The brisk W'ly flow turned NW'ly and then SW'ly on the 2nd. Overnight there were varying cloud amounts in N Britain as a result of weak frontal and trough activity, with largely clear skies further S, except for some onshore showers in W Britain and W Ireland. According to the Met Office there were reports of widespread icy roads and the Met Office issued a Severe Weather Warning for roads in Highland, Perth and Kinross and Stirling. Overnight precipitation also fell as sleet and snow over high ground. Rising pressure dampened down many of these showers and there were sunny periods in most places, but by early afternoon pressure started to fall across Ireland with frontal cloud brought rain across Ireland and into W Scotland and W Wales by midnight. This cloud was sufficient to prevent much by way of a temperature fall after sunset. (St. Mary's Scilly 11C, Aboyne 0C, Eskdalemuir 22mm, Hastings 6.1h.)
Low pressure, fronts and troughs led to a generally cloudy day on the 3rd. Early rain across Ireland and in W Britain pushed E to the North Sea during the morning, introducing a warm sector to most areas. Pressure fell ahead of a low that headed towards NW Scotland, with MSL pressure down to 977mb at Lerwick by midnight, and the wind speed increased across N Britain and w Ireland in particular, with gusts to 50kn. During the second half of the day a cold front swept E across the British Isles, bringing blustery showers that lasted into the evening in most regions. (Hawarden 14C, Fylingdales 0C, Lusa 37mm, Jersey 1.2h.)
Blustery winds and showers continued overnight into the 4th with gusts 50kn across N parts of Ireland, England and through Scotland. Pressure rose during the morning as a ridge moved across the British Isles from the W. This reduced the shower activity and gave sunny spells in many areas - although during late afternoon and into the evening further frontal cloud and falling pressure affected Ireland and then W Britain. The cloud brought rain to ireland and W Scotland, but did lift the temperature in W Ireland to 11C by midnight - compared to 6C in E England at this time. (Guernsey 12C, Baltasound 3C, Capel Curig 22mm, Hastings 6.2h.)
Cloud and rain continued to spread E across the British Isles overnight and during the 5th, taking until late evening to clear SE England. There were gusts to 40kn overnight over the n half of the British Isles, and after some heavy rain in W Scotland skies began to clear in W Scotland and W Ireland by mid-morning. This clearance followed the rain SE, although there were some showers on W-facing coasts as the temperrature rose a little. Across England and Wales the rain was mostly light, truning to drizzle in places - and this drizzle lingered in the Channel Islands in the evening. (Teignmouth 15C, Baltasound 1C, Lusa 16mm, Leuchars 5.0h.)
There were varying amounts of cloudy overnight into the 6th, and in places a slight ground frost developed. NW Scotland had some overnbight showers, while cloud gave light rain and drizzle to places bordering the English Channel. A wave depression soon developed on the front that gave this rain, and the rain turned heavier in parts of Sw England and S Wales - the system pushed E during the morning and afternoon, finally clearing essex during the early evening. Rain caused the postponement of a couple of FA Cup matches as patches became waterlogged. Away from S districts there were sunny intervals and showers - these merged into bands and gave some heavy falls in places. During the late afternoon further frontal cloud and rain spread E into W Ireland - reaching W Scotland and E Ireland by late evening, by when the winds had increased over Ireland to give 40kn gusts around the coasts. (Teignmouth 13C, Shobdon 1C, Saunton Sands 17mm, Leuchars 5.1h.)
The rain was slow-moving and persistent across Britain on the 7th. As a result it was a generally cloud day here although parts of Ireland saw some sunshine from time to time. The rain over Britain was heavy in places, especially over some of the high ground in N Britain, and with a low centre down to 981mb off NE Scotland by 2400GMT there were also gusty conditions in the north. Around midday there was a clearance across much of N and Cent Scotland, with showers here at this time falling as hail or even snow over higher ground. But further heavier rain fell in Scotland during the afternoon. During the evening skies partially cleared across much of Ireland and Wales, and by midnight the rain was mostly confined to E parts of Scotland and england, and S England. (Swanage and Tenby 13C, Aboyne 2C, Capel Curig 39mm, Kinloss 2.9h.)
The clearance continued to spread E into the 8th, across much of Scotland and N and Cent England. In E Scotland surface frost gave some icy roads. However, cloud persisted across much of S England with some light rain in places and by dawn another area of cloud and rain was affecting SW Ireland. This cloud and rain spread Ne during the morning and afternoon, introducing a warm sector with rising temperatures. By midnight the warm sector covered much of England, Wales, Ireland and S Scotland. This, again, prevented much sunshine being recorded anywhere and the rain and drizzle tended to linger, albeit mostly light in nature. As the low centre associated with the warm centre headed towards W Scotland, MSL pressure dropped to 968.5mb at Stornoway by 2400GMT - and gusts increased to 50kn in W Ireland. (Prestatyn and Ashford (Co. Wicklow) 15C, Aboyne -2C, Capel Curig 36mm, Aviemore 1.5h.)
The 9th dawned with a cloudy warm sector covering much of the British Isles - and it was a very warm night in most areas. According to the Met Office the minimum temperature of 11.8C at Linton-on-Ouse was a record high value for February, while an overnight minimum temperature of 11.6C was reported at Ashford, (Co. Wicklow). With a deepening and heading to the Northen Isles, MSL pressure fell to 959mb at Lerwick shortly before midday - and gusts to 50kn and above were also reported around this time. Rain gave way to showers in N Scotland during there morning; elsewhere, a cold front spread SE across much of the British Isles giving a period of rain as it did so - but lingering through SE England by midnight. It was especially wet across high ground of N Wales and N England and some showers followed the rain in the W. Some of these showers became organised into longer periods of rain across Ireland. Strong winds forced Wightlink to suspended its catamaran between Portsmouth and Ryde as gusts to 40kn spread to S England with the cold front. (Guernsey 14C, Cassley 2C, Capel Curig 89mm, Leuchars 3.2h.)
The highest temperatures on the 10th occurred early in the day in SE England, ahead of the cold front clearance. By dawn temperatures were down to near freezing in Cent Scotland but still 11-12C in SE England. Overnight there were showers of rain and sleet, and some snow over high ground, in N Scotland, with showers also in W Ireland and gusts to 40kn in all these areas. Rain and drizzle finally cleared SE England by midday and at this time most areas were dry - apart from a few showers in SE England and W Ireland. The dry conditions were accompanied by only small amounts of cloud and sunny spells - but the brightness was short-lived across Ireland, which had clouded over by the evening. The evening saw cloud spreading E to most areas of the British Isles with rain reaching E Scotland, n England and SE Wales by midnight. Increasing pressure gradients led to a windy evening in the W with gusts to 60kn in W Ireland and 70kn in W Scotland by 2400GMT. (Herne Bay 12C, Aboyne -2C, Capel Curig 31mm, Falmouth 7.3h.)
Frontal systems pushed E across the British Isles during the morning of the 11th accompanied by strong winds in all areas, to be followed by brighter skies and reducing wind speeds in the afternboon as a weak ridge of high pressure enveloped all areas. The fronts brought a spell of rain to all areas, followed by clearer skies and showers. At Lerwick MSL pressure fell to 965mb by 1500GMT. Over Scotland the N Ireland the winds reached force 9-10 with gusts of over 70kn in expsoed areas. Gusts of 50-55kn occurred over Ireland overnight and spread across much of England and Wales during the morning, bringing down fences and trees. Following the rain, the showers fell as snow over high ground in Scotland and were thunder over NW Ireland and W Scotland during the morning. By midnight more cloud had spread into Ireland with some light rain. Thousands of UK homes were left without power including 80,000 in Wales caused by damaged power lines. One man died after a tree fell on his car in Somerset while a woman was swept overboard from a cargo ship off Cornwall. Two trawlers - the Pere Charles and the Honey Dew II - sunk off the south-east Irish coast. A 17-year-old girl in Warwickshire was airlifted to hospital with suspected spinal injuries after the car she was in was hit by a tree, but a man died after a tree fell on his car near Wellington in Somerset. There was severe flooding around the rivers Vyrnwy and Severn on the border between England and Wales. The Environment Agency had 59 flood warnings in place early in the day across England and Wales. In Scotland, four flood warnings were put in place by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Asda's supermarket in Llandudno, Conwy, also had part of its roof blown off and a man was treated in hospital after his car hit a fallen tree in west Wales. Rough conditions in the Channel resulted in the suspension of the P&O Ferries and SeaFrance services to Calais, Norfolkline to Dunkirk and Speedferries to Boulogne. Floods and falling trees also affected train services between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth on the Welsh coast, as well as causing delays between Leeds and Manchester. Trees fell on lines at Paddock Wood, near Tonbridge, in Kent, Redhill in Surrey, and Paignton in Devon, disrupting First Great Western trains to London Paddington. (Teignmouth 14C, Fylingdales 0C, Shap Fell 60mm, Aberdeen 3.9h.)
A depression that ran close to the Shetland Isles on the 12th brought a warm sector across the British Isles, along with gusty to N Britain in particular. The Met Office reported gusts to 70mph across Scotland and N England while 60mph gusts occurred N Ireland. MSL pressure was as low as 973mb at Lerwick at 1500GMT. An area of cloud and rain swept across the British Isles during the morning and it many ares it then remained mostly cloudy. E Scotland did see some sunshine in the afternoon although N England and E Ireland had some breaks in the cloud in the evening. In parts of W Scotland it continued to rain for much of the day. (Dyce 15C, Baltasound 3C, Tulloch Bridge 32mm, Dyce 3.9h.)
Low pressure close to N Scotland, which deepened to about 965mb by 2400GMt on the 13th led to another windy day across the British Isles. Frontal cloud led to rain across Scotland during the day, with snowfall over the hills, while a warm fron led to light rain and drizzle elsewhere. After some overnight breaks in the cloud across E Scotland and N England in particular, it soon clouded over to give a mostly cloudy day; not until the late afternoon, following the clearance of a cold front, did further clear skies develop over Ireland. This clearance spread to almost all places by midnight. There were two severe flood warnings by the end of the day across Scotland following some heavy rain across N Britain. Temperatures fell as the cold front cleared during the afternoon, resulting in some snow showers over high ground in Scotland, while the strong pressure gradient led to 60kn gusts across exposed parts of Scotland. (Ross-on-Wye 13C, Wick 1C, Tulloch Bridge 32mm, Torquay 2.9h.)
Low pressure continued to persist close to N Scotland on the 14th and a brisk SW'ly flow across the British Isles resulted. Clear skies overnight led to a cold start to the day across Scotland, while wintry showers fell overnight in the Northern Isles. Some sferics were reported from parts of W Scotland during the early morning. Across much of E Scotland, England, Wales and E Ireland it was a sunny day although S England and S Wales had some rain showers during the morning and afternoon. Cloud and rain affected W and N Scotland from the morning onwards, and later affected W Ireland. Falling pressure in the evening over Scotland resulted in an increasing wind and gusts to 50kn in the N. (Falmouth 13C, Aboyne 0C, Baltasound 21mm, Herne Bay 7.4h.)
There was a wet and windy start to the day across the Northern Isles on the 15th - Lerwick reported a mean speed over 50kn with 73kn gusts at 0300GMT. Much of Scotland and N ireland was also windy, although during the day the pressure gradient weakened as a cold fropnt spread SE across Scotland, Ireland and N England. This led to a spell of rain in these areas but decreasing wind speeds. Behind the front further rain affected N Scotland, while ahead of the front there were sunny spells in SE England and the E Midlands. As the front moved over N England the Met Office reported falls of snow over high ground in Cumbria. During the evening the cloud cleared across mainland Scotland but showers continued to affect the Northern Isles. (Saunton Sands 13C, Hurn 1C, Cassley 60mm, Herne Bay 7.0h.)
The weather on the 16th was dominated by low pressure and a complicated system of fronts across the British Isles. As the cold front moved SE it developed a 'kink' off S Ireland, and returned N'wards. There was a clear start to the day across Scotland and Ireland with cloud and rain across England and Wales. As the day progressed the cloud and rain spread N over Britain; after a bright speel behind the front over parts of England a further system of frontal cloud spread across S Ireland, S Wales and SW England in the evening - giving mostly light rain. Showers across the Northern Isles during the day fell as snow and hail. (Falmouth 13C, Eskdalemuir -4C, High Wycombe 20mm, Falmouth 6.6h.)
By midday on the 17th a cold front had crossed E'wards across the British Isles, clearing away early rain and cloud but introducing a showery airstream from the W. These showers fell as hail in W Ireland and as snow over high ground in Scotland and N England. The Met Office also reported wintry showers at lower levels in County Fermanagh. It was a generally windy day, with gusts to 50kn in places; sferics were reported in the evening across W Scotland and NW England. During the late evening another area of frontal cloud spread NE into SW Ireland, bringing some rainfall. (Falmouth 12C, Aboyne -1C, Shap Fell 26mm, Eskdalemuir 5.5h.)
The 18th saw England and Wales experiencing the worst Atlantic storm since January 1990. A depression tracked rapidly E across N Ireland and N England/S Scotland giving a very large pressure gradient to its S; the central MSL pressure dropped below 970mb. The day began generally cloudy and remained largely so until the evening, as frontal cloud lingered in extreme N and S parts of the British Isles. Cold air drwan across Scotland led to some snow in places there by early afternoon; the upper slopes of the Cairngorms had depths up to 45cm with 42cm reported around Ben Nevis. Snowfall at Glasgow Airport led to flights being cancelled at the visibility fell. By 0600GMT gusts to 70mph were widespread around SW England and in S Wales and S Ireland. The winds quickly strengthened across England and Wales in the morning with a 99mph gust reported at the Needlees at 0700GMT. Gales developed inland, with Heathrow reporting 77mph gusts at 1300GMT; many flights were cancelled in S England as a result. 10 people were reported killed as a result of the wind. 26 crewmen on a ship off Lizard Point had a narrow escape as the ship started to sink. Trees and pylons were brought down across many parts of England and Wales, and tall-sided vehicles were toppled. Rail companies operated reduced services due to debris and thousands of homes were without power. Several motorways were closed because of accidents or fears vehicles would be blown over by high winds. (Cent London 15C, Glenlivet -1C, Shap Fell 36mm, Prestatyn 3.6h.)
The 19th dawned with frontal cloud over S England and in W Scotland, but elsewhere largely clear skies led to a ground frost in places as the had dropped overnight. Another low moved NE towards W Scotland (MSL pressure 980mb at Tiree at 2400GMT), and this drove both fronts N'wards, with a cold front then following from the W across Ireland during the evening. The fronts tended to introduce cloudy conditions across the British Isles as they progressed - while increasing pressure gradients led to gust to 70kn over N Ireland and W Scotland in the evening. Rain became widespread in the afternoon over N Britain and with cold air ahead of the warm front (which did not reach N Scotland) there were falls of snow over parts of Cent Scotland. (Teignmouth 15C, Aboyne -4C, Glasgow 17mm, Cromer 5.6h.)
The low centred rapidly pushed across N Scotland during the morning of the 20th, and as the fronts also cleared the cloud cover reduced everywhere - except over the extreme N of Scotland. Bands of showers spread across much of the British Isles from the W; these became organised into heavbier spells of rain in places. These were accompanied by sferics in the afternoon over Ireland, which then spread to Wales and W England in the evening. The showers fell as snow over high bround in N Britain, especially later in the day as temperatures dropped under partially clear skies. (Bognor Regis 11C, Loch Glascarnoch 0C, Aultbea 28mm, Scarborough 5.8h.)
The 21st brought cold air S across Scotland as a front moved S over Scotland throughout the day. The front brought rain followed by wintry conditions, especially above 400m according to the Met Office. Over Ireland and W parts of Britain there were some showers during the day - but many S areas had sunny spells also. Sferics were reported over the Channel Islands and Ireland in the afternoon. As the front crossed N England later in the day there wwere falls of sleet and snow in places here, and the wind veered to a N'ly direction. (Guernsey 11C, Tulloch Bridge -1C, Buxton (Derbyshire) 22mm, Hastings 7.7h.)
The cold front continued to move S on the 22nd, to lie over the Channel Isles by 2400GMT. Showery precipitation spread S during the day, with sleet and hail reported in SE Ireland - as the front cleared so did the cloud, although bands of organised showers affected N Scotland in the afternoon. The clearance was helped by rising pressure over W parts, with Belmullet reporting 1036mb by 2400GMT. Snow also fell as far S as Kent, with a new covering also being applied to the Pennines during the day. The cold front also led to thunderstorms over the Channel Islands during the late evening. (Jersey 8C, Charlwood -2C, Anglesey 14mm, Isle of Man 7.2h.)
Thunderstorms continued in the Channel Islands before dawn on the 23rd. There was some cloud at dawn over Scotland, E and S England, with a widespread air frost away from the coasts. The cloud across Scotland spread SE during the day - the result of a developing frontal system that gave rain, sleet and snow as it spread SE. Ahead of the system much of England and Wales had a sunny day - and in the evening temperatures again fell below 0C here. Behind the stsem another frontal band gave falls of rain and snow over N Scotland by late evening. (Falmouth 8C, Saughall -5C, Loch Glascarnoch 12mm, Teignmouth 8.2h.)
There was light to moderate snow across much of East Anglia, Cent S and SE England and the E Midlands before dawn on the 24th, with a few centimetres reported lying over some of the higher ground. These areas also had a widespread air frost, although by dawn temperatures had risen to 4C across much of lowland Scotland, Wales and Ireland. There was also snow sleet and snow over high ground in N and Cent Scotland early in the day - but both these precipitation-bearing systems moved away/weakened and sunny spells were then widespread during the day. Some showers affected E parts of E during the day in an onshire wind, while shortly before midnight an organised band of precipitation started giving some light rain in E Kent. (Saunton Sands 9C, Bernson -4C, Cromer 9mm, Tenby 7.3h.)
The rain in E Kent turned to snow and spread to London and Sussex early on the 25th, givering a covering of snow in places - along with hail and rain in the Channel Islands. By dawn almost everywhere was cloudless with a widespread air frost. These clear conditions continued - except in the N where a frontal system brought bands of cloud and precipitation to Scotland, and then to as far S as S Ireland and N England. The system also resulted in rising temperatures once the cloud arrived, partly caused by a change in the wind direction here to more of a NW'ly direction. Under the remaining clear skies in S Britain and SE Ireland another widespread air frost formed by midnight. (Fair Isle 9C, Tulloch Bridge -6C, Jersey 7mm, Falmouith 8.4h.)
An early air frost in S parts soon cleared on the 26th as frontal cloud brough rain, and some snow, along with rising temperatures to the S by dawn. A second front gave further precipitation from the NE during the day, with most parts of the British Isles having a cloudy day as a result. There were some clearance in the cloud in E England as this front pushed SW, especially after dark in East Anglia and Kent. (Strathallan 10C, Benson -7C, Loch Glascarnoch 12mm (suspect), Southend 4.0h.)
As the high pressure centre to the W transferred to S of Ireland by midnight on the 27th, the winds backed across the British Isles to a W'ly direction. There was little early air frost, partly due to the overnight cloud cover. Most places had a dry day and as high pressure built from the SW MSL pressure rose to 1039.5mb at Valentia by midnight - but with widespread cloud at this time an air frost failed to develop at low levels. There was some patchy light rain across N Scotland early in the day. (Lee-on-Solent 12C, Benson -3C, Kirkwall 4mm, Cromer 7.4h.)
A front affected Scotland and NE England during the 28th but failed to make much progress SW because of high pressure centred over S Ireland. it did give some, mainly light, precipitation in these areas and wind speeds also increased to around Scottish coasts with gusts to 40kn for a while. Many areas had a cloudy day but there were some sunny spells in parts of E Ireland, SE England and the Midlands. (Leuchars 13C, Ross-on-Wye 2C, Loch Glascarnoch 18mm (suspect), Scarborough 5.5h.)
A rather cloudy area of high pressure continued to dominated the weather on the 29th. There were some breaks in the cloud, while across Scotland and some S areas of England the cloud gave some light ralls of rain or drizzle. There was some sunshine to the E of the Scottish mountains in the W'ly breeze - during the evening there were also some breaks in the cloud from NW Ireland to NE England. (Inverbervie 12C, Baltasound 1C, Loch Glascarnoch 9mm (suspect), Leuchars 6.3h.)
E Scotland saw some some pockets of moderate air frost early on the 30th, but except here and in parts of N England the night continued rather cloudy and warm. Frontal cloud gave rain at times during the day in NW Ireland, W and N Scotland with most other areas also remaining rather cloudy. However, there were sunny periods in parts of S Scotland, N England and N Ireland during the day, while in the evening the cloud thinned over Cent and S England. (Dyce 11C, Aboyne -5C, Lerwick 7mm, Eskdalemuir 4.9h.)
Low pressure close to N Scotland led to a windy start to the 31st there, with gusts of 50kn in the Northern Isles. The system was associated with a front that gave spells of rain over N Scotland, heavy in places. The rain also reached parts of N Wales and N Ireland before retreating to the NE. Across Cent and S England the cloud continued to clear during the early hours giving a widespreead ground frost - and a then a sunny day in much of this area. S Ireland also had some light drizzle that lingered into the evening as a band or organised precipitation pushed SE here, into Wales and SW England. (Leuchars 14C, Benson -1C, Cassley 53mm, Herne Bay 8.2h.)
The cold front continued to move E and SE across Britain on the 2nd, but it weakened as the high pressure centre pushed N to N Ireland, centred 1041mb by 2400GMT. However, the front did still give some light rain and drizzle across S Scotland, Wales and england during the morning. Behind the front the day dawned mostly clear across Ireland and this brightness moved S and E during the morning and afternoon. Skies then remained mostly clear into the evening, when the temperature dropped sharply everywhere. Showers of rain and hail affected the Northern Isles during the morning in particular, and there were also some early mist and fog patches in E England. (Saunton Sands 13C, Katesbridge 0C, Lerwick 8mm, Anglesey 8.1h.)
Clear skies overnight into the 3rd meant a widespread, if slight, air frost. There was some frontal cloud overnight across the Northern Isles and in some places here it remained cloudy for most of the day, with a copule of rain showers. For most places the day was one of almost unbroken sunshine, with another air frost forming by late evening. However, later in the day there was some broken cloud in W parts of Scotland and Ireland as a fron encroached on the high pressure - then centred at 1038-1041mb over the Midlands. Fog patches affected places from SW Scotland to Lancashire during the day. (Aboyne 13C, Shap Fell -6C, no measureable rain over the UK, Herne Bay 8.8h.)
Cloud spread across W parts of Scotland and Ireland early on the 4th, introducing light rain and drizzle to W Scotland. Elsewhere, skies were largely clear overnight and, despite some fog in parts of N ireland, NW and E England by dawn, an air frost was widespread. The fog persisted in places until mid-afternoon, while low cloud spread to parts of S England and East Anglia around dawn - then persisting for most of the day in places. The rain turned to showers across Scotland during the day - and these fell as hail in the Northern Isles. For most places the day was another sunny one, and during the evening fog and air frost again re-formed. (Saunton Sands 14C, Topcliffe -7C, Lerwick 5mm, Buxton (Derbyshire) 8.7h.)
At dawn on the 5th a cold front lay across the N Midlands, and this pushed S to clear all but some SW parts of England, and the Channel islands, by midnight. There was an air frost in many places to start the day, and some early fog in parts of East Anglia and Cent S England. As the front moved S the fog cleared and it turned cloudy, while across Scotland there were some snow showers during the day. It remained cloudy in S England and S Ireland into the evening; elsewhere temperatures fell below freezing in many places after dark under clear skies, although snow showers continued to affect N Scotland. (Cardinham 12C, Shap Fell -6C, Aultbea 6mm, Torquay 9.1h.)
Wintry showers continued across Scotland into the 6th and also fell in parts of N Wales and NW England. It remained rather cloudy in S England and S Ireland, with fog patches in both areas. Elsewhere, under clear skies, there was a widespread air frost. During the day wintry showers continued across N Scotland and also affected East Anglia and rain in SW England also turned to sleet over the high ground here. In the evening a trough also gave some snowfalls in NE England. Elsewhere, under a weak ridge of high pressure the day was mostly bright and sunny - although cloud cover did tend to persist in SW England and in parts of Cent S England - and sharp air frost developed in many areas in the evening. (Scilly 9C, Eskdalemuir -9C, Lusa 10mm, Scarborough 8.2h.)
A weak airflow on the 7th brought a widespread air frost early in the day, except in parts of S Ireland and SW England where overnight cloud and some light rain kept temperatures up. Snow showers fell overnight around the coasts of N and E Scotland, and in NE England. The wind increased from the W during the day and frontal cloud approached Ireland and the SW corner of Britain, the cloud giving some falls of snow and sleet in S Ireland followed by rain here and in SW England. Elsewhere, skies were mostly clear until the evening although snow showers continued to fall N and E Scotland and NE England. Cloud became more widespread in the evening in E Britain, but not before another air frost had developed after sunset under clear skies here. (Guernsey 9C, Altnaharra -3C maximum, Sennybridge -10C minimum, Lerwick 7mm, Herne Bay 8.9h.)
The frontal band moved NE across England and Wales during the morning of the 8th; as the rain in this band encountered colder air the precipitation turned to sleet and snow, with moderately heavy falls across parts of Cent Ireland and Cent England. The Met Office reported falls of 2-5cm in many places with 15cm falling over some high ground, causing disruption to traffic. Many schools were closed in some counties in England and Wales. Blizzard conditions were reported over high ground in S Wales as the snow was whipped up by strong winds. The snow fell as far N as East Anglia and parts of Lincolnshire - although further N there were also snow showers over E and N Scotland, some of which turned to rain over low ground. Rain and showers followed the snow in the S as temperatures rose and thunder was reported over Cornwall, Devon and the Channel Islands. (Falmouth 11C, Buxton (Derbyshire) -1C maximum, Glenlivet -9C minimum, Camborne 20mm, Kinloss 6.1h.)
