Overnight into the 2nd many areas saw some falls of precipitation - although in E Britain amounts were slight. Across Scotland falls of snow occurred - especially over high ground = and snow showers were reported before dawn in both Dublin and Cork. Parts of E Scotland had a slight air frost. A sunny day followed in Cent and E England - W Scotland had a cloudy day but in other districts there were sunny intervals and showers. The showers fell as snow as far S as the Pennines. Sleet, snow and high winds caused problems on roads in parts of Scotland with Highlands, central Highlands and parts of NE Scotland being worst affected. Conditions were bad on the higher parts of the A9 and the snow gates were closed on the A82 south of Glencoe and on the A93. Northern Constabulary said many routes across the Highlands were affected by snow. At 2100GMT Aviemore reported 7cm of lying snow. During the evening frontal cloud ahead of a deep low pushed warm air and rain across Ireland; MSL pressure fell to 978.4mb at Belmullet by 2400GMT. (St Catherines Point 9.7C, Aviemore 0.9C maximum, Kinbrace -1.1C minimum, Tyndrum 32.0mm, Wattisham 6.8h.)
On the 3rd wind speeds increased everywhere by dawn with severe gale/storm force winds and heavy snowfalls affecting Scotland causing disruption to travel. Bridges were closed across the UK and Ireland to some or all traffic; gusts included 105mph at Malin Head; 102mph at Edinburgh, Blackford Hill; 97mph at Salsburgh and Islay; 92mph at Macrihanish; 92mph at Drumalbin and 91mph at Glasgow, Bishopton Airport. As far S as Cent S England winds had brought down trees by 0900GMT. Wind and cloud helped to keep temperatures above freezing in most places with rain accompanying the wind across the British Isles away from Cent and N Scotland. Trains and flights were cancelled due to the winds - caused by an area of low pressure that tracked across Scotland during the day. In S parts gusts included 84mph at Portland Bill and 78mph at St Bees Head. MSL pressure fell to 963.2mb at Lusa at 0600GMT, 957.7mb at Aviemore at 0900GMT, 958.8mb at Rosehearty at 1200GMT and 969.4mb at Lerwick at 1500GMT. Temperatures rose early in the day to the S of the low as warm fronts came through, then fell sharply with some heavy rain and hail as the cold front followed. Part of the roof of the grandstand at Epsom racecourse in Surrey was blown off and a bus driver in the county suffered serious injuries when a tree fell on to his vehicle. The Port of Dover in Kent was closed and homes were evacuated in Gwynedd, Wales, because of arcing power lines. Power was lost to homes in many areas. Around the UK trees fell onto railway tracks and power lines, lorries blew over on busy roads and heavy rains led to flood warnings. Heavy rainfall led to flood alerts for rivers across SW England and Wales. A man in his 50s was killed in Kent when a tree collapsed on his van, and a crewman died after being injured on board a tanker in the English Channel. As the deprsssion moved away later in the day the wqinds started to die down, slowly. Showers followed the cold front in W areas - and these fell as snow across Scotland. At approximately 0540GMT Malin head recorded a 10-minute mean windspeed of 68kn. This provisionally exceeds the previous record for Malin Head of 67kn, recorded on 26 December 1998. The Irish Republic national 10-minute mean wind speed record is 71kn and was recorded at Foynes, Co. Limerick on 18 January 1945. (Santon Downham 13.2C, Kinbrace 2.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 0.0C minimum, Tyndrum 52.6mm, Boulmer 3.4h.)
Across N parts of the British Isles there was a breezy start to the 4th. Some snow fell across parts of Scotland although showers across Scotland and N parts of England and Ireland tended to die down overnight. There was a slight air frost in a few sheltered parts of E Scotland and a ground frost here led to some icy surfaces. By midday a warm front was bringing rain from the W across Ireland and this then moved rapidly E'wards across the British Isles by midnight followed by further frontal systems that were introducing a NW'ly flow across Scotland, N Ireland and N England by midnight. This led to widespread falls of rain - although in E England many places remained dry until the evening and falls were generally slight; parts of W and N Scotland, however, had some heavy falls. Cloud cover was extensive during the day and sunshine amounts consequently low. As wind speeds increased from the N in the evening the Met Office said 112mph gusts were recorded between 10pm and 11pm at Great Dun Fell. (Portglenone 10.7C, Lerwick 4.9C maximum, Leuchars -0.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 58.8mm, Brize Norton 0.6h.)
A brisk NW'ly flow dominated the weather on the 5th with gales in places and gusty conditions everywhere. At 1200GMT MSL pressure ranged from 1020mb in SW Ireland to 987mb on N Shetland - although the winds gradually eased during the day as MSl pressure rose to 1028.7mb at Valentia by 2400GMT. Strong winds overnight tended to prevent air frosts and across S parts of the British Isles minimum temperatures were in the range 7-9C. E'wards moving fronts gave some falls of rain overnight in most places and these were followed by showers and a strengthening in the wind. Early gusts included Great Dun Fell 98mph, Capel Curig 88mph, Leeds-Bradford 77mph, Loftus 74mph, Lake Vyrnwy 71mph and St Bees Head 70mph. Showers continued during the day - but these rarely reached into E areas of England although they did fall as snow in N and Cent Scotland. Wales, S England and S Ireland had maximum temperatures in the range 10-12C (for many this occured shortly after dawn) - further N it was a much cooler day. In between the showers there were sunny periods, particularly in E areas of the British Isles. Two rail passengers were injured after a train hit a tree on a line in Scotland, just north of Dunkeld, in Perthshire. Network Rail said it had mounted an "unprecedented" operation to clear thousands of fallen trees from lines. When combined with the result of conditions two days earlier, the damage to the railways led Network Rail to comment "The extent of damage across the whole network, in terms of trees, overhead cable damage, damage along sea walls and so forth, we've not seen that for many, many years." Scottish Power reported about 3,000 extra faults overnight. The stormy weather also saw damage to buildings, while roads were blocked, bridges closed and flights and ferries cancelled. And there were icy conditions in central Scotland and snow on higher stretches of the A9. Trees were brought down in manyt areas across roads and railways, with power lines also being downed in places.(Swanage 12.3C, Dalwhinnie 2.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.0C minimum, Okehampton 25.4mm, Glasgow 5.5h.)
Although high pressure persisted in S parts throughout the 6th, a warm front made progress E'wards across the British isles during the day, to be followed by a cold front that moved SE'wards through W and N areas. Ahead of the first front it was a cool night in E areas - and with a widespread inladn ground frost across the British Isles. There was a little rain in W Ireland and a few showers in Scotland before dawn - although the warm front was a weak feature and during the day frontal rain was mostly confined to Ireland, Wales and W Scotland. Cent and E England had a sunny day and there were a few sunny periods ahead of the frontal cloud in SE Scotland; elsewhere it was a dull day, but a mild one across Ireland. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 12.0C, Inverbervie 5.7C maximum, Tyndrum -2.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 15.6mm, Manston 6.3h.)
An overnight cold front cleared SE England shortly after dawn on the 7th although it gave very little rain across most of Cent and E England. Overnight cloud kept minimum temperatures above average with minima of 9-10C in parts of S Wales, SW Ireland and SE England. After overnight rain and showers in W districts, during the day showers were mainly confined to W and N Scotland with lesser falls in parts of N England and N Ireland. Temperatures reached 11C in parts of S Wales and S England; it was here and in parts of E Scotland that the best of the sunshine was to be seen. High pressure dominated the weather in the S with MSL pressure as high as 1030.2mb at Sherkin Island at 2400GMT. (Cardiff Bute Park 11.6C, Dalwhinnie 5.1C maximum, Resallach 2.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 17.2mm, Yeovilton 5.2h.)
During the 8th warm fronts spread a little rain across the British Isles and resulted in a mainly mild and cloudy day. Minimum temperatures remained relatively high overnight and there was a little rain in parts of the N Scotland and the Northern Isles. Most places were sunless - with the exception of the SW Midlands. However, rainfall was mainly confined to N and W Scotland - with many E aress of England receiveing only a few spots of rain from the fronts. MSL pressure remained high in the S - at 2400GMT 1032.4mb was reported on Scilly. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 13.6C, Wych Cross 7.7C maximum, Topcliffe 3.2C minimum, Kirkwall 18.4mm, Yeovilton 2.8h.)
The 9th began with the British Isles lying under a warm sector, but by midday the following cold front had crossed Ireland and Scotland. It then made slower progress S'wards across much of England and Wales by midnight. Overnight there was rainfall across Scotland and Ireland with some moderately-heavy falls in places - this rain area then moved S across England and wales but falls were slight here, and in many places consisted of just some light drizzle. Behind the front there were showers across Scotland with a thunderstorm on Fair Isle before noon. After a mild night everywhere the day was a warm one across England, Wales and the extreme S of Ireland - while the best of the sunshine was to be found across Scotland and Ireland. Further frontal reain fell across parts of N Scotland into the evening. (Shoreham 13.1C, Lentran 5.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 2.6C minimum, Kinlochewe 29.2mm, Leuchars) 5.6h.)
Overnight into the 10th there was a ground frost in N England and N Ireland and in parts of the Midlands and E Scotland. N and NW Scotland experienced some frontal rain, heavy in places while S areas of Ireland and Wales had ligfhter rain. In S England there were falls of light drizzle from a weak cold front. MSL pressure remained high in the S; at 0900GMT 1036.6mb was reported at Guernsey Airport. During the day the frontal system across S parts of the British Isles became re-invigorated in the E as it moved slowly N'wards - while another system persieted across N areas. The former gave some rain and drizzle across Ireland with lighter falls across S parts of England and Wales - while the latter system produced rainfall across N and W Scotland with some heavy falls in places. It was a mild afternoon across Ireland, Wales and much of England - but colder in N Scotland - with areas outside the Midlands and E England having a rather cloudy day. (Hawarden 12.7C, Dalwhinnie 7.3C maximum, Topcliffe -1.5C minimum, Aultbea 53.2mm, Leconfield 3.8h.)
Parts of E Scotland and SW England had a touch of ground frost into the 11th while across SW Ireland grass minimum temperatures remained around 10C. Wales and NW England, together with much of Ireland and N-NW Scotland had rainfall overnight from a eries of slow-moving fronts. While high pressure remained centred close to the Channel Islands during the day (MSL pressure 1036.8mb at Jersey Airport at 1200GMT) the evening brought a strengthening of the pressure gradient and increased wind speeds to N Scotland ahead of a cold front. Daytime precipoitation was mainly rain, in W Ireland, N and NW Scotland and in Wales and surrounding counties - with very slight falls in a few other places in England and Ireland. There was a little sunshine in E England and SE Scotland (and rather more in parts of S England) but in most areas it was a cloudy day - albeit a warm one with 10C being attained as far N as NW Scotland. However, the cold front did make for a cooler day on Shetland. By 2400GMT Bealach No Ba was reporting a 55kn mean wind speed. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 13.4C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 8.0C maximum, Aboyne -2.7C minimum, Kinlochewe 30.8mm, Camborne 6.5h.)
The 12th began on a windy note across Scotland with a cool start in N Scotland. By contrast at Valentia the minimum temperature was a high 10.1C. A cold front brought overnight rain, heavy in places, to much of Scotland and to parts of W Ireland and there was a separate area of light rain in and around Wales. Gusts reported at 060GMT included 49kn at Sule Skerry. As the cold front edged S'wards it gave falls of rain in parts of Ireland, Wales and the Midlands during the day - but very little rain elsewhere; the main effect in most areas was the change to a colder, N'ly flow. Clearer air and sunny spells followed the front - the highest temperatures were to be found across England and Wales, ahead of the front. N Scotland had showers during the day, which included falls of snow in places, leading to a dutsing on the ground at Lerwick. (Usk No.2 13.7C, Lerwick 3.3C maximum, Exeter Airport -0.8C minimum, Cluanie Inn 45.4mm, Morecambe 5.5h.)
