Diary of Highlights

1st to 4th
A cloudy and showery start to the 1st with gale force northerly winds. It became drier and brighter during the day with winds easing. A dry and frosty start to the 2nd with sunny spells in the east but the west became cloudy with occasional rain extending to eastern Scotland during the evening. Sunny spells and scattered showers on the 3rd with showers mainly in the west. A dry and bright start to the 4th with patchy frost. Heavy rain pushing north during the day with south-easterly gales developing.

5th to 7th
Some sunshine on the 5th with scattered showers. Heavy rain and gales swept northeast later in the afternoon and through the evening, South Uist had a gust to 72 m.p.h. Rain and gales cleared the mainland by dawn on the 6th and Shetland by the early afternoon with sunny or clear spells and showers following. These showers being more frequent and heavier across the west where many places in the east remained dry. This showery regime persisted through the 7th, the showers being heaviest and more persistent across the west with the best of the sunshine across the east where many places reached 12 °C.

8th to 10th
A bright start to the 8th with a ground frost across the northeast and parts of the south. Cloud with rain falling as snow on the mountains, pushed eastwards through the afternoon and evening with gales developing across the north and the northwest. Heavy showers on the 9th, especially in the west with hail, thunder and snow over hills but drier and brighter in the east. More persistent rain in the northwest during the evening with strong southwest winds. The 10th was cloudy in the west with patchy drizzle but heavy rain at times in the northwest. The south and east was mainly dry, brighter and mild, with a temperature of 15 °C in Aberdeen.

11th to 13th
The 11th started dry over south and east Scotland. Rain in the northwest edged slowly southeast during the day, heaviest over western Scotland. Drier weather followed to the northwest during the evening which continued to move southeast through the morning of the 12th leaving bright, sunny or clear spells and showers, these wintry across the mountains. Showers merged to give a longer spell of rain on the morning of 13th, giving way to sunny or clear spells and occasional showers. Windy in the far north with a gust of 57 m.p.h. at Sella Ness.

14th to 17th
The 14th was cloudy in the north and west with a little rain, most of this in the northwest. Drier in the south and east with some sunshine. Persistent rain affected the northwest from the early hours of the 15th, with 30.8 mm at Kinlochewe. This rain moved southeast and weakened with sunshine and showers following from the northwest. Another spell of rain on the 16th produced 34.4 mm at Cassley, with little rainfall reaching the sheltered east. Very windy over the Northern isles in the evening with Foula recording a gust of 77 m.p.h. and Sella Ness 74 m.p.h. Mostly cloudy with outbreaks of rain on the 17th although there were some drier and brighter spells in the east. Windy with severe gales in the north by the end of the day.

18th to 22nd
A change to much colder conditions on the 18th with heavy wintry showers and snow lying over high ground. Stormy at first in the north with a gust of 94 m.p.h. recorded at Foula. Plenty of wintry snow in the north on the 19th and 20th with significant snow over high ground. The wintry showers were well scattered in the south with sunny/clear spells. On the 21st the east was dry and bright for much of the day, but rain gradually spread from the west, with some hill snow for a time. Patchy rain cleared southeast during the early hours of the 22nd with sunny spells developing.

23rd to 27th
The 23rd and 24th were dry in most places with sunny spells. A little drizzle affected parts of the East Coast both evenings. Low cloud and patchy mist cleared on the morning of the 25th giving way to mainly sunny skies but patchy low cloud returning during the evening. Low cloud and mist in many parts on the morning of the 26th, then bright and sunny with a repeat performance on the 27th when the temperature reached 16 °C at Kinlochewe.

28th to 29th
More cloud for many areas on the 28th with some showery rain in the northwest. Elsewhere mist slowly burned back to the east coast with some sunshine developing. A line of showers formed across the Grampians merging with the rain in the northwest after dark. A wet night followed with Aboyne recording 13 mm of rain. The rain slowly cleared southwest on the 29th, and while remaining cloudy in many areas some sunshine developed over parts of the south and west. Temperatures ranged from 7 °C in the Borders to 11 °C in Strathallan and Glasgow Bishopton.

30th to 31st
On the 30th cloud persisted across much of Lothian, Borders, Morayshire and East Highland bringing patchy drizzle. Elsewhere sunny spells developed with temperatures reaching 14.5 °C on Islay. A fine end to the month as temperatures reached 17 °C on the 31st at Dalmally under sunny skies.