The 9th brought a day with low pressure and fronts over, and close to, the British Isles. The day dawned cloudy for many, with an air frost in E and N Britain, raon in S Wales and SW England and mist or fog in the E Midlands and NE England. Some snow showers fell in an E'ly wind along the NE coast of England, while the rain in the SW pushed N into colder air, turning to snow over S Wales, Avon and places to the N and E - leading to traffic disruption. Birmingham city centre came to a standstill and Birmingham International Airport's runway shut for three hours. About 250 cars were abandoned between Hereford and Worcester on the A4103 and Arriva Midlands suspended bus services in Shrewsbury and Telford. Police said there were reports of minor accidents and fallen trees causing disruption across Shropshire. Virgin said its half-hourly service from Birmingham New Street to London was restored during the afternoon, after being hourly. West Midlands Ambulance Service has warned young people to keep off ice after an 11-year-old fell through a thin layer over a lake in Selly Oak - many schools were closed for a second consecutive day. Over s England there was heavy rain in places, with some sleet or wet snow, for much of the day, and rain also affected S Ireland. The area of rain and snow pushed into NE England in the evening, with some heavy snowfalls in places there. Further N, there were wintry showers in E Scotland, and over the mountains, while rain and showers affected W Scotland for a while. (Guernsey 11C, Shap Fell -8C, Culdrose 36mm, Kinloss 5.3h.)
The 10th was a rather cloudy day in most areas, with low pressure over - and to the W of - Ireland, and several fronts. Sleet and snow over N England moved N into Scotland during the day, although in E Scotland there was rainat lower levels. Over the high ground the wind caused some blowing of lying snow. As the precipitation spread N it was followed by showers, and then by rain and drizzle as further fronts pushed NE'wards across Ireland and S England. This rain and drizzle was accompanied by rising temperatures, however. A strong to gale force SE'ly developed across Scotland during the day with gusts to 50kn, and temperatures remained low in E Scotland. (Guernsey 13C, Kinloss -1C, Newcastle 20mm, Lerwick 4.6h.)
The 11th was also domianted by a complex area of low pressure centred across Ireland. A cloudy start to the day resulted with little air frost. During the morning a partial clearance of the cloud over Ireland spread to Wales and W England, before some showers developed here. During the day bands of showers spread N across much of Britain - with some thunder heard in the Channel Islands and SE England in the morning. The main area of frontal snow moved N across NE Scotland early in the day - with the Northern Isles being the main area affected by snow after sunrise, and with gusts to 50kn being reported here. During the evening a deepening are of low pressure approached SW Ireland (976mb MSL pressure at Velentia at 2400GMT), and more frontal rain affected S Ireland, S Wales and SW England at this time. Around Cornwall there was a large sea swell, reportedly abround 9m at Sevenstones. (Guernsey 13C, Buxton (Derbyshire) 0C, Aboyne 31mm, Torquay 7.4h.)
Low pressure moved from SW Ireland and across the Midlands on the 12th bringing rain, heavy in places, across England and Wales. Showers developed in the morning over Ireland, and these then spread E to affect England and Wales. Rain and gusty winds affected the Northern Isles overnight, and although the wind died down during the morning the rain persisted, with other areas of rain affecting parts of E Scotland in particular. The showers persisted throughout the afternoon, but did to die down after sunset across Ireland, N and Cent England. (Falmouth 12C, Aviemore 0C, Dunkeswell 19mm, Falmouth 5.2h.)
An area of cloud and rain over N Scotland slowly moved N during the 13th, and a weak ridge of high pressure gave most areas some sunshine, before another frontal system spread NE across Ireland W England later. Despite some clear skies, there was little overnight air frost. Rain continued throughout the day across the Northern Isles, albeit mostly light, while by midday light rain was already falling across much of Cent and S Ireland. Rain was also affecting SW England at this time, and during the afternoon the rain and cloud cleared Ireland and affected most of England, Wales and Scotland - falls being heavy in places. By midnight skies were largely clear across Ireland. (Weymouth 12C, Aboyne -3C, Plymouth 19mm, Aberdeen 6.5h.)
Although the frontal rain and cloud spread gradually Ne across the British Isles on the 14th, it was slow-moving further S, and the development of frontal waves gave the Channel Islands some heavy rain during the day. Clear skies overnight across Ireland led to an air frost in places here - and this clearance spread to most parts of the Britain (except for the Northern Isles) by mid-afternoon. Across the Shetlands the rain did not cease until the evening, while in the afternoon an area of frontal cloud and some light rain spread across NW Ireland and into W Scotland. Clear skies in the SE corner of England in the evening led to a ground frost in places. (Teignmouth 12C, Katesbridge -3C, Jersey 31mm, Newquay 7.4h.)
Scotland had a cloudy night into the 15th, with gradually rising temperatures, some rain and very windy conditions in the W by dawn. During the morning cloud in Ireland and W Britain spread E to all regions except for East Anglia and parts of SE England - with widespread rain falling across Ireland. The rain pushed E across England and Wales in the afternoon and evening, with showers of hail and rain developing across Ireland - before the skies cleared there. Gusts of 60kn were reported over W areas of the UK during the day, although the wind died down during the evening with gusts to 50kn in Shetland at this time. (Colwyn Bay 14C, Aboyne -3C, St. Angelo 18mm, Jersey 7.9h.)
The frontal band of cloud and rain initially continued to move E on the 16th, reaching East Anglia and the North Sea to the N before reversing direction and returning to SW England, Wales and N England. As a result, much of Britain had a cloudy day; there was widespread rain in the morning over England and showers over Scotland and Wales. As the front retraced its steps, precipoitation amounts were much lighter. Over Ireland there were sunny spells and only a few showers, while across Scotland the day was mostly cloudy with some rain in the W. (Cent London 13C, Cassley 2C, Saunton Sands 27mm, Lerwick 3.6h.)
Into the 17th skies were rather cloudy across much of Britain, but mostly clear over East Anglia, SE England, Ireland and W Scotland. There was some light rain from the cloud in S England, and during the morning the skies cleared across most of Scotland, Wales and N England. It was misty under the cloud that extended from NE Yorkshire to Cornwall at midday, and light rain and drizzle fell in SW England and parts of S Wales later in the day from the cloud. The cloud slowly pushed SE into East Anglia and SE England in the afternoon and evening - while under clear skies across Scotland and Ireland in the evening an air frost developed in places. (Jersey 14C, Farnborough -1C, Teignmouth 6mm, Aberdeen 7.3h.)
It was cloudy into the 18th in E, Cent and S England with a few spots of light rain or drizzle. Elsewhere in the British Isles, under a weak ridge of high pressure skies were mostly clear with an air frost in many inland areas. Around dawn fog affected parts of N Ireland and NE England. The high soon faeded and in the afternoon and evening cloud spread across Ireland, with light rain falling in the W. During the evening most of England, Wales and Scotland clouded over (Scotland, wales and N England having been mostly sunny during the day) and light rain fell in W Scotland and parts of S England. (Trawscoed and Colwyn Bay 12C, Tulloch Bridge -5C, Lerwick 3mm, Scarborough 7.3h.)
The 19th was a cloudy and unsettled day across the British Isles. A warm front across Ireland at 0000GMT pushed NE to the Orkney Islands by midday, raising temperatures in most areas and introducing falls of mainly light rain. By this time another warm front has crossed W Ireland, lifting temperatures here to about 11C. This front was followed by a cold front that gave clear skies to most of Ireland by midnight, albeit with a few rain showers in the W - by this time rain was fairly widespread across Britain with temperatures around 10c in parts of SW England. East Anglia and parts of SE England did, however, remain mostly dry all day. (Cent London 12C, Aviemore -3C, Camborne 17mm, Jersey 1.2h.)
The 20th dawned with mostly clear skies across Ireland, Wales and NW England, but with rather cloudy conditions and light or moderate rain elsewhere. Parts of Scotland brightened up during the day with sunny spells, although frontal rain was rather peristed over Shetland. Ireland, Wales and SW England had showers, heavy at times, while further frontal cloud was persistent over E, Cent and S England - with rain and drizzle falling. Some of the showers in the W were organised along troughs, and one of these troughs gave some heavy showers with thunder in the evening over parts of W Wales and E Ireland. (Saunton Sands 14C, Glenanne 4C, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 13mm, Ronaldsway 7.5h.)
Early cloud and rain, some of it heavy, in E Britain on the 21st marked one frontal system that was soon to clear the E coast of the UK. Further W there were some early bright skies across Ireland and NW England - with rather cloudy conditions elsewhere. This brightness spread E during the day, but by midday a further frontal system was bringing cloud and light rain to W Ireland. Scotland, however, remnained mostly cloudy with some rain showers and 30-40kn gusts in the N. This rain spread across Ireland to reach W Scotland, the Midlands and Cent S England by midnight - with gusts to 40kn around Cornwall at this time. (Saunton Sands 13C, Aviemore -2C, Capel Curig 14mm, Jersey 8.4h.)
Frontal bands made slow progress across the British Isles on the 22nd, and were followed by troughs in a showery airflow, making for a rather wet and cloudy day in many areas. The day dawned cloudy except across W Ireland, with widespread rain over Britain. The rain slowly cleared to the SE across England and to the NE over Scotland - but during the evening was still effecting N Scotland where gusts to 60kn were also being reported. Showers followed the rain in mosdt areas, although theye did tend to die down in the evening. However, another area of rain associated with a small low centre affected S Wales, SW and Cent S England before midnight; temperatures at this time were generally above 8C in a mild S'ly airflow - except across Shetland. (Saunton Sands 15C, Aviemore 2C, Capel Curig 39mm, Newquay 5.0h.)
Low pressure over W Ireland continued to drive a warm S'ly flow across the British Isles on the 23rd. Areas of precipitation affected most areas for a time during the day, with some heavy falls. The overnight rain in S England soon cleared to the E, and although the winds in the Northern Isles slowly eased off the rain and drizzle there remained for much of the day. Showers soon developed and affected most regions, with the Met Office reporting some thunder across Wales and SW England. Another area of more general rain pushed across Ireland during the afternoon and by late evening was lying from W Scotland to Cent S England - with clear skies by then over much of W Ireland. (Teignmouth 13C, Loch Glascarnoch 1C, Plymouth 19mm, Cromer 5.5h.)
A comples area of low pressure enveloped the British Isles on the 24th, with the centre at 989mb off Cumbria by 2400GMT. Sheltered areas of N Scotland has a slight ground frost early in the day, but the main feature of the weather continued to be the rain, falling from the many fronts and troughs circulating around the low. Ireland had sunny spells and showers, and these conditions then spread into Wales and parts of W England. (Falmouth 13C, Altnaharra -2C, Lyneham 15mm, Isle of Wight 4.8h.)
A NW'ly airflow gradually became developed on the 25th as the low pressure migrated to the E. As a result, the main rainfall areas tended to be across E Britain while Ireland became rather showery. By mid-afternoon light rain was confined to parts of E England with another area of rain moving slowly across Scotland, and brighter skies developed in parts of SW and NW England. (Great Malvern 13C, Tain Range 1C, Kenley 21mm, Weymouth 6.0h.)
The 26th began with cloudy skies across much of England and broken cloud elsewhere - leading to a ground frost in parts of Scotland. Rising pressure meant sunny periods in most places during the day, although in the Northern Isles overnight rain and drizzle gave way to showers of snow and hail. In the morning in Scotland there were heavy falls of snow across the higher ground. The Highlands was worst affected where the police were warning drivers not to travel on the A85, A84, A82 and A827 in particular. By late morning pressure was starting to fall in W Ireland as an area of drizzle reached here. The cloud and drizzle spread E across Ireland, and rain then affected W areas of Ireland in the evening. This frontal cloud spread across much of Wales, W and cent England in the evening, also affecting W and S Scotland, giving light rain in W Scotland, Wales and SW England before midnight. Parts of E Scotland remained clear of cloud at this time, with a slight air frost forming. (Falmouth 14C, Stornoway 1C, Altnaharra 8mm, Torquay 9.1h.)
Pressure fell during the 27th as a deepening area of low pressure headed towards Shetland, Stornoway reporting MSL pressure down to 966.8mb by 2400GMT. Winds picked up during the day as a result, with gusts to 50kn in N Ireland, N England and Scotland. Frontal rain across W Britain overnight continued to move E and was followed by more frontal rain - giving the British Isles a rather cloudy and damp day. Around 0000GMT there was a sharp air frost in parts of N Scotland - but the temperature soon rose as frontal cloud covered the area by dawn. As a result of these cold conditions precipitation across the mountains of Scotland fell as snow. Across Ireland, Wales and England most of the preciopitation had cleared by late afternoon, being followed by clearer skies and some showers. Scotland remained cloudy with frontal cloud and rain lying across Shetland and S Scotland at this time. (Shrewsbury and Ashford (Co. Wicklow) 15C, Altnaharra -6C, Glasgow 29mm, Colwyn Bay 2.2h.)
The low centre became slow-moving during the 28th and by 2400GMT was centred over NE Scotland, 968mb. As a result N parts of Britain and Ireland continued to experience gusts of up to 60kn in places. Scotland had a rather cloudy day with rain at times, although this started to give way to showers from the NW in the afternoon. Further S there were showers, some of which became organised along a trough that moved across S Ireland to England, giving gusty, wet conditions with some hail and thunder over S Wales and S England. During the evening a band of heavy rain moved into SW England and then across the Kent giving some short-lived downpours. (Falmouth 14C, Baltasound 3C, Lusa 39mm, Jersey 8.6h.)
Many places had a little cloud into the 2nd and a widespread ground frost resulted, with a an air frost in some sheltered locations. Scotland and N England had some overnight cloud - with showers in the Northern Isles - while areas of frontal cloud spread into SW England and S Ireland by mid-morning with rain in S Ireland. Pressure fell, and the cloud spread E to most of Britain by late afternoon with rain eventually reaching most areas by midnight. During the afternoon and evening a deepening area of low pressure moved E across S England (centred 987mb close to London by 2400GMT) bringing rain across Wales, the Midlands and S England. Winds increased to gale force in S England with gusts to 55kn in placees in the evening. (Gravesend 13C, Altnaharra -6C, West freugh 9mm, Cromer 9.4h.)
The low in SE England and the frontal band further N moved E away from most of the British Isles by midday on the 3rd; broken cloud across Ireland and parts of W Scotland overnight led to a ground frost in places. There were windy conditions overnight in SE England, with gusts to 60kn along the S coast, and some heavy rain in parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and SE England. Despite the rising pressure and clearer skies in most areas during the day, there were some showers - mainly in the W across Scotland and Ireland - while further frontal cloud spread NE into SW England and S Ireland in the evening. (Falmouth 15C, Loch Glascarnoch -2C, Coleshill 26mm, Torquay 10.0h.)
There were clear skies for the early part of the night in many areas, leading to an early air frost on the 4th in parts of Scotland. But, thickening cloud soon spread NE across the British Isles, giving a rather cloudy day in all areas as bands of moderately heavy rain also spread NE. Over ireland, skies were brighter and the precipitation more showery - these showers spreading to W and W parts of Britain in the evening. The Met Office reported strong to severe gales on exposed western coasts that strengthened during the day as a deepening area of low pressure moved closer to Scotland. There were gusts to 70mph in parts of W Scotland and W Ireland with the MSL pressure down to 976mb at Benbecula by midnight. (Jersey 13C, Aboyne -5C, Torquay 33mm, Ronaldsway 0.7h.)
Low pressure centres remained close to W areas of the British Isles on the 5th with MSL pressure down to 966mb at 2400GMT over Benbecula. Many areas had broken cloud overnight, and there were a few showers, but over Scotland (in particular) there was more general rain in places. The rain across Scotland mostly died out during the morning, with W areas of Britain seeing some showers before midday. Further E there were spells of sunshine in the morning, but by midday another area of frontal cloud was bringing more rain across S and W parts of Ireland - accompanied by gusts to 50kn. This hearalded another low centre to the W of Ireland which moved NE towards the Faeroes, bringing cloud, rain and gusts to 40kn across most of the British Isles - agust of 65kn was reported later from Barra. (Guernsey 13C, Lough Fea 2C, Shap Fell 18mm, Guernsey 6.8h.)
Low pressure close to N Scotland throughout the 6th meant a generally windy day everywhere, with particularly gusty conditions in E Britain overnight and during the early morning. At Langdon bay a gust to 63kn was recorded. There were reports of structural damage in S England; signs and scaffolding were brought down in Brighton and a fallen tree in Kent caused railway problems. Across N England heavy overnight rain led to some flooding problems and several flood warnings. By midday the rain had cleared everywhere, except in Shetland, and clearer skies had spread in from the W. However, showers soon developed and these turned thundery during the afternoon and evening in W Scotland, SW England and SW Ireland. During the afternoon further rain spread across Scotland, heavy in places, and the showers merged into more general rain areas in S England. (Cent London 15C, Lough Fea 2C, Keswick 48mm, Torquay 9.6h.)
An area of cloud and rain pushed E across England into the 7th and cloud and rain also affected Scotland overnight; elsewhere many areas had clear skies with some ground frost in sheltered locations. During the day cloud and rain spread E across Ireland, and into Wales and w England later; there was a weak low centred 1013mb over NW Wales by midnight. Much of Scotland brightened up as the day progressed, although cloud and showers affected the S later. By late evening skies had again cleared across Ireland and a ground frost had developed in places here. (Falmouth 14C, Shrewsbury 1C, Lusa 15mm, Jersey 10.3h.)
On the 8th a ridge of high pressure over S Britain was soon followed by another frontal system from the W. By dawn cloud across England and Wales had mostly cleared except in S England, and this latter area brightened up during the morning. There was an early ground frost in places under the clear skies further N, and much of England and Wales then had a day with warm sunshine. However, by midday cloud, rain and drizzle was starting to affect W Ireland with cloud and some showers in W and N Scotland. The precipoitation in Ireland spread rapdily W affecting most areas of Britain by midnight. Showers followed the rain in the W, but in the evening these died down and skies cleared across much of Ireland and Wales - the rain being mostly confined to Cent S and E England by midnight. (Cent London 15C, Benson -1C, Glennane 12mm, Swanage 9.6h.)
The frontal rain cleared SE England by mid-morning on the 9th; elsewhere the night was mostly clear and dry, although there were some showers in W parts of Ireland and Scotland with hail in places. During mid-morning these showers intensified and became thundery in parts of W Scotland and N Ireland. Despite rising pressure for a while (MSL pressure rose to 1038mb in the Channel Isles before midnight) there was a noticeable NW/W wind with gusts to 40kn around the coasts of the British Isles. Showers spread across Scotland during the morning with snowfall on the mountains, and there were also showers in England and Wales during the day. The showers eased during the afternoon, but further rain spread into W Scotland in the evening. (Swanage 14C, Topcliffe 0C, Loch Glascarnoch 15mm, Torquay 10.2h.)
The 10th dawned with cloud over Scotland, W Ireland and parts of N England giving some rain in N Scotland and NW Ireland. Elsewhere skies were clear or the cloud broken. Rain continued across N Scotland for much of the day with windy conditions across Scotland - the Met Office reported a gust to 90mph on Cairngorm. Frontal cloud affected Ireland in the afternoon but rainfall here was slight due to continuing high pressure. Across much of England and Wales there were sunny spells, but wind gusts to 50mph occurred across N England. Despite the rain and windy conditions across Scotland it remained mild here in the evening, with temperatures of 10-12C at low levels in N and Cent parts at midnight. (Aberdeen 15C, Thorney Island 0C, Loch Glascarnoch 44mm, Weymouth 10.4h.)
The 11th began with widespread cloud across Scotland and Ireland - part of a front giving rain and drizzle, that was to be slow-moving during the day. There was patchy cloud over S England and Wales at dawn with clearer skies elsewhere in England. Most of England and Wales then had a warm day with sunny spells and patchy cloud - although some frontal rain did affect parts of N Wales and NW England later. The rain, with some showers, continued across Scotland and Ireland throughout the day - but as the front edged SE dry conditions affected NW areas of Scotland and Ireland in the evening. (Cent London 17C, Shobdon 1C, Ballypatrick Forest 12mm, Cent London 10.7h.)
The cold front continued to make slow progress SE on the 12th, reaching the extreme SE of Englang by midnight - by when it was breaking up under high pressure. Ahead of the front it was a warm day with sunny spells. From SW England to N Scotland the day dawned cloudy with outbreaks of rain - this broke up over Cent England by midday. To the W of the front there were sunny spells and few showers during the day - some of these showers turned heavy over Scotland but they died down in the evening. By midnight there was little cloud NW of a line Hull-Cornwall - apart from that causing a few remaining showers in SW Ireland and W Scotland. (Norwich 19C, Northolt 1C, Drumalbin 28mm, Herne Bay 10.4h.)
The 13th dawned with some frontal cloud remaining over S England and with cloud and rain stretching from SW Ireland to E Scotland. Over inland areas of England away from any cloud there was a ground frost in sheltered places. High pressure extended NE during the day across S parts of the British Isles - Scilly reporting 1036.8mb by 2400GMT. As a result the cloud in S England gradually cleared while the cloudband further N turned showery before breaking up. Away from the remnants of these cloudy areas it was a mostly dry and sunny day, although further frontal cloud reached W Scotland from the Atlantic during the evening. (Lowestoft 15C, Shawbury -1C, Lusa 16mm, Torquay 10.3h.)
High pressure on the 14th meant clear skies at dawn for most of SE Ireland, Wales and England. Much of England and Wales also dawned misty, with fog in the Midland and Cent S England in particular. Further N and W there was a cloudy start to the day - this cloud have light rain and drizzle over Scotland that continued intermittently for much of the day. England and Wales then had patchy cloud and sunny spells during the day. (Norwich 16C, Shawbury -2C, Lerwick 5mm, Weymouth 11.1h.)
A weak cold front brought a cloudy start to the 15th N of a line S Wales-NE England, while further S mist and fog were widespread and thick in places. The fog cleared as the front pushed SE - the front bringing light rain to most areas of England by midnight. Skies cleared to the rear of the front - although a few showers affected W-facing coasts most places then had sunny spells before sunset. (Falmouth 15C, Benson -1C, Aultbea 27mm, Jersey 10.9h.)
The 16th dawned with cloud and drizzle in S England, cloud and some rain from SW Ireland to NE Scotland - and mostly clear skies elsewhere. There was a widespread ground frost, and some reports of an air frost, under the clear skies. While the cloud and drizzle in the S soon cleared, the cloud in the N spread E and S; rain fell in N England in the late morning and afternoon - although in W Scotland rain and showers continued throughout the day. Ireland, too, had spells of rain as a three active fronts affected the British Isles by midnight - with extensive cloud cover at this time as a result. The lowest temperatures tended to be in the Northern Isles, and showers here fell as hail accompanied by gales and gusts to 60kn. (Falmouth 15C, Topcliffe -4C, Loch Glascarnoch 20mm, Torquay 9.5h.)
The 17th was an unsettled day with severl fronts pushing E/SE across the British Isles and introducing a cool NW'ly airflow to many places by midnight. Although cloud cover was fairly extensive, there were breaks. Rainfall became more widespread as the day developed, moving NE across N scotland early in the morning before it gradually moved SE from Scotland and Ireland into England. As a deepening low headed to the Faeroes MSL pressure fell to 970.9mb at Lerwick by 2400GMT - as the wind increased there were gusts to 55kt from the Western Isles to E Scotland, while during the day gusts to 40kn were widespread across S Scotland and N England. Roads were closed in Lossiemouth and parts of Portgordon on Sunday after flooding. (Pershore 16C, Baltasound 2C, Lusa 22mm, Teignmouth 7.6h.)
The 18th dawned with a brisk NW'ly airflow across the British Isles - as the deep low to the N of Scotland passed by the Met Office reported gusts to 70-80kn on Shetland and over N Scotland; sustained winds included 58kn at Wick, and 51kn at Sumburgh. Wintry showers affected many areas, particularly Scotland, with hail falling further S. There were sferics in W Scotland in the morning, and in the afternoon and evening from the Midlands to N Ireland. Between the showers there were sunny spells - and as the temperatures fell in the evening snow showers extended as far S as S England. Snow caused problems on the roads in Grampian, accidents included car crashes on the Oyne to Insch road, the A947 Newmachar to Oldmeldrum road, the B9016 Buckie to Keith road, and the A947 Banff to Aberdeen road. Nine schools in Aberdeenshire were closed or partially closed. People in Moray were warned "exceptionally" high tides are expected to cause problems all week. (Hastings 12C, Spadeadam and Berryhill 0C, Tulloch Bridge 15mm, Isle of Wight 9.4h.)
The 19th saw a continuation of the Arctic airstream flowing across the British Isles - although as pressure rose gradually from the W the wind speeds decreased slightly. However, gusts to 60kn were still widespread early in the day around the coasts. There was a widespread air air frost across Scotland, with heavy falls of snow during the day causing road closures in places. Snow also fell as far S as S Ireland, Berkshire and over high ground in SW England during the day, with hail in many areas. Showers turned thundery in the afternoon over Cent and E England. Heavy snow caused problems on Grampian's roads and closed many of the region's schools. There had been 22 reports of road collisions in Grampian by just before 0800 GMT and there were also reports of cars getting stuck. There were 26 schools closed or partially closed in Aberdeenshire. In the evening, showers of snow and hail continued to affect Ireland, Wales, SW England and E England. By midnight MSL pressure had risen to 1025mb in W Ireland. (Bournemouth 10C, Spadeadam -3C, Jersey 14mm, Bognor Regis 8.7h.)
A ridge of hight pressure developed across W parts of the British Isles on the 20th, although in the E the N'ly flow continued. The day dawned with cloudy skies in E Britain and S England, and clearer skies elsewhere - with an air frost in clear places. Showery activity tended to be occur mostly in N Scotland and E Britain although some showers also affected W Ireland. In the E these showers were wintry - with falls as far S as Kent by daybreak giving a light covering on the ground in places in places. Therw eer also wintry showers early in the day over S Wales and parts of SW England with hail falling in the Channel Islands also. By midnight skies were generally clear except in the counties of E Britain, with a widespread air frost developing as a result. (Saunton Sands 10C, Tulloch Bridge -3C, Lowestoft 13mm, Ronaldsway 10.5h.)