High pressure dominated the weather on the 13th with a centre of 1034mb at 2400GMT over the Midlands. There was a widespread inland ground frost and almost no overnight precipitation. Sheltered areas had a slight air frost and most places remained dry during the day. The exception to this were parts of W Ireland where 3mm of rain fell at Sherkin Island in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. While W parts of Ireland and Scotland, and also N Scotland, had a rather cloudy day, many other areas had 5-6h of sunshine.although only in a few areas in SW Ireland and SW England dir the temperature rise above 10C. (Isles Of Scilly 10.4C, Carterhouse 1.0C maximum, Benson-5.1C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 1.0mm, Aberporth 6.6h.)
During the 14th a SE'ly or S'ly flow became established in most places as the anticylone moved slowly E'wards. Away from cloudier skies in W parts of Scotland and Ireland there was a widespread inland air frost - while the cloud gave a few spots of rain in these western parts. There was widespread mist and fog patches before dawn in NE England, the Midlands and parts of East Anglia. Parts of W Ireland had a little rainfall during the day - generally under 1mm - elsewhere it was a dry day with long sunny spells. The Central belt of Scotland remained sunless and parts of SW England also saw little sunshine. It was a warm day in the cloudy, W parts of Ireland - but in some areas close to E Wales temperatures remained below 0C; at Hereford freezing fog persisted for much of the day. (Valentia 10.4C, Hereford -0.5C maximum, Benson -7.4C minimum, Nettlecombe Birds Hill 0.4mm, Woodford 7.2h.)
Ireland, and much of SW England remained free of ground frost into the 15th while in parts of E Scotland and NE England grass minimum temperatures dipped below -10C. E and Cent Britain also had a widespread air frost with cloudier skies further W. In SW Ireland Valentia reported 5mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT due to an approaching front. Rain continued to fall in SW Ireland during the day, with 10mm at Valentia in the next 12 hours. Cloud moving E'wards over the E coast of England meant a rather cloudy day from the Thames Estuary to the Scottish Borders here, but W and Cent parts of England, Wales and E Scotland had another sunny day. E and NE England also had a rather misty day. W Ireland was again the warmest area while in a few places in Cent and N Scotland it remained below 0C all day. (Sherkin Island 9.2C, Cassley -1.0C maximum, Aboyne -9.4C minimum, Capel Curig 0.4mm, Woodford 7.1h.)
England, Wales and Scotland had a widespread inland air frost on the 16th although on Scilly and in SW Ireland temperatures remained above 7-8C. While high pressure dominated E areas - this gave some mist and fog patches for a while in parts of Cent Scotland and England - in the W frontal cloud gave some light overnight rain in SW Ireland with 2mm at Cork Airport in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT. At 0600GMT Altnaharra was reporting a temperature of -7.4C and recent freezing rain. The day was a mainly dry one but with cloudy skies across much of Ireland and in W Scotland; only in SW Ireland did temperatures reach 10C. (Valentia and Sherkin Island 11.2C, Cassley -2.8C maximum, Aboyne -10.5C minimum, Liscombe 0.4mm, Aberporth 7.7h.)
Ireland, W and SW Scotland and Sw England generally escaped an air frost on the 17th - elsewhere away from coasts there was a cold start to the day with grass minimum temperatuyres below -11C in parts of Scotland, E Wales and the Midlands. Cloud in the W brought widespread to W Ireland before dawn with 8mm falling at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT; there were also slight falls in some W and N areas of Scotland around dawn. During the day temperatures rose to 8-12C across Ireland, but failed to reach 3C in parts of NE and E England; there was further rain in SW Ireland during the day (10mm fell at Valentia in the 12 hours to 1800GMT) with the best of the sunshine to be found in E parts of Ireland and Britain. (Valentia 11.7mm, Dishforth 0.5C maximum, South Newington -8.1C minimum, Tyndrum 2.2mm, Wattisham 3.8h.)
Ground frost on the 18th was mainly confined to England (away from W coastal areas) and E Wales - as frontal cloud encroached from the W. Overnight rain fell across much of W and Cent Scotland, Ireland and in some W areas of England and Wales before dawn. The rain brought a brief spell of mild weather as it moved E'wards during the day - although falls in E Britain tended to be slight - but a following cold front brought a return to colder weather from the NE. During the day there were falls of snow and snow showers in N Scotland in this colder air. E Scotland tended to be the sunniest area in what was a rather cloudy day across the British Isles. (Exeter Airport 13.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 4.3C maximum, Santon Downham -4.2C minimum, Kinlochewe 26.6mm, Dyce 3.5h.)
A cold front eventually moved S'wards away from S England during the 19th with a NW'ly flow resulting across the British Isles. Parst fo N England and E Scotland had an overight ground frost with rainfall across many areas and with snow across N and E Scotland. There were further showery falls during the day in most areas with snowfall across Scotland and, at times, in parts of N England. Away from S England where it was a mild day (following overnight minimum temperatures close to 10C in some places here) it was a cool day from many - albeit with sunny spells in many areas. (Exeter Airport 12.5C, Aviemore 1.6C maximum, Fyvie Castle -0.2C minimum, Cassley 22mm, Leconfield 5.3h.)
Central Scotland had a widespread ground frost on the 20th but most places avoided an air frost due to cloud. This was the result of a warm front that gave overnight in N Ireland and W parts of Britain - the rain later spread E'wards although by the evening much of S England was still dry. This led to a mild day across much of Ireland, Wales and S England - and after midday there was little in the way of snow at low levels in Scotland or N England. It was a cloudy day almost everywhere. (Exeter Airport 11.5C maximum, Braemar 3.5C maximum, Leuchars -1.0C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 26.0mm, Cork Airport 2.7h.)
The 21st began with a warm sector in E areas and after this cleared away another warm sector spread across Ireland by midnight. The result was a cloudy day for many areas - the best of the sunshine being found in E Britain, with spells of rain across Scotland, N England and parts of Ireland. Daytime temperatures reached 10C across S and cent parts of England, Wales and Ireland - but it was cooler on Shetland where some snow showers fell at times. (Otterbourne Water Works 13.5C, Braemar 4.3C maximum, Aviemore 1.2C maximum, Cluanie Inn 30.2mm, Dyce 4.4h.)
Overnight into the 22nd there was widespread rainfall across Scotland as a low pressure centre (994mb) moved E'wards across here during the morning. As the associated warm sector moved E'wards across England during the day there were falls of slight rain in parts of N England and N Ireland with little rainfall of note further S. Most places had sunny spells during the day once the cold front had cleared - while there were a few falls of light snow in parts of N and Cent Scotland. (Swanage 12.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 3.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 30.4mm, Leuchars 6.2h.)
There was almost no air frost on the 23rd but a few parts of Scotland and N England experienced a slight ground frost. Troughts gave some overnight rain to N Ireland and W Scotland with further falls in parts of W Britain, N Ireland and W and N Scotland during the day. With a moderate NW'ly surface flow E areas tended to remain dry - while some wintry precipiation fella t times during the day in N Scotland. Away from S areas of Ireland and England where it remained cloudy most places had sunny spells. (Isles Of Scilly 11.6C, Aviemore 3.5C maximum, Leeming -0.8C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 13.4mm, Leconfield 6.6h.)
Away from W Ireland, where cloud led to a mild night and a minimum temperature of 10.0C at Valentia on the 24th, there was a widespread ground frost. Rain fell across Ireland and then spread into W areas of Scotlands, Wales and England. Much of NE Scotland remained dry, and then stayed largely dry during the day as the rain areas spread E'wards to most other places. It remained cloudy across Ireland and it was generally a dull and misty day. Rain was mixed with snow for a while in parts of S Scotland and N England. (Usk No.2 13.5C, Eskdalemuir 1.7C maximum, Braemar -4.1C minimum, Porthmadog 22.6mm, Dyce 1.2h.)
It was a mild night into the 25th under a warm sector across Ireland and much of England (away from the extreme E). Scotland, Wales and N England had some overnight rain - this weakened as it spread E'wards. There was early mist and fog in parts of SE England before dawn with mist and fog in other parts of E England. During the day a cold front spread across Ireland, Wales and Scotland giving some heavy falls of rain, especially across W parts of Ireland aqnd Scotland where falls were heavy. Again it was another widespread cloudy day with some sleet reported later in the afternoon in parts of W Ireland. (Hawarden 12.1C, Okehampton 7.6C maximum, Eskdalemuir 0.7C minimum, Cluanie Inn 39.2mm, Leeming 1.2h.)
The cold front soon cleared E England on the 26th leaving a W'ly flow around an area of low pressure close to/over N Scotland. Behind the colds front there was a widespread ground frost across Ireland, Wales and Scotland - early rain in W areas spread E'wards quickly and skies cleared in the W. By dawn only parts of kent and East Anglia remained dry. Following the cold front, that gave slight falls in all E areas of England as it moved away offshore, there were showers in W parts of Britain and across W and cent Ireland. These showers fell as snow in N England and S Scotland; it was a rather cloudy day here and across N Scotland with sunny periods elsewhere. (Gravesend 9.7C, Cassley 0.8C maximum, Altnaharra -4.0C minimum, Lerwick 18.2mm, Yeovilton 5.6h.)
By the end of the 27th high pressure was beginning to build from the SW into the British Isles. The day began with an air frost in E and Cent Scotland and in a few places in England. Rain and showers fell across W parts of Ireland and Britain overnight, fading a little before becoming re-invigorated and spreading into Cent and some E parts of England - associated with a trough. Parts of Scotland and N England had some falls of snow during the day. E and S England had long sunny spells, there were sunny periods elsewhere except over parts of N England and S Scotland. (Swanage 10.5C, Saughall 1.6C maximum, Kinbrace -7.0C minimum, Stonyhurst 16.4mm, Wattisham 7.9h.)
A developing ridge of high pressure on the 28th (MSL pressure rose to 1034mb over S Wales by 2400GMT) led to a widespread ground frost by dawn. Across Scotland, N England and N Ireland there was an inland air frost - with a slight air frost in a few other areas. S areas of N England and parts of the Midlands had some slight rainfall overnight - and there were heavier falls on parts of Shetland. Parts of E England had some early mist and fog patches. The rain across England had largely ended by dawn, and most places then had a dry day until fron tal rain edged into W areas of Scotland and Ireland later in the afternoon. It was a sunny day in E England but across Ireland and W Scotland cloud, ahead of the rain, meant a sunless day. 8mm of rain fell at Belmullet during 0600GMT to 1800GMT. (Belmullet 9.3C, Newton Rigg -0.7C maximum, Shap -5.2C minimum, Fair Isle 5.0mm, Nottingham 6.7h.)
Frontal systems across Ireland made only slow progress E'wards on the 29th. Across W Scotland and Ireland it was a cloudy night with overnight rain in Ireland; Belmullet reported 18mm of rain in the 12 hiours ending 0600GMT. E Scotland and much of England had an overnight air frost. Mist and fog patches were widespread in E England and the Midlands by dawn. The rain moved E'wards a liitle during the day into SW England, Wales and SW Scotland - and onshore-blowing showers led to some light falls of rain in E parts of Scotland and England close to the North Sea. These fell as snow grains at Wattisham; and snow and sleet also fell over high ground in Wales, Sw England and in parts of Scotland and N England. The extreme W of Ireland had a mainly dry and mild day - but except in NE England it was a dull day. (Valentia 12.1C, Lake Vyrnwy 0.5C maximum, Aboyne -4.4C minimum, Killowen 37.4mm, Kinloss 7.2h.)
