What were you expecting? by Victoria Graham
So what sort of weather should we expect in April…? I suppose we typically associate April in Britain with showers, but I wonder if it would surprise you to know that the showers we are expecting will be of snow.
Last Saturday, the 2nd April, seemed like the real start of spring. It was warm and sunny in many places especially the west-country where Newquay in Cornwall recorded 11.3hrs of sunshine and Saunton Sands in Devon reached a temperature of 20C (68F). However by the end of this week we will all be truly in the turbulent pattern of April showers, even wintry ones.
Snow is not a freak event in April and let’s face it, where the weather is concerned, anything can happen, but it is not a regular occurrence at this time of year. The most memorable April snow storm in Britain was back in 1908 when a significant amount of snow covered much of the country, and if you want to find out more of the details take a look at out ‘Features’ section on the BBC Weather website.
This morning just before 11 o’ clock the Met Office issued an early warning of severe weather for the end of this week. Entitled ‘Spring Postponed – Briefly’, it warned of heavy snow, blizzards and icy roads forecast for Northern Scotland, Northern Ireland, and by the end of the week the risk increasing further south. This weather could affect many significant events, including the Royal wedding (Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles), and also the 2005 Grand National, with temperatures forecast to be around 3 – 6C, rather than the seasonal
11 – 13C.
This blast of winter weather shouldn’t last for too long hopefully, we should see a return to more respectable temperatures by Sunday.
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