Diary of Highlights

1st to 3rd
The month started with a large area of high pressure to the north of the UK, and low pressure to the south. This meant brisk easterly winds across England for the first few days, and these were quite strong across parts of the south with gusts to 50 m.p.h. in a few places from the 1st to the 3rd. Despite the breeze, it was warm with temperatures reaching 20.1 °C on the Solent. However, on the 3rd, a weak cold front spread southwards, and brought much cooler conditions for a day or so with highest temperatures on the 3rd, just 13.5 °C at Camborne.

4th to 7th
Temperatures recovered strongly thereafter, with 20.4 °C at Bridlington on the 5th and 20.2 °C on the Solent on the 6th. During this time, most places had plenty of sunshine, though low cloud affected north-eastern coasts at times. Clear skies overnight allowed temperatures to fall quickly after dark, with a widespread ground frost on most nights and an air frost on a few with lowest temperatures -2.6 °C at both Marham and Benson on the 5th. There were also a few showers across the south on the 1st and across parts of northeast England and the Midlands on the 3rd, otherwise it was a completely dry week for most.

8th - 14th
High pressure persisted across the United Kingdom throughout this week, firstly edging south-westwards, positioned to the southwest of the UK for a couple of days - before bulging eastwards again and finally taking up residence across central Europe. This meant a continuation of the dry, sunny and warm theme across England throughout this week. With sunny days and clear skies, and by now the ground drying out, there was often a significant contrast between day and night time temperatures.

Ground frost was recorded on many mornings and air frost on a few with Benson falling to -1.1 °C on the morning of the 1st and Shap falling to -0.9 °C on the 12th. Daytime temperatures were generally in the mid to high teens Celsius, but as the high pressure moved eastwards, even warmer air fed in off the Continent, and by the 14th temperatures were reaching up to 23 °C across parts of the south.

15th - 21st
High pressure maintained the dry, settled theme with most places recording no rainfall at all. However, a weak front moved southwards into northern England on the 20th and gave a little rain to some hills, with 3 mm at Spadeadam and 2 mm at Shap Fell. The run of very warm days continued with 26.5 °C being recorded at Herstmonceux on the 15th and 25.5 °C being recorded on the Solent on the 16th. However, a weak cold front brought cooler conditions southwards on the 17th and 18th with temperatures, even in the south returning to the high teens Celsius. Nights were locally chilly with a grass frost in places.

22nd - 23rd
High pressure declined for a time during this period, and this allowed the weather to become more unsettled for a time, particularly in the north and the west. Troughs and fronts edges south-eastwards during the 23rd to the 25th and brought some useful rain to some northern and western areas. The highest 24 hour (09-09UTC) rainfall total on 23rd was at Shap (Cumbria) with 54.0 mm, with Dunkeswell (Devon) recording 22.6 mm.

24th - 31st
Record-high April 24 hour minimum temperatures were recorded on 24th and 25th, with 24 hour temperature at London St James Park not falling below 14.5 °C on 25th. Further east, the front ran out of steam, and apart from a few showers, many places remained dry. High pressure then re-asserted itself from the north from the 26th onwards with mostly dry and sunny weather returning, but with an easterly breeze in the south. However, a few thundery showers occurred across the far south and southwest on the 29th and 30th.