By Philip Eden

The cold northerly and cyclonic weather types which had so dominated March returned from the 5th-15th, bringing a sharp drop in temperature and frequent showers, often wintry. An easterly episode during the third week maintained below-average temperatures, but it became warmer, though still changeable, between the 20th and 27th. Overall, it was the most northerly and most cyclonic April for seven years.

Mean maximum temperature ranged from 13.9°C at St James's Park and Kew Gardens (both London) to 7.9°C at Fair Isle (between Orkney and Shetland), while mean minimum temperature varied between 7.5°C at St Mary's (Scilly) and 0.1°C at Braemar (Aberdeenshire). Both mean maxima and mean minima were within 0.5°C of the long-term average in all regions of the UK. The Central England Temperature (CET) of 7.9°C was 0.2°C below the 1971-2000 mean, making this the coldest April since 2001.

There were few warm days, and the temperature did not exceed 20°C anywhere in the country until the 26th - about three weeks later than the average date. The highest maximum at a standard site (i.e excluding rooftop sites) was 22.0°C at Weybourne (Norfolk) on the 26th, while the lowest minimum was -6.8°C at Braemar (Aberdeenshire) on the 14th. The coldest day was the 6th when afternoon maxima were below 4°C over large parts of eastern and central England; the maximum of 1.9°C that day at East Malling (Kent) may not have been equalled at that location in April since 1966.

Although rain fell frequently, often in the form of showers, the quantity was rarely very great except on the 29th-30th. The monthly total, averaged over England and Wales, was 72mm, about 14 per cent above the long-term average. The equivalent figures for Scotland were 72mm and 26 per cent above, and for Northern Ireland 35mm and 39 per cent below. Monthly totals ranged from 173mm at Capel Curig (Snowdonia) to 21mm at Aldergrove airport (County Antrim). As much as 11cm of snow fell on the 6th at scattered locations in Oxon, Berks, Hants, Surrey and Kent, and some 4-8cm over a large part of Southeast England and the south Midlands. Thunder and, especially, hail were reported much more frequently than usual for April, and some places in the Midlands and South observed hail on as many as 12 or 13 days during the course of the month.

There were sunny intervals on most days throughout the month, especially in western and southern coastal districts, but there was no extended period of settled, sunny weather, and in inland parts of northern England and southern Scotland there was a considerable shortfall compared with the average. Averaged over England and Wales, the monthly total was 163 hours, which is 4 per cent above the long-term mean. The equivalent figures for Scotland were 166 hours and 10 per cent above, and for Northern Ireland 198 hours and 26 per cent above. Monthly sunshine aggregates ranged from 85 hours at Eskdalemuir (Dumfriesshire) to 238 hours at Portland (Dorset) and 240 hours at Guernsey airport (Channel Is).

© Philip Eden