Much of England and Scotland had a ground frost on the 30th with an air frost in places. Further W there was some overnight rain in Ireland, Wales, SW England and W Scotland. Precipitation fell as snow in parts of East Anglia, and also across parts of SE Scotland, S Wales, SW England and oiver high ground in parts of Cent S England. During thr day precipitation was mainly confined to S Wales and SW England with lesser falls in parts of Ireland and close to the E coast of NE England. There were falls of snow in NE England during the morning, with falls for much of the morning and afternoon in S Wales, East Anglia and SW and Cent S parts of England. A few flake also fell on Shetland and in E Scotland. Many palces had another cloudy day - but Cent parts of England and Scotland had sunny spells.Up to 5cm of snow fell in parts of south Wales, with similar amounts in parts of Pembrokeshire and Snowdonia. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said an ambulance crew got into difficulties at about midnight when their vehicle began slipping in snow north of Abergavenny. (Valentia and Isles of Scilly 10.8C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park -0.4C maximum, Shap -6.0C minimum, Cardinham 14.2mm, Kinloss 6.3h.)
Pressure rose from the E during the 31st as a freshening SE/E'ly flow became establihsed by the end of the day in all areas. Over Shetland MSL pressure had risaen to 1036mb by 1200GMT. Britain and N Ireland had a widespread ground frost with an air frost in Cent parts of Scotland and England and in Wales and W England. A few parts of Wales and Sw England remained freezing all day. Parts of SW England and S Ireland had some precipitation overnight and during the day while the E'ly flow brought snow showers onshore to many parts of England and Scotland - although falls were mainly slight. (Valentia 8.9C, Pennerley -1.0C maximum, Pershore -6.2C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 16.8mm, Aviemore 5.2h.)
High pressure presisted during the 2nd - with a centre of 1040mb over NW England at 2400 GMT - although a frontal system affected parts of N Scotland during the day. Most places reported an air frost overnight with grass minimum temperatures down to -12C in places. During the day parts of SW England and Wales remained below 0C despite sunshine. During the morning there were falls of light snow in East Anglia and the Channel Islands - with some rain and sleet across the Northern Isles; some light snow also fell in the afternoon in East Anglia. Away from the Northern Isles and parts of NE and E England, most places had a sunny day. (Valentia 6.8C, Liscombe -1.6C maximum, Shap -9.4C minimum, Baltasound 1.4 mm, Filton 8.5 h.)
Although high pressure continued to dominate the weather on the 3rd (1041 mb over S Wales at 1200 GMT), weak fronts close to E England and W Ireland (the latter crossed Ireland and W Scotland during the day) meant some vaariation in conditions. Away from SW Ireland there was a widespread early ground frost with grass minimum temperatures down to -15C in places. This was accomapnied by a widespread air frost. There was a little overnight rain in the Northern Isles with snow in East Anglia - leading to reported depths of 7 cm in parts of Lincolnshire by 0900 GMT. Although it remained cloudy close to the E coast of England during the day it stayed geneerally dry - while in W Ireland sleet turned to rain as frontal precipitation moved E'wards here. Parts of Scotland saw some freezing rain during the day - while freezing fog affected parts of E England for a time. (Sherkin Island 8.9C, Nettlecombe Birds Hill -0.9C maximum, Sennybridge -11.3C minimum, Valentia 5.0 mm, Yeovilton 8.4 h.)
Ireland and the extreme W of Scotland were air frost-free overnight into the 4th, while in cent S England minimum temperatruyres fell to -10C in places. During the day temperatures remained below 0C in parts of E Kent, Essex, the Midlands and NE England but rose considerably in W Ireland. Rain affected Ireland and parts of W and Cent Scotland overnight - before becoming more widespread over Ireland, Scotland, Wales and W England during the day. After a hazy start E England remained largely dry during the day. NE England and parts of Scotland had some freezing rain as the frontal rain reached the colder air further E; also, places from N Scotland to the Midlands saw some snow ahead of the rain during the morning and afternoon. Later during the afternoon and into the evening the snow became more widespread across E, S and Cent parts of England. Thames Valley Police said as many as 100 vehicles were stationary on the M40 between Junction 4 High Wycombe and Junction 9 Bicester for several hours and snow ploughs were brought in to help clear the roads. Some people were frorced to spend the night in their cars. A 35-year-old woman was taken to hospital with hypothermia after being rescued from a frozen lake in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, in the evening. (Valentia 11.0C, Langdon Bay -1.7C maximum, South Newington -12.4C minimum, Cluanie Inn 29.2 mm, Odiham 4.9 h.)
Snow continued to fall across E England for a time early on the 5th but had largely stopped by mid-morning. 0900 GMT snow depths were as mcuh as 10 cm in parts of S England and 15 cm in NE England, including Church Fenton 15 cm, Wattisham 15 cm, Marham 14 cm. Much of E Britain had a slight air frost and temperatures again remained below 0C in parts of E England and East Anglia. As temperature rose Scotland and Ireland had overnight rain whileover the snow in NE and E England and the Midlands there was some freezing fog. These conditions continued during the day - the fog being only slow to clear in some areas. Three of six transatlantic flights diverted to Shannon Airport on Sunday morning because of snow at Heathrow airport, later resumed their journeys. Half of the 1,300 scheduled flights at Heathrow were cancelled. Aer Lingus and Ryanair were also forced to cancel a number of flights as a result of the adverse weather. Motorists were urged to take extra care in treacherous conditions as snow across much of the UK turned to ice. Delays and cancellations were reported by many train companies. Forecasters warned of widespread ice in Wales as the worst of the weather eased. A 55-year-old man was airlifted to hospital after injuring his spine in a sledging accident in Terrington, North Yorkshire. London Ambulance Service experienced a surge in 999 calls with 2,500 in the 12 hours to midday - up 26% on the same period last Sunday. Key roads in and out of Dover were closed after heavy overnight snow in Kent, while rail operators reported delays and cancellations. In Staffordshire more than 100 vehicles were abandoned on the A50 in Uttoxeter after two lorries jack-knifed, although the road has been re-opened. Away from NE England and parts of the Midlands most places had a rather cloudy day. (Valentia 11.3C, Church Fenton -0.9C maximum, Bramham -9.8C minimum, Thorney Island 15.8 mm, Leconfield 6.5 h.)
Lying snow on the 6th remained confined to Cent and E areas of England at low levels. There was ana air frost in many places in this part of the UK, while in SW Ireland minimum temperatures remained above 9C. There was little snowfall during the day but in the evening snow fell in parts of East Anglia. Mist and fog, freezing in places at times, affected N England and the Midlands in particular during the day while some places further W saw falls of frontal rain and drizzle. A 40km stretch of the A1 (in the UK) was closed following a series of accidents. North Yorkshire Police said they had attended 54 collisions across the county between midnight and 1000GMT but no-one was badly hurt. The fire service said up to 20 lorries had jack-knifed on the A1 between Allerton Park and the Catterick. The closure had caused major traffic queues with many drivers stuck in their vehicles for more than four hours. The snow affected some schools with about 55 closed in Essex. A total of 39 were closed in East Sussex with a further 19 closed in Kent and Medway. A handful of schools were also closed in the East Midlands, Warwickshire, Surrey and Yorkshire. Some rail services continued to suffer following the weekend's big freeze. Away from the fog, Scotland and N England had a sunny day - elsewhere, it remained rather dull. (Sherkin Island 12.1C, Church Fenton 0.1C maximum, Church Fenton -8.5C minimum, Herstmonceux 8.8 mm, Leuchars 7.9 h.)
High pressure persisted on the 7th but with frontal systems to the W of Ireland and across E England. Away from SW England, W Scotland and Ireland there was a widespread overnight air frost with some outbreaks of snow in East Anglia. In N England there was some freezing rain while in the Midlands and adjacent counties fog was an early problem. A few parts of S England had a little rain and snow during the afternoon. By 2400 GMT the MSL pressure had risen to 1046.1 mb at Dishforth. (Valentia 10.6C, Langdon Bay -1.0C maximum, Aboyne -9.7C minimum, Houghton Hall 4.8 mm, Wattisham 8.8 h.)
There was a widespread ground frost on the 8th outside Ireland and NE Scotland - with air minimum temperatures widely falling below -5C across England. In many parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and in parts of SW England temperatures remained below 0C all day. A ridge of high pressure meant a generally dry day across England and wales - elsewhere there was much frontal cloud with rainfall in W Ireland and W Scotland during the day - after some overnight rain in W Ireland. Some sleet and snow fell in parts of East Anglia and SE England, this latter affecting the Channel Islands and Cent S England for a while. Places close to a line from SW England to Aberdeen had a sunny day - elsewhere it was generally cloudy. (Valentia 9.8C, Nettlecombe Birds Hill -1.6c maximum, Church Fenton -11.8C minimum, Tiree 16.4 mm, Camborne 7.4 h.)
The frontal cloud and rain in the W spread E'wards during the 9th. SE Scotland, England and Wales had an overnight sir frost - and these freezing temperatures combined with rain to bring icy surfaces to parts of S Scotland, N England and NE Wales before dawn. Rain fell overnight across W and N Ireland, and through much of Scotland with some snow repoirted in Cumbria and in Suffolk. Emergency services in Cumbria (UK) dealt with 97 crashes caused by freezing rain in less than six hours. The A66 trans-Pennine route was closed for several hours after a number of lorries jackknifed near Stainmore. The M6 also saw a number of crashes. The A66 was also the scene of a multi-vehicle accident near Penrith. There were no serious injuries reported. Some schools have also been closed as a precaution. A Cumbria Police spokesman said all the collisions were reported between 0500GMT and 1100GMT. Elsewhere in the north of England, six vehicles, including a double-decker bus, crashed on the Felling bypass and several vehicles collided on Blaydon Highway flyover, both in Gateshead. Durham Police said they had received reports of a number of minor collisions around County Durham and Darlington. They warned drivers to use "extreme caution". Plunging temperatures and icy conditions also led to a number of road accidents across North Yorkshire. Police said black ice led to problems in Skipton, Otley and Settle and one motorist said the A65 near Giggleswick was "like glass". The rain spread SE'wards during the day into S wales and E Yorkshire by the evening. Snow fell in E England, East Anglia, SE England and later Cent S and parts of SW England. (Valentia 11.8C, High Wycombe -1.2C maximum, Linton-on-Ouse -9.6C minimum, Banagher Caugh Hill 24.4 mm, Camborne 6.4 h.)
Snowfall continued into the 10th in E and S areas of England until late morning in places. The Met Office reported that places had between 1 cm and 8 cm of fresh snow - the highest snowfall being from Lincolnshire through Cambridgeshire to Bedfordshire. The snow turned to rain in some western areas overnight, with ice becoming a hazard on untreated surfaces. Many places had early mist and haze that persistd for much of the day and frontal rain fell across parts of England during the day. In south Wales, the A470 was closed after two vehicles crashed on ice near Nant Ddu between Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil at 0545GMT on Friday. Icy conditions on the roads were being reported in parts of north and south Wales, where temperatures remain close to freezing. Meanwhile, charities were warning that elderly people are among the most vulnerable in the cold weather and urged people to check on their older relatives or neighbours. (Valentia 13.9C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest -1.2C maximum, Houghton Hall -7.9C minimum, Cardinham 16.0mm, Herstmonceux 6.2 h.)
Conditions on the 11th continued with a W-E split; frontal cloud to the W meant little air frost across Scotland and Ireland overnight - with rainfall in Ireland and W Scotland. Elsewhere it was a mainly dry but frosty start to the day with High Wycombe and Sennybridge reporting a little light snow. During the day any rain fell mainly in SW Scotland and SE Ireland. Early in the day fog and mist was widespread in the colder air - with freezing fog in places as a result. Mist and haze persisted for much of the day in England - with E and S England having a mainly sunny day; elsewhere it was rather cloudy. Parts of E England had a very cold day - this followed overnight minima of -15.6C at Holbeach, -15.5C at Cavendish, and -15.3C at Cambridge. (Castlederg 10.5C, Coningsby -5.4C maximum, Holbeach -15.6C minimum, Houghton Hall 16.0 mm, Lyneham 9.0 h.)
