Diary of Highlights

1st and 2nd
April started on an unsettled note. Initially there was low pressure to the northwest of Ireland. Weather fronts and troughs, associated with this low, swept eastward across England and Wales with the rain enhanced across southern districts overnight into the 2nd as a frontal wave ran eastwards. During the 2nd the low centre meandered eastwards across northern England maintaining showery conditions, with some of the showers heavy and thundery. Despite the rain and showers it was locally warm or rather warm with Margate (Kent) reaching 16.1 °C on the 1st and Pershore (Worcestershire) 14.7 °C on the 2nd.

3rd and 4th
Overnight into the 3rd the low drifted eastwards into the North Sea. As a result a northerly flow developed with this enhanced further by a build of pressure to the west of the UK. Showers developed and drifted southwards in this flow with some of the showers heavy and of hail, sleet and locally snow. Northern and eastern parts of England bore the brunt of these showers with many southern and western areas remaining dry and sunny (Weymouth 11.5 hours on the 3rd and Anglesey 11.6 hrs on the 4th). Another consequence of the northerly flow was to introduce cooler conditions with particularly northern and eastern parts rather cold.

5th
A ridge of high pressure built from the west leaving most with dry and fairly sunny conditions. Both Woburn (Bedfordshire) and Fishguard (Pembrokeshire) recorded 12.5 hours of sunshine. Despite the sunshine temperatures were only around normal. It was also a frosty start in rural parts with both Sennybridge (Powys) and Shap Fell recording minima of -5.7 °C. It became frosty again is some country areas on the night of the 5th with Benson (Oxfordshire) falling to -4.5 °C.

6th - 9th
The ridge of high-pressure gave-way early on the 6th allowing a weather front to sink south. A more unsettled period of weather followed with low pressure dominating. The low, initially to the north of the UK, drifted southeast with showers feeding across the county. As the low drifted across the North Sea and the flow became northerly the showers turned increasingly wintry. Large hail was reported in Manchester on the 7th while heavy snow showers on the 8th resulted in the Premiership football match at Sunderland being abandoned. There were further wintry showers on the 9th, mainly in the north and east. Heavy snow showers resulted in the closure of the M62 for a few hours and there was a covering of snow in other parts. Showers became more active across southeast England during the early hours of the 10th and locally intense, with 15 cm of snow reported from Tunbridge Wells.

10th - 15th
As the low drifted away a ridge of high pressure built across England and Wales. However, this was only a transient feature, soon supplanted by an active weather system which brought rain then showers across all areas on the 11th. The rain/showers were heavy in places with Capel Curig (Gwynedd) recording 42.8 mm (1.69 inches) in the 24hrs ending at 1800 on the 11th. There were also reports of thunder. Further frontal systems pushed across from the west on the 12th and 13th bringing rain accompanied by strong winds. Capel Curig (Gwynedd) recorded a gust of 51 knots on the 13th. Despite the breeze and spells of rain, it was locally warm with Margate (Kent) reaching 17 °C on the 13th. A weak, slow moving weather front straddled southern counties on the 14th leaving many other parts dry and fairly sunny. Indeed Cromer recorded 12.7 hours of sunshine. It was cloudier on the 15th with some rain in the south but Preston Town Hall reached 17.1 °C.

16th - 21st
Slow moving weather fronts and showers affected northern parts through this period while amounts of rain in the south were small. There was also some warm, hazy sunshine in places with Eastbourne recording 12.5 hours on the 18th. On the 21st, showery rain across northeast England pushed south into the Midlands, Lincolnshire and East Anglia, with the showers locally heavy and thundery.

22nd - 24th
A build of pressure brought drier conditions to most parts on the 22nd. It was also locally very warm away from the East Coast with Saunton Sands (Devon) reaching 19.6 °C. However, during the night a weather front sank south, grinding to a halt across southern England during the 23rd. This made for a cloud and damp London Marathon with outbreaks of rain. A ridge of high pressure built in the wake of the front but it remained rather cloudy with fog patches developing in the north on the morning of the 24th. Further fog developed on the night of the 24th with some particularly dense patches around the Thames Estuary.

25th - 30th
The ridge of high pressure collapsed allowing Atlantic fronts to cross from the west on the 25th but these fronts weakened considerably with the rain bands fragmenting as they pushed across the country. It became warm as sunny spells developed ahead of these fronts with a number of places in Lincolnshire passing 18 °C. High pressure reasserted itself from the west over the 26th and 27th bringing drier conditions across most parts. Initially it was rather cloudy, particularly in the east but sunshine amounts increased. There was 13 hours of sunshine recorded at Tenby (Pembrokeshire), Falmouth (Cornwall) and Cromer (Norfolk) on the 28th, 29th and 30th respectively. Generally it was warm or rather warm but as winds veered northeast it became rather cold near the North Sea. Later on the 30th the high cell began to decline allowing further weather fronts to push in from the west.