Away from the coasts there was a widespread air frost to start the 21st, although by 0600GMT temperatures had started to rise quickly in extreme W areas of Ireland as a frontal system advanced E here. There was also some early cloud in E coast areas of England, that had given a light covering of snow in places. Early cloud and rain in W Scotland moved E, as did cloud and rain over Ireland; by midnight this had reached E Scotland and was affecting S Wales and SW England. Across much of England and Wales the day was sunny - and under clear skies in E England an air frost reformed before midnight; the temperature was 10C in W Ireland at this time. Scotland remained mostly cloudy in the W and this cloud (and rain) spread to SE Scotland by the evening. Ahead of the rain, sleet and snow fell over high ground in N England and S Scotland. (Barra 10C, Aviemore 3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -8C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 8mm, Weymouth 11.1h.)
Before dawn on the 22nd a band of frontal rain crossed the Irish Sea into England and Wales - as it ran into cold air in Cent and E England it turned to light snow for a while. The band then became slow-moving and light rain and drizzle continued to affect an area from NE England to Cent S England for much of the day. E and Cent England started with a widespread air frost, although temperatures rose as cloud spread from the W. There was some early rain in E parts of Scotland and Ireland, and even though this soon cleared to the E the cloud cover lingered in E Scotland until the evening - and did not clear E Ireland at all. By midnight clear skies across inland scotland had again led to an air frost, although further S temperatures of 5-9C were widespread. (Chivenor 13C, High Wycombe 5C maximum, Benson -6C minimum, Milford haven 10mm, Herne Bay 10.2h.)
Clear skies across Scotland led to a widespread air frost on the 23th, abd by dawn cloud cover was largely confined to E and S England. The cloud gave some light rain and drizzle across S and E England in the morning and some lesser falls in the same areas later in the day - and also in parts of E Scotland and NE England later. Some cloud and later light rain affected S Ireland during the day, but in N Scotland, Wales and NW England the day was a sunny one. During the evening skies cleared across much of E England, and an air frost forned in parts of N Scotland and NE England before midnight. (St. Angelo 13C, Tulloch Bridge -6C, High Wycombe 3mm, Kinloss 11.0h.)
With high pressure extending SW from Scandinavia on the 24th, the winds across E areas turned to an NE'ly direction. Patchy cloud cover overnight led to a ground frost in many parts, and the day dawned rather hazy across much of S, Cent and E England. During the day there was prolonged sunshine across much of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and W England, although cloud affected E Scotland, in particular, later in the day. There was also some persistent cloud in the extreme W of Ireland throughout the day. Across other areas of England it was a cloudy day, with poor visibility for much of the time and also patchy drizzle in the E. (Falmouth 14C, Shap Fell -3C, Herne Bay 3mm, Glasgow 12.0h.)
With continuing high pressure the 25th was a mostly dry day. The day dawned with extensive cloud across much of E Ireland, Wales, England, E and S Scotland; in the SE of England and on the Channel Islands there had been some overnight rain that deposited small amounts of dust. The cloud was accompanied by mist and poor visibility. The cloud gradually broke up, to give most places some sunshine; the exception was Cent S and SW England and S areas of Wales and Ireland where the cloud lingered all day in places - giving some light rain in SW England later in the day. Low cloud reformed along parts of the E coast of Britain in the evening, bringing some light drizzle and sea haar. (Kinloss 16C, Altnaharra -4C, High Wycombe 1mm, Stornoway and Tiree 12h.)
There was little cloud overnight into the 26th, although with E'ly light winds resulting from high pressure (1030.3mb at Lerwick at 0600GMT) poor visibility was widespread over much of the British Isles with fog around dawn in much of England and Cent Ireland. Although the fog thinned, it remained misty/hazy throughout the day. Most places had sunny spells - there was little cloud across the British Isles during the day - although N and E Scotland had low cloud in the evening. (Lee-on-Solent 17C, Loch Glascarnoch -3C, Rosehearty 1mm, Cromer 12h.)
Away from N and E Scotland there was little early cloud on the 27th - although poor visibility was again widespread at dawn with fog being quite extensive over Cent areas of England; a few areas of E England had some light precipitation during the night. Ireland and N Scotland had a widespread air frost away from the coasts. Low cloud and/or fog patches persisted along the coasts of E Scotland and NE England during the day. Elsewhere in Britain there was prolonged sunshine once the fog thinned althoiugh it did remain misty/hazy. MSL pressure decreased during the day and parts of W Ireland and S England had some frontal cloud later in the day - with light drizzle in parts of W Ireland in the evening. Fog returned to parts of England before midnight. (Herstmonceux 19C, Aviemore -4C, Manston 1mm, Cromer 12h.)
Although pressure remained high in the E on the 28th, a weak front pushed E across Ireland and into W Britain during the day. The result was that the day dawned with low cloud and fog along the E coast of Britain, cloud and and some drizzle in W parts of Ireland and Scotland, and mostly clear skies in remaining areas of England and Wales. Poor visibility and fog were again widespread at dawn across E Ireland, England and Wales. The fog thinned to mist and much of Cent and E England then had sunny periods. More general cloud spread E across Ireland and Scotland and into W England during the day, giving some light rain and drizzle. Behind this frontal cloud skies cleared a little over Ireland and showers developed in places there, and under the front there were reports of sferics in the afternoon near the Anglo-Welsh border. (Gravesend 17C, Benson -3C, Credenhill 3mm, Jersey 10.8h.)
The 29th dawned cloudy with some light rain across much of England and E Scotland, but with brighter skies further W. Showers developed in the brighter areas, especially across Ireland, during the day while E Britain remained cloudy with outbreaks of rain. W Scotland turned cloudy later in the afternoon by which times showers were also widespread over W Wales and SW England, falling as hail in places with snow over higher ground. With a mainly N'ly wind it was a cool day. (Bournemouth 12C, Bingley 4C maximum, Port Ellen -1C minimum, Edinburgh 14mm, Tiree 8.8h.)
The 30th was a rather cloudy day across England, Wales and S Ireland, with rain in the S as winds blew from an E'ly direction around a low to the S. N England also saw sopme rain early in the day - but it turned gradually drier here. W Scotland and N parts of Ireland had sunny spells during the day - and later in the afternoon and in the evening these clearer conditions pushed S into S Ireland. S Scotland had some light rain during the morning - but the afternoon was drier here as clear skies spread from the W. By the evening light rainb was mostly confined to S England, although it dried out here before midnight. (Port Ellen 15C, Sennybridge -3C, Jersey 10mm, Tiree 11.0h.)
The 31st dawned with cloud over S England and light rain in the Channel Islands; elsewhere, skies were generally clear and under an area of high pressure an air frst developed in many parts of Scotland. The cloud in S England soon cleared - but convective showers were widespread in Cent S and SW England in the afternoon, before another clearance in the evening. Onshore cloud affected E Scotland and Ne England during the day and the rain did not clear the Channel Islands until the evening. Elsewhere, the day was sunny with warm conditions across England in the afternoon and an air frost in N Scotland by late evening. (Lee-on-Solent 17C, Kinbrace -6C, Jersey 23mm, Cromer 10.5h.)
(Note: figures in parentheses give an indication, from first reports, of the spread of daily max and min temperatures, min daytime temperatures (occasionally), rainfall and sunshine in the 24 hours ending 2100 GMT.)
The high pressure shifted to the W of the UK on the 2nd, bringing N'ly winds and a weakening cold front S across Scotland during the day. There was overnight cloud and some light rain in N Scotland, and cloud in NE England. Elsewhere skies were clear and an air frost developed in parts of N England and S Scotland. There was high cloud across Ireland during the morning, while the cloud across Scotland slowly spread S to give some light rain in S Scotland and NE England in the evening. N Scotland remained rather cloudy throughout the cloud, while Ireland, Wales and S and Cent parts of England had a sunny day with very dry air; dew point depressions were as large as 15C in places by mid-afternoon. NE England remained cloudy with an onshore wind keeping daytime temperatures low along the coast. (Lee-on-Solent 20C, Shap Fell -5C, Baltasound 3.8mm, Odiham 11.5h.)
Weak fronts brought cloud and some light rain to E Britain on the 3rd, and also to N and E Scotland later in the day. Much of Wales and Ireland had a clear start to the day - but cloud cover increased here during the morning before clearing to the S and E in the afternoon and evening. During the evening skies also cleared across much of Scotland and in East Anglia. (Glasgow 14.5C, Katesbridge -0.9C, Loftus 1.8mm, Glasgow 11.7h.)
High pressure continued to dimate the weather on the 4th, resulting in a dry day except across the Northern Isles where there was some light rain rain or drizzle, early and late in the day. Away from N and W Scotland, NE England and the E Midlands the day began with little cloud and an air frost in places. Except in parts of W Scotland early cloud thinned during the day to give a mostly sunny day in most areas, with E Scotland being notably warm. (Strathallan 21.2C, Dalwhinnie -3.6C, Lerwick 0.6mm, Glasgow 12.4h.)
The 5th saw frontal cloud giving some light rain to parts of N and W Scotland, but elsewhere there was little cloud throughout the day. Some low cloud affected places around the Irish Sea overnight although this mostly cleared during the morning. After an air frost in places from S England to S Scotland these areas, and Cent Ireland, had a warm day away from any coastal influences. (Leeming 20.4C, Marham -2.6C, Cassley 1.6mm, Gogarbank 12.5h.)
Frontal cloud again persisted across N Scotland on the 6th, and also spread further S into S Scotland during the morning - after an overnbight air frost here. Across England and Wales a few patches of mist or fog developed before dawn but these generally soon cleared. NE England clouded over during the morning and then remained rather cloudy all day. Elsewhere away from Scotland there were varying amounts of cloud, but most places had a sunny and (away from the coast) a warm day. Some light rain fell across N Scotland although cloud cleared a little in W Scotland later in the day. (Lee-on-Solent 20.2C, Katesbridge -2.6C, Cassley 3.6mm, Southampton 12.2h.)
High pressure across the British Isles on the 7th meant a dry day for most places, although a front across the Northern Isles gave some light rain and drizzle here and in N Scotland. The day dawned with little cloud away from N Scotland and with light precipitation in the Orkneys that subsequently moved N. Under these clear skeis there was a slight ground frost in some places, along with fog in parts of E and S Ireland. Across England, Wales and Ireland there was little cloud during the day, although Scotland clouded over in S and Cent areas and tended to remain this way. Some slieet and snow was reported on Shetland in the evening ahead of an advancing warm front to the S. (Chivenor 17.9C, Eskdalemuir -3.1C, Lerwick 3.0mm, Aberporth 12.2h.)
Although high pressure continued to prevail on the 8th in S Britain and S Ireland, low pressure near the Northern Isles later pushed a cold front S across N and Cent Scotland. Scotland consequently had a mostly cloudy day with rain in the N, and there were also cloudy skies across parts of N England for a while during the day. Elsewhere the day was mostly a sunny although W and N Ireland were also affected by persistent cloud at times, while some mist and fog affected parts of SW England and S Wales in the evening. (Great Malvern 19.8C, Hurn 4.1C, Baltasound 26.8mm, East Malling 12.5h.)
Frontal cloud continued to prevail across Scotland, N Ireland and N England on the 9th, giving periods of rain and drizzle here during the day. MSL pressure remained around 1024mb in SW Ireland although it was a mostly cloudy day across Ireland. There was some early mist and fog in parts of S Wales and SW England which soon cleared; across England and Wales generally cloud cover increased after a bright start in the E - although most places saw some sunshine. (East Malling 18.1C, Benson 0.9C, Tyndrum 4.4mm, Aberporth 10.5h.)
Pressure rose across S England on the 10th and after a mostly cloudy start to the day it turned brighter from the SW, giving only patchy cloud cover over England and wales by the evening. N and W Scotland remained cloudy during the day while E Scotland saw some breaks in the cloud and sunny spells. Light rain and drizzle affected these cloudier parts of Scotland - caused by a front that pushed S and then retreated N as pressure rose; parts of N England and N Wales also had some light rain. Ireland had a cloudy start to the day; there was some light precipitation in the N but clearer skies later in the S. (St James Park 19.7C, Lerwick 9.8C maximum, Trawscoed 1.8C minimum, Cassley 8.6mm, Camborne 12.2h.)
On the 11th the high pressure centre moved E across the British Isles (1026mb off Anglesey at 1200GMT), bringing a change in the wind direction to S areas. The day dawned cloudy across much of Ireland and W and N Scotland - with some light rain in N Scotland - and with patchy areas of cloud over England and Wales. Overnight night temperatures were above average in many areas; although there was some early frost in S Wales, temperatures at 0600GMT across mainland Scotland generally exceeded 10C. Although parts of S England were cloudy for a while, much of England and Wales had a day of sunny periods. Skies also brightened up across Ireland in the afternoon, while parts of E Scotland also had a sunny day. (Wisley 19.6C, Sennybridge -1.2C, Baltasound 2.4mm, Camborne 12.3h.)
The 12th dawned with ground frost in parts of E Scotland and E England, and also some fog patches in the latter area. These patches soon cleared and under high pressure most parts of the British Isles had a day with sunny spells. Parts of E Scotland and NE England suffered from low cloud for a time, and high cloud also affected areas of S England later. During the afternoon frontal cloud spread E into W and N Scotland to give some light rain in the evening - although amounts were small - while mist and fog patches reformed in parts of E England after dark. (Lee-on-Solent 21.1C, Katesbridge -1.6C, Prestwick 0.4mm, Aldergrove 12.0h.)
The continuing influence of high pressure meant another mostly dry day across the British Isles on the 13th. The day dawned with clear skies in most areas and a slight air/ground frost in a few places. There was also some fog in Cent S England and thick fog in parts of Shetland and NE and E England. Some overnight light rain in the Channel Islands spread into SW England in the morning - returning to the Channel Islands in the evening. The fog was persistent in places in NE England and sea harr occurred in E Scotland during the day. Elsewhere, the day was warm and sunny, with mist and fog returning to parts of E England in the evening. (Capel Curig 22.0C, Dalwhinnie -2.1C, Camborne 3.6mm, Kinloss 12.4h.)
Overnight mist and fog affected many areas into the 14th from NE England to Cent S England, with Cent and E Scotland, Shetland and parts of E Ireland also affected. During the day there was light rain in SW England that had spread overnight from the Channel Islands. Elsewhere, once early mist or fog had cleared it was a warm day inland, with temperatures of over 20C as far N as NE Scotland in the afternoon - however some E coast areas of England did see the mist and some low cloud persisting for much of the day. (Southampton 25.7C, Altnaharra 0.9C, Culdrose 4.0mm, Aviemore 11.3h.)
The warm conditions across England and Wales persisted into the 15th, although a cold front spread slowly SE over Ireland and Scotland in the afternoon, introducing slightly cooler conditions here. There was some dense fog during the early hours across many Cent and E areas of England, with fog and mist also in parts of S and E Ireland, SW England and S Wales, Cent and E Scotland and the Northern Isles. Most of this cleared, especially across Scotland where the wind increased as the front approached - the front giving some rain later in the day. Light rain and drizzle also affected Ireland and parts of W Wales during the day - elsewhere across most of England it was a warm and sunny day although some afternoon showers broke out in SW England. The Met Office reported a thunderstorm in Wales that gave 31.2mm was recorded in 2 hours at Pontsticill in the afternoon. (Herstmonceux 26.5C, Shepshed 2.3C, Aultbea 4.4mm, East Malling 12.7h.)
The cold front made only slow progress SE across England on the 16th, with another warm day resulting in S England. In many places the front gave nothing more than a thickening of the cloud, and a clearance followed behind the front as high pressure built back - 1031.7mb in W Ireland by 2400GMT. Mist and fog patches affected S and E parts of England at dawn - but soon cleared. The frontal cloud slowly advanced SE and SE England had a warm and hazy day. There were some scattered showers around Scotland but most places saw sunny spells also. Ireland had a day of sunny spells in the NW and rather cloudier conditions towards the SE. (Lee-on-Solent 25.5C, Lerwick 10.5C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 0.5C minimum, Cassley 3.2mm, Eskdalemuir 11.8h.)
Early cloud across S England was slow to clear on the 17th after a warm night here. In contrast, there was a ground frost in parts of N Ireland and N England under clear skies. Troughs across Scotland gave some moderate falls of rain, but elsewhere it was a mostly dry day - with sunny spells but quite a lot of patchy cloud also. Showers also affected N and W Ireland, but in the evening shower activity and cloud cover gradually died out except across parts of N Scotland. (Lee-on-Solent 19.7C, Katesbridge -1.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.2mm, Camborne 12.1h.)
The high pressure weakened on the 18th but became centred across Devon by midnight to give much of England, Wales and Ireland a sunny day. There was an early air frost under clear skies in N and Cent Ireland; much of Scotland had a cloudy start to the day and remained this way as bands of frontal cloud spread across Scotland - accompanied by gusts of 35-50kn in the N and also spells of rain. (Lee-on-Solent 18.7C, Katesbridge -2.5C, Kinlochewe 9.0mm, Camborne 12.9h.)
The 19th began with cloudy skies over Scotland giving some light rain and drizzle, patchy cloud across Ireland and some fog patches in S Ireland and Cent S England. The cloud and light precipitation pushed slowly S during the day towards a line Belmullet-Norfolk. but it weakened as it rain into high pressure over S areas - and high pressure built behind it across Scotland later in the day. The cloud maked a cold front, and later in the day there were snow showers over Shetland. W Scotland and Ireland had broken cloud during the day, while in S parts of Wales, England and Ireland it was a mostly warm and sunny day. (St James Park 21.2C, Trawscoed -0.9C, Cassley 14.4mm, Camborne 13.1h.)
Cloud cover extended further S into the 20th, with only parts of SW England, S wales, SE Ireland and NW Scotland being clear by dawn; air frost occurred in the latter area while some light rain and drizzle fell overnight in S Scotland and N England. But the font made little further progress s and across much of wales, S and Cent England it was a sunny day. Scotland remained generally cloudy with some snow showers early in the day over Shetland. There was also some light rain in parts of W and N scotland later in the day. Ireland also had a rather cloudy day - with some light drizzle in the W and SW during the morning and afternoon. (Great Malvern 19.5C, Fair Isle 5.6C maximum, Kinbrace -3.9C minimum, Spadeadam 5.2mm, Camborne 13.1h.)
A series of frontal bands pushing NW'wards on the 21st meant a mostly cloudy day for much of Ireland and Scotland - with outbreaks of rain from time to time. NE England and parts of W Wales were also cloudy at times. Elsewhere the day was a sunny one with broken cloud, once some early mist and fog had cleared from Cent S England and the E Midlands. In the evening there was coastal fog in SW Cornwall - after some earlier sea fog on Scilly. (London 21.1C, East Malling 1.3C, Lusa 28.2mm, Hurn 12.5h.)
The 22nd began with cloudy skies across Ireland, Wales and Scotland and with some cloud in N and W England; there were also fog patches around dawn in SW and Cent S England. Scotland and ireland saw some rain overnight and this spread E into Wales, N England and SW England by midday - with some falls later in Cent S England (for some places here, the first rain of the month). Cloud was thinnest in SE England and it was another warm day here. Across Scotland and Ireland rain and drizzle continued to fall during the day, although the distribution was patchy and amiunts small; more general rain spread into W Ireland in the evening. (Gravesend 23.5C, Hurn 1.4C, Lusa 25.2mm, East Malling 11.0h.)
After a generally sunny month, the 23rd was rather on the cloudy side as frontal bands of cloud and rain spread E'wards across the British Isles. There were clear skies overnight in East Anglia and SE England but these areas soon turned cloudy as rain spread from the W. Although the rainfall weakened as it reached SE and Cent S England and amounts were small, the falls were the first of the month in some places. In W Scotland and parts of W Ireland falls were heavy and several spells of rain were observed in N and W parts of the British Isles in particular during the day. Winds gusted to 40kn in W Ireland and W Scotland during the afternoon, while Shetland had fog that lingered all morning in places. (Manston 19.9C, Charlwood 6.1C, Shap 43.4mm, Lerwick 3.4h.)
Cloudy conditions overnight into the 24th led to Linton-on-Ouse and Church Fenton recording their highest April minimum temperature since records began in 1984, according to the Met Office. At 0600GMT temperatures were widely above 10C over the British Isles and as high as 14C in parts of NE England. Early rain cleared much of cent and E England by midday, but further bands spread E across Ireland and into W Britain by this time. Later in the afternoon there was some heavy rain in places from SW England to SW Scotland - there was also heavy rain in parts of S Ireland, with thunder at Valentia at 2400GMT, as a small low deepened off SW Ireland. (Gravesend 22.7C, Aboyne 7.7C, Capel Curig 29.2mm, East Malling 8.4h.)
The 25th dawned after a cloudy and mild night in most areas; low pressure pushed N through W Ireland during the morning, and rain spread E across the British Isles to clear much of E England by midday. There were some sferics behind the rain over W Ireland during the morning and there were some showers over Ireland and parts of Wales in the morning. Afternoon showers fell across parts of East Anglia and SE England - but falls were light here. The low pressure centre led to a cloudy day with some rain in W Scotland, but here too ht eprecipitation lessened in the evening as a high centre pushed into SE Ireland in the evening; E Scotland had a mostly dry afternmoon except for a few showers. (Manston 21.7C, Lerwick 10.1C maximum, Okehampton 8.0C, South Uist 37.2mm, Shepshed 9.3h.)
High pressure intensified over the British Isles on the 26th, rising to 1031mb off E Scotland by 2400GMT. Overnight cloud was largely confined to S England and E Britain - and a few showers fell in the Channel Islands and SE parts of England. Showers continued to affect these areas during the morning - the result of a weakening warm front; it remained cloudy in much of E and S england throughout the day with some light rain in S England during the afternoon and evening. Elsewhere, there were only small amounts of cloud until the evening when cloud cover increased over Wales and E Ireland. Some thunder was reported around Sussex in the afternoon. (Lee-on-Solent 19.9C, Castlederg -0.5C, Charlwood 5.4mm, Tiree 13.9h.)
The 27th saw a weak front from East Anglia-SW England to N Ireland-N England; to the N of this front skies were largely (and sunny by day). There was some cloud early in the day in E and Cent Scotland with an air frost in NW Scotland. To the S of the front it was a cloudy morning but the afternoon saw this cloud breaking up as the front itself became little more than a line of broken cloud. (Lee-on-Solent 22.2C, Kinbrace -3.2C, Milford Haven 3.2mm, Stornoway 14.4h.)
The 28th was another generally dry day due to an anticyclonic ridge extending from the N over much of the British Isles. This ridge meant a mostly cloud-free start to the day - although there were some showers over SW England before dawn - and an air frost in parts of N Scotland; however, in parts of S Ireland minimum temperatures remained close to 10C. Early cloud in NE England soon cleared - although it returned in the evening - and away from S Ireland most places had a sunny day with little cloud. The afternoon and evening also brought cloud to N and E Scotland (Lee-on-Solent 24.4C, Altnaharra -3.5C, Isles of Scilly 1.8mm, Kinloss 14.4h.)
Generally dry and anticyclonic conditions continued into the 29th. Parts of Cent and N Scotland had an air frost under clear skies, although much of E Scotland and E and Cent England had a cloudy start to the day. Thunderstorms affected the Channel Islands overnight and into the morning. Showers also affected Kent and parts of W Ireland. In most places the early cloud in the E soon cleared although W Ireland and NE Scotland remained rather cloudy during the day. (Lee-on-Solent 23.7C, Aviemore -0.9C, Pembrey Sands 0.8mm, Kinloss 14.4h.)
There was patchy cloud cover at dawn on the 30th across the British Isles, with amounts largest in SW England and S Ireland. Thunderstorms occurred in SE Ireland around 0600GMT with showers in Cornwall at the same time. During the morning this cloud spread N into Cent Ireland and to the SW Midlands; there was also some light drizzle in N Scotland - but elsewhere clear skies during the morning persisted throughout the day. In the afternoon the cloud in Irel;and and SW England retreated to S Ireland and Cornwall - but Shetland remained rather cloudy throughout the day. (Lee-on-Solent 23.3C, Braemar -1.8C, St Mawgan 3.2mm, Stornoway 14.2h.)
Overnight into the 2nd cloud affected E coast areas from The Wash N'wards, giving some light drizzle in NE Scotland. Elsewhere, the day dawned mostly cloudfree - and continued this way throughout the day. There were, however, early patches of mist or fog in the E Midlands, Yorkshire and Cent Scotland. Along the North Sea coast the cloud slowly retreated seawards - but not enough to clear skies in NE England and parts of E Scotland - and the cloud again advanced inland after sunset as far S as N Kent. (Hurn 23.8C, Braemar -2.3C, Monks Wood 0.2mm, Tiree 14.5h.)
Overnight cloud again spread W from the E coast of Britain into the 3rd, extending as far as the Welsh border, and with mist in places. During the morning cloud affected much of N Scotland also, with some light drizzle in the NE there. By mid-afternoon the cloud had retreated back to the E coast throughout Britain, giving a sunny day in Ireland and Wales and sunny spells elsewhere once the cloud had cleared. However, it was generally cooler in E england than in previous days, especially so where the cloud lingered close to the coast. In the evening the coast again spread W from the coast across E parts of Scotland and England. (St Angelo 22.6C, Tulloch Bridge -1.3C, Pembrey Sands 0.2mm, Tiree 14.6h.)
Generally dry weather continued into the 4th; Scotland and Cent and E England had cloudy skies overnight - and this cloud was slow to retreat E during the day. Elsewhere skies remained mostly clear throughout the night and day, apart some some patchy cloud. The cloud in N and E Scotland produced some drizzle overnight and during the morning, and there was also some light precipitation in parts of NE and Cent S England overnight. (Castlederg 21.8C, Shap 0.5C, Pembrey Sands 0.6mm, Prestwick 13.6h.)