Much of Wales and parts of N England escaped an air frost on the 12th, while in Cent S England and East Anglia temperatures fell below -10C in places before dawn under the influence of a ridge of high pressure extending across these areas from the E. Ireland and W Scotland had a mild day but it remained cool in E Britain. A little snow fell early in the morning in parts of SE England but most places had a dry day. Early mist and fog was again a problem - especially in parts of N England and as the day wore on the controlling high pressure became one to the SW of Ireland (1039.5 mb at Valentia at 2400 GMT) thereby allowing a W'ly flow to become established across N Britain. (Valentia 11.3C, Langdon Bay 1.8C maximum, Cavendish -12.7C minimum, Houghton Hall 7.2 mm, Belmullet 7.4h. )
Warmer conditions on the 13th led to a steady melting of lying snow in E England during the day. Parts of E Britain and Cent Ireland had a slight ground frost overnight - but there was little air frost. During the day a front crossed all areas from the NW as a NW'ly flow became established everywhere. However, rainfall from this front was mainly confined to N Scotland with only minor falls elsewhere. The main effect of the front was to give a cloudy day - although some sunny intervals were reported in E Scotland and NE England. (Strathallan 10.9C, Langdon Bay 3.7C maximum, Writtle -2.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 8.4 mm, Boulmer 3.3 h.)
High pressure to the SW of Ireland maintained a brisk NW'ly flow on the 14th across al areas. There was little overnight air frost and only a little precipitation during the day. Pressure remained high in all areas - up to about 1038 mb in SW Ireland - but it was nevertheless a rather cloudy day for most areas. (Sherkin Island 11.7C, Leek 5.6C maximum, Woodford -1.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 8.4 mm, Filton 3.7 h.)
A NW'ly flow continued to steer a few frontal bands across the British Isles on the 15th. Overnight rain affected parts of N and W Scotland and N Ireland - with further falls in these districts during the day. A few other places had some slight falls of rain - but most places remained dry if rather cloudy. (Strathallan 12.8C, Okehampton 6.0C maximum, Spadeadam 0.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 13.2, Edinburgh Gogarbank 5.8 h.)
Most places again had a frost-free night into the 16th; overnight frontal cloud brought some rain to N Scotland and this spread slowly S'wards during the day - to affect Cent Ireland and mid-Wales by the evening. There were some heavy falls in NW Scotland. Away from the Northern Isles daytime temperatures were close to, or above, 10C. E areas of Britain remained mostly dry and had the best of the sunshine. (Leuchars 13.5C, Okehampton 6.7C maximum, Topcliffe -0.8C minimum, Resallach 25.6 mm, Leuchars 5.5 h.)
Parts of E Scotland had a slight air frost on the 17th but the night was again air frost-free in most areas. Frontal cloud in S Britain gave some rainfall at its western end - and rain continued to affect parts of Scotland, Ireland and W parts of Britain as the fronts moved N'wards during the day. E England remained largely dry although the front did mean a mostly cloudy day. (Murlough 13.1C, Lerwick 6.5C maximum, Aboyne -1.6C minimum, Kinlochewe 25.2 mm, Leconfield 4.9 h.)
N Scotland had a cool start on the 18th as a cold front cleared the area and introduced air from a N'ly source here by dawn. By dawn ther had been some falls of snow in NW Scotland while a sequence of fronts gace widespread falls of rain overnight to most of Ireland, Scotland and to parts of Wales and N England. This rain was heavy over high ground in Scotland and spread to all remaining areas during the day, to be followed by snowfall across most areas of Scotland and a few places in N Ireland and N England by midnight. Aviemore was reporting 6 cm of lying snow by 2100 GMT. (St James Park 11.7C, Dalwhinnie 1.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 36.2 mm, Leuchars 7.6 h.)
A developing ridge of hight pressure into the 19th led to a widespread overnight ground frost in S areas while across Scotland there were some falls of snow, especially in the N. Across NW Ireland there was some light rain. During the day the snow across Scotland gave way to rain as a frontal system aproached from the W and some light rain also fell in parts of SW England and Wales. Ahead of frontal cloud it was a sunny day in much of E and Cent England. (Sherkin Island 9.9C, Braemar 1.4C maximum, Drumnadrochit -7.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 6.0 mm, Manston 9.3 h.)
Parts of Cent and S England had a sharp ground frost into the 20th while a frontal system gave rainfall overnight in NW Ireland and to W and N Scotland. Scotland, Ireland and N Englamd in particular, hd further rain during the day - heavy across the hills of Scotland. Much of England had a dry day with the SE corner being generally sunny. It became mild in E Scotland due to the foehn effect. (Lossiemouth 14.7C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 5.0C maximum, Hurn -7.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 35.1 mm, Charlwood 6.9 h.)
A SW'ly slow across most areas on the 21st meant little early frost while there was some rain overnight across parts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Dur5ing the day further falls were mainly confined to Scotland. It was again mild in E Scotland but for most places skies were rather cloudy. (Kinloss 14.2C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 6.5C maximum, Rothamsted 1.0C minimum, Cluanie Inn 44.2 mm, Wattisham 6.3 h.)
A mild SW'ly flow continued to prevail on the 22nd; most places saw some rain during the day - initially across Scotland but then from the W as a frontal system pushed across Ireland then further E'wards. There were some heavy outbreaks across Wales with warm conditions in E Scotland. Most places hjad a rather cloudy day. (Aboyne 15.7C, Lerwick 6.5C maximum, Frittenden 4.5C minimum, Capel Curig 53.2 mm, Herstmonceux 1.6 h.)
The 23rd dawned after a mild night evarywhere except in NE Scotland. In parts of the Midlands minimum temperatures remained above 11C under cloudy skies. There was some light rain overnight over and close to Wales and in W Scotland.During the day rain was mainly confined to Scotland and NW Ireland; Cent and SE parts of England had a sunny day and temperatures approached station records for the month in places. The highest temperature recorded was 18.7C at Coleshill, Warwickshire, making this the warmest February day in the UK since 1998. Other highs included 18.3C at Market Bosworth and 18.2C at both Santon Downham and Shoeburyness. Sunshine was largely confined to Cent and SE England. 17.4C at Ashford Co. Wicklow is the highest temperature recorded in February in Republic of Ireland since at least 1942. (Coleshill 18.7C, Mumbles Head 8.8C maximum, Wick Airport 4.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 12.4 mm, Wattisham 8.7 h.)
The 24th saw a cold front slowly edging S'wards across S parts of the british Isles; the night was mild across England and Wales with minimum temperatures of 11C in parts of Yorkshire. Overnight rain affected N Ireland, W Scotland and NW England and spread into S Ireland and Wales during the day - with further fal;ls across W and N Scotland. E areas of the UK remained mainly dry. There was fog during the morning in Sw England and mist in parts of E England; some of th4e fog in the SW lingered all day and the Channel islands were also fog-bound at times. Away from SE Ireland, S wales and SW England it was a sunny day - and a warm one in E England. (Manston 15.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 3.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 9.8 mm, Leuchars 8.7 h.)
Wales, Cent Ireland, the Midlands and N England had some ground frost into the 25th under the influence of high pressure. Some rain fell overnight across parts of N Scotland and W and N Scotland say further frontal rain during the day. Some rain also affected N England - while SW Englanbd was again affected by early fog that was slow to clear in places. SE England has some early mist patches - but away from SW vEngland most places in E and S England had a sunny day once early mist and haze had cleared. (Cardiff Bute Park 13.5C, Spadeadam 5.5C maximum, Santon Downham -2.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 15.6 mm, Lyneham 9.3 h.)
High pressure over S areas into the 26th led to a touch of air frost in a few places here - but further N there was a little more cloud die to frontal systems. Some rain fell across Scotland overnight and there were further falls in W and N Irekand, and in W Scotland during the day. E Ireland had spells of drizzle at times, while E Scotland was mild due to the W'ly flow off the mountains while Cent and SE England had a sunny day after early mist and fog patches had cleared. (Fyvie Castle 14.5C, Spadeadam 6.1C maximum, Benson -2.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 10.6 mm, Lyneham 9.3 h.)
Despite the pressure of high pressure over S areas on the 27th, frontal system meant a rather cloudy day in all areas. There was little overnight air frost, as rain spread slowly E'wards aross Ireland and W parts of the UK before dawn. By the evening many E areas of England had seen some rain although places SE of a line from Exeter to The Wash stayed mainly dry with just slight rain in places. Mist and haze, along with fog patches in places during the hours of darkness, were also a feature of the weather. (Tain Range 15.2C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 8.0C maximum, Shoreham 2.0C minimum, Dunstaffnage 11.0 mm, Leconfield 0.7 h.)
The high pressure area over S areas became more dominant towards the N on the 28th; overnight cloud meant a mild night with minimum temperatures around 8-11C in most areas and with just a few outbreaks of rain and drizzle overnight. Early mist, haze and fog patches were widespread and poor visibility returned to E and Cent England in the evening. There was little rain during the day, except in parts of W Scotland, but there was also little sunshine except in NE England - where it was a mild day. Fog and mist patches delayed flights to and from Jersey Airport. Services were in the morning for a time. (Durham 17.4C, St Bees Head 8.6C maximum, Usk No.2 5.0C minimum, Lusa 6.6 mm, Leconfield 7.7 h.)
The 29th dawned mild and dry - except form some slight rain in W Scotland. During the day the highest MSL pressure persisted arounf 1025-1026 mb over the Channel Islands. During the day rain reamained generally confined to parts of W Scotland - while around Wales and SW England it was a sunnier day than of late. Cent, SE and E England had a misty and foggy start to the day; SW England was hazy in places throughout the day while mist and fog became widespread in the evening across S Wales, East Anglia, the Midlands and S England. (Hereford 16.3C, Eskdalemuir 7.8C maximum, Fyvie Castle 2.7C minimum, South Uist 1.6 mm, St Athan 7.6 h.)
Away from W Scotland and Wales there was a widespread inland ground frost on the 2nd; mist and fog was again a widespread problem until late morning across much of England and Wales; Guernsey Airport resumed flights after heavy fog led to a number of delays and cancellations. The fog descended on the island on Thursday afternoon, leading to the cancellation of some evening flights, and some on Friday morning. The disruption came just a week after fog led to three days of cancelled flights at the airport. Parts of N England and Scotland had some rain during the day - elsewhere it was a dry day and quite sunny across much of Ireland and W Wales although S England was rather cloudy ahead of a werk warm front. (Gogarddan 15.4C, Cavendish 6.7C maximum, Baltasound -2.1C minimum, Levens Hall 6.0 mm, Aberporth 9.4 h.)
The 3rd brought an area of low pressure just to the W of the British Isles with assiated fronts crossing many areas during the day. By dawn rain and drizzle had fallen across Ireland and in W Wales and SW England and this made steady progress E'wards during the day - falls in E England were generally slight and were preceded by some sunshine once some early drizzle had cleared. Mist and fog patches were also widespread in Cent, E and NE England by dawn and fog persisted until late morning in parts of NE England. Across Ireland there were showers during the day. (Northolt 15.3C, Inverbervie 6.4C maximum, Eskdalemuir 1.5C minimum, Tyndrum 6.4 mm, St Athan 8.6 h.)
The 48 hours beginning on the 4th turned out to be the wettest spell of weather in parts of E England since late autumn, following a mainly dry winter. An area of low pressure moved from W of Biscay towards Holland during the day, crossing SE England and bringing frontal rain NE'wards as it did so. Ireland, N England and Sdotland had a widespread ground frost with a slight air frost in NE Scotland and Cent Ireland for a time - but by dawn widespread rain had fallen across much of Ireland, W and S Scotland, Wales and W England as far E as Hampshire. The rain the moved NE'wards giving some heavy falls across much of E and Cent England and lesser falls elsewhere in England and Wales. Most of Scotland also had some rain during the day - but it truned drier across W Scotland and Ireland with prolonged sunny spells. (St James Park 10.2C, Leek 3.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -3.1C minimum, Hurn 26.8 mm, Cork Airport 10.0 h.)
