we will probably stay below average; so it is feasible that since I started recording in 1998, this 12.6C will be the lowest temperature on my records.

No April month has seen below 15C as an absolute maximum in April since 1989. No local record (Bidston) has seen below 12.6C since 1867. What this means is quite a high implication.. the coldest absolute maximum on record. However I suspect although the mean is quite cold for April up this way, it is not a record overall.

Interesting in that sense, but to be honest, appauling weather here in the Northwest of England.