E Britain continued cloudy into the 5th, and by dawn frontal cloud had also spread E into W Ireland. Some light rain and drizzle fell in some E areas but during the morning and early afternoon most of the cloud in the E cleared - except in extreme E areas of England. Much of Britain had a sunny day once this cloud had cleared, but by mid-afternoon the frontal cloud across Ireland had reached W Scotland and the Isle of Man. Rain fell in W Ireland in the afternoon and spread across Scotland and into SE Ireland by midnight - the frontal cloud reaching all but East Anglia and SE England by this time. later in the evening the cloud broke over W Ireland, although some showers fell here after dark. (Tain Range 20.1C, Katesbridge -0.8C, South Uist 7.8mm, Aberporth 12.0h.)
The frontal rain cleared to the E on the 6th, followd by showery conditions from the W. With low pressure close to N Scotland, it was windy here overnight gusts to 40-50kn reported by the Met Office around the coast. Away from S England the skies were brighter behind the fronts, but a trailing front gave lingering sloud over S Ireland and S Britain for much of the day - with rain and drizzle spread E in this area, reaching the London area by late afternoon. (Heathrow 20.4C, East Malling 3.2C, Cassley 42.8mm, Kinloss 11.8h.)
The 7th dawned cloudy in most places, with rain in S parts of England and Ireland, and showers over parts of Scotland. At Stratfield Mortimer 17.9mm of rain fell 1100-1200GMT, out of a total of 26.1mm for the day. The frontal rain in the S moved slowly S during the morning - and showers became widespread across Ireland and Britain. There was a brisk W'ly wind in all areas and the met Office reported a gust of 50kn at the Needles. The evening saw the showers dying down in the evening across most of England as skies cleared here; elsewhere it remained rather cloudy with some light rain and drizzle in W and N areas of Scotland. (Heathrow 19.2C, Aboyne 3.8C, Woburn 18.4mm, Kirkwall 6.6h.)
Across Scotland the 8th was a mostly cloudy day with spells of frontal rain and showers; there were some clearances later in the S and E, however. S parts of England, Wales and Ireland was also rather cloudy, with some showers during the day that gave way to more general rain in places in the evening as a warm front pushed N into SW England. Elsewhere, there was a mixture of cloud, sunshine and showers. (Heathrow 20.0C, Kinbrace 2.3C, Stonyhurst 21.8mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 9.7h.)
Overnight into the 9th frontal cloud and rain in S Britain edged further N - later affecting S Wales and S Ireland. There were showers and rain overnight in Scotland with a ground frost in some NW parts here before cloud spread from the S. Elsewhere, overnight cloud was broken but most areas clouded over during the morning; rain spread N into NW Irelnd by mid-afternoon before clearing much of Ireland E'wards by the evening. Showers broke out over Ireland in the evening, and there were reports of a tornado in Carickfergus at about 2000GMT causing some damage. The rain continued to spread NE across Scotland and SE through England in the evening; there were gusts to 40kn in S England and some showers over N Scotland during this time. (Marham 17.0C, Kinbrace -2.6C, Sennybridge 20.2mm, Prestwick 6.6h.)
Low pressure centres over the British Isles resulted in an unsettled day on the 10th. Overnight rain lingered across Scotland but had cleared most of SE England by dawn - allowing a few breaks in the cloud over England and Wales in the morning. However, by mid-morning further frontal rain had edged NE into SW England and S Wales, giving moderately heavy falls in places. The rain over Scotland, which had been heavy in places, was followed by showers and these also affected Ireland during the day. The rain across England pushed NE to NE England by midnight, when a low centred at 994mb was lying over the E Midlands. Winds blowing around this low gave gusts to 40kn in some S areas. (Bridlington 18.1C, Dalwhinnie 1.1C, Eskdalemuir 28.0mm, Leeming 11.1h.)
Low pressure and associated fronts continued to give unsettled weather across England, Wales and Ireland on the 11th. Early rain across E England edged E during the morning - to be followed and further rain that spread N through Ireland and S Britain later in the day. Early rain in N Ireland and S Scotland moved N; however it broke up as it did so, giving much of Scotland a cloudy day without much precipitation. During the evening, despite the presence of low centres over the Isle of Man and to the W of Ireland, skies cleared a little over S Ireland and Cent England. (Gravesend 17.5C, Baltasound 0.8C, Cardinham 32.0mm, Stornoway 8.1h.)
Across most of Britain there was a fair amount of cloud throughout the 12th; this led to a showery day with some thunder during mid-afternoon in N England - this also affected E Ireland at the same time. Parts of Cent S England had thunderstorms before dawn and there were some sferics around Norfolk in the afternoon; elsewhere across England and Wales there were showers from time to time although some places did stay dry. Much of Ireland saw a few showers during the day, while across Scotland cloud was accompanied by rain during the day; however, parts pf the Western Isles remained dry with sunny spells. (Bridlington 18.6C, Baltasound 2.0C, High Wycombe 18.4mm, Hurn 12.3h.)
The 13th dawned rather cloudy across the British Isles with pressure falling in the S ahead of an approaching low, and there was rain in S England by dawn. There was also some rain at dawn in Cent and E Scotland, while in NW Scotland clear skies led to a local air frost in places. During the day W areas of Scotland saw the best of the sunshine - with cloud and showers in the E on an E'ly wind. As the low moved across England - centred at 994mb over the N Midlands at 2400GMT with another centre over the North Sea - cloud and rain spread across almost all of England and Wales during the day. Falls were heavy, especially in SW England. The annual two-day Ten Tors walk across Dartmoor was abandoned half-way through because of heavy rain; the Army began escorting hundreds of teenagers off the moor at first light. Following some overnight mist and fog, Ireland had a rathe cloudy day although falls of rain were mostly light - and skies cleared in the W here in the evening. (Linton-on-Ouse 16.3C, Dalwhinnie 8.3C maximum, Altnaharra -2.1C minimum, Camborne 37.6mm, Tiree 15.1h.)
Low pressure gave way to a weak ridge of high pressure on the 14th - and this was heralded by clearing skies over Ireland overight that spread to W Scotland by dawn. Again there were local occurrences of air frost over NW Scotland while S and E England had overnight rain. During the morning and early afternoon this rain slowly cleared to the E and the clear skies in the W also spread E. However showers developed in this clearer air as cloud developed during the day; across N Scotland these turned into a line of more general rain for a time, while a low moving E towards S Ireland gave rain in W`and S Ireland in the late afternoon and evening. The low centre lay near Galway at 2400GMT. centre 1008mb. The Met Office reported that in NE England showers turned heavy at times and hail and thunder was reported; there were also sferics over E Ireland in the early afternoon. (Katesbridge 17.1C, Kinbrace -4.2C, Hawarden 26.4mm, Lerwick 11.0h.)
On the 15th the low centre moved from W Ireland to East Anglia giving another unsettled day over Ireland, Wales and England. Scotland dawned with little cloud away from the S, although there were some early hail showers in the Northern Isles and light dusting of new snow over the higher peaks of the Highlands. Rain spread E across Ireland, Wales and England overnight and through the morning, with showers developing after the rain in S England and S Wales; these turned heavy and thundery in the S Midlands and Cent S England in the afternoon. There were also reports of funnel clouds sighted in Worcestershire and Leicestershire in assocition with these thunderstorms. Although cloud spread NE through S Scotland in the evening, earlier in the day it had been generally a sunny day in Scotland, apart from a few showers in the Northern Isles. N Ireland saw some light rain in the evening from this advancing cloud. (Great Malvern 18.1C Tulloch Bridge -2.7C, Brize Norton 21.0mm, Leuchars 13.8h.)
The 16th dawned rather cloudy in most places following the clearance of some showers in E England. Across Ireland and W Scotland two bands of rain were making steady progress N and E - one area of rain had reached W England and Wales before dawn and continued to move E during the morning and afternoon. The rain was heavy in places - although Shetland remained largely dry apart from a few showers. Although there was a gradual clearnance of the rain in many W areas of Scotland and Ireland later in the day, across much of S Ireland, S Wales and S England it persisted throughout the evening. (Herstmonceux 17.2C, Altnaharra -3.1C, St Angelo 19.0mm, Lerwick 9.9h.)
The 17th dawned mostly cloudy with rain or drizzle in many aeas from S Scotland S'wards. The rain areas made gradual progress E during the day as a warm sector brought a spell of warm air to all areas - although in Scotland the change was shortlived. The warm sector also brought an interlude of bright weather particluarly in areas bordering the Irish Sea, before a following cold front crossed Ireland late in the afternoon and evening. As the front moved E across Ireland and Scotland so too did the clear skies, with much of N and E England seeing a clearance of the cloud in the evening. (Lee-on-Solent 23.4C Baltasound 2.4C, Trawscoed 17.0mm, Aberporth 10.1h.)
As an area of low pressure pushed towards NW Scotland on the 18th pressure fell in N and W areas, down to 978mb at Stornoway by 2100GMT; winds increased during the day with gusts to 50kn in parts of Scotland and Ireland later in the day. The low drove a sequence of frontal rainbands across the British Isles, and over Scotland in particular; as a result clear skies in E England overnight soon clouded over as a cold front passed and spells of rain or showers the affected W Ireland, N Wales and N England and Scotland throughout the day. In Ireland there were reports of thunder in the evening at Belmullet. In Cent and E England skies cleared a little behind the cold front, but SW and Cent S England remained generally cloudy with some rain. (Wattisham 22.4C, Dalwhinnie 6.8C, Capel Curig 21.6mm, Shepshed 9.8h.)
The low pressure area continued to draw rain and showers across Scotland into the 19th, with gusty winds continuing to affect Scotland, N England and N Ireland. Although the winds eased during the day and the more general rain pushed NE away from Scotland during the day, showers became fairly widespread as far S and W and and Cent England. They turned thundery for a while over NE Ireland, N England and S Scotland in the early afternoon but later in the afternoon and into the evening the showers tended to die out across most of England, Wales and Ireland - with the skies also clearing. W and N Scotland remained rather cloudy in the evening with a few showers continuing here. (Gravesend 18.3C, Dalwhinnie 4.6C, Kinlochewe 36.8mm, Boulmer 13.7h.)
Most parts of the British Isles had clear skies overnight into the 20th before cloud spread into SW England. There were a few showers overnight in W Scotland and these continued to affacte some ares during the day. Many places had a dry day with sunny periods but a few showers developed during the day over Wales and parts of N Ireland. In the evening a more general area of cloud pushed into SW England and also brought some rain; by this times skies were largely clear N of a line Cork to Norwich. (London 20.5C, Ashford, Co. Wicklow 0.3C, Fyvie Castle 9.2mm, Valley 13.7h.)
During the early hours of the 21st cloud spread N across much of England and S Wales; elsewhere skies remained clear and there was a ground frost in places. Cloud and light rain spread into N Ireland and W Scotland during the morning accompanied by gusts to 40kn by midday. This area of frontal cloud gradually spread across Scotland and later affected SW Ireland but rain was heaviest in the N and W of Scotland. The cloud in E England was slow-moving until the evening; there was some light rain and drizzle in some S areas before clearer skies spread SE in the evening. By midnight the cloud here was mostly confined to Cent S and SE England.(Manchester Hulme Library 19.5C, Braemar -1.5C, Barra 7.0mm, Valley 14.9h.)
Overnight into the 22nd skies continued to clear in SE England while the rain area across Scotland and ireland edged slowly SE, with skies clearing over N Scotland. Showers developed across Scotland with gusts to 40kn around the coasts here during the day. The area of rain faded as it moved across N England and Wales leaving little more than a line of broken cloud by the time it reached Cent England. In the evening rain and showers were widespread across N and W Scotland with some falls also in N Ireland. (London 22.8C, Sennybridge 2.1C, Kinlochewe 12.2mm, Odiham 13.9h.)
With a ridge developing across S Britain, the 23rd dawned with broken cloud over Cent and S England and East Anglia, and reather cloudy skies elsewhere - along with some light rain and drizzle in the Northern Isles and W parts of Ireland and Scotland. During the day the cloud tended to break up in E Scotland and Cent and S England had patchy cloud and sunny spells. Elseweher, it remained rather cloudy with light rain and drizzle continuing in N and W Scotland and in N and W Ireland. During the evening mist and fog patches formed around some coastal parts of S Wales and Cornwall. (London 25.8C, Topcliffe 5.1C, Baltasound 8.0mm, Manston 14.4h.)
By dawn on the 24th fog had spread NE into Cent S England - and with generally cloudy skies elsewehere the night was a generally warm one. Temperatures at 0600GMT were around 15C to 16C in the Midlands. There were bands of light frontal rain and drizzle across Ireland and Scotland which subsequently pushed slowly S during the day - weakening as they did so but giving rain as far S as a line S Ireland to Hull by midnight. The fog in the S gave way to cloud and the best of the sunshine was to be found in SE England; however, breaks in the cloud spread into parts of E England during the afternoon and there were also some breaks in the cfloud over E Scotland around this time too. Elsewhere the day was a mostly cloudy one with some showers behind the rain over Scotland. (Gravesend 26.0C, Lerwick 6.8C, Cassley 12.4mm, Manston 14.3h.)
The line of light rain and drizzle continued to make slow progress SW on the 25th, breaking up as it did so, but clearing Kent by midnight. Ahead of this line there were some fog patches by dawn in S Wales and SW and Cent S England, although these soon cleared. Following the rain the cloud was broken and there were showers across Scotland and Ireland during the day - these tended to die out in the evening except in W Scotland. By midnight cloud cover was mostly confined to W Scotland and E and Se areas of England. (Gravesend 24.3C, Lerwick 10.1C maximum, Aboyne 0.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 7.0mm, Leuchars 11.0h.)
Overnight into the 26th there was some light rain and drizzle in the SE cornmer of England, and a few showers over Scotland and W Ireland. During the morning there was a general increase in cloud cover as the showers became more widespread over Ireland and Scotland, and the rain persisted in E England. Some of the showers in Cent Scotland fell as snow and hail. Rain and showers also affected the Midlands and N England later in the day. In the evening skies cleared over N Scotland with an air frost in some places here by midnight, while falling pressure over Ireland heralded the arrival of a low (centre 992mb to the W of Scilly by 2400GMT) that brought rain to SW England and S Ireland by midnight. (Lee-on-Solent 17.8C, Fair Isle 9.8C maximum, Katesbridge -1.5C minimum, Glennane 16.0mm, Kinloss 11.5h.)
The low deepened on the 27th as it crossed the SW approaches towards France - MSL pressure was down to 990.7mb at 1500GMT at Guernsey Airport. Away from W and N scotland and NW Ireland the day dawned cloudy with rain, heavy in places, over S England, the Channel Islands and S Wales, and also in E England and SE Scotland. The rain was persistent across much of England and Wales, and heavy in some S areas. Scotland and Ireland were brighter with a few showers but as these died down in the evening there was little cloud by midnight NW of a line Durham-Pembroke. The winds increased in the evening in S England with widespread gusts to 40kn leading to widespread damage to small tree branches. In most places daytime temperatures were unseasonably low for late May. (Plymouth 15.3C, Okehampton 7.1C maximum, Kinbrace -5.7C minimum, St. Catherines Point 47.0mm, Tiree 15.0h.)
The 28th dawned after a night of wind and rain in S England, and with rain still affecting areas E of Plymouth-Durham. Further W skies were largely clear by dawn. The rain was heavy in places and during the day continued to fall, as it's movement towards the E was slow. Some showers fell in the clearer air to the W across Ireland and Scotland; at 1500GMT temperatures were below 8C over an area from Surrey to the E Midlands and the Thames Valley, making it feel unusually cold here as the rain continued to fall. By midnight the rain was only affecting E coast areas of England. The test match in Leeds was interrupted by hail showers and the Luton International Carnival, which was expected to be attended by more than 100,000 people, was cancelled due to the bad weather. Fresh snow feel on some of the higher peaks in the Highlands. Rainfall totals in 24 hours ending 1800GMT included Weybourne 54mm, Liscombe 56mm, Wattisham 60mm, Benson 62mm, High Wycombe 64mm and St Catherine's Point 81 mm. (Killowen 14.7C, Kenley 6.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie -1.2C minimum, High Wycombe 38.4mm, Tiree 14.6h.)
With frontal systems tending to affect Britain from the E on the 29th, the day dawned with clear skies across much of Ireland, Wales and W England. Under the cloud further E and across Scotland there was some light rain overnight. Across Britain the cloud cover gradually retreated E during the day so that much of Cent and SE England had sunny spells later in the day. Across Scotland it remained cloudy with moderately heavy rain in some E areas. Ireland had a mostly sunny day, but during the afternoon and evening frontal cloud pushed NE giving some light rain in the evening; SW England was similarly affected. (Hurn 16.1C, Carterhouse 7.8C maximum, Katesbridge -2.9C minimum, Dyce 20.2mm, Aberporth 14.3h.)
The 30th danwed with a band of mainly cleasr skies over N Ireland and NW England, separating areas of cloud and rain across Scotland and S parts of the British Isles. There was some patchy ground frost under the clear skies, but these clouded over during the morning as the rain in the S advanced N'wards. Over N Scotland the rain was persistent throughout much of the day, although the rain did ease off in S and Cent parts later. As the rain in the S moved N it tended to die out, and was followed by clear skies and showers across S and Cent England. (London 18.4C, Katesbridge -2.3C, Tain Range 51.8mm, Aldergrove 8.2h.)
There were a few showers across S England and S Ireland during the early hours of the 31st, with showers also falling in parts of W Scotland and in areas bordering the North Sea. The showers in the S pushed N and as they did so turned thundery across N England in the early afternoon and across S Scotland later. There was some local flooding in the Edinburgh area and the Met Office reported a waterspout off Leith Docks. In Manchester a boy was struck by lightning as he played with his friends in a park; the 14-year-old was sitting on his bike and sheltering under a tree with two friends when he was hit by the bolt. (London 21.2C, Redesdale Camp 3.5C, Capel Curig 14.0mm, Boulmer 14.9h.)
Low cloud spread inland early on the 2nd over NE England and E Scotland, with mist and fog forming underneath it. Overmnight rain spread into W Wales and W Scotland from Ireland, with most of Ireland having a wet night. Oncer the cloud in NE England had cleared, most of Cent and E England had a bright day - while the frontal rain made progress E across Scotland it came to a near-halt over Wales and SW England - even in these latter areas rainfall amounts were small. Across Ireland, although the rain decreased in intensity, it did continue on-and-off. (London 27.1C, Fair Isle 10.2C maximum, Braemar 4.5C minimum, Port Ellen 24.6mm, East Malling 14.2h.)
Mist and of patches were affecting E England by dawn on the 3rd, with cloudy skies across Scotland, Ireland, Wales and SW England; rain was widespread across Scotland where it was heavy in places; over Wales, Ireland and SW England amounts were mostly slight. During the day the rain moved slowly E, clearing much of Ireland by midday. Away from the SW most places in England had a largely dry day, but during the late afternoon and evening a narrow band of slow-moving showers developed over England and S Scotland - and some heavy falls were reported. In Marlow about 18mm fell in the space of about an hour around 1930GMT. (Charlwood 25.2Cm Larkhill 7.6C, West Freugh 49.0mm, Odiham 13.3h.)
Low cloud affected much of Britain and E Ireland into the 4th, with fog patches in Cent Ireland and in Cent and NE England. There was also some fog later on the islands around NW and N Scotland as the frontal rain in W Scotland gradually died out there. The cloud cleared from much of England during the day but tended to linger in S England as a trough brought scattered showers here; the Met Office reported that Pembrey Sands experienced a very heavy shower around mid-afternoon, with winds gusting to 32kn. E and S Scotland, and E Ireland, tended to be rather cloudy throughout the day with soem light drizzle in E Ireland. (Lee-on-Solent 23.1C, Castlederg 4.7C, Pembrey Sands 31.4mm, Tiree 14.5h.)
A ridge of high pressure meant a mostly dry day across the British Isles on the 5th. Away from Scotland, where there was some light rain and drizzle overnight in the NE, early cloud cover was patchy - and mostly confined to E England. Low cloud in E Yorkshire also led to some light drizzle here. Cloud lingered for most of the day in E Scotland and also along the coast of NE England. Elsewhere it was a bright and sunny day, although the cloud did advance W again in the evening over the E half of England. (Lee-on-Solent 23.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 4.3C, Kinloss 1.4mm, Yeovilton 13.8h.))
The ridge persisted during the 6th; overnight cloud spread W across much of England and E Scotland from the North Sea although during the day the cloud cover retreated back to the E coast. Frontal cloud spread W into Shetland and then gave some light rain and drizzle in the Northern Isles - and there was also some light precipitation in NE England. Where the cloud persisted it was a cool and grey day; elsewhere, particularly in Ireland, it was warm and sunny once the cloud had cleared. In the evening the cloud again advanced W across E England with light drizzle in places. (Castlederg 22.7C, Shap 2.7C, Durham 2.0mm, Prestwick 15.3h.)
E Britain was rather cloudy during the early hours of the 7th, with mist, fog and light drizzle in many places. In the south the cloud also extended as far W as S Wales. The cloud broke up across Scotland in the morning but it coverage was slow to change across England and Wales during the day. After a mainly cloudless start to the day, with some mist in the E, Ireland had a warm and sunny day. During the late afternoon showers and thunderstorms broke out in SE Scotland. Thunderstorms then moved in from the North Sea during the evening to affect a large part of the east coast of Scotland, from east Fife in the south to Aberdeenshire in the north. A women and her child leaving the car park at a nature reserve at St Cyrus cliffs, saw a lightning strike fork across the road yards in front of their car. Another women driving her car on the same road also saw the lightning bolt hit the road in front of her. 'You could smell the burning. It was like newly laid tar with steam rising off it. If it had been 30 seconds later it might not have been very nice. There were bits of road the size of cricket balls scattered 200 metres away.' A 60cm wide by 30cm deep trench had been gouged from the road, making it impassable. (St Angelo 24.3C, Katesbridge 2.3C, Inverbervie 8.2mm, Tiree 15.2h.)
On the 8th in north-east Fife, the thunderstorms continued into the early hours and resulted in reports of flash flooding. Units of Fife Fire and Rescue Service from St Andrews, Cupar, Tayport, St Monans and Anstruther were all alerted at various times between the storms beginning around 00.30 and up to 0430hr. In Crail the roof of a house was damaged by a lightning strike. A primary school at Dunino was closed due to power problems. Elsewhere in Angus, a 15cm deep mud slick had to be cleared from a Montrose garage before it could begin work. The storms swept tons of mud off a nearby field at the foot of Rossie Braes, swamping the drainage system. In Dundee, the flash flooding caused problems to power supplies while emergency generators kicked in at Ninewells Hospital; the storms knocked out cash machines and phone lines across the city. It was a cloudy night in much of S and E England; thundery showers pushed into SE England after midnight, and moved north, affecting East Sussex, Kent and East Anglia during the course of the morning and giving some locally heavy downpours. By late-morning the storms had cleared East Anglia, but showers continued in parts of E England into the afternoon. Away from SE England cloud cover gradually thinned during the day and much of Ireland and W Britain ahd a sunny and warm day. In Buckinghamshire there were reports of a noticeable accumulation of dry, light-brown dust on cars. (St Angelo 24.6C, Trawscoed 7.1C, Herstmonceux 33.0mm, Aberporth 14.9h.)
The 9th dawned with a little cloud in E Britain and W Ireland, and almost clear skies elsewhere. The cloud was also associated with some fog patches in NE England in particular. The cloud distribution then remained generally unchanged throughout the day although the fog did thin during the morning and there was a slight decrease in the cloud cover near the E coast. Most places consequently had a very sunny day. According to the Met Office during the afternoon, isolated showers began to develop due to sea breeze convergence through central and southern parts of England. These showers became scattered and increasingly heavy with 19mm falling during 1500-1600GMT at Bishops Sutton. (Manchester Hulme Library 26.5C, Shap 5.1C, St James' Park 0.2mm, Tiree 15.9h.)
Cloud and mist spread inland from E Britain during the early hours of the 10th and there was some light rain and drizzle overnight in parts of Scotland. Minimum temperatures were generally on the high side and with much of Ireland, Wales and W England having little cloud during the day it was warm and sunny here during the day. Low cloud and mist continued to affect E coast areas of England during the day while Scotland remained rather cloud too. Some heavy showers were reported from Wiltshire to S Wales during late afternoon and evening while some frontal cloud reached SW Ireland and SW England by midnight. An 'ice meteor' hit an Angus at Barnhead, on the outskirts of Montrose, around 12.30h. The couple said, 'there was a terrific bang - there was white stuff (pieces of ice) lying all over the lawn - we looked up at the roof and saw the slates damaged; the block could have been 30cm square. A spokesperson from the Met Office said ice cracking off an aircraft was the most likely cause. (Castlederg 25.4C, Katesbridge 7.2C, Larkhill 2.0mm, Valley 12.9h.)
Scotland, E and S England and S Ireland dawned cloudy on the 11th with some mist and fog in parts of the E and some light rain in S Ireland and SW England. The early hours gave some heavy thunderstorms in parts of E Scotland. At Strichen, Aberdeenshire, a toddler had a miraculous escape when a lightning bolt tore through the roof above her, engulfing her bedroom in smoke and flames while she slept around 0630h; the bolt of lightning knocked off the chimney stack, crushing their neighbour's car. During the day the cloud tended to clear in E Scotland but it remained at least patchy in most other areas. Much of Wales, N Ireland and N England and S Scotland had a sunny day, with the early rain in S areas failing to develop much. However the afternoon brought some heavy showers over Wales, N Ireland and N England with some flooding occurring in parts of Wales. (Castlederg 26.4C, Katesbridge 6.5C, Shap 23.8mm, Prestwick 12.9h.)