While high pressure persisted to the W of the British Isles on the 5th an area of low pressure gave a cloudy day in E areas of England. E Scotland had an early air frost while rain fell through E England overnight; some rain and showers also affected W areas of Scotland and Ireland at times. This pattern of weather continued during the day - although the in the E rain was confined mainly to East Anglia and Kent, where it was a cold day. Elsewhere there were long sunny spells. (Killowen 11.9C, Langdon Bay 4.1C maximum, Braemar -4.9C minimum, Norwich Airport 29.0 mm, Glasgow 10.1 h.)
Away from East Anglia and Kent in the E, and from W Ireland in the W, there was a widespread ground frost on the 6th with many inland areas of England and Scotland having an air frost. This was due to a ridge of high pressure - MSL pressure 1029.7 mb at St. Marys (Scilly) at 0000 GMT - with cloud in the E giving rainfall across East Anglia and Kent overnight. The rain in the E died out in the afternoon while another area of rain spread across Ireland soon after dawn, affecting much of Scotland by evening and spreading through Wales and into W parts of England by midnight. As a result it was cent England that experience the sunniest conditions - with almost unbroken sunshine here once any early cloud had lifted. (Hawarden 11.9C, Kenley 5.4C maximum, Aboyne -6.6C minimum, West Freugh 13.6 mm, Brize Norton 10.2 h.)
Three fronts rapidly crossed the British Isles in an E'ward direction on the 7th, giving spells of rain and drizzle to all areas. Ahead of the cloud an early ground frost was restricted to the extreme SE of England while across Ireland minimum temperatures were abovce 8C in places. The final front was a cold front - this cleared E areas early in the afternoon and meant that across Ireland temperatures hardly rose during the in a W'ly showery airstream. The afternoon and evening also brought snowfall across high ground in Scotland and in parts of Cumbria - light showers also continued into the evening across Ireland while further E skies tended to clear after sunset. (Hurn 12.6C, Dalwhinnie 4.4C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 0.8C minimum, Cluanie Inn 26.4 mm, Leuchars 8.5 h.)
The influence of high pressure on the 8th led to an early ground frost in many E and Cent areas of England and Scotland while fronts gave overnight rain in N Ireland, W and later Cent areas of Scotland, and in parts of N England. During the day there were small anounts of light rain and drizzle across Scotland and one or two scattered showers in parts of England. East Anglia and parts of SE England had a sunny day; elsewhere there were varying amounts of cloud and it was rather dull in W areas of Ireland and Scotland. (Shannon Airport 13.0C, Eskdalemuir 7.1C maximum, Santon Downham -2.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 20.6 mm, Manston 10.0 h.)
During the 9th high pressure gradually becamee established to the SW or Ireland - MSL pressure reaching 1036.5 mb at Valentia by 2400 GMT. The day dawned after a mild night nearly everywhere with minimum temperatures above 10C in parts of N Scotland. Overnight there was a little rain and drizzle in parts of Ireland, Scotland and N England with rather cloudy skies elsewhere - this rain and drizzle fell in parts of England and Wales during the day with further falls across W Scotland in particular. As a result the day was generally cloudy although E Scotland experienced some sunny periods with temperatures reaching 16C here in places. (Aboyne 16.4C, Resallach 7.7C maximum, Frittenden -0.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 36.8 mm, Leuchars 6.2 h.)
High pressure on the 10th led to a mainly dry day; there was some light rain and drizzle in N and W Scotland, Ireland and N England overnight - while across S and E England and in S Wales there was widespread mist and fog by dawn. In the N the rain gradually faded - although most of Ireland and Scotland remained rather cloudy - while across England and Wales the mist cleared to give sunny periods in most areas with temperatures reaching 15C in Cent and E parts of England. In the evening mist and fog began to return in SW England. (Usk No.2 17.7C, Dalwhinnie 7.6C maximum, Craibstone 3.9C minimum, Resallach 6.6 mm, Leconfield 9.3 h.)
Mist and fog patches were widespread by dawn on the 11th across W Scotland, much of Ireland, and in many parts of England and Wales - with thick fog in SW England in particular. Ahead of the fog there was a little ground frost in parts of E Scotland and E England while some light rain affected N Scotland overnight. Most of the rfog cleared by late morning to give a sunny day in E parts of England and Scotland, where it was also warm. Some light rain or drizzle continued to affect areas of Scotland and W Ireland - and W parts of the British Isles had a mainly dull and cloudy day. (Nottingham 18.6C, St Bees Head 8.2C maximum, Topcliffe -2.2C minimum, Dunstaffnage 1.8 mm, Boulmer 10.7 h.)
High pressure persisted across the British Isles on the 12th with a centre of 1038 mb off S Ireland at 0000 GMT. Overnight there was widespread fog, mist and haze across England and Wales with mist in W Scotland and N Ireland. Low cloud gave some light drizzle in parts of Ireland and Wales before dawn with light rain in parts of Scotland. There was some ground frost in E Britain and S England. These scattered outbreaks continued during the day - with mist and haze being rather persistent and reluctant to clear. In the evening some thick fog formed in SW England and later affected S Wales. Many places remained dull and cloudy by day and it was places in E Britain that had the best of any sunshine. (Herstmonceux 18.1C, Waddington 6.6C maximum, Aboyne -2.6C minimum, Tiree 2.2 mm, Leeming 10.2 h.)
W Scotland had a little overnight rain and there were a few reports of drizzle before dawn on the 13th elsewhere. But continuing high pressure made for a mostly dry night and day - although by dawn fog was widespread across Cent and S areas of Wales and England with mist in S Ireland and N England. While grass minimum temperatures stayed around 8C in W Ireland there was a slight ground frost in some Cent parts of England and Scotland. The mist and haze was again slow to clear and coastal fog lingered for much of the day around parts of Wales and SW England. Scotland had a little more light rain during the day while visibility deteriorated in the evening across England and Wales. Most places remained sunless during the day. (Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 15.3C, Spadeadam 6.9C maximum, Ravensworth 0.7C minimum, Baltasound 2.0 mm, Valentia 5.1 h.)
High pressure drifted away to the E a little on the 14th allowing a frontal system to affect W Scotland and the Northern Isles later. The day dawned with widespread mist and haze across England, Wales and Ireland - with some fog patches and rather cloudier skies across N Scotland. Scotland and Ireland had a mainly mild night (except for some E parts of Ireland) but yet again the mist and haze remained throughout the day with visibilities only improving slightly as the day progressed. In the evening fog patches formed in parts of SW England and the Midlands. There was little sunshine to be had during the day except in S and Cent areas of England and Wales. (Wisley 14.0C, Eskdalemuir 6.0C maximum, Okehampton 1.6C minimum, Shobdon 0.4 mm, Bala 7.7 h.)
There was widespread thick fog across S and Cent parts of England by dawn on the 15th - with fog also in Wales, mist across Ireland and hazy conditions in S Scotland. Parts of NW Ireland and W and N areas of Scotland had some light frontal rain overnight - ahead of the fog formation across England there was a sharp ground frost in places. Many areas of E England had sunny spells during the day once the early fog had cleared and this allowed temperatures to rise to above 17C in parts of SE England, However, it remained misty and hazy across England and Wales generally - Scotland and Ireland had a rather cloudy day with frontal rain pushing slowly E/SE here. (Gravesend 19.0C, Leek 5.1C maximum, Ravensworth -4.2C minimum, Harris Quidnish 4.4 mm, Manston 9.3 h.)
The 16th dawned after a hazy night across England and Wales; by this time frontal rain and drizzle had reached into N England and NW Wales. This was falling from a cold front - although as the frontal cloud reached Cent and E England during the early afternoon it prevented an afternoon rise in temperature - meaning that in the sunnier, but fresher air across Ireland behind the front, daytime maximum temperatures were higher than in Cent England. Much of Cent and SE England remained dry throughout the day - although Ireland and Scotland saw rain in most places at varying times during the day. W Ireland, N and W Scotland and parts of NE England had sunny spells - elsewhere it was a dull day. (Fyvie Castle 15.6C, High Wycombe 7.4C maximum, Topcliffe -1.1C minimum, Tyndrum 25.2 mm, Belmullet 5.4 h.)
A cold front made slow E'ward progression across England during the 17th - leaving areas of low pressure and troughs across the British Isles in its wake. Parts of N Ireland had an overnight air frost - while frontal rain moved away from Scotland and E'wards into N and Cent England by dawn. The rain made only slow progress E through England during the day while further W there were outbreaks of rain and showers from time to time. To the W of the front there were sunny periods - although many places remained rather dull. (Hereford 13.4C, Baltasound 7.0C maximum, Aboyne -3.9C minimum, Okehampton 16.6 mm, Leuchars 10.3 h.)
On the 18th pressure gradually rose from the SW - giving MSL pressure of about 1031 mb in SW Ireland by 2400 GMT. Away from E England there was a widespread ground frost overnight (much of Scotland had an air frost) - across S and Cent England fog patches formed once the rain had cleared. SW and Cent England had some further rain in the morning and N Scotland had some rain and showers later in the day. Many places in Ireland and Scotland had long sunny spells. (Herstmonceux 12.8C, Cromer 6.6C maximum, Braemar -8.5C minimum, Gringley-on-the-hill 27.4 mm, Morecambe 10.7 h.)
High pressure across S parts of the British Isles led to a widespread inland ground frost before dawn on the 19th - except in N Scotland where some frontal rain fell overnight. Cent parts of England had a widespread air frost. Mist patches in Cent and E England soon cleared to give sunny day here. Across Scotland the rain gradually moved SE'wards with falls also across Ireland and later in NW England. Rainfall amounts were generally small except in parts of W Scotland. (Killowen 14.6C, Carterhouse 7.4C maximum, Benson -4.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 31.0 mm, Filton 11.1 h.)
MSL pressure rose to 1037 mb in SW Cornwall by 2400 GMT on the 20th and the day was a mainly settled one as a result. Across N Scotland it was a mild night with minimum temperatures above 10C in places; Cent S England and parts of the Midlands and East Anglia had a ground frost before dawn. Rain fell overnight across Scotland, particularly in W and Cent districts, and in N Ireland. During the day falls were much lighter here - although parts of N England also had a little rain or drizzle. Cent and E England, away from the coast, had a sunny day. (Donna Nook 16.9C, Okehampton 8.0C maximum, Hurn -1.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 26.6 mm, Leconfield 10.2h.)
During the 21st the high pressure centre migrated towards the North Sea, introducing an onshore E'ly flow across E England by the end of the day. There was a slight ground frost in parts of E England by dawn and some light rain and drizzle in NW and N Scotland overnight. This precipitation tended to clear during the day; most E areas of Britain then had a sunny day although Ireland and W Scotland remained rather cloudy. Across E Scotland a foehn effect led to a warm day in Aberdeenshire. (Dyce 18.2C, Lake Vyrnwy 8.8C maximum, South Newington 0.0C minimum, Lusa 9.6 mm, Manston 11.4 h.)
High pressure on the 22nd drew a SE'ly onshore flow across E England while a weak frontal system edged N across SW England, Wales and Ireland later. There was a widespread inland ground frost before dawn with an air frost in parts of NE England and E Scotland. England and Wales began the day with widespread mist and haze and with fog patches in places. Visibility improved during the morning and most places had a dry day. An exception to this were places in SW England and S Wales where a little light rain or drizzle fell later in the day. Away from these areas of rain it was a sunny day - in Lincolnshire and Norfolk the onshore breeze kept daytime temperatures below 10C. (Otterbourne Water Works 20.1C, Inverbervie 9.3C maximum, Ravensworth -4.2C minimum, Cardinham 4.2 mm, Leuchars 11.1 h.)