There were some heavy thunderstorms across parts of N England early on the 12th; a damaging storm on the Farne Islands resulted in a month's rain in 30 minutes - washing away many birds' eggs, especially Puffins. Torrential rain and thunderstorms were also reported across parts of Lancashire and Cheshire. The day was a mostly cloudy one in many places and there were showers across N Ireland, N England and S Scotland during the day. These were thundery and during the afternoon and evening there were some heavy thunderstorms in E and N Ireland. Persistent rain caused hazardous conditions for drivers as flooding affected parts of Northern Ireland, especially the Ards Peninsula. There was severe flooding around Bangor, Ballynahinch, Newtownards and Comber. More than 30 people had to be rescued; the Fire and Rescue Service responded to almost 400 emergency calls in a short period as homes and several roads were flooded. Thunderstorms also affected places arounf Norfolk in the afternoon while over Scotland rain and drizzle spread s during the day - a shallow low centred at 1006mb was located off SW Scotland by 2400GMT and there were some frontal showers over SW Ireland at this time. (Coningsby 23.8C, Kinbrace 6.9C, Lough Fea 53.4mm, Bristol 8.2h.)
Frontal cloud across S Scotland, N England and N Ireland early on the 13th resulted in some heavy falls of rain before dawn here, while another area of frontal rain affected S Ireland. N Scotland had some early light rain and showers but as the front pushed S and high pressure built to the NW many places in Scotland had a dry and sunny day. The rain was slow-moving over N England and merged with heavy showers that pushed N from the SW, associated with circulation around a depression to the SW of Cornwall. Falls from these showers were heavy in places and much of England, Wales and Ireland had a rather cloudy day. 29mm of rain fell in three hours at Coningsby and thunder was reported from East Anglia in the evening. (Gravesend 25.0C, Kinbrace 3.3C, Spadeadam 40.2mm, Stornoway 9.8h.)
Low pressure remained centred close to SW England on the 14th, with frontal areas over Ireland, Wales and England. The result was a rather wet day in these areas, with some heavy falls of rain across parts of N England,, the Midlands and SE England. Across N and Cent Scotland skies were relatively clear, although it clouded over in S Scotland later as one front pushed N'wards here. Falls of over 20mm occurred in parts of the SE Midlands and flooding on the M40 near Gaydon forced the closure of Warwick Services and caused long tailbacks on the motorway. Residents of the village of Barley in Hertfordshire had to be rescued as floodwaters flowed through their homes. Behind the main rain areas there were showers in S Wales and SW England during the day. Heavy rainfall caused chaos around Northamptonshire with many roads and buildings flooded by sudden downpours. 30.8mm of rain fell in an hour at Pitsford Hall from 1300GMT with 11.5mm falling during a torrential downpour during 1315-1330GMT. Motorists were subject to gridlock after the downpours forced part of Bedford Road in Northampton to lift upwards as underground sewers fail to cope with the volume of water. Several pubs lose stock as flood waters run into cellars. (London 24.5C, Kinbrace -2.5C, Helens Bay 42.0mm, Stornoway 15.4h.)
Low pressure became established over the British Isles on the 15th and a persistent area of rain across N Ireland, N wales and N England in the morning moved slowly N during the day. There were some thunderstorms over SW England and S Wales before dawn and this thundery activity then gradually transferred across the Midlands to Humberside during the day. Torrential downpours led to flash flooding in many areas. Rain and showers also affected Ireland and the SE corner of England during the day. Scotland remained mostly sunny, with a few showers, in the W but it was rather cloudy in the E and rain pushed into S Scotland later. In South Yorkshire flooding caused scores of homes to be evacuated, roads and schools to be closed and rail services to be cancelled. Police received more than 200 calls from Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley caused by heavy rain. Northern Rail said flooding near Elsecar was affecting the line between Meadowhall and Barnsley. Police said the River Dove had burst its banks at Station Road in Worsborough, and they were expecting similar problems with the River Don. The road leading up junction 35 of the M1 in Chapeltown, in Sheffield, was also flooded. Heavy rain and flooding forced some rail services in and out of Birmingham to be cancelled. Virgin West Coast was not stopping at the Birmingham stations, but the lines from Wolverhampton to Coventry reopened during rush hour. The line near Water Orton, Warwickshire, was under several feet of water, which has affected services from Birmingham to the East Midlands. Services from Shropshire were stopping in Wolverhampton earlier in the morning. A driver was trapped in the wreckage of his car for more than 30 minutes after a crash on the M42. In Worcestershire, roads in Kidderminster were affected by flash flooding and the town's fire station was hit by lightning, putting its emergency call system out of action. About 100 people were trapped in a factory after a nearby river burst its banks and flooded the ground floor. Water around the plant in Water Orton Lane, in Minworth, Sutton Coldfield, rose to about 6ft deep in places after the River Tame burst. A number of roads were also closed in Shirley and Solihull town centre. Mid and West Wales Fire Service said they had been called to a number of flooded homes - the worst-affected areas being Borth, Lampeter and Aberteifi. In Sheffield and Barnsley 14 schools were closed and a nursing home in Sheffield was evacuated. There was also flooding around Kettering in Northamptonshire. A tornado was seen in Hereford (Kings Acre Road) in a thunderstorm. At Harborne (Birmingham) there was a major rainfall event during the early hours with 37.3mm being recorded in the 6 hours ending 0500GMT; local flooding occured along many nearby routes. People were trapped in cars on city roads and the main through route of Harborne centre saw surface damage to tarmac. (Holbeach 22.8C, Altnaharra 1.2C, Edgbaston 75.8mm, Stornoway 16.6h.)
Rain continued to affect Ireland, Scotland and NW England overnight into the 16th and the day then turned out to be a wet one in most places. Areas that were initially dry saw showers developing, and these were thundery in the afternoon and early evening from East Anglia to Yorkshire. Yorkshire experienced some flash flooding as the storms moved N. A shallow low centre remained slow-moving over N England and a front pushed steadily N during the day, bringing rain to n Scotland by the evening. NW Ireland saw the best of the sunshine and in the afternoon and evening skies tended to clear across much of Ireland from the NW. Staffordshire Fire Service helped move residents out of Brook End in Fazeley after they were alerted in the early hours. Homes in Coventry and Warwickshire continued to be without power, and a flood watch remained on the River Severn in Shropshire. (Church Lawford 20.8C, Carterhouse 6.2C, Spadeadam 20.2mm, St. Athan 8.3h.)
There were breaks in the cloud overnight in W Ireland, but elsewhere the 17th dawned rather cloudy - with some rain across Scotland and a few showers in S England. By mid-afternoon the rain in the N was confined to N Scotland, although there were some showers in NE and SW England; sunshine was largely confined to an area from SW Wales to SE Scotland. During the late afternoon and evening cloud thickened across S Britain and S Wales and rain spread N to these areas, reaching the Midlands by midnight and associated with a low centre of 997mb to the S of Ireland. (Gravesend 22.7C, Dunstaffnage 6.9C, Culdrose 7.8mm, Tiree 14.2h.)
During the early hours of the 18th rain moved N over S Ireland, Wales and Cent England - although it had largely died out by mid-morning. Light rain across N Scotland cleared during the morning, although over S parts of the British Isles there were frequent showers - which turned heavy and thundery over East Anglia during the afternoon. The sunniest places tended to be over Cent Scotland. (London 21.1C, Katesbridge 2.8C, Coventry 16.9, Tiree 13.9h.)
Low pressure persisted to the S of Ireland on the 19th, driving fronts and troughs across the British Isles. For most places the day began on a cloudy note with some rain and drizzle over Scotland, Ireland and N England. During the late morning there were sferics over SW England and this thundery area subsequently progresses NE, affecting most of E and Cent England S of a line Preston-Hull by midnight. Scotland and ireland remained rather cloudy with rain over Ireland in particular. Over England the thunderstorms led to heavy rain and flooding was reported in the Severn Tunnel. There was also flooding across parts of Kent, Sussex and Berkshire, and also in the Midlands. Almost 50mm of rain fell in just an hour at Manston, while in E Berkshire 27mm of rain fell at Wokingham in about 30 minutes during a thunderstorm in the early evening. A major clear-up operation was under way after heavy rain caused flash-flooding that left people trapped in their cars and homes and damaged property in Hereford and Worcester where the Fire Service took 300 calls in just a few hours on Tuesday night. At around 1900GMT torrential rainfall caused flash floods along the River Severn affecting Ross on Wye, Bewdley, and Hampton Loade near Bridgnorth, causing flooding and several landslips, with the River Severn bursting its banks in several places.The storm also damaged the famous Severn Valley Railway attraction, and swept road surfaces away, in one case carrying the tarmac 50m. Motorists were left stranded in their cars in the Tenbury Wells area, and rising waters trapped mobile homeowners on a caravan site in Far Forest. (Wisley 25.9C, Altnaharra 2.9C, Manston 49.8mm, Southampton 10.3h.)
Heavy, thundery rain moved NE through N England during the early hours of the 20th, with the Met Office reporting 11.6mm of rain in one hour at Shap Fell. The rain intenmsity dropped as the rain continued to move N through Scotland during the day. The low pressure area pushed n over W Ireland during the day with a center near Belmullet at 2400GMT of 996mb; there were thunderstorms near here in the afternoon while across remianing areas of England and Wales showers were widespread during the day. Winds were gusty in the showers which often became organised into bands as they moved generally N'wards. (London 23.2C, Baltasound 9.6C, Shap 30.2mm, Wattisham 12.5h.)
Low pressure located close to W and S Ireland during the 21st led to a generally unsettled day. There were widespread clear spells overnight but blustery showers were affecting much of S Ireland, S Wales and SW England by dawn. There was also some overnight rain across Scotland. These showers were heavy in places, with flooding reported in Boscastle, and the area affected by the showers gradually extended N and E. A funnel cloud was seen over Helensburgh at about 1315GMT and showers across Scotland and N England in the afternoon were thundery in places. The showers became less intense as they spread N and they then died out in the evening - although most areas remained rather cloudy. (Weybourne 22.6C, Redesdale Camp 6.7C, Cardinham 20.8mm, Boulmer 11.4h.)
The low centre moved slowly across Cent England to East Anglia on the 22nd. Ahead of the low an area of rain spread from Cent S England to Lincolnshire during the morning and showers then became widespread across the British Isles - with hail inb places and accompanied by thunder in the afternoon and early evening over Cent S England, the E Midlands, E Ireland, NW England and Cent and S Scotland in particular. There were several reports of flooding and of funnel clouds seen in Lincolnshire and the Midlands, with another seen near Spadeadam. (Durham 21.9C, Braemar 7.0C, Shap 40.6mm, Valley 11.3h.)
There were some showers overnight into the 23rd in Scotland and over England and Wales many places began the day with misty conditions. Sunshine led to the development of heavy showers during the day, and these became thundery over the E half of England from late-morning onwards. The festival at Glastonbury was again affected by heavy downpours - and there were some thundery outbreaks from Devon E'wards. The showers across Scotland merged into more general rain during the day, especially in E areas of Scotland, and there were spells of rain and showers across Ireland also. (Gravesend 21.7C, Lerwick 8.7C, Strathallan 19.4mm, North Wyke 6.7h.)
The 24th was another day with rain and showers, resulting from continuing low pressure (central value down to 998mb at 2400GMT in the Home Counties). The day dawned cloudy with rain from NE Scotland to SW England and showers in many other places. Rain was persistemt across much of S England from dawn onwards as a succession of rainbands affected the area. Elsewhere over England and Wales the rain was showery in nature - many of these were prolonged and there was lightning in E Wales, according to the Met Office. Scotland also had rain and frequent showers, while across Ireland the showers tended to be scattered. (Manchester Hulme Library 18.1C, Drumalbin 6.5C, Aboyne 34.8mm, Boulmer 8.1h.)
Low pressure was slow-moving on the 25th across Cent S and SE England and the weather across England and Wales was particularly unsettled, and very wet in places. The rain was frontal and persistent in nature. According to the Met Office, rainfall totals were exceptional with parts of the W Midlands recording 50mm of rain and with close to 100mm in Humberside. Flooding occurred over large areas from Devon, through Gloucestershire and the Midlands up into northeast England and Lincolnshire. To the SE of this rain it was a showery day, these turning thundery across East Anglia during the afternoon. Across Scotland and Ireland N'ly winds were strong in places with gusts of 40kn around the coasts. A funnel cloud was reported at Cranwell around 1350GMT. Later another was seen near Lyng (Norfolk), along with three other developing 'baby' funnels. Hundreds of people left their homes in three villages in South Yorkshire amid fears that the Ulley reservoir dam near Rotherham might burst when crackes appeared after torrential rain. The M1 motorway has been closed between junctions 32 and 36 because it would be flooded if the dam burst. About 900 people stayed in emergency shelters in Sheffield after being left stranded by the flooding; council leaders said there had been "significant damage" to the city, and that the cost of the damage would run into "millions". A teenager was swept to his death in a swollen river in Sheffield, while an RAF helicopter rescued people from the roof of a factory in Brightside Lane. A 68-year-old man also died as he was washed away as he got out of his car in the Wicker area, while another man died after becoming trapped in a storm drain in Hull. A fourth person died as a result of the floods in Worcestershire. About 13,000 people have been left without power because of the floods. Rising flood water caused Burway Bridge in Ludlow to give way, severing a gas main and causing 20 homes to be evacuated. West Mercia Police said a number of street lights fell into the river causing several small explosions. Flood watches were issued for parts of Shropshire after heavy rain hit the county, with the Ironbridge area being particularly badly affected. Flooding in Wellington disrupted train services between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. Sandbags were being sent out to some flood-hit Shifnal residents after the heavy rain threatened their homes. Flood watches were issued for the River Teme and its tributaries downstream of Ludlow, the Rivers Tern and Perry and their tributaries and the Rea and Cound brooks. Woodland Special School in Wem and Brockton CofE Primary School were closed because of the weather. (Pershore 18.6C, Dalwhinnie 7.1C, Fylingdales 103.7mm, Tiree 8.1h.)
Low pressure to the E of England moved slowly E on the 26th as another low pressure system moved E into SW Scotland, centre 1004mb at 2400GMT. In most places the day dawned cloudy and showers soon developed again in a brisk Nw'ly airflow. More general cloud spread into W Ireland and W Scotland around late-morning - followed by rain and drizzle that then affected much of Ireland and W Scotland for a while. A block of 120 flats in Lincoln was evacuated by dinghy because the River Witham has begun seeping through its banks at Stamp End in the city. People were also evacuated from Worksop in Nottinghamshire, Lincoln, Louth and Wainfleet in Lincolnshire and Chesterfield in Derbyshire. In Gloucester, 5 schools remain closed due to flooding. (Salsburgh 18.8C, Saugham 4.0C, Marham 3.6mm, Dyce 11.2h.)
The low centre crossed S Scotland during the 27th and a succession of fronts/troughs were drawn across Britain and Ireland, giving spells of rain and showers in most places. Early rain in Scotland and Ireland spread E - and not until late evening did the main area clear some parts of E England. In the evening rain and showers continued across W and Cent Scotland; elsewhere the clouds tended to give way to clear skies eventually. During the afternoon some of the showers in S and E Scotland and NE England turned thundery - and at times the strength of the NW'ly wind was noticeable. Localised hailstorms ravaged parts of Angus in the early afternoon. Worst affected areas were on a stretch of the A90 between Forfar and Brechin. There were reports of marble sized hail, falling for 30 minutes and accumlating to a depth of 7cm in places. Thunder and lightning was also reported. Meanwhile, several people witnessed a funnel cloud over the north of Dundee around 1500h. (Heathrow 19.6C, Braemar 2.1C, Keswick 14.4mm, Prestwick 9.4h.)
The 28th dawned bright in England and Wales, away from the S, but rather cloudy with some rain over Scotland and W Ireland. This rain spread SE during the day with another area of rain pushing E into WW Ireland by mid-morning. S and E England had some showers during the morning and afternoon, and the rain over Ireland made steady progress to the E, affecting Wales by early afternoon. As the rain continued to move E there were some heavy falls in places; a complex system of frontal bands across the British Isles by midnight ensured a rather wet end to the day - although skies were beginning to clear across NW Ireland by midnight. (Heathrow 20.1C, Aboyne 2.1C, West Freugh 30.8mm, East Malling 10.3h.)
The 29th saw frontal systems crossing much of the British Isles, followed by the development of a temporary ridge. Some heavy rain cleared E and SE areas during the morning and these areas then joined most other places in having a day with sunshine and showers. Some of these showers were heavy and joined into bands to give longer peridos of rain in places. During the afternoon and early evening sferics were recorded over parts of Kent and East Anglia. However, as pressure rose in the afternoon and evening there was a tendency for the showers top die down generally; in Ireland, however, pressure fell during the evening as a warm front pushed into the SW - with rain across S Ireland and SW England by midnight. (St James' Park, London 22.2C, Baltasound 4.3C, Middle Wallop 30.8mm, Tiree 12.6h.)
Low pressure to the SW of Ireland pushed a warm sector across the British Isles on the 30th with the trailing cold front lying across Wales and W Scotland by midnight. Apart from N and E Scotland where skies danwed clear, most places had a cloudy start to the day with rain spreading across most of England by midday. By then the cold front had cleared most of Ireland and an afternoon of showers followed here - but with more general rain in the Sw during the evening. Shetl;and had the best of the sunshine with the warm front cloud failing to arrive here by midnight; elsewhere over Britain the day was mostly cloudy with rain spreading E. The cold front gave some heavy rain over Wales as well as some thundery outbreaks over NE Ireland and W Scotland in the evening. (Castlederg 22.2C, Loch Glascarnoch -0.6C, Lake Vyrnwy 26.8mm, Lerwick 12.9h.)
The low pressure center deepened to the W of Scotland on the 2nd and was slow-moving, giving another rather cloudy and unsettled day everywhere. There was fog around the Northern Isles during the morning but rain and shwoers tended to be the main feature of the day's weather. Rain was heavy over NW Scotland early in the morning while elsewhere the showers turned heavy during the afternoon, disrupting play at Wimbledon. Showers turned thunder during the afternoon and evening over parts of NE Ireland, N England, the NE Midlands and East Anglia. (Shepshed 21.9C, Port Ellen 9.0C, St. Angelo 29.4mm, Durham 5.0h.)
The low pressure centre extended E across Scotland during the 3rd. There was some heavy rain in Yorkshire around dawn with showers elsewhere across the British Isles. Thunderstorms occurred in parts of NE Scotland in the morning, with sferics being reported at this time over NE England; during the afternoon and evening thunderstorms became widespread SE of a line Hull-Exeter. The Channel Island saw some heavy rain before dawn as a shallow low pushed NE over N France. Parts of south London were hit by flash floods following a massive storm that swept across SE England. The storm broke out at about 1600GMT in this part of London and lasted about 20 minutes. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the sky suddenly turn dark before the torrential downpour of rain and hailstones began. Emergency services were indundated with calls after several areas including South Wimbledon, Putney, Clapham and Brixton were hit. The hailstones "were really large pieces of hail the size of 20 pence pieces which tore through the sky, ripping leaves from the trees and flowers from plants. I have never seen anything like it." Minster, on the Isle of Sheppey, had cars and properties damaged by the sudden deluge. Parts of the A12 in Suffolk were left submerged by flash flooding, leaving rush hour traffic grid-locked, while four people were injured by lightning strikes. (Strathallan 21.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.7C, Stonyhurst 39.0mm, Stornoway 13.0h.)
A cyclonic circulation continued to give unsettled weather over the British Isles on the 4th. After another cloudy night an area of rain pushed E across Ireland during the morning - to be followed by shwoers in the W. There were also showers over Britain in the morning and these continued into the afternoon. The rain over E Ireland weakened in intensity as it reached Wales - but as the low centre moved E some sferics were reported across E parts of England and Scotland in the late afternoon. (Boulmer 21.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.7C, Woodford 31.0mm, Prestwick 7.4h.)
Another deepening area of low pressure pushed E across Ireland during the 5th, and was located at 995mb over Cumbria by 2400GMT. Although there was fog around the Northern Isles overnight, for most places it was dry overnight - although there were some showers in parts of Cent S England and SW Scotland. In Ireland there were also a few showers ahead of an area of frontal rain that reached SW Ireland before dawn. There were scattered showers for many areas during the day, and the frontal rain spread across Ireland during the morning - also affecting Cornwall and Devon. During the afternoon and evening the rain spread across England and Wales and into W and S Scotland. The fog in the Northern Isles cleared during the early afternoon - while later in the day there were guists to 50kn around some Irish Sea coasts. (Bridlington 21.1C, Fair Isle 9.2C, Dundrennan 16.6mm, Leconfield 5.4h.)
The low quickly moved across N England early on the 6th and a mostly W'ly flow with widespread showers followed across the British Isles. The showers were widespraed over N Britain and Ireland - becoming organised into bands in places. Further S it became drier as the day wore on - with sunny spells and broken cloud, especially in the evening when a gradual clearance in the cloud developed over Ireland and much of S and Cent England and Wales. The Met Office reported some thunderstorms during the day over the extreme NE of England and parts of
Scotland. (Heathrow 20.8C, Lake Vyrnwy 9.6C, Stonyhurst 37.4mm, Camborne 13.4h.)
Frontal cloud during the 7th meant a cloudy day for Scotland and N parts of England and Ireland, with some rain; the rain was heavy at times over N Scotland. Much of Ireland and S Britain had a clear night with a dry day following - although some showers affected East Anglia for a while in the afternoon. Later in the day the showers died out but the rain continued across Scotland. However, the next spell of frontal rain reached SW Ireland shortly before midnight as cloud cover increased in W Ireland. (Heathrow 22.4C, Preston Wynne 8.0C, Kirkwall 32.8mm, Yeovilton 14.3h.)
Rain continued across N Scotland into the 8th and slowly spread across Ireland before dawn. However, elsewhere skies were clear until the cloud over Ireland spread E and showers started to develop over W parts of Britain. The showers became thunder during the late morning and afetrnoon in E Ireland and also across parts of N Wales and the N Midlands in the afternoon and evening. The Met Office reported falls of 15-20mm per hour in places in N Wales and NW England. Showers later broke out over S wales and SW England - although the SE corner of England remained largely dry and sunny. (London 22.2C, Katesbridge 1.7C, Capel Curig 35.4mm, Boulmer 12.1h.)
Troughs gave some heavy rain in SW England during the early hours of the 9th and later in the morning rain and showers fell further E across S England. Thunderstorms were also reported over the Channel Islands during the morning. A low centre moved S over W Scotland towards Liverpool Bay during the day bringing frontal rain S over W Scotland and Ireland, and then into Wales SW and Cent S England. Further E thunderstorms formed during the afternoon E of a line Cleveland to the Isle of Wight. E Scotland had a mostly dry and sunny day - as did NW and N areas of Scotland. (London 21.9C, Braemar 2.6C, Chivenor 26.2mm, Dyce 14.7h.)
During the early hours of the 10th the rain in S Ireland, S Wales and SW England moved E across S England; cloud spread across N Scotland to give some rain in places there by dawn. Elsewhere there was broken cloud overnight in W parts of the British Isles but mostly clear skies in E England and SE Scotland. Further cloud and rain affected Ireland during the day and there were showers and rain over N Scotland and the SW corner of England and Wales, especially during the morning. The showers across Scotland moved S through E Scotland and NE England in the afternoon - and a cool NW'ly airflow became established during the day. (Bridlington 21.5C, Saughall 3.1C, Okehampton 19.8mm, Church Fenton 10.4h.)
Light rain and showers affected parts of the East Anglia and the Northern Isles into the 11th, and by dawn some frontal rain rain and drizzle had pushed E into W Ireland. Cloud cover was broken elsewhere overnight. The rain in N Scotland spread SE across E Scotland during the morning, but amounts were mostly small. Successive bands of frontal cloud and rain spread across Ireland during the day - but made little progress beyond W Scotland, Anglesey and SW England. After a cloudy start in many places, there were sunny spells during the day in many parts of Cent and E England - although most of Scotland remained rather cloudy, except in the SE. (Lee-on-Solent 22.5C, Spadeadam 8.0C, Cardinham 7.0mm, Hurn 11.7h.)
Warm air behind a warm front pushed E across Wales before dawn on the 12th and had covered most of England and S Scotland by midday - before reaching N Scotland by midnight. This meant a mostly cloudy morning over England, after a clear start in the E, with rain and drizzle. Scotland also had a cloudy morning and afternoon with rain from the front. Further light rain spread across Ireland during the morning giving a rather cloudy day here, but there were breaks in the cloud during the afternoon in parts of Cent and S England, while late in the afternoon the Met Office reported some thunderstorms in the Lincolnshire. (London 24.3C, Braemar 7.3C, Boulmer 7.6mm, Edgbaston 7.5h.)
Low pressure moved E just to the N of Scotland during the morning of the 13th and another low centre deepened as it moved NE over Ireland during the afternoon, being located over SW Scotland (997mb) by 2400GMT. These meant a rather cloudy day in Scotland with some rain in the N at first. A warm sector spread N over england and wales during the day giving a cloudy day here with some moderately heavy rain in places. Similar conditions affected Ireland although the skies did clear from the W here in the evening. There were some localised floods in parts of Wales and W England - with warm and humid conditions across much of England during the afternoon and evening. Temperatures across England by midnight were 17-19C in many areas. (Gravesend 24.9C, Eskdalemuir 5.2C, Pembrey Sands 42.8mm, Kinlochewe 7.3h.)
The 14th began with rather cloudy skies and warm air across E England but as the low moved NE across Scotland during the morning this cloud and rain moved E to be followed by showery conditions that pushed E from Ireland. The low passage brought some heavy rain over Scotland, with the Met Office reporting a four-hour fall of 21mm at Inverbervie. Across Ireland some of these showers turned thundery during the afternoon and showers occurred over Scotland after the low centred cleared away - but rain and drizzle continued to affect the Northern Isles through the evening. There was a general clearance of the cloud in the evening as the showers died out over much of Ireland, Wales and England - although some cloud did linger in S England. (London 23.8C, Dalwhinnie 9.5C, Port Glenone 25.2mm, Valley 11.1h.)
The 15th brought another low tracking N from Biscay to the Irish Sea and this drew a warm sector N over E Wales and much of England during the day. As the warm front pushed N there were intense thunderstorms reported from Kent around dawn to the N Midlands in the evening. Overnight there were largely clear skies ahead of this warm front, except over N Scotland where rain and drizzle failed to clear until about midday. Many arts of Ireland had a bright day until the low centre reached S Britain - rain and drizle then followed, with Belmullet reporting a thunderstorm during the evening. Some of the thunderstorms across England were locally very heavy, with parts of London experiencing 18mm of rain in 15 minutes, accompanied large hail. There were also reports of a tornado touching down in NE England, close to the A1 near Sedgefield, at about 2030GMT. (Charlwood 25.7C, Tulloch Bridge 6.1C, Liscombe 22.8mm, Tiree 13.6h.)
A complex area of low pressure centred over Ireland caused a thundery day on the 16th. During the night rain moved N through N England and Northern Ireland into Scotland, reaching all but the N of Scotland by dawn and giving some heavy falls in parts of S Scotland. Misty or foggy conditions followed the rain in many parts of E England. During the day the rain and drizzle was mostly confined to Scotland and NW Ireland and was still affecting N Scotland by midnight. Behind the rain were showers - which were heavy and thundery across much of Ireland during the afternoon and from Cornwall to NE England in the afternoon and evening. At Aldergrove 20mm of rain fell in one hour. (London 24.2C, Braemar 6.0C, St. Angelo 33.0mm, Valley 10.8h.)
A low pressure centre remained close to NW Ireland throughout the 17th. The Northern Isles had rain, heavy at times, from an associated front but elsewhere there were widespread and sometimnes heavy showers. These turned thundery in SW England before dawn many parts of Ireland, Cent and N England, Wales and s Scotland in the afternoon and evening. Flash flooding was reported in several places, including Weston-super-Mare, Tenbury Wells and near Grantown-on-Spey. Four simultaneous funnel clouds were reported at Manchester Airport during the early afternoon, and the updraught from a tornado in Gloucestershire was apparently sufficiently intense to lift a skip over a house, according to the Met Office. In Tenbury Wells West Mercia Police advised that all routes south of Teme Bridge in Tenbury Wells were affected by the flooding with no access into the town over Teme bridge. The Stillorgan area of Dublin suffered thousands of euros worth of damage after flooding hit; a local stream burst its banks after an "exceptional" amount of rainfall took it over capacity. Numerous properties were damaged as a result of the flooding, which has prompted authorities to look at ways of improving drainage across the area. (Weybourne 22.5C, Redesdale Camp 8.0C, Lerwick 22.0mm, Valley 10.5h.)
Low pressure persisted across Ireland on the 18th giving another unsettkled day across the British Isles. Showers were heavy but thunderstorms were mostly limited to parts of N England, the E Midlands and W Scotland. There were reports of hail across parts of N Scotland and S Scotland with 14mm in an hour at Eskdalemuir. Flash flooding was reported in Filey in North Yorkshire during the afternoon; houses were after the floods left 3ft of water in homes following a cloudburst at 1245GMT. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service received about 60 calls from residents and businesses relating to flooding. At Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire a funnel cloud was seen. The Met Office reported 17.6mm of rain in an hour in Kenley. In between the showers most places had sunny periods although a S'ward moving fron over Scotland meant longer periods of cloud and precipitation there. (London 24.3C, Tulloch Bridge 5.7C, Kenley 23.8mm, Aberporth 14.0h.)
Cyclonic conditions continued over Ireland on the 19th, although in many parts of the British Isles there were clear spells overnight. The low gave some overnight rain over Ireland and S Scotland but as the day developed so did the thunderstorms. Thunder occurred over SW England and SW Wales in the morning and then spread to much of Ireland and many parts of Wales and W and N England by the evening. Heavy hourly falls reported by the Met Office included 15.8mm at Chivenor and 22.8mm at Osbournby (Lincolnshire). Although the showers died down in many places in the evening, thunderstorms continued from Hampshire to Shropshire. A 64-year-old map was attempting to bale water out of his cellar in Alston during the evening when he suffered head injuries and later died. Alston was badly hit by flooding with several homes affected by rising water, which had run off the fells into the town. A train route between Tyneside and Cumbria clsoed for a while after landslips blocked the line between Brampton in Cumbria and Haltwhistle in Northumberland following heavy rain. (Gravesend 25.5C, Altnaharra 5.4C, Lough Fea 23.2mm, Manston 13.8h.)
The 20th dawned with an area of low pressure over SE England and heavy thundery rain from the S Midlands to Hampshire. The low then moved N - centred at 1010mb over the E Midlands by 2400GMT, and the heavy rain moved N into Yorkshire and the NW Midlands by the end of the day. However, the thunder was mostly confined to Cent S England and had largely ended by late morning, although there were also separate thunderstorms over NW Wales before dawn. Parts of Devon and Cornwall remained generally dry, while E Ireland had rain in the afternoon. There were showers during ther day in a N'ly airflow over W Ireland while Scotland had sunny spells in the N and cloud in the S. In fact clear skies before dawn in N Scotland resulted in a ground frost in places. Brize Norton recorded 115mm during the day, and some places received 30-40mm in a single hour. In Maidenhead 51mm fell in 63 minutes and 98.6mm fell in the 12 hours ending 1300GMT. There was significant disruption to road and rail transport as rivers burst their banks, and flash flooding brought chaos from South Wales to the Thames Valley. Helicopters were sent to rescue people from homes in Worcestershire and a hospital was flooded in West Sussex. Roads were badly hit in the Midlands and across southern England, with flights and trains cancelled or late. In the village of Sedgeberrow in Worcestershire, nearly 40 people had to be rescued from their homes after the River Isbourne burst its banks - some of them were plucked from their homes by RAF helicopter. Pupils at the Bredon Hill Middle school in the village of Ashton Under Hill, Worcestershire, had to spend the last night of the summer term at school due to surrounding floodwaters. Firefighters were called to help rescue children from Cherry Orchard Primary School in Worcester after it was flooded by half a foot of water. The city's roads have been badly hit, with police advising drivers to take care on the only four remaining routes which are affected by standing water. Earlier, flash flooding hit many parts of Berkshire, forcing the closure of at least three schools in Windsor and one in Maidenhead, where about 30 homes were flooded and a woman had to be rescued from her car. The town's main shopping centre was also shut; however floods in maidenhead were the result of excessive runoff, not river water. The Glade music festival near Aldermaston, Reading, had to be suspended because of severe flooding with cars reported "floating around" in the car park. In Gloucestershire, the council has set up emergency rest centres to shelter people forced out of their homes by flooding after the "worst conditions the county has seen in years". Heathrow Airport had to cancel 141 flights because of severe weather conditions across the country. Luton Airport was described as "virtually cut off" by floodwaters at one point. Parts of south London were badly hit, with roads submerged under 2ft of water in some parts. Three people trapped in a building cut off by floods in Barry, south Wales, were rescued by emergency services. The villages of Syresham and Helmdon in south Northamptonshire were badly hit, with a junior school evacuated in Helmdon. In Hereford, the council handed out Wellington boots to help motorists trying to rescue about 200 vehicles stranded in a car park. In West Sussex, Worthing Hospital was flooded by 18in of water, with many homes also flooded across the county. London's Tube network suffered major disruption, with the Circle line suspended, the District line partially suspended and several Tube stations closed because of flooding. Mainline rail services remain badly disrupted, with services between London and the south coast and South West, and services in the Midlands particularly badly hit, with scores of train cancellations leaving thousands of passengers stranded. In North Yorkshire several villages were affected by floodwater, including 30 homes evacuated in Gilling Beck. Severe weather caused havoc across Hampshire as flooding, small landslides, fallen trees and abandoned vehicles block the roads, the worst affected areas being in the N of the county. The M4 and M5 motorways in particular were badly afrected by floodwater. (Gravesend 21.5C, Kinbrace 0.5C, Pershore College 135.2mm, Stornoway 14.8h.)
The rain area continued to push N through N areas of England and Wales in the early hours of the 21st and by the afternoon was falling across S and E Scotland. Rain became persistent across southern and eastern Scotland during the afternoon giving a wet end to the day at Carnoustie. S England, Ireland, the Midlands and East Anglia had showers during the day, with some sferics reported in the late afternoon evening in SW Ireland and Cent S England. Thunder stopped the Test Match at Lords for a while. SW Scotland had a rather cloudy but moistly dry day, while there were sunny pspells from NW Ireland through NW Scotland to Shetland. Floods continued to affect large areas of tyhe Midlands, from Herefordshire to oxfordshire in particular. (Gravesend 21.4C, Altnaharra 2.6C, Shobdon 28.6mm, Lerwick 11.4h.)
Overnight into the 22nd there was persistent in much of E Scotland and generally cloud skies elsewhere, except over parts of N Ireland where clear skies led to some early mist and fog. There were also overnight fog patches in parts of Cent S England and rain in parts of Cent S England, Kent and Sussex. S Wales had some heavy rain during the morning and showers affected Wales, E Ireland and W England as a trough pushed N. The rain lingered in E Scotland throughout the day while in the evening another frontal rain area approached SW England and S Ireland. Many parts of S Scotland and N Ireland had a sunhny day before cloud spread N later in the day. SE England and East Anglia also had a sunny day. As rainwater continued to move down flooded rivers, warning of further flooding were issued in areas affected by the recent rains. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said the final bill for the damage and disruption caused by the latest floods could run into hundreds of millions with an estimated £2 billion being the cost of settling insurance claims due to the summer floods so far. (London 21.9C, Katesbridge 4.5C, Charterhall 30.6mm, Prestwick 11.6h.)
On the 23rd a low pressure system moved E along the English Channel giving further rain S of a line from Cornwall and S Ireland to Lincolnshire. The rain was heavy over parts of SW England. Rain affected NE Scotland early in the day, and persisted over the Northern isles until the late evening before moving away to the N. As the low moved E a N'ly flow became established across W parts of the British Isles; N England and S Scotland had heavy showers during the afternoon - with thunder here in places. Further rain affected cent S and SE England in the evening, before clearing skies spread from the W across much of Ireland, SW Scotland, Wales and W England. The flooding crisis in central and western England continues as Britain's two biggest rivers, the Severn and the Thames, threaten to overflow. In Gloucestershire, the worst-affected county, where thousands of people have been left without water supply. Elsewhere in Gloucestershire, 43,000 homes were left without power after a major electricity substation was turned off because of the rising water. The Environment Agency warned water levels are expected to exceed those of the devastating floods of 1947. It said water levels on the River Severn and Thames could reach a "critical" level in some areas. Severe flood warnings were in place for the Midlands, Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire. A spokesman for the agency said the River Severn and the Thames would continue to swell until Tuesday and that levels on both rivers could increase beyond those of 60 years ago. Parts of Worcestershire were under 2m of water and the Army was deployed to help emergency services provide supplies to people in Upton-upon-Severn. Residents at risk of flooding in Oxford were told to leave their homes as water levels are expected to rise. Some homes in Oxford, Abingdon, Kidlington and Bladon were flooded. Meanwhile the government has not ruled out more development on flood plains, as it unveiled plans for three million new homes by 2020. (Glasgow 21.0C, Eskdalemuir 4.6C, Isle of Scilly 59.6mm, Prestwick 15.1h.)
The 24th dawned cloudy in E and S England as an area of low pressure cleared the SE of England; there was also some frontal cloud and rain across Scotland - but elsewhere early cloud cover was patchy although in the Channel Islands there was some lingering rain from the low. Clear skies across Cent England led to some fog patches by dawn in Yorkshire. Over Scotland the cloud did not break up in many places until late afternoon; elsewhere much of England and Wales away from the NE coast of England had a sunny day. There were some showers in parts of NE England and S Scotland and some light rain in NE Scotland for a while. During the afternoon cloud spread E across Ireland and into W Scotland - with rain in W Ireland by late afternoon and in W Scotland in the evening. By midnight this rain had reached W Wales. (Shoeburyness 23.1C, Threave 3.6C, Manston 8.2mm, Camborne 13.4h.)
Cloud spread E across much of the British Isles during the early hours of the 25th as frontal rain spread E. Parts of East Anglia had a sunny start to the day - and by mid-morning all of Ireland had brightened up, although rain showers were starting to break out. The main rain areas took until near midnight to clear SE England but further troughs resulted in organised banks of showers across many areas of Ireland and into W Britain. The main rain are also spread N and much of Scotland had a rather cloudy day, with rain still falling on Shetland at midnight. During the late afternoon a few showers turned thundery over NE Ireland and SW Scotland. (Wattisham 22.0C, Kinbrace 7.2C, Killowen 16.6mm, Aldergrove 6.9h.)
Low pressure moved NE off NW Scotland during the 26th and drove several troughs and bands of showers across the British Isles during the day. During the morning one heavy band of rain crossed Wales and SW England during the morning and then moved NE'wards giving some heavy rain in places. Showers were heavy in places, and there were widespread sferics reported across N and E Ireland, N and Cent England and parts of E Scotland in the afternoon and early evening. In parts of S England the showers were accompanied by gusts to 40kn on the coast. During the evening there was a clearance of most cloud across Ireland, Wales, N and Cent England and S Scotland. (Gravesend 21.1C, Dalwhinnie 9.1C, Sennybridge 32.0mm, Kinlochewe 5.9h.)
Skies remained mostly clear in many E areas of Britain into the 27th although there were a few showers in W parts of Scotland and Ireland and cloud cover increased in W parts of Wales and England around dawn. Showers occurred in many areas during the day; theye were mostly light except in parts of N Ireland and W Scotland. An area of rain and drizzle spread E across Cent S and SE England and the Channel Islands in the late afternoon and evening. (Gravesend 22.5C, Kinbrace 6.1C, Shap 12.8mm, Boulmer 11.5h.)
The 28th dawned with largely clear skies, except across Scotland where cloud was widespread in the N and W with some rain. During the morning this cloud and rain transferred SE and took until the evening to clear in some E areas. There were showers during the morning over Ireland and parts of N England - and rather cloudy skies in S Ireland. Elsewhere the morning was mostly sunny. The cloud in S Ireland gave rain in SW Ireland by midday and this pushed E across S Wales, S England and the Midlands during the afternoon and evening - giving moderately heavy falls in places around a shallow low centre. By midnight the rain had reached Kent and East Anglia - but there were clearing skies in the evening over N Ireland and around the Scottish Borders. (St. James Park, London 22.9C, Katesbridge 5.7C, Kinlochewe 14.6mm, Leeming 11.3h.)
The rain cleared E England by late morning on the 29th and across most of England, Wales and Ireland a sunny day followed. Scotland was rather cloudy during the day with showers in places - and some of these showers also affected N England and N Ireland. A few showers affected E England and East Anglia and these turned thundery during the evening in E England. by midnight, when most shower acticity had died down, skies were clear across much of the British Isles, except in N Scotland - where showers continued to occur over Shetland. (Lee-on-Solent 21.6C, Katesbridge 1.7C, Manston 20.6mm, Valley 12.8h.)
Into the 30th skies were mostly clear except across parts of W Ireland and Scotland. The cloud led to a few showers that continued throughout the day in N and W Scotland, while a ground frost was reported in a few sheltered places under the clear skies. Some light rain also fell later in N Ireland. Elsewhere, with high pressure close to Ireland during the day (1026mb near Galway at 1200GMT), the were only small amounts of cloud and long sunny spells. During the evening much of the cloud across England, Wales and Ireland cleared, although Scotland and parts of NE England remained cloudy. (St James Park 21.0C, Katesbridge 2.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 4.0mm, Camborne 12.4h.)
Overnight cloud was mostly confined to Scotland into the 31st - elsewhere clear skies led to a touch of ground frost in a few sheltered spots. During the day frontal cloud pushed E and later gave rain to W areas of Scotland and Ireland in particular. Elsewhere, cloud tended to be patchy and it was a warm day with sunny spells. (London 24.7C, Sennybridge 3.3C, Lusa 19.6mm, Camborne 14.5h.)
Cloud advanced SE into SE England during the early hours of the 2nd and was accompanied by moderately heavy rain in places. There were a few breaks in the cloud across W Ireland by dawn and by early afternoon these breaks also affected many parts of Scotland - by this time the frontal rain in the SE was mostly confined to Kent. There were showers during the day across Ireland, and in parts of S England behind the front. Showers also continued at times in N Scotland, while in the evening advancing cloud ahead of a warm front affected W Ireland; there was some light drizzle here before midnight. As the showers in S England died down later in the afternoon, skies cleared and by midnight most of England and Wales was clear of cloud. (East Malling 22.1, Eskdalemuir 3.7C, Mumbles Head 18.6mm, Valley 11.9h.)
A warm sector spread E into the British Isles on the 3rd. By dawn, however, all of England apart from the SW was largely cloudfree; elsewhere light rain and drizzle was affecting parts of W Scotland and much of Ireland. East Anglia and the extreme SE corner of England remained cloudfree throughout the day and into the evening and, as the warm front weakened, there was little rain over many Cent and E parts of England - in fact, it was a warm day in the sunny parts of SE England. Across Wales, Ireland and W Scotland the rain and drizzle, once it started, was fairly persistent and low cloud prevented much of a temperature rise behind the warm front. The rain here later in the day was also associated with an advancing cold front that lay from NW Scotland to Valentia by midnight. (London 26.1C, Aboyne 4.5C, Lusa 27.2mm, Hurn 13.3h.)
Across much of S England, the SE Midlands and East Anglia early cloud on the 4th soon cleared and a warm day followed. Across Wales and N England, frontal cloud gave persistent and, in places heavy rain, during the day - although it did brighten up in parts of E Wales and NE England later as pressure rose a little. There was also some persistent rain in parts of E Ireland, while elsewhere conditions were brighter for a while - in the evening the front began to push N and gave further rain from S Scotland to S Ireland. (London 27.3C, Kinbrace 10.5C, Capel Curig 57.6mm, Manston 14.3h.)
The frontal system began the 5th lying from S Scotland to SW Ireland; during the day it moved little in the n by pushed E in the south to reach the Channel Islands by midnight. Thus, the initial N-S split in the weather became a W-E one later. Along the front there were outbreaks of rain, some of which were heavy in places as a frontal low developed by midnight over SE Scotland. E of the front there were clear spells overnight and hot, sunny conditions during the day - the highest temperatures of the year in many places. To the W of the front, under N'ly winds, it was cooler with some showers. (London 30.3C, Sennybridge 8.5C, West Freugh 29.2mm, Odiham 13.9h.)
During the 6th the frontal low deepened a little and pushed N, pushing the cold front E to the south of it. Much of Scotland and Cent and E parts of England consequently had a cloudy start to the day with some rain and drizzle that moved E, clearing E Britain by midday. Further W there were showers initially which turned heavy in places in the mornng. N and Cent Scotland remained mostly cloudy throughout the day with some rain and drizzle - which was heavy in places and with tsferics reported early in the day in NE Scotland and the Northern Isles. Across Ireland and much of Britain it turned sunny once the frontal cloud had cleared - there were some scattered showers here which turned thundery ver parts of E ireland and from the Midlands to Wiltshire. (London 24.2C, Katesbridge 4.2C, Fyvis Castle 45.0mm, Filton 13.1h.)
N and Cent Scotland began the 7th with cloud and some rain (heavy in parts of the NW) - but as the day developed the rain eased off and the cloud cleared in places. Much of England, Wales and Ireland began the day with patchy cloud but further, convective, cloud soon developed in S England, with thunderstorms then spreading E and N as far as Suffolk, according to the Met Office. There were reports of two funnel clouds being sighted in the New Forest and another two over Jersey. Heavy rainaccompanied some of these thunderstorms. Showers across Ireland died out later in the day as pressure slowly rose (1024.7mb at Valentia at 2100GMT), while the thunderstorms continued to affect SE Englad in the evening.
(Gravesend 23.4C, Shap 5.0C, Kinlochewe 69.2mm, Manston 12.3h)
Weather on the 8th was domanted by a weak ridge of high pressure, with small anticyclonic centres in the SW Approaches and off NE Scotland at 2400GMT. Showers cleared E Kent in the early hours and most of England, Wales, S and E Scotland then had a sunny day with little cloud. Over W Scotland a nearby front meany a cloudy day with some rain or drizzle at times. Ireland, too, had some patchy cloud. (Lee-on-Solent 23.2C, Katesbridge 1.7C, Wisley 21.6mm, Boulmer 13.8h)
The ridge was squeezed on the 9th between fronts approaching the British Isles from both the W and the E. E England and W Scotland dawned with some cloud, and there was frontal rain by 0600GMT in W Ireland. The rain spread E across most of Ireland before dying out later as the associated fron occluded and faded, while the cloud over E England made some progress W before claering during the evening. In W Scotland the cloud thickened and gave some light rain and drizzle later, and this cloud also spread E into some E parts of Scotlad for a while. (Lee-on-Solent 23.9C, Kinbrace 1.3C, St. Angelo 1.2mm, Kirkwall 13.9h.)
Most of Scotland, W Wales and Ireland had a cloudy night into the 10th with some rain and drizzle in the W. Elsewhere, cloud was patchy and some mist and fog patched formed by dawn in the East Midlands and Cent S England. The mist and fog soon cleared and E England then had a mostly sunny day. Elsewhere, the cloud spread E accompanied by some rain and drizzle - although in the evening as the front decayed in the S skies cleared over Cent S and SW England. (London 24.9C, Redesdale Camp 3.7C, Altnaharra 12.6mm, Coleshill 13.2h.)
Much of NW Scotland, Wales and S and Cent parts of England dawned clear on the 11th; elsewhere frontal cloud gave a dull start to the day with some rain, especially across Ireland. During the day the cloud cover increased across Wales and W parts of England, and there was a partial clearance across NW Ireland as the rain turned to showers. NW Scotland also clouded over later in the day with some rain and showers; across remaining areas of Scotland and Ireland there was a tendency for the rain and showers to progress slowly E'wards - with some rain and drizzle also affectring Wales later. (London 27.3C, Glenlivet 6.1C, Glenanne 43.0mm, Manston 13.8h.)
East Anglia and the SE corner of England dawned generally clear on the 12th, elsewhere there was extensive cloud with rain and drizzle - and some showers in W Ireland. The precipitation was frontal in nature - and it gradually moved E during the day clearing E England in the afternoon but lingering across N Scotland as a low centre (993mb) remained over the Hebrides at 2400GMT. Following the clearance of the rain the skies cleared - although there were some showers over Ireland during the day and evening and some of these also affected Wales later. (Weybourne 24.3C, Hurn 7.9C, Threave 28.0mm, Filton 9.1h.)
With low pressure close to N Scotland throughout the 13th, much of N and cent Scotland had a cloudy day with rain, some of the rain being heavy in places in the N. Elsewhere the day dawned with varying amounts of cloud - and this was enough to give some showers across Ireland and S Scotland during the day. The cloud gradully thickened from the SW across Britain and Ireland giving some showers across Britain during the day - and this was followed by frontal rain across S parts of Ireland, Wales and England during the evening. (Gravesend 23.2C, Charlwood 6.3C, Kinlochewe 55.8mm, Leuchars 10.8h.)
The 14th saw a complex area of low pressure pushing NE from Ireland to Scotland, giving a day of widespread cloud and rain - although parts of Scotland did dawn with clear skies which persisted in the N until late in the day. Associated frontal systems gave some heavy rain and showers - with these turning thundery in the late afternoon and evening across parts of E England. With the pressure falling to 983mb by 2400GMT off E Scotland it was a windy day for the time of year in places, particularly in S Britain. Yachts in the Fastnet race left Cowes on Monday after the race was postponed by 25 hours for the first time in its 83-year history. A total of 271 yachts left Cowes; some suffered damage off the Dorset and Devon coasts and by afternoon today 149 boats were forced to retire.
(Hereford 21.6C, Braemar 4.0C, Hurn 30.2mm, Kirkwall 10.9h.)
As the low moved N on the 15th (975mb just N of Shetland by 1200GMT) the associated frontal rain moved N and E with showers following in a brisk NW'ly surface airflow - especially across Ireland. During the afternoon and evening the showers across England and Wales became organised into an area of more general rain as they moved into East Anglia. Some of the rain turned thundery across the Midlands but by midnight much of Cent and N England and Ireland was clear of cloud and showers. (Weybourne 22.8C, Altnaharra 4.3C, Pembrey Sands 28.0mm, Glasgow 7.9h.)
Much of Scotland had a cloudy day on the 16th due to a low pressure centre to the N, and there were spells of rain and showers during the day here - which tended to clear from the S and E of the country as the day developed. There were also overnight showers across Ireland and parts of N England and these became more widespread across England and Wales during the morning - although England and Wales did tend to have a day with sunny spells as well. Thunder was reported during the afternoon in N England, but during the evening the showers tended to die down and the skies cleared across much of England, Ireland and Wales. An exception to this clearance was SW England and S Wales where it remained cloudy in the evening. A funnel cloud was seen near Harlech in the afternoon. (Herstmonceux 20.2C, Carterhouse 7.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 17.6mm, Leconfield 10.4h.)
The 17th dawned with cloud increasing from the W across much of England, Wales and Ireland but with clear skies over some parts of Scotland. The cloud marked an approaching depression (centred at 999mb off W Ireland by 2400GMT) that drove frontas NE across many parts of the British Isles during the day. During the morning rain spread E across W Ireland and showers affected W parts of Britain. The showers spread E during the afternoon followed by the rain and by midnight most places were cloudy. (Herefore 20.4C, Topcliffe 5.0C, Woodford 9.6mm, East Malling 8.5h.)
An area of low pressure crossing E'wards over Ireland meant that the 18th was a generally cloudy over the British Isles - only later in the evening was there a slight clearance over W Ireland. The low dragged frontal cloud and rain E and most places had some rain at times - followed by some showers in the W as the wind turned to more of a N'ly direction here. (Gravesend 21.9Cm Kinbrace 5.1C, Dalwhinnie 33.4mm, Manston 3.6h.)
There were some clear skies overnight across Ireland and parts of NW Scotland, but with low pressure close to E Britain throughout the 19th most of E Scotland and England had a mainly cloudy day. Wales and SW England saw some clearing of the cloud during the evening; the cloud gave most places some rain or showers although the rain area slowly moved E during the day. Ireland soon clouded over but then, along with W Scotland, the cloud cleared here in the late afternoon and evening - for a short shile before more frontal cloud arrived by midnight and gave some rain in SW Ireland. Two funnel clouds seen from Calthorpe, north Norfolk; they formed on band of heavy cloud stretching roughly between Norwich and North Walsham. (Wainfleet 20.5C, Baltasound 6.3C, Gogarbank 24.4mm, Kinlochewe 7.0h.)