With high pressure to the E of Scotland and weak frontal systems moving N'wards across Ireland, the 23rd was dominated by a generally S'ly flow. Cent and N Scotland had an early sharp air frost in places while SW England, S Wales and Ireland had some overnight rain and drizzle. England had widespread mist and fog by dawn - thick in parts of Cent S England; early mist was widespread in Scotland. During the morning the mist and fog cleared to give a hazy afternoon. The rain in the W petered out during the day giving just a few light falls across Ireland. S and E England had a sunny day - elsewhere skies were cloudier while along much of the E coast of England and Scotland an onshore flow made for a cool day. (Charlwood 21.3C, Lerwick 6.3C maximum, Braemar -5.3C minimum, Scolton Country Park 4.0 mm, Yeovilton 11.3 h.)
The 24th saw high pressure persisting close to E Britain with MSL pressure close to 1032 mb across much of NE England at 2400 GMT. Parts of N Scotland, Wales, Cent S England and the Midlands had an early ground frost while most of Britain had widespread mist, fog and haze by dawn - this fog was thick in many places. Visibility soon improved in most places and the day was then generally dry and fine everywhere - although in parts of W Ireland and W Scotland it was a rather cloudy day. In a few places along the E coast of Britain temperatures remained below 9C while inland temperatures reached 20C in parts of Wales and England. (Porthmadog 22.2C, Fair Isle 6.9C maximum, Exeter Airport -0.6C minimum, Salsburgh 0.4 mm, Aberporth 11.0 h.)
The area of high pressure intensified on the 25th - MSL pressure at 2400 GMT was close to 1038 mb in Lincolnshire. England and E Scotland had a widespread ground frost with either mist, haze or fog (thick in places) here. Visibility soon improved and the day was a warm and sunny one in most places. Close to the E coast of England temperatures failed to reach 7C in places in a cool onshore breeze - while a new Scottish March temperature record of 22.8C was set at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire. (Fyvie Castle 22.8C, Manston 6.3C maximum, Cranwell -1.3C minimum, Inverbervie 0.4 mm, Nottingham 11.6 h.)
High pressure (centre about 1038 mb) remained centred close to E England on the 26th. Light winds led to widespread mist and haze across the British Isles by dawn - with fog in parts of E England and E Scotland. There was also a widespread ground frost away from W areas of Scotland and Ireland, and a slight air frost in Cent England and S Scotland. Once the mist and fog cleared all regions had a warm and sunny day with most places seeing over 10 h of sunshine, Temperatures rose above 22C in E Scotland and above 20C in parts of S Scotland and NE England; at Carlton-in-Cleveland, near Stokesley, North Yorkshire, 20.4C was the highest March temperature in a 29-year record. Cromdale in Moray reached 23.2C, breaking the record set the day before for the warmest March day in Scotland. Along some stretches of the coast of E England temperatures remained below 13C, (Cromdale 23.2C, Weybourne 10.1C maximum, Ravensworth -3.3C minimum, Manston 0.2 mm, Morecambe 12.1 h.)
The anticyclone had moved slowly into S Scotland by 0000 GMT on the 27th; by dawn there were some mist and fog patches, mainly in E England. There was also a widespread inland air frost throughout the British Isles with an air frost in parts of England, E and N Scotland. Another dry and sunny day followed once early mist and fog had cleared - most areas had 10-12 h of sunshine with temperatures above 20C in many areas. Again, some coastal areas of E England were much cooler in an onshore breeze. 21.0C at Carlton-in-Cleveland was another March station record, while 23.6C at Aboyne was a new all-time March record for Scotland. (Aboyne 23.6C, Harris Quidnish 11.5C maximum, Altnaharra -3.6C minimum, Tyndrum 0.4 mm, Aberporth 12.2 h.)
Little cloud into the 28th led to another widespread ground frost with an air frost in parts of S and Cent England, N Ireland and S Scotland. N Scotland had a mild night under cloudy skies and there was some light rain in the Northern Isles during the morning. During the day the anticyclone centre moved to the W of the British Isles and a weak cold front began to affect N Scotland later. But most areas had another mild and very sunny day with 20-21 C in many E and Cent areas of England and E Scotland. Behind the cold front maximum temperatures were around 10C in the Northern Isles and there was more cloud. The maximum temperature recorded today in Dorchester (south Dorset) was 21.5C. This was the highest registered in March in records back to 1962 and breaks the previous record of 20.5C that has stood since 1965.(St James Park 22.8C, Resallach 9.4C maximum, Katesbridge -3.0C minimum, Baltasound 0.4 mm, Aberporth 12.1h.)
Pressure remained high during the 29th (in the range 1024-1034 mb across mainland britain and Ireland) with a centre to the W of Ireland anabling a N/NW'ly surface flow. Overnight cloud gave some light rain or drizzle in parts of N and W Scotland and these areas remained cloudy during the day with further light precipitation, especially on the Northern Isles. Early mist and haze across England and S Ireland soon cleared and after a touch of ground frost in these areas the day was again a warm one with 20C being reached in parts of England and Cent Wales. However, wind-facing coastal places were cooler than this - particularly some W-facing coasts of the Irish Sea. With wind coming down the spine of Cornwall (the warmest Spring early summer direction for Penzance) 18.9C was the highest March temperature there, beating the old March temperature record of 18.1C set in 1999. (Lee-on-Solent 22.0C, Ballypatrick Forest 8.2C maximum, Katesbridge -1.5C minimum, Resallach 2.2 mm, Filton 11.7 h.)
England and Wales, and a few areas of Ireland, had widespread mist and hzae by dawn on the 30th. There was an air frost in places close to the English-Scottish border and some overnight rain in the Northern Isles. Visibilty soon improved and most places then had a dry day - with the exception of N Scotland (where fronts moved S'wards later in the day) and parts of N Ireland. S and E Scotland, and much of S and E England, had a sunny day - as did SW Ireland. But in many W areas cloud spreading from the NW around the Atlantic high kept the sunshine totals rather low. (Durham 19.7C, Fair Isle 8.1C maximum, Eskdalemuir -1.9C minimum, Resallach 1.8 mm, Leuchars 12.0 h.)
Encroaching cloud from the NW across much of Ireland and W britain, and cold fronts spreading some light rain through Scotland and parts of N Ireland and N England on the 31st, meant a cloudy start to the day in many areas. Lerwick reported snow showers before dawn. There was a slight ground frost in places but despite breaks in the cloud behind the fronts a much cooler day than of late followed in all areas. Rainfall amounts were generally light with only a few spots of rain falling as far S as Cent England. (Helens Bay 14.3C, Fair Isle 5.3C maximum, Shap -1.2C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 1.6 mm, Stornoway 10.4 h.)
A cold front edged slowly S'wards through Cent Scotland on the 2nd with a shallow wave depression forming on the front by midnight. There was rain overnight across Scotland with mist patches forming over England, Ireland and Wales by dawn. SW England had some early fog patches and rain and drizzloe spread into N England during the morning. Wales and parts of S England had a touch of air frost overnight - daytime temperatures in parts of S England reached 14C, some 10 degC warmer than in N Scotland. Only in S England was there much sunshine. (Charlwood 16.1C, Lerwick 2.1C maximum, Exeter Airport -4.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 17.2 mm, Herstmonceux 11.0 h.)
Low pressure centred over the British Isles led to a rather unsettled day on the 3rd. Precipitation was widespread overnight across N and Cent Ireland, Scotland and N parts of England and Wales. Cent and N Scotland had an early air frost in places and the precipitation falling overnight here fell as sleet and snow. The snowfall lessened a little across Scotland during the day and spread into N England - with rainfall affecting most other areas of the British Isles during the day. W areas of Scotland and Ireland had the best of the sunshie during the day. Tens of thousands of homes in N England were without electricity after gales and ice brought down power lines. A Northern Powergrid spokeswoman said engineers were dealing with thousands of properties without electricity in North Yorkshire and County Durham. The wintry weather also caused problems for motorists, with drivers warned to take care as up to 20 cm of snow fell on high ground causing treacherous conditions. (Charlwood 15.6C. Carterhouse 0.3C maximum, Altnaharra -3.1C minimum, Leuchars 29.6 mm, Belmullet 10.3 h.)
By dawn on the 4th sleet and snow had fallen as far S as the N Midlands with reports of snowfalls also in parts of SE Ireland and S Wales. Low pressure moved slowly S through S England during the day with widespread rain in England and Wales as a result - and with some further snowfall in Wales. Scotland, NW Ireland and parts of N England had a slight air frost and E and Cent parts of England in particluar had some heavy rain during the day. Ireland and Scotland both had a sunny day although NE Scotland was rather dull at times; thunder was reported at Benson in the evening. Thousands of residents in parts of north Wales suffered power cuts following heavy snow and bad weather. ScottishPower said the problems mostly affected Caernarfon, Anglesey, and the North Wales coast. Areas from Gwynedd to Wrexham and N Powys were among those worst affected by the heavy snowfall. Yorkshire reportedly experienced its heaviest April snowfall in more than 30 years. A section of the M62 later reopened in Greater Manchester after snow and sleet caused disruption for drivers between Milnrow and Rushworth Moor at about 0850 GMT, after several vehicles became stuck. The snowfall also led to the closure of the A537 Cat and Fiddle road in Macclesfield and the A57 Snake Pass. Forecasters said between 15 and 20 cm of snow fell in high parts of the Peak District, Pennines and Cumbria overnight. Northern Derbyshire has seen the most snowfall in the region. (Charlwood 12.7C, Pennerley 0.3C maximum, Aboyne -4.5C minimum, Cranwell 44.6 mm, Magilligan 12.2 h.)
Except in Cent and S areas of England there was a widespread ground frost on the 5th; areas of Cent Scotland had a sharp air frost. Some sleet and snow fell across parts of Scotland - with ain in the N and also across many areas of England. Rainfall slowly cleared from S England during the day - but another area of frontal rain spread S'wards through Scotland and into N Ireland. It was a sunny day across much of S and Cent Ireland, and also in N Wales and N England. (Leuchars 12.3C, Okehampton 5.1C maximum, Braemar -8.2C minimum, Pennerley 21.6 mm, Morecambe 12.7 h.)
The 6th saw fronts pushing S'wards across the British Isles in a NW'ly flow. Overnight rain was mainly confined to Scotland and N parts of England and Ireland - elsewhere there was a widespread ground frost with much of England having an air frost by dawn. Early mist across England soon cleared and during the day rain slowly spread S'wards, although SW England remained mainly dry during the afternoon and evening. SE England had the best of the sunshine ahead of the frontal rain - much of N Ireland and Cent and E areas of Scotland remained rather dull. (Lee-on-Solent 15.0C, Baltasound 4.5C maximum, Santon Downham -6.0C minimum, Blencathra 9.8 mm, Herstmonceux 10.2 h.)
Frontal systems made for another unsettled day on the 7th. Widespread overnight cloud meant that most places escaped any air frost with overnight rain in E Scotland and N England in particular. Later there were outbreaks of rain and drizzle further S although falls were generally slight during the day. Most places were rather cloudy all day - although around the Irish Sea there were some sunny periods. (Plymouth 14.9C, Baltasound 4.0C maximum, Baltasound -0.6C minimum, Lerwick 6.8 mm, Casement Aerodrome 3.4 h.)
Frontal systems in a mainly Wly flow on the 8th meant another rather cloudy day. Most places saw some rain during the day, especially W and N areas of both Scotland and Ireland during the daylight period. Elsewhere, falls were mainly light, often of drizzle and accompanied by misty conditions. Few places had in excess of one hour of bright sunshine. (Cardiff Bute Park 15.7C, Lerwick 7.9C maximum, Norwich Airport -1.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 10.8 mm, Tiree 3.5 h.)
Low pressure was centred close to, or over Scotland, during the 9th with MSL pressure down to 977 mb over SW Scotland by 2400 GMT. Cloudy skies prevented an air frost, except at higher elevations in parts of Scotland, and there were some heavy falls of rain across parts of Ireland and Wales before dawn. During the day rain or showers affected many areas - with further heavy falls across Wales and SW England. England and Wales had a rather dull day - elsewhere there were some bright periods. (Fyvie Castle 12.9C, Blencathra 6.7C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.1C minimum, Liscombe 42.4 mm, Tiree 5.7 h.)