Clear skies spread slowly E into the 20th allowing a touch of air frost to form in parts of E Scotland before dawn. However, with low pressure towards the E of England most of England SE of a line Newcastle-Devon remained cloudy throughout the day - this cloud gave some rain that was heavy at times in Norfolk. Low pressure spread SE across Ireland to France in the morning, giving some rain in Ireland and SW Britain - some sferics were reported over Ireland. As this rain moved away skies cleared across Ireland and the wind turned N'ly here. NW England and parts of SW Scotland had bright skies during the day but NE Scotland remained rather cloudy with frontal rain at times. (Glasgow 18.6C, Tulloch Bridge -0.9C, Lerwick 39.2mm, Tiree 12.6h.)
During the 21st England E of a line Cleveland-Dorset remained cloudy with some light rain and showers. However, during the early morning in Kent these showers did turn thundery for a while. Elsewhere, with rising pressure there were sunny periods although in E Scotland and SW Ireland there was rather more frontal cloud and some light rain. By midnight MSL pressure had risen to 1027mb in SW Ireland as a ridge of high pressure developed over W Britain. (St. Athan 21.3C, Eskdalemuir 3.9C, Herstmonceux 11.4mm, Aberporth 10.4h.)
East of a line Cleveland-Hampshire, England remained cloudy on the 22nd with some rain and drizzle overnight, and some heavier showers near the E coast during the day. Further W much of the British Isles had a warm and sunny day under high pressure - some cloud affected the NE coast of Scotland and also parts of Ireland and W Scotland (where there was some drizzle) for a while. There was also some mist in these western areas during the day. (Tyndrum 25.8C, Braemar 2.8C, Shoeburyness 19.0mm, Leuchars 13.6h.)
SE of a line Cleveland-Hampshire the 23rd again dawned cloudy, but although the rain gave some light rain and drizzle near the E coast it tended to slowly retreat E'wards during the day. There were clear spells overnight over E Scotland, Wales, SW England and N England, but much of W Scotland and Ireland was cloudy - and this cloud lingered throughout the day. Low cloud turned into mist and fog patches over the Northern Isles at times and there was some rain in parts of W Ireland during the day. (St. Athan 25.3C, Shap 3.0C, St James Park 10.6mm, Edgbaston 11.9h.)
High pressure (1030.6mb at Valentia at 1200GMT) meant a mostly dry day on the 24th. Overnight there was widespread cloud but some clear intervals - the cloud giving some light rain and drizzle over parts of Ireland and Scotland. Early mist across parts of Britain soon cleared and most places away from W areas of Scotland and Ireland had some sunny spells. It remained cloudy in parts of east Anglia and SE England and some light ra8in or drizzle fell in cloudy W parts of the British Isles. By midnight skies had cleared across SE England and a few mist patches formed in Cent parts of England. It turned windy in the evening over N Scotland with gusts to 50kn on Shetland. (Dyce 25.8C, Shap 5.5C, Cassley 2.0mm, Boulmer 12.7h.)
There were clear skies (and a few mist/fog patches) into the 25th across much of England and Wales, but rather cloudy skies elsewhere with some light rain and drizzle in W parts of Ireland and Scotland. These cloudy conditions pushed slowly SE during the day - affecting Wales, N and SW England by mid-evening; despite this being frontal cloud, rainfall amounts were mostly slight although pressipitation did occur as far S as SW England in the evening. By midnight some low cloud had formed in SE England, while skies had started to clear across NW Scotland and NW Ireland. 24.6C was recorded in Penzance today, not a particularly notable figure, but it was the warmest day of the year there (just). (Shobdon 28.0C, Sennybridge 7.5C, Tulloch Bridge 7.2mm, Filton 13.0h.)
During the 26th the fronts continued to advance SE to clear SE England by midday - but they weakened as they did so. As a result the major effect across England and Wales was to produce some cloud for a while. behind the frontal cloud the skies cleared under continuing high pressure (1034.5mb at 1200GMT at Belmullet) - but another weak frontal system gave a mostly cloudy afternoon across Scotland, where some light rain also fell. Patchy cloud also affected Ireland during the day, while in the eevening low cloud spread across much of coastal NE England. (Lee-on-Solent 25.1C, Katesbridge 4.1C, Baltasound 2.8mm, Valley 12.6h.)
Despite continuing high pressure to the W, the 27th saw frontal cloud affecting Scotland and N Ireland overnight and later N England. Across N Scotland, after some early rain, the cloud broke up during the afternoon but in the S the cloud thickened and there was some rain in the S in the afternoon and evening. A few showers affected N Ireland but elsewhere across England, Wales and Ireland the day brought a misture of sunny spells and patchy cloud. (Lee-on-Solent 21.9C, Shap 4.2C, Kirkwall 7.6mm, East Malling 11.1h.)
There were a few clear spells across Scotland into the 28th, giving a touch of ground frost in the NW, and also over Cent Ireland. Elsewhere the night was cloudy despite the continuing high pressure. During the day the best of the sunshine was across SW England, Wales and S Ireland; across much of E and cent England the day was cloudy with sunny intervals. Scotland had more extensive low cloud with rain and drizzle - although this precipitation tended to move S and weaken during the day. (Lee-on-Solent 21.9C, Kinbrace 0.0C, Albermarle 4.4mm, Aberporth 9.1h.)
Despite high pressure on the 29th, many places saw a fair amount of cloud during the day - interspered with sunny periods. However, across Scotland and Ireland frontal cloud spread from the W during the day, giving some light falls of rain and drizzle - associated with a shallow low that headed E towards Shetland. (St. James Park 21.9C, Shap 3.2C, Kinlochewe 8.2mm, Southampton 10.6h.)
There were some clear skies across SE England and parts of Ireland into the 30th; elsewhere the night was rather cloudy with some light rain in NW Scotland, Ireland, N Wales and NW England. These generally conditions persisted throughout much of the day although near E Britain there were rather clearer skies at times with sunny spells. During the afternoon rain spread into N Scotland and pushed slowly S, giving some heavy falls for a while in the N. (Dishforth 23.3C, Benson 4.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 34.0mm, Church Fenton 9.9h.)
There was some heavy rain at times in parts of N Scotland at times during the 31st as a cold front pushed slowly S. As the front moved S towards the Midlands and N Ireland the rain turned lighter, and a few showers followed. There was light rain and drizzle followed by a few showers across Ireland during the day, while light rain also afdfected parts of N England later in the day. Elsewhere across England and Wales, there was patchy cloud and sunny spells. (Bridlington 22.9C, Benson 8.3C, Lusa 14.0mm, Leconfield 8.7h.)
Winds turned NW'ly in most places on the 2nd as a cold front pushed S across most of the British Isles. Patchy rain affected Scotland, Ireland and N parts of Wales and England overnight - furtther S the night was mainly dry with some mist patches in Cent S England. Across Scotland and N Ireland the rain gave way to showers during the day; N England remained cloudy as the front cleared and across the remained of Ireland, Wales and England cloud cover increased with some light rain and drizzle falling; across Wales the rain was heavy in places at times. (Wattisham 22.5C, Hurn 8.0C, Capel Curig 14.8mm, Stornoway 8.1h.)
Pressure rose across the British Isles on the 3rd as the cold front cleared the Channel Islands in the morning; by 2400GMT MSL pressure was up to 1030mb in SW Ireland. The front gave some light rain and drizzle before dawn in S Ireland and S England - while some troughs gave a few heavier bursts in areas of E Scotland. Sunny intervals occurred everywere during the day, although some showers occurred in Scotland and N and E areas of England and Wales. NW Scotland clouded over later in the evening as a weak front approached from the W. (Lee-on-Solent 20.8C, Aboyne 3.2C, Fyvie Castle 8.2mm, Glasgow 12.0h.)
Across much of the British Isles pressure continued to rise slightly on the 4th, with an anticyclone centred at 1033mb off S Ireland by 2400GMT. For most of England, Wales and Ireland the day was one of sunshine and some cloud; clear skies around dawn in N England led to low temperatures in sheltered places. N and W Scotland and N Ireland began the day with cloudy skies and some rain (and also a few fog patches) - this rain spread SE and E during the day - although amounts were mostly small and the rain tended to fizzle out as it approached N England. (Little Rissington 22.2C, Redesdale Camp 0.3C, Baltasound 10.4mm, Camborne 12.6h.)
High pressure remained centred over, or close to, Ireland during the 5th. However, across N Scotland there was frontal cloud that gave scattered outbreaks of, mostly, light rain across Scotland, while some light rain also fell across parts of N England and N Wales. Parts of Ireland also reported some drizzle, despite MSL pressure of up 1034mb in the W later. Across England and Wales there were varying amounts of cloud and sunny periods. (Great Malvern 24.8C, Charlwood 6.4C, Cassley 12.4mm, Lerwick 9.3h.)
MSL pressure rose to 1035mb over W Ireland on the 6th and in most places the day was dry. Parts of Cent and S England, and Cent Ireland, had mist and fog patches around dawn - this soon cleared to give a day of sunny spells. N Ireland, NW and N Scotland was rather cloudy, however, due to nearby fronts, and there was some rain here in places - albeit light. (Hawarden 25.6C, Sennybridge 8.2C, Ballypatrick Forest 1.0mm, Camborne 12.0h.)
High pressure remained centred close to Ireland throughout the 7th; in most places it was dry overnight but by dawn some frontal rain was affecting N and W areas of Scotland, while patchy cloud elsewhere led to the formation of mist and fog in places with visibility down to 100m in a few places. The mist and fog soon cleared and a bright day followed. N Scotland continued to be affected by frontal cloud and rain for much of the day, although falls of rain were slight. (Southampton 25.6C, Redesdale Camp 4.8C, Lerwick 1.8mm, Leuchars 12.4h.)
Overnight cloud across N Scotland into the 8th gave some light rain here during the early morning; the front associated with the cloud then pushed SW from the North Sea into the E coast of Britain, leading to increasing cloud amounts here later in the day. Pressure slowly decreased during the day across the British Isles. Clear skies led to early morning fog in parts of Ireland, S Wales and SW England in particular - although this soon cleared, and many areas in S Ireland, parts of S Scotland and NW and SW England had a day with bright, sunny conditions. The low cloud in the E did, however, lead to some spots of rain in places. (Lee-on-Solent 23.1C, Redesdale Camp 5.0C, Ballypatrick Forest 2.8mm, Leuchars 11.1h.)
Early frontal cloud in E Britain on the 9th broke up during the morning as the front decayed, but a deepening low to the N of Scotland dragged further frontal cloud S across Scotland and into N England during the afternoon and evening. Most places were dry overnight with fairly widespread fog forming by dawn across much of S Ireland - where MSL pressure was close to 1030mb. By late morning cloud and rain had reached W Scotland and the Northern Isles - along with gusts to 35kn around the coasts. The rain tended to be mostly light and was rather patchy by the time it started to affect N Ireland and N England later; ahead of the cloud most of S Ireland, Wales, the Midlands and S England had a sunny day - although cloud affected E England later in the evening. (Southampton 23.0C, Braemar 3.4C, Lerwick 7.4mm, East Malling 7.2h.)
A weakening cold front pushed cloud and some light precipitation S overnight into the 10th, finally clearing S parts of England and Ireland during the afternoon. Ahead of the front skies were rather cloudy, although they brightened up as it passed and MSL pressure rose - especially in NE Scotland. In the evening cloud thickened over W Scotland as a warm front approached from the W. MSL pressure stood at 1029.4mb at Valentia at 2400GMT and a mainly N'ly wind persisted throughout the day over the British Isles. (Lee-on-Solent 24.1C, Tyndrum 8.1C, Tyndrum 2.4mm, Glasgow 11.4h.)
Most areas, except parts of W Ireland, had a dry start to the 11th, with clear skies in Scotland leading to a ground frost in some sheltered places. Despite the high pressure centre continuing to persist off SW Ireland, a weak warm front spread across Scotland during the morning giving some light rain and drizzle; the front weakened as it pushed SE and gave little precipitation across England and Wales later. S and E England had a mostly sunny day after a misty start in some Cent S areas, while some further cloud and rain affected N Scotland in the evening due to a cold front. Over Ireland there was broken cloud but mostly dry conditions after the early rain in the W. (Lee-on-Solent 22.2C, Braemar 0.7C, Cassley 2.4mm, Heathrow 11.2h.)
Light rain affected N Scotland in the early hours of the 12th; much of Ireland and N Britain had a cloudy start to the day but clear skies in S England led to some mist and fog patches around dawn. The mist and fog so0on lifted to give much of England, Wales and S Ireland a day with sunny spells; further N the day was rather cloudier and this cloud also affected NE England later. Scotland had some light rain during the day, but mainly during the morning in the N. By 2400GMT the high pressure centre was located at 1029mb over S Ireland. (Sutton Bonington 23.3C, Benson 4.8C, Fyvie Castle 4.6mm, East Malling 10.8h.)
Much of Ireland, Scotland and N England had a cloiudy start to the 13th with some light rain in N Scotland. Over S parts of England and Ireland winds were light and cloud broken, leading to a few mist and fog patches by dawn. These then cleared and S England then had a day of sunny spells, despite the falling pressure. The early rain in N Scotland moved slowly E, but a further rainband reached W Scotland by midday - later giving some heavy falls in NW Scotland - and this rain moved SE to affect areas down to SW Ireland and NE England by midnight. SE Ireland had sunny spells during the day, as did Wales and N England although more general cloud affected these areas later in the day. Falling pressure (996mb over N Shetland by midnight) meant gusts to 45kn across n Scotland later in the evening. (London 23.8C, Hurn 5.3C, Kinlochewe 32.2mm, Heathrow 10.6h.)
There was some light rain overnight from SW Ireland to NE England, with the early hours of the 14th also seeing some rain in N Scotland. Amounts were generally small although as the weakening cold front moved S through S England in the afternoon it gave some light falls here in places. A few scattered showers developed behind the front in N parts of Britain; showers also affected parts of W Ireland during the day, while in the afternoon and evening pressure rose from the SW to reach 1028mb in SW Ireland by 2400GMT. This rising pressure led to the showers dying out in the evening. (Heathrow 22.9C, Hurn 5.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.6mm, Valley 7.8h.)
With largely clear skies into the 15th, the day dawned feeling cool, and with a touch of air/ground frost in some sheltered parts of Scotland. By dawn cloud had thickened over W Scotland and frontal rain then followed, pushing E across Scotland. There were some heavy falls in W Scotland and the rain also reached S into N Ireland. England, Wales and much of the remainder of Ireland had a dry and sunny day; across N Ireland and Scotland the rain continued into the evening, and was accompanied by 40kn gusts in places. (Gravesend 22.3C, Dalwhinnie -2.2C, Lusa 46.4mm, Odiham 11.5h.)
The 16th began with most of the British Isles lying under a warm sector; this gradually moved away as a cold front moved SE across the British Isles, clearing all but Kent by midnight. MSL pressure fell to about 993mb over Shetland by 0900GMT. Before dawn rain fell mainly across W Ireland, N and W Scotland, while clear skies over S and E England led to a few mist patches. As the rain moved SE there were some heavy falls over S Scotland and N Ireland, the winds then veering to the NW and a showery airflow following. Further S, across much of England and Wales, falls were lighter and some places in SE England missed the rain completely. As the winds veered they turned gusty and reports of 30-50kn gusts over Scotland were quite widespread. (Gravesend 22.0C, Dalwhinnie 11.4C maximum, Hurn 4.3C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 45.8mm, Wattisham 9.9h.)
A N'ly flow brought cold air across the British Isles on the 17th. There was some rain in SE England during the early hours but generally the precipitation over the British Isles was more showery in nature. Showers occurred overnight across Scotland and N Ireland, and on N-facing coasts but, as the day developed, they spread further S - with thunder reported over East Anglia later in the day. Pressure gradualkly rose through the afternoon and evening, with Valentia reporting 1028.5mb by 2400GMT. (Shoreham 19.6C, Braemar 7.8C maximum, Altnaharra 2.3C minimum, Altnaharra 16.8mm, Aldergrove 7.8h.)
There was a cold start to the 18th across the British Isles (with some coastal showers), but during the day the winds generally backed from N to W and milder air arrived off the Atlantic. There was a touch of ground frost by dawn in some sheltered areas, but by mid-morning skies were clouding over in N Ireland and Scotland with some frontal rain falling in the W. These conditions gradually spread SE to affect much of Ireland, Scotland and N areas of Wales and England by the evening. The rain was heavy in parts of N Scotland. Ahead of the cloud England had a sunny day with the cloud not reaching parts of SE England until the evening. (Lee-on-Solent 17.1C, Spadeadam 8.9C maximum, Eskdalemuir -2.4C minimum, Kinlochewe 21.0mm, Heathrow 10.7h.)
Bands of frontal cloud and rain affected many areas from time to time during the 19th. Rain spread S into Ireland, England and Wales during the early hours, with some heavy rain for parts of NW England and Wales. Behind this rain area some brighter conditions developed across Scotland although there a few showers also affected the N and W parts of Scotland; in the evening further rain and showers affected W areas of Scotland and Ireland. (Holbeach 20.8C, Braemar 4.6C, Capel Curig 31.8mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 10.1h.)
Although the 20th was a generally mild day, this was due to fairly extensive cloud cover for much of the time. Frontal rain again affected N and W areas of Scotland, with some sferics reported over the Northern Isles in the afternoon. The rain was heavy at times over Scotland, while a wavering front over S England led to some rain and showers here at times, especially in the afternoon. Gusts to 40kn were reported in some exposed areas in N and W Britain. (Sutton Bonington 20.9C, Glenlivet 5.3C, Lake vrynwy 16.4mm, Aberporth 8.4h.)
The 21st was a rather unsettled day, with meandering fronts and frontal lows affecting S areas in particular. This followed a mild night in S England, with minimum temperatures here of 12-15C. There was some thunder over the Northern Isles during the morning although rainfall amounts over Scotland during the day were generally slight. Rain moved from Ireland across Wales, also affecting the Midlands to S Scotland in particular. Some of the falls over Wales were heavy in the N. As this rain spread SE it turned showery over Ireland. (Holbeach 20.9C, Aboyne 3.7C, Rhyl 37.8mm, Tiree 6.1h.)
After another mild night in S England, the 22nd was a mild day here. Broken cloud over Scotland and Ireland led to a cool night in some places here - although in N Scotland there was some overnight cloud and rain. Ireland had a mostly sunny day until the evening, when cloud and rain spread E here; after a cloudy morning there were sunny spells in S England in the afternoon although the Midlands remained cloudy until the evening. Scotland saw sunny spells, especially once a front in the N moved N, but cloud cover and wind speeds increased in W Scotland later in the day with Stornoway reporting 50kn gusts by 2400GMT. (Northolt 22.4C, Katesbridge 1.3C, Lusa 7.0mm, Prestwick 7.7h.)
Rain affected Ireland during the early hours of the 23rd; elsewhere the day dawned mostly dry with some mist and fog in S England. Rain soon reached W Scotland and later Wales; by the end of the day bands of rain had affected most of England except some SE parts. With a S'ly wind the day was generally warm after a warm night. Ahead of the rain in the E there were some sunny periods, but cloud was fairly widespread in all areas during the day. (Gravesend 22.2C, Fair Isle 14.1C maximum, Hurn 7.C minimum, Eskdalemuir 18.8C, Manston 7.8h.)
An area of low pressure moved NE to the N of Scotland on the 24th. At Lerwick the MSL pressure at 2400GMT was 994mb. With troughs and fronts crossing the British Isles there were spells of rain in most places; one active cold front led to reports of damage, caused either by squall-like conditions or, in some places, by reported tornadoes. The media spoke of 11 tornadoes being reported, although in some cases damage patterns on the ground did not suggest rotating winds. The Met Office confirmed that a squall hit Northampton, where falling branches damaged an empty school bus. It also said that a violent storm damaged gardens and homes in Luton. Part of a factory roof was blown off in Breaston, Derbyshire. Also affected were Farnborough, Hants, and Nuneaton. Ruth Spaull of Luton said that she saw "a funnel of wind" lift her daughter's trampoline 15ft into the air. According to the fire service, 20 houses were hit in Farnborough, Hampshire, at 0700GMT, tearing away a garage roof and uprooting trees. Terrence Meaden, deputy head of tornado research group TORRO, said five reports were "looking certain" to be confirmed as tornadoes. And he said further research could show another five cases of similar conditions, in places such as Northampton, Scunthorpe and Ollerton in Nottinghamshire, were tornadoes. Winds damaged around 20 homes in Trafford Drive, Nuneaton, with tiles pulled from roofs, cars smashed and debris scattered across the streets. Cambridgeshire Police said a motorist reported seeing a car blown across a road by a "tornado" in the village of Eye. According to the Met Office this cold front lay from NW Scotland to W England, and it then pushed E, clearing E Britain around 0800GMT. Showers followed the front. (London 18.3C, Lough Fea 6.1C, Capel Curig 55.6mm, Hurn 7.3h.)
A cool NW'ly airflow covered the British Isles on the 25th, with pressure rising from the W to reach 1030mb in W Ireland by 2400GMT. Showers brought rain in places during the day, gradually spreading inland from W coastal areas. Some sferics were reported in the SE corner of England later in the day amongst these showers. After sunset the showers died out in many areas and the cloud cleared, allowing the temperature to fall sharply by midnight. (Lee-on-Solent 18.7C, Dalwhinne 8.5C maximum, Dalwhinnie 1.7C minimum, Capel Curig 24.6mm, Glasgow 9.4h.)
Pressure remained high to the W of the British Isles on the 26th, rising to 1033mb over the Western Isles by midnight. The day began with cold conditions in all areas, and it remained cool throughout the day. Showers affected E Britain at first, later pushed inland towards the SW and also across N Scotland. Some thunder was reported over E England later in the day but the showers generally died out later as the sun set and pressure rose - but with a slow-moving trough they persisted into the evening in E and SE England. (Lee-on-Solent 14.5C, Braemar 7.1C maximum, Saughall 1.3C minimum, Weybourne 11.6mm, Eskdalemuir 8.3h.)
The 27th was another cold day, with a widespread ground frost across the British Isles by dawn. High pressure meant that skies were largely clear by dawn and there was ground frost in areas of Ireland and N Britain. However, E coast areas of Britain had a rather cloudy start to the day, and these conditions persisted during the day with an onshore wind - there was also some light rain or drizzle in places. During the afternoon the precipitatiopn pushed inland to the Midlands - elsewhere the day was largely dry and sunny with patchy cloud. (Shoeburyness 15.9C, Carterhouse 7.9C maximum, Saughall -3.6C minimum, Holbeach 13.8mm, Tiree 10.9h.)
In most areas during the 28th the winds blew from an E'ly direction. There were some overnight showers across Britain and E Ireland while after dawn parts of W Scotland and W Ireland had spells of sunshine. However, in most areas thickening cloud soon spread W, bringing rain to E England early in the afternoon that then spread W to Wales by midnight. There were a few showers during the day across Scotland and Ireland; temperatures rose in the sunshine here, while the cloud cover in SE England kept temperatures below average. (Pembrey Sands 16.9C, Castlederg 1.4C, Kenley 9.0mm, Stornoway 6.6h.)
The 29th dawned with broken cloud in S Ireland and rather cloudy skies elsewhere. There was some overnight rain in parts of E Scotland and S England, while during the day there were scattered falls of rain and showers and England and Wales generally, although in the SE there were some sunny intervals once the rain had cleared. Scotland and Ireland were mostly cloudy throughout the day, with some light rain affecting Ireland later in the day. (Great Malvern 18.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 1.9C, Manston 9.4mm, Lerwick 7.7h.)
Overnight into the 30th there was some patchy rain across parts of wales and E Ireland; elsewhere cloud was patchy leading to an air frost in parts in E Scotland and patches of mist and fog in parts of E and Cent England and W Ireland. Parts of W Ireland remained misty for much of the morning and an area of rain and showers pushed E into W Ireland and W Scotland around midday - later extending E to Cent Scotland and E Ireland. Much of England and Wales had a rather cloudy day, with rain pushing N into SW England during the afternoon. (Chivenor 18.5C, Braemar -1.3C, St. Angelo 17.8mm, Stornoway 9.8h.)
Fronts dominated thew weather on the 2nd over much of Ireland, S England and, later, W Scotland. Rainfall was mostly confined to S and E Ireland during the morning - 12mm at Johnstone Castle in the 6 hours ending 1200GMT, with only light falls elsewhere. Clear skies led to a ground frost in parts of E Scotland and NE England - and it was then Cent and E Scotland that had the best of the sunshine, with many areas of England and Wales remaining sunless. The fronts, while not giving much precipitation over England and Wales, did produce low cloud and misty conditions. (Glenlivet 19.0C, Braemar -1.7C, Manston 2.0mm, Dyce 10.3h.)
The 3rd dawned rather cloudy after falls of slight rain or drizzle in many areas overnight; by dawn the rain had become more persistent acrsso Ireland as a low formed on a wavy front just to the W of Ireland. The rain pushed into W Ireland and Wales during the morning and then across much of Scotland and into the extreme N of England. Over Ireland the rain turned to sunny periods and showers in the W in the afternoon, and these showers then gradually died out. With high pressure over S England, rainfall amounts over much of England were only slight. (East Malling 19.8C, Aboyne 2.7C, Lough Fea 26.8mm, Belmullet 6.7h.)
High pressure became established over S Britain during the 4th and for most places it was a dry day with sunny spells as a result. During the morning there were a few showers in W areas of Scotland and Ireland (and also Cumbria), while some frontal rain fell over SE England before midday. During the afternoon a weak front brushed past W Ireland, while the presence of a front close to N Scotland meant that much of N Scotland saw little sunshine. (Langdon Bay 19.5C, Ahsford, Co. Wicklow 2.7C, St Bees Head 6.8mm, Waddington 10.1h.)