Cyclonic conditions during the 10th were the result of low pressure over or close to Scotland throughout the day. Parts of N and E Scotland had a slight air frost overnight - with most other areas seeing widespread rain. The rain gave way to showers during the day - these fell as hail in places with thunder in parts of Cent S England later, according to SYNOP reports. N Ireland and S Scotland had the heaviest rain during the day; elsewhere in Ireland, W Scotland and across much of England and Wales there were long periods of sunshine between the showers. (Kew Gardens 14.9C, Spadeadam 5.9C maximum, Kinbrace -1.3C minimum, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens 34.4 mm, Tiree 10.6 h.)
Many areas had a touch of ground frost into the 11th as the early hours brought a mixture of clear skies and showers. Similar conditions continued during the day with some of ther showers falling as hail in places. Thunderstorms were also reported in places from E Scotland to Cent S England. However, the showers were sufficiently scattered - many being the result of troughs circulating around a North Sea low - to allow sunny spells in most areas. There were some reports of sleet falling in showers in Yorkshire. A 41-year-old man from Lancashire has died after being struck by lightning on a building site in Cheshire. Justin Feber, from Haslingden, was working at Wychwood Village in Crewe, when he was struck just before 1230 GMT. (Kew Gardens 14.6C, Lerwick 6.6C maximum, Katesbridge -2.2C minimum, Woodford 15.2 mm, St Athan 11.5h.)
The 12th dawned after another night with a widespead touch of ground frost; there were some spells of rain and showers in places, particul;arly in E Scotland and the day began with misty conditions in many parts of E and S England. Widespread outbreaks of rain and showers followed during the day , notably in E areas of Scotland and England. Odiham reported thudner in the afternoon. A building in Ryde was badly damaged after it was struck by lightning; Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue were called to Aldermoor Farm to reports a building had partially collapsed after it was struck by lightning. In between the showers there were sunny periods in all areas but it felt cool in a prevailing N'ly wind. There were also unconfirmed reports of a funnel cloud being sighted near Southampton. (Hurn 14.8C, Dalwhinnie 6.8C maximum, Drumnadrochit -1.9C minimum, Goudhurst 11.6 mm, Ronaldsway 11.7 h.)
The 13th was another unsettled day. There were widespread early mist and fog patches across much of Cent and S England before dawn with a sharp ground frost in places here too. Much of Scotland, Wales and N and W parts of Ireland also had a ground frost and there was some overnight in many areas, especially Scotland and N England. The mist and fog soon cleared and most areas of the British Isles then had some light rain or showers. There were unconfirmed reports of a funnel cloud at Denton, Cambridgeshire. In between the showers there were sunny intervals in most areas. (Charlwood 14.7C, Dalwhinnie 5.9C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -5.0C minimum, Liscombe 11.4 mm, Tiree 11.8 h.)
By the end of the 14th a N'ly flow had been introduced to all areas. There were some mist and fog patches for a while before dawn across E and cent areas of England with a widespread ground frost in E and N England, N and Cent Ireland and across Scotland. Wales was rather cloudier overnight with some rain and drizzle and there was early rain across Scotland. The rain spread to many other areas during the day as fronts moved S'wards and Jersey Airport reported a thunderstom in the afternoon. Most areas saw sunny periods during the day - with some longer outbreaks in Ireland and across SW Scotland. (Plymouth 12.7C, Baltasound 4.3C maximum, Saughall -4.3C minimum, Cardinham 11.2 mm, Magilligan 12.5 h.)
A weak ridge of high pressure over Ireland during the 15th, MSL pressure 1027 mb in NW Ireland at 1200 GMT, led to a generally dry day. There was a widespread early ground frost by dawn with grass minimum temperatures widely below -5C. Cent and N areas of Britain and Ireland also had a widespread air frost. A little rain fell overnight in SW England and a few other places but amounts were small. During the day falls were mainly confined to places close to the E coast of NE Scotland and E England. The Northern Isles reported falls of hail during the day and there was some light snow over parts of the Highlands. However, with little cloud cover in many ares it was a sunny day across large areas of the British Isles. (Killowen 12.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 4.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -5.6C minimum, Fyvie Castle 4.0 mm, Camborne 12.0 h.)
Pressure soon began falling from W and frontal systems made there way across Ireland and into W Britain by nightfall on the 16th. Away from W Ireland, where there was early cloud, the day began with a widespread ground frost and frost in most inland areas of the UK - by dawn some rain had started to fall in W Ireland and this moved steadily E'wards into Wales and W parts of Scotland by late evening. E areas of Britain had a mainly sunny day - but advancing cloud meant less sunshine further W. (Cardiff Bute Park 13.0C, Lerwick 4.7C maximum, Benson -5.9C minimum, Killowen 7.8 mm, Manston 11.7 h.)
Fronts brought rain to most areas on the 17th and by 2400 GMT a low pressure centre, down to 976 mb, was located over SE Ireland. Cloud meant that an early ground frost was confined to just one or two locations in E England and NE Scotland. By dawn rain had fallen in all but parts of East Anglia and SE England while as the rain cleared in the W it was followed by showers. These turned thundery in places with some hail. (St James Park 15.3C, Lerwick 5.6C maximum, Baltasound -2.7C minimum, Machrihanish 28.2 mm, Casement Aerodrome 9.4 h.)
During the 18th an area of low pressure (centre 975-978 mb) moved from SE Ireland to East Anglia. N areas of Britain had an overnight ground frost with an air frost in parts of NE Scotland. Elsewhere it was a rather cloudy start to the day with widespread rian across Ireland and Wales in particular - this moved E during the day. Many areas had showery spells as fronts circulated around the low pressure centre with thunder reported in the Dublin area. Scotland and Ireland (the W in particular) had a sunny day - but closer to the low it was mainly cloudy and dull and in N England in an E'ly flow temperatures struggled to reach 8C. (Auchincruive 13.0C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 5.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -2.7C minimum, Sheffield 22.6 mm, Stornoway 13.6 h.)
A low pressure centre remained close to Norfolk throughout the 19th with the central pressure 978-987 mb. N Ireland and W and N areas of Scotland had a ground frost at first with a slight air frost in parts of W Scotland. E Scotland and much of England had widespread overnight rain and this distribution was repeated during the day with some showers furthewr to the W. The rainfall slowly died out in W parts of England - but some thundery outbreaks occurred to the W of London in the evening. Ireland and W Scotland had quite a sunny day but in NE England and E Scotland temperature failed to reach 10C during the day in many places. Shops and homes in Pocklington town centre (Yorkshire) were reported to be under 30 cm of water after the town's beck burst its banks following some heavy rain. (Threave 14.0C, Braemar 6.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -2.8C minimum, Newport, Shropshire 22.0 mm, Tiree 12.8 h.)
An area of low pressure remained close to NE England throughout the 20th. This led to overnight rain in some E araes of the UK - mainly in E Scotland with a touch of ground frost further W. Widespread mist and a few fog patches formed across England by dawn - these soon cleared as rain, heavy in places, became widespread across E England and E Scotland during the day. Elsewhere there were showers from time to time - some of the rain turned thundery in the afternoon from London to Lincolnshire. (Shoeburyness 14.3C, Lerwick 6.7C maximum, Katesbridge -2.8C minimum, Hawarden 20.8 mm, Ronaldsway 12.6 h.)
Low pressure centred close to E Scotland throughout the 21st and several associated fronts and troughs led to an unsettled day across the British Isles. Wales, W England and N Ireland had a widespread ground frost overnight once early rain had cleared here. Rainfall continued overnight in E Scotland and N England while Cent England had widespread mist by dawn. Outbreaks of rain were widespread during the day with thunderstorms reported in several areas. In between these outbreaks there were sunny intervals - especially across S Ireland where the sunshine was more prolonged. ((Heathrow 14.8C, Fair Isle 6.2C maximum, Bala -2.2C minimum, Waddington 36.8 mm, Casement Aerodrome 11.7 h.)
Areas of low pressure continued to give unsettled weather across the British Isles on the 22nd. Overnight rainfall was mostly confined to Ireland, Scotland, N and SW England and N Wales with a few showers elsewhere and clearer skies leading to a sligth ground frost in E wales and parts of Cent S England. During the day the rainfall became more widespread, although much of Scotlad remained dry - and there were thunderstorms in places. Most places had some sunny intervals, although some places in NE England and E Scotland were rather dull. (St James Park 15.9C, Okehampton 8.1C maximum, Katesbridge -1.0C minimum, Altnahinch Filters 19.6 mm, Stornoway 11.6 h.)
An area of low pressure moved from off SW Ireland towards Scilly and into France, with a central pressure down to 984 mb at 1200 GMT to the S of Cornwall, on the 23rd. A few places in Scotland had a slight air frost while in S Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales there were outbreaks of rain overnight in places. However, S Ireland and SW England saw some heavy falls by dawn (20 mm fell in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT at Sherkin Island) and this rain then spread across S England and S wales into East Anglia by the evening, with lesser falls in the Midlands. Parts of N and E Scotland also saw areas of rain during the day and the rain was followed by some showers in W areas. Much of the N half of Ireland had a sunny day. (Gogerddan 14.4C, Okehampton 5.4C maximum, Altnaharra -1.0C minimum, Plymouth 23.8 mm, Connaught Airport 11.6 h.)
Overnight rainfall into the 24th was mainly confined to East Anglia, SE England and E Scotland with clearer skies giving a slight ground frost in other districts. There were a few other outbreaks of rain and showers, particularly in SW Ireland - rainfall became more widespread across Ireland and Cent and E areas of Scotland during the day; some rainfall also lingered in E parts of East Anglia. 17 mm fell at Cork Airport between 0600 GMT and 1800 GMT and by midnight there was some more general rain in S Ireland ahead of another approaching area of low pressure to the S. It was a sunny day in SW Scotland and NW Ireland - while thunderstorms were reported in the afternoon in some S parts of Ireland. In Fintown, Donegal, there were reports of a funnel cloud being sighted. (Kew Gardens 14.4C, Dalwhinnie 6.7C maximum, Ravensworth -1.0C minimum, Aboyne 15.8 mm, Tiree 13.3 h.)
An area of low pressure moved NE'wards to W Wales (centre 979 mb) by 2400 GMT on the 25th. After an early ground frost under clear skies in N Ireland and N England, cloud and later rain sonn began to spread NE across the British Isles. Separate frontal systems also gave overnight rainfall to NE Scotland. Mist in many areas of E England soon gave way to this rain - which was fairly widespread by mid-afternoon, with some reports of thunder on the Channel Islands and in Suffolk and the London area. This widespread rain continued throughout the evening - although parts of NW Ireland and W Scotland managed to remain generally dry. There was almsot no sunshine except in these dry areas. Residents in Rugby in Warwickshire said a tornado had "ripped a path" through properties toppling a chimney stack and knocking down fences. A reported tonado also saw farm buildings blown down killing 20 chickens near Halstead in Essex. Heavy rain caused some flooding in St Davids in Pembrokeshire. Coastguards were checking the moorings of vessels at Dale in Pembrokeshire after a 30 ft yacht broke free in rough conditions, while the Environment Agency had five flood warnings in place in south-west England, a region currently in drought. Unconfirmed funnel clouds were sighted at Newport, S Wales and at Totnes. (Goudhurst 14.1C, Dalwhinnie 5.6C maximum, Castlederg -1.5C minimum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 41.0mm, Belmullet 6.5h.)
Pressure remained low over wales and Cent/N areas of England throughout the 26th; associated fronts gave widespread rain overnight (except in W areas of Scotland and Ireland) and this continued during the day across England, Wales and E Scotland - with lesser falls further to the W. NW and N Scotland, and Se England, had the best of any sunshine. Residents of Stamford Bridge were affected after the River Derwent burst its banks following heavy rainfall; the Environment Agency (EA) issued a flood warning on Thursday night after 40mm of rain fell in the area. Heavy snowfalls were also been reported over the hills and mountains in the Highlands. CairnGorm Mountain ski resort said it had been snowing heavily for 36 hours and snow was also drifting. (Gravesend 15.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.0C maximum, Dalwhinnie 3.1C minimum, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 37.8 mm, Tiree 11.6 h.)
High pressure built E'wards into Scotland (MSL pressure at 1024.6 mb at South Uist range at 2400 GMT) as frontal systems moved S'wards across England and Wales on the 27th. As a result parts of Scotland had an early ground frost while rainfall was widespread overnight across Wales, N and Sw England and the Midlands - with lesser falls elsewhere. During the day Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia bore the brunt of the rain before it moved further SE'wards. (Gravesend 16.6C, Pennerley 5.1C maximum, Saughall -1.7C minimum, Pennerley 22.8 mm, Tiree 11.7 h.)
There was a widespread air frost across N and Cent Scotland on the 28th, with a sharp ground frost vin many places here. S parts of England and Wales had overnight rain - this continued during the day, also spreading into East Anglia. Across Scotland and Ireland it was a very sunny day in places - with little cloud cover under high pressure. But in all areas it was a cool day, while thunderstorms were reported i=on the Isle of Man. Later in the day wind speeds increased in the S - with gusts in excess of 40 kn here by midnight. (Culdrose 13.2C, Liscombe 5.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -7.2C minimum, Manston 16.4 mm, Kinloss 14.0 h.)
During the 29th an area of low pressure pushed NW'wards towards SW England (centre 988 mb off Devon by 2400 GMT) and drove a widespread area of heavy frontal rain NW'wards to affect most areas of England (with some sleet in Cumbria) and parts of wales and Scotland by nightfall. Clear skies gave another frosty start to the day across Scotland and N Ireland - and it was a sunny day here too, especially in W and N Scotland and NW Ireland. The Met Office reported that winds gusted up to about 70mph in the most exposed locations, with many parts of the England and Wales seeing gusts of 40-50mph. Mumbles Head had a guist of 71 mph with Berry Head reporting 70 mph. Around 1,200 homes were still without power by the evening in Swansea, Cardiff and east Wales following stormy weather. Several roads were blocked by fallen trees as driving rain and strong winds, with speeds of up to 60mph, caused problems across Wales. (Gravesend 16.9C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 4.9C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -6.4C minimum, Liscombe 51.4 mm, Kinloss 15.0 h.)
Low pressure to the S of the British Isles on the 30th gave a spll of unsettled weather during the day. While N Scotland had an eacrly air and ground frost, cloudy skies elsewhere meant a mider start to the day with widespread rain, although parts of E England remained dry before dawn. During the day the bulk of the rain fell across E and cent Scotland, Sw England, S wales and SE Ireland. E England had, in the main, quite a sunny day and the highest temperatures of the month, although for many the main feature was the threat of river flooding. A 52-year-old man has died after his car became submerged at a ford in Hampshire. The Badminton Horse Trials, in Gloucestershire, were cancelled for the second time in their history because of a waterlogged course. More than 1,000 people were forced to leave their homes at a caravan park near Northampton due to the flood risk. In Somerset, the Environment Agency has issued flood alerts for every river. At one time there were 153 flood alerts - which mean flooding is possible - across the country, with 41 in the South West, 37 in the Midlands, 43 in the South East and 19 in the Anglian region. In Devon, the Living Coasts wildlife park near Haldon Pier, in Torquay, was closed due to large waves making parts of the site unsafe for visitors. (Kew Gardens 19.7C, Salsburgh 6.6C maximum, Kinbrace -4.7C minimum, Dunkeswell 33.2 mm, Stornoway 13.3 h.)
High pressure dominated the weather on the 2nd, although a weakening front gave cloud cover in some S and Cent areas. Overnight rain was mainly confined to Cent Ireland where 2-3 mm in 12 hours was a typical fall. England and Wales had widepraed early mist and fog patches with some associated falls of drizzle from low cloud overnight and into the morning. Into the evening rain became widespread across cent S England as the front moved S'wards - and thunderstorms were reported later in the evening from Suffolk to Oxfordshire. It was a sunny day in W and Cent Scotland, and in S Ireland, and SW areas of England and Wales; away from the coasts it was a warm afternoon in N and Cent Scotland. (Kinlochewe 20.1C, Loftus 7.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie -1.1C minimum, Westonbirt 5.0 mm, Stornoway 14.5 h.)
Fronts pushed S'wards on the 3rd across N and S areas of Britain and Ireland, giving widespread falls of rain overnbight and during the day in S and Cent areas of England, Wales and Ireland - and lesser falls of rain across N Scotland. Ahead of the rain it was a mild day in Cent and S Scotland although in many places in England daytime temperatures failed to reach 9C. Cent Scotland had mist and fog patches around dawn but these soon cleared; Cent and S Scotland had sunny conditions ahead of cloud advancing from the N while across most of England it was a dull day with thunder heard in parts of East Anglia. Several roads in Essex and Suffolk became impassable after heavy rain led to widespread flooding. In Suffolk, passengers in a bus and a car had to be rescued after becoming stuck in water in Debenham. Organisers of the British Asparagus Festival in Worcestershire on Saturday said the "incessant rain and floods" had severely affected the local crop, resulting in the festival being cancelled. The planned venue for the festival - Workman Gardens in Evesham - has also been flooded by the River Avon.A rescue operation was under way to try and save 17 horses, five of them foals, which are trapped by floods in the Vale of Glamorgan. The animals had climbed onto a disused railway embankment Sully Moors, near Barry, to escape the water which is said to be waist deep in places. (Tyndrum 20.9C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 6.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -1.7C minimum, Charsfield 32.2 mm, Magilligan 12.8 h.)
The S'ward-moving fronts tended to stall across S England on the 4th as a N'ly flow was introduced in their wake. Overnight there was mist and some light rain or drizzle across much of England and Wales, with some rain and showers in Scotland and snow showers on the Northern Isles. During the day these snow showers continued across the Northern Isles with a few spreading onto mainland Scotland. Rain and drizzle continued to fall further S, although falls were mainly slight. In N Scotland temperatures failed to reach 7C in places, with many places in E England struggling to reach 10C. Scotland and W and N areas of Ireland had sunny periods - elsewhere it was rather dull. (Cardinham 14.5C, Braemar 4.9C maximum, Shap 0.2C minimum, Coningsby 7.4 mm, Tiree 13.9 h.)
A weak N to NE flow continued on the 5th. Snowfall in N Scotland became more widespread across parts of Scotland with falls in parts of N England for a time as fronts edged S'wards through N Scotland early in the day. Away from S and Cent areas of England and Ireland there was a widespread inland griund frost and also a widespread air frost across Scotland and N England around dawn. Cloudy skies gave overnight rain and drizzle to S England. During the day the snow became midxed with falls of rain and hail across N Scotland while it tended to become drier in S England - although Se England did remain rather dull. Many areas failed to reach 10C during the day. (Plymouth 12.1C, Fair Isle 4.5C maximum, Saughall -6.2C minimum, Guernsey Airport 16 mm, Ronaldsway 11.7 h.)
A weak ridge of high pressure on the 6th gave a settled, if rather cool day, to most areas although some weak fronts continued to bring falls of precipitation across parts of Scotland (with some light snow here) and E and SE England. E Ireland, Scotland and N England had a widespread ground frost by dawn with many station in these areas also reporting an air frost. NE Scotland and SE England had a little rainfall overnight - elsewhere it was mainly dry before dawn. During the day rain and showers, remaining sligth, became a little more widespread - particularly into East Anglia and SW Scotland - but away from SE England and East Anglia there were also long sunny periods. By midnight an area of frontal rain had spread into SW Ireland ahead of a low pressure system. (Cardiff Bute Park 13.5C, Wych Cross 5.5C maximum, Kinbrace -5.5C minimum, Baltasound 4.6 mm, Kinloss 14.7 h.)
An area of low pressure moved into W Ireland by midday on the 7th (centre 1003 mb) and then became slow-moving with a double centre (1002 mb) over Ireland by midnight. Rain-bearing fronts crossed most ares during the day as a result, but not before a widespread ground frost had affected NE Ireland, Scotland and much of England and Wales away from the SW. Scotland and NE England also had an air frost in places and by dqawn rain had fallen across S and Cent Ireland, S Wales and SW England. A few overnight showers affected N Scotland and these continued for a while during the day. As the main rain area spread from the SW there were heavy falls in places - followed by showers in some parts of Ireland. A tornado was reported in parts of Oxfordshire during a storm which caused damage to trees and roof tiles. It was spotted in several places, including Bicester, Eynsham, Kidlington and South Leigh, on Monday afternoon. Large hailstones were also reported during the storm, which is thought to have started in Wiltshire and moved to Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Gusts of wind damaged streetlights, roof tiles and trees. Thunderstorms were also reported in parts of Ireland. (Exeter Airport 16.0C, Tyndrum 7.1C maximum, Kinbrace -5.9C minimum, Chivenor 26.4 mm, Cork Airport 11.2 h.)
An area of low pressure pushed NE'wards during the 8th towards the Shetlands. Cloud gave a relatively mild night in S and E England - elsewhere as rain moved E'wards and N'wards there were some clearer skies but with some showery activity. During the day the heaviest rain was confined to E parts of England and to Scotland - particularly N Scotland. However, most places, except for N Scotland, had sunny periods during the day and 18C was reached in parts of E England. (St James Park 18.5C, Fair Isle 5.5C maximum, Katesbridge -0.8C minimum, Lerwick 13.2 mm, Belmullet 11.4 h.)
With light winds overnight into the 9th, E Scotland and much of Ireland had an early ground frost. NW Scotland and the Northern Isles had some overnight rain, while much of S and E England had some overnight rain and drizzle which weaked by dawn - but then intensified as a depression with a complex set of fronts headed towards S Ireland. By the evening this system had given widespread falls of rain across much of England, Wales and S Ireland. As a result of the frontal cloud much of S England, S Wales and S Ireland had a sunless day - in S Ireland temperatures failed to reach 10C in many places during the day. (Manston 17.2C, Baltasound 7.8C maximum, Aboyne -4.0C minimum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 16.8 mm, Prestwick 9.2 h.)
The 10th was an unsettled and cyclonic day as a low pressure moved from SW of Ireland at 0000 GMT to Dublin to SW Norway by 2400 GMT. It was a mild night across Cent and S England and Wales while NE Scotlqand had a ground frost. Rain, heavy in places, affected all but a few parts of N and W Scotland by dawn and was slow to clear from the S. N Scotland had a sunny day - but elsewhere it was mainly sunless; some sleet and snow was reported in S Scotland during the morning while thunder was heard in SW Wales in the afternoon. Temperatures in warm air in the S reached 21C in parts of E England. But there were some sharp contrasts across the leading front of this warm air - maximum temperatures in Yorkshire included 9.7C at Loftus but 20.7C at Bridlington. (Norwich Airport 21.1C, Salsburgh 5.1C maximum, Altnaharra -0.8C minimum, Shap 62.8 mm, Lerwick 11.0 h.)
On the 11th a large area of high pressure spread into W areas, with MSL preessure reaching 1040 mb in SW Ireland by midnight. Cloud meany a mild night across England and Wales but a N'ly wind meant a cool day in all areas. Overnight rain was mainly confined to Scotland,m N parts of England and Wales, and to N and Cent Ireland - these areas had lesser falls during the day as the rain edged slowly way towards the NE. Some light snow showers fell across the Northern Isles during the day and thunder was heard in the Dublin area in the afternoon - along with hail showers. But was pressure rose Ireland had a mainly sunny day. (Frittenden 17.3C, Braemar 5.9C maximum, Dalwhinnie 1.0C minimum, Drumnadrochit 19.8 mm, Belmullet 13.4 h.)