The 5th was an anticyclone and mainly dry across the British Isles. There was some light rain overnight in Shetland and in parts of SW England - with clear skies in E Scotland and NE England giving a ground frost in places. During the day there were some showers in S Ireland, and also in parts of NW Scotland. Generally it was a sunny day away from these showers, although it did turn cloud in E England in the afternoon, in the prevailing onshore wind. W and N Scotland, and W ireland, were also rather cloudy. (Trawscoed 19.3C, Braemar 0.0C, Lerwick 0.8mm, Filton 10.5h.)
During the 6th a cold front brought a bands of cloud and rain SE across Scotland. The day began with patchy cloud and some mist and fog patches, and rather cloudy skies in much of E and S England. Rain affected NW Ireland and the Western Isles before dawn - later affecting Shetland but then giving only slight falls over mainland Scotland. During the day fairly extensive cloud spread inland to much of Cent England; the best of the sunshine was consequently found in Wales, S Ireland, and N England. (Lee-on-Solent 19.9C, Sennybridge 0.8C, South Uist 9.2mm, Ashford, Co. Wicklow 10.0h.)
Behind the cold front parts of E Scotland had a touch of ground frost on the 7th, buit as the cold front edged further S over N England during the day is broke up and rainfall amounts here were generally small. N England and N Ireland, under the front, remained rather cloudy; much of Scotlqand also had a cloudy day but with some sunny spells in the W. Across Ireland there were sunny intervals a few showers - but also with rather misty conditions close to the front in the morning and cloudy skies in the E. England, too, had a mostly cloudy day. (Killowen 19.3C, Braemar -1.8C, Loftus 3.4mm, Glasgow 9.6h.)
S Ireland had some light rain overnight into the 8th but elsewhere the night was mostly dry, if cloudy. During the morning light frontal rain spread E into NW Ireland - this increased in intensity in the afternoon and spread E to affect all of Ireland by the evening. Rain also affected W Scotland in the evening with heavy falls in places; Tiree reported 17mm in the 6 hours ending 2400GMT. Ahead of the rain there were sunny periods over E Scotland and in parts of Wales and N England; most parts of England, however, had a rather cloudy day. (Portland 19.0C, Tulloch Bridge 1.4C, St Angelo 11.2mm, Shawbury 7.4h.)
During the early hours of the 9th a frontal system brought rain across much of Ireland and W Scotland, and into Wales and W England; there were some heavy falls in W Scotland; E England had some early fog followed by some light rain and drizzle by dawn. As the main area of rain pushed through England during the morning, there were some heavy falls leading to localised flooding in parts of Cent S and SE England (16mm fell in 6 hours at Brize Norton) - and there were also some heavy falls at this time in SW Ireland. The rain continued to push E and had mostly cleared E England (apart from east Anglia) by midnight. Across Ireland and SW Scotland sunny spells and a few showers followed the main rain area, but E Britain remained mostly dull. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 18.1C, Benson 6.0C, Port Ellen 26.4mm, Tiree 6.2h.)
While hight pressure controlled the weather across much of England and wales during the 10th, fronts dominated the conditions across Ireland and much of Scotland. Rain soon cleared East Anglia and in most areas the day dawned cloudy, despite rising pressure. By 2400GMT Lyneham was reporting 1030.4mb. There were long sunny spells in parts of W Scotland and Wales, and also E Ireland before it clouded over here. Elsewhere, the cloud took a little longer to clear and there was some light rain at times during the day in W Scotland and W Ireland, with the rain turning heavier later in the evening in SW Scotland. (Milford Haven 18.7C, Saughall 2.6C, Shoeburyne4ss 5.6mm, Aberporth 9.4h.)
Precipitation on the 11th was mostly confined to N and W Scotland, and was frontal in nature. Further S, high pressure led to widespread across England by dawn with visibility below 100m in places. This took until the afternoon to clear in places, with sunny spells following the clearances. Frontal rain across NW Scotland was accompanied by gusts to 35kn during the early morning - and it remained cloudy in many W parts of Scotland although some NE areas did have sunny spells during the day. Cloud spilled S into NE England during the day - and after the cold start to the day over England the evening was quite warm across the British Isles generally. (Dyce 20.4C, Shawbury 3.7C, Lusa 18.2mm, Southampton 8.7h.)
There was a relatively dull but mild start to the day in all areas on the 12th with MSL pressure 1028mb over Scilly at 0000GMT. N and W Scotland hasd some during the morning which gradually moved NE during the day, and there were also some early light falls in W Ireland and the Channel Islands. Most places had a rather cloudy day although there were a few breaks in the cloud over SE Scotland and NE England in the afternoon. (Leconfield 20.4C, Kirkwall 6.8C, Stornoway 4.6mm, Leuchars 6.3h.)
Pressure slowly fell during the 13th and generally cloudy conditions continued for most places. There were a few gaps in the cloud in E Scotland before dawn which led to a ground frost and some fog patches in places, while in W Scotland there was some light frontal rain and drizzle. This precipitation affected Ireland later, although again with mostly light falls, and made little headway E over Scotland. E and S Scotland, along with parts of Northern ireland, had some sunny intervals during the day; elsehere, many areas were sunless. (Northolt 20.0C, Aboyne 1.1C, South Uist 6.0mm, Aldergrove 3.9h.)
Rain affected W parts of Scotland and Ireland into the 14th ,along with some lighter falls in parts of England and Wales. A few mist and fog patches formed in parts of S England before dawn, and it was in E England, once the early cloud cleared, that the best of the sunshine occurred. Elsewhere, the day was generally a dull one, although the rain in the W made little progress e as the fronts slowly decayed during the day. (Gravesend 19.3C, Shoeburyness 4.9C, Kinlochewe 13.4mm, Manston 9.5h.)
Mist and fog formed under clear skies in parts of East Anglia and SE England into the 15th while elsewhere there was a rather cloudy start to the day. A depression close to W Scotland drove frontal cloudd and rain across the British Isles during the later morning and afternoon, the front almost clearing Kent by midnight. MSL pressure was down to 994.9mb by 1800GMT at Lerwick. The rain was heaviest in Ireland and W Scotland, with generally small amounts elsewhere. Across Ireland the rain was followed by showers and sunny periods, but elsewhere it remained rather cloudy and the depression led to gusts to 40kn in W areas of Scotland and Ireland before pressure rose later in the day. During the evening the cloud cleared a little over East Anglia and SE England for a while. (London 18.5C, Redesdale Camp 3.1C, Tyndrum 17.8mm, Belmullet 6.4h.)
The 16th dawned with a W'ly airflow across the British Isles with gusts to 35kn in some parts of Scotland; there was also some moderately heavy rain by dawn in SW Ireland. This rain was associated with a shallow low which move E towards the Isle of Wight by 2400GMT, the rain area moving NE as it did so. Scilly reported 24mm of rain in 6 hours ending 1200GMT with 25mm falling at Lyneham in the 6 hours to midnight. As a result much of Wales, S and Cent England had a cloudy day; showers followed the rain over ireland where there were sunny spells, and showery conditions with sunny intervals affected Scotland. By midnight the rain had cleared most of Wales, but had reached Lincolnshire. Ahead of the rain it was a warm day in England, but a ntable drop of temperature occurred as the cold front passed and the rain stopped. (Monks Wood 19.1C, Fyvie Castle 3.7C, Brize Norton 43.8mm, Dyce 8.5h.)
The rain in SE England gradually moved away E during the morning of the 17th, and as high pressure built from the SW a NW'ly surface flow became established in the E. Pressure rose to 1031mb near Rosslare by 2400GMT. There were a few showers over N and W Scotland, and in N Ireland during the day; elsewhere the day was generally dry after the rain cleared from the SE. Sunny spells were widespread and helped the temperature to rise in the afternoon, but during the evening the temperature dropped sharply in many E areas of Britain under clear skies. (Lee-on-Solent 16.5C, Katesbridge -0.7C, Bedford 25.8mm, Church Fenton 8.8h)
High pressure gradually built over the British Isles on the 18th, rising to 1037mb over SE Wales by 2400GMT. With widespread clear skies there was a widespread ground frost around dawn - with some fog patches in parts of Cent S England. It was a dry and sunny day in most areas, the exceptions being Scotland where it clouded over with some rain and showers in places - especially in the W - and in W Ireland where there was some light frontal precipitation later in the day. By midnight temperatures fell under clear skies over England with fog patches forming in some W areas of England by midnight. In contrast, Valentia was reporting 14C at this time. (Valentia 15.8C, Lerwick 6.9C maximum, Shap -3.3C minimum, Tiree 4.0mm, East Malling 8.9h.)
High pressure persisted on the 19th and again it was mostly dry day. Clear skies across England and E Wales overnight led to a ground frost or fog patches in parts of W England and E Wales. E parts of the British Isles had a generally sunny day, but there were cloudier skies in the W and some light rain or drizzle affected some W coasts, including around the Irish Sea. In the evening fog formed again in parts of W England and E Wales under clear skies; at midnight Yeovilton was reporting a temperature of 3.0C while at cloudy Valentia it was 13.4C. (Helens Bay 16.5C, Sennybridge -2.4C, Lerwick 2.0mm, Leconfield 9.5h.)
High pressure on the 20th meant another generally dry day. Over Ireland, W Scotland and some W areas of England and Wales it was a rather cloudy day, but E areas had sunny spells. There were early mist and fog patches across England and Wales by dawn but these soon cleared. The cloud in the W gave some falls of rain or drizzle but amounts were mostly small. In the evening fog reformed across Cent England, and also on Shetand; while temperatures fell under clear skies in E England it remained mild during the evening over Ireland and W Scotland. (Southampton 16.0C, Sennybridge -1.4C, Lerwick 1.4mm, Wittering 9.5h.)
There was an early ground frost in many E areas of England on the 21st but in W Scotland and over much of Ireland cloud and a S'ly airflow kept air temperatures above 10C overnight. There was early fog in Cent and E England. Most places had a dry day but in the evening frontal cloud brought rain to SW Ireland and South Uist (where 7mm fell in 6 hours ending 2400GMT). Across Scotland and Ireland the day was rather cloudy, but over much of England and Wales there were sunny spells - although it did cloud over here in the evening. However, according to the Met Office in some sheltered locations in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, some dense fog patches persisted well into the afternoon. (Chivenor 15.5C, Redesdale Camp -2.8C, South Uist 3.8mm, Wittering 9.3h.)
The 22nd was a generally cloudy day with frontal cloud across W Britain and Ireland pushed E for much of the day, and a weakening front spreading W across much of E England by midnight. The cloud skies meant a warm night across much of Ireland and Scotland; over England and Wales the cloud was thinner and the minimum temperatures lower. Rain affected W Scotland and W Ireland in the morning with 14mm falling at Valentia in 6 hours ending 1200GMT; the rain made further progress E across Ireland before coming to a halt, while in E England rainfall amounts were non-existent in places and slight elsewhere. Rather misty conditions affected England during the day. (Altnaharra 17.5C, Charlwood -1.0C, South Uist 15.2mm, Valentia 2.9h.)
The 23rd dawned with some fog in the Midlands and with clearing skies across E England. Cloud across W Scotland and Ireland gave some early rain and drizzle, and this continued into the afternoon in W Ireland and in NW Scotland. Sunny spells were widespread during the day, except in W and N Scotland and in NW Ireland. Fog patches reformed in the evening over parts of the Midlands. (Glenlivet 17.6C, Redesdale Camp -3.6C, South Uist 5.2mm, Odiham 9.5h.)
Continuing high pressure led to another mainly dry day on the 24th. There was a clear start to the day in many places with a widespread ground frost and fog around parts of Wales, N England and W Ireland. Across N and W Scotland it was a mostly cloudy day, and some low cloud affected E (and later S) England during the day. The Met Office reported that fog across Perth and Kinross persisted for much of the day, with the fog quickly reforming during the evening, and fog patches also reformed in W Ireland in the evening. (Belmullet 15.3C, Shap -4.2C, Pembrey Sands 0.4mm, Aberporth 9.3h.)
The 25th began with broken cloud and some fog over Ireland, and with mainly cloudy skies elsewhere. Across England, Wales and S Scotland it remained mostly cloudy with some light rain or drizzle in places. There were a few sunny intervals over parts of N Wales and SW England, while the best of the sunshine occurred over Ireland and N Scotland. It turned cloudy in W Ireland later with the wind increasing to give gusts of 40kn in Shetland and the Hebrides by midnight. (Altnaharra 13.9C, Aboyne -4.9C, Odiham 1.4mm, Kirkwall 7.8h.)
Frontal cloud affected most areas on the 26th, which was consequently a rather cloudy day. There was some light rain and drizzle overnight in S England, while by dawn heavier frontal rain had started to affected W parts of Ireland and Scotland. By midday rain was widespread across N and W Scotland with 15mm falling in 6 hours ending 1200GMT at South Uist Range. During the afternoon and evening the front weakened and rainfall amounts became slight, while a following cold front introduced a more showery airstream across Ireland and W Scotland by midnight. (Valentia 15.7C, Lough Fea 4.1C, South Uist 19.8mm, Stornoway 3.7h.)
With a cold front lying from SW Wales to NE England by dawn on the 27th, it was a cold night across Scotland but a fairly mild one over SE England. The front weakened as it continued to move SE giving much of England and Wales a cloudy day. But a developing depression to the W of Ireland pushed a warm sector N over Ireland; as the sector moved NE there was some heavy rain in parts of N Scotland. By midnight there were gusts to 45kn across Scotland and N England with the low centred at 1000mb over N Ireland. (Ashford, Co Wicklow 18.7C, Braemar -0.7C, Cassley 23.2mm, East Malling 3.8h.)
A cold front cleared SE'wards through the British Isles on the 28th, giving a spell of heavy rain in Scotland, Ireland and N England - but mostly lighter falls elsewhere. However, the front did not clear Kent until the evening, and ahead of the front it was a rather dull day. Behind the front troughts gave further spells of rain in other areas - while around the coasts there were gust to 40kn in places. Over W Ireland there was thunder during the late morning. (Hereford 18.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 3.1C, Shap 47.8mm, Cork Airport 6.8h.)
The 29th was a day of showers and sunny spells, with pressure slowly rising from the Sw to reach 1022mb on Scilly by 2400GMT. Showers were most frequent across N Scotland but showers also extended as far S as N England - generally falling in W areas in the prevailing W'ly wind. Earlier in the day there was rain through the Channel Islands with Guernsey Airport noting 7mm in the 6 hours ending 0600GMT, before it turned sunny here. (Lee-on-Solent 14.7C, Katesbridge 0.3C, St Angelo 15.8mm, Boulmer 8.2h.)
The 30th began with an air or ground frost in parts of Scotland and some light rain or showers in W areas of Ireland and Scotland. Frontal cloud spread across Scotland during the day, with some light rain in places - particularly in the evening. Elsewhere, there were a few showers in some W areas, but across most of England and Wales the day saw extensive sunny spells. Over Ireland skies were mostly cloudy and there was some light rain, particularly in the W. MSL pressure rose gradually in S Britain, reaching 1030mb on Scilly by 2400GMT. (Ashford, Co Wicklow 16.4C, Aboyne -2.3C, West Freugh 15.8mm, Wattisham 8.9h.)
The 31st was a rather cloudy day for most areas. Despite high pressure in the S, Scotland and later Ireland were affectd by frontal cloud. This cloud gave some light rain in N Scotland in the moring, with the rain becoming heavier and spreading further S in the afternoon. Across W Ireland precipitation amounts were generally slight. There were some breaks in the cloud during the early hours across England and Wales with some mist and fog forming by dawn. Cloud soon became widespread during the morning, although across the Midlands there were sunny spells, along with a few sunny intervals in NE England and parts of E Scotland. (Hereford 17.9C, Hurn 0.7C, Kirkwall 23.2mm, Waddington 7.9h.)
Frontal weather affected N Britain early on the 2nd and as these systems moved away E they were followed by a cold front that swept S across Scotland in the evening. The result was a cloudy day across most of Scotland with rain at times. Under high pressure there were fog patches around dawn in parts of Cent, S and E England but these soon cleared to give a warm day with sunny spells. There were gusts to 40kn in places across N Scotland during the day while in the evening a weak cold front pushed cloud and some rain SE towards N Ireland and N England. (Isle Of Portland 18.2C, Baltasound -0.4C, Lusa 10.8mm, Ashford, Co Wicklow 8.5h.)
With high pressure continuing to dominate the weather on the 3rd, the cold front was a weak affair that died out as it pushed slowly S. Most places had a mild start to the day under cloudy skies, although a groundd frost occurred in places where the cloud cleared for a while. There was some light rain in Cent Ireland - where it was a cloudy day as a result. There were sunny intervals in places ahead of the front, and later in E Scotland, while early in the day there were gusts to 40kn in the Northern Isles - where some light frontal rain also fell for a time. In the evening some mist and fog patches developed in parts of Cent and E England. (Lee-on-Solent 16.6C, Pershore 2.2C, Ballypatrick Forest 2.2mm, Odiham 7.1h.)
High pressure remained centred over S England during the 4th. Fog occurred widely overnight across Cent Ireland, and much of England - particularly S and Cent areas. These cleared to give much of England and Wales a day with sunny periods. Scotland and Ireland, however, had a cloudy day with some light rain and drizzle in places. During the evening winds picked up (with gusts to 40kn) in N and W Scotland as pressure fell and frontal rain reached the area. In Cent S England, under continuing light winds, there was thick fog in places by midnight. (Isles Of Scilly 15.1C, Braemar -1.1C, Lusa 5.8mm, Woodford 7.2h.)
Increasing cloud and wind kept overnight temperatures above average over much of Ireland W Scotland into the 5th; E and S England had an air frost in a few places with some thick fog in the Midlands and Cent S England. There were moderately heavy falls of rain across Scotland during the day as fronts pushed SE, introducing cooler and showery weather from the NW - but with pressure again rising. With approaching frontal cloud there was little sunshine across England, Wales and Ireland during the day - although the fronts gave only small amounts of rain to most places in these countries. The skies cleared in S England in the evening as the cold front passed and MSL pressure rose to 1037.3mb at Valentia by 2400GMT. (Isles Of Scilly 14.9C, Larkhill -1.5C, Cassley 23.0mm, Glasgow 4.2h.)
MSL pressure rose to 1040.3mb at Valentia by 1200GMT on the 6th, and much of England, Wales and Ireland consequently had a mainly dry day with sunny periods. Across Scotland, however, the weather reflected the presence of a deepening low further to the N; as a result falling pressure, blustery winds and spells of rain were the conditions here. Across N Scotland gusts to 50kn were widespread, with 30kn gusts at low levels over N England and N Ireland. Light rain also affected N parts of Ireland and England during the day. (Isle of Portland 14.2C, Katesbridge 0.3C, Cassley 8.0mm, Manston 8.3h.)
Frontal cloud affected N areas for much of the 7th, while further S the weather was dominated by an anticyclone centred of SW Ireland. In W Ireland the overnight minimum temperature did not fall below 11C in places and in many places the day began on a cloudy note - with gusts to 40kn around N Scotland. The front gave little rain during the day although the generally cloudy conditions persisted. During the evening the winds again increased in NW Scotland, and there were reports of more persistent rain here also. (Dishforth 15.5C, Hurn 1.3C, Cassley 9.2mm, Leuchars 6.5h.)
On the 8th 12.5C was the overnight minimum temperature at Belmullet, and temperatures around dawn were generally high - a result of widespread cloud and windy conditions across Scotland. These were due to a deepening low that gave a MSL pressure of 979.1mb at Lerwick at 0900GMT. A cold front spread S across the British Isles during the day as the low pushed E into S Norway - prompting warning of storm surges overnight aaround the North Sea. Gusts in excess of 60kn occurred over N Scotland during the day with gusts to 50kn later in the day as far S as S England. The front brought a spell of short-lived by heavy rain in places, and a notable drop in temperature. (London 15.2C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 4.6C minimum, Kinlochewe 22.2mm, Boulmer 6.0h.)
Into the 9th there was an air frost in parts of N Scotland along with reports of snow in Cent Scotland. The winds continued to ease, but a major storm surge ran southwards down the North Sea and this was deemed to be the highest since the 1953 surge event. Surge heights in excess of 2 to 2.5 metres were recorded in some of the tidal gauges. Surge levels around coasts of southeast England gradually fell away during the day after bringing some flooding to parts of the East Anglian coast. Pressure rose during the morning to 1036.5mb at Valentia by 1200GMT although gusts to 40kn continued to affect N areas. Showers fell in W ares during the day while an area of cloud and rain spraed across N Britain later in the day, helping to prevent temperatures falling much here after sun set; in parts of W Scotland and W Ireland they remained above 12C by midnight. Thousands of people who had left their homes amid fears of flooding returned later in the day after the biggest tidal surge for half a century. According to the BBC, waters were nearly 20cm lower than originally feared and passed without causing major damage. Felixstowe docks were closed, and rail company One suspended services between Lowestoft and Norwich due to flooding on the line. Norfolk police said water had breached flood defences in the centre of Great Yarmouth but there was "no risk to persons or property". In London the Thames barrier was raised. At Great Yarmouth, the Environment Agency say this has been the most significant event since the great storm of 1953. (Herstmonceux 13.3C, Lerwick 3.3C maximum, Emley Moor -6.5C minimum, Cassley 11.8mm, Wattisham 8.1h.)
The 10th saw a small depression crossing N Scotland during the afternoon, drawing frontal cloud and rain across n parts of the British Isles. The day dawned with widespread cloud and brisk winds around the coasts, and there were spells of rain and showers across Scotland and N England during the morning. Heavier rain, followed by showers, and gusts to 40kn affected Scotland during the afternoon - but elsewhere falls were mainly light and many places remained in Cent and SE England. In the Northern Isles there were falls of snow during the day. (Pershore 14.7C, Lerwick 3.7C maximum, Lerwick 1.4C maximum, Cassley 30.2mm, Odiham 4.3h.)
In W Ireland the minimum temperature overnight remained above 11C in places into the 11th. Bands of frontal cloud moved S during the day, between low pressure to the E and a developing anticylone that formed over Ireland later. Most places had a mild start to the day although showery, colder air had fed into N Scotland by dawn, and this fed gradually S during the day so that temperatures were down to 4C in Sussex by mnidnight. The cloud brought some rain, and this was followed by showers. (Hurn 14.5C, Dalwhinnie 2.7C maximum, Braemar 0.7C minimum, Capel Curig 19.8mm, Leuchars 6.0h.)
High pressure early on the 12th gave way to frontal bands over Ireland and Scotland (in particular) later in the day. The day dawned with frosty conditionws and little cloud in many inland areas; the day was generally dry although a few showers affected parts of E Scotland and NE England. But the clear skies led to a sunny day in most areas, although N Scotland and W Ireland was an exception to this. W areas of Ireland were the first to feel the rain that arrived during the early afternoon - rain and some snow associated with the frontal system pushed into W and Cent Scotland in the afternoon. This spread E and S with rain affecting all of Ireland by midnight and the Met Office reporting snow in NE England in the evening. In E England temperatures fell sharply in the evening before the advancing cloud arrived; Boscombe Down reported -0.8C at 2400GMT while at Valentia the temperature was still 12.7C. (Valentia 13.4C, Spadeadam 2.4C, Shap -6.2C, Tiree 6.2mm, Filton 8.0h.)
Valentia had an overnight minimum temperature of 11.4C into the 13th but elsewhere minima were generally lower - with an air frost in places. Frontal cloud and rain spread across England overnight and during the morning although falls of rain were generally slight; Wattisham reported some wintry precipitation before dawn. Showery conditions followed the rain with showers affecting most areas. In most places it was a rather cloudy day, with gusty winds across Scotland in particular. (Valentia 13.7C, Hurn -3.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 14.6mm, Dyce 3.8h.)
Despite the presence of high pressure across the British Isles on the 14th, frontal systems over E Britain and Ireland led to it being a rather cloudy day in many places. W Scotland, Ireland and Wales had some persistent rain in the morning, and this later affected SW England - with Kent having some heavy rain in the evening. Some E parts of England and Scotland, and the Shetlands, had some sunny spells during the day. (Shannon Airport 15.0C, Baltasound -1.3C, Aberdaron 14.8mm, Leconfield 7.2h.)
The 15th dawned with an air frost in parts of S and Cent Englande (in particular) after a night with clear skies here; there were also a few patches of freezing fog, and this fog lingered for much of the day in E Wales and parts of the Midlands. Scotland and Ireland had a mainly cloudy day due to decaying fronts, while S and Cent England had sunny spells once the fog had cleared. There were a few patches of light rain or showers across Kent and NE Scotland; Ireland had more widespread rain although amounts were small. (Valentia 13.1C, Shawbury 2.3C maximum, Benson -4.7C minimum, Walney Island 2.6mm, Odiham 8.0h.)
High pressure during the 16th led to a widespread air frost across Cent and S England, with freezing fog in places here too. Scotland also had a cool start to the day, while Ireland and SW England had cloudy skies and some light rain. For most of the British Isles a dry day followed, although there was an increase in cloud cover from the W across Scotland abd light rain and drizzle in parts of W Ireland. Light showers over SW England and Wales were associated with cloudy conditions here; temperature fell rapidly after sunset across much of England under continuing clear skies. (Ballykelly 13.2C, Hereford 3.2C maximum, Sennybridge -6.4C minimum, Walney Island 5.4mm, East Malling 8.0h.)
Temperatures tended to rise in E England before dawn on the 17th as clear skies gave way to advancing frontal cloud from the W. By dawn rain was falling over W Ireland and in the Hebrides, and the rain continued to make slow progress E during the day. By midnight there had been falls across most of Scotland with rain also affecting Wales and SW England. The rain brought an increase in wind speed - with 35kn gusts in the evening over W Britain. Falls were heavy over parts of Ireland and over high ground in Scotland with 12-hours falls of 27mm at Valentia and 25mm at Connaught Airport ending 1800GMT. (Valentia 13.1C, High Wycombe 6.4C maximum, Northolt -4.2C minimum, West Freugh 27.0mm, St Athan 4.3h.)
A low pressure centre moved from W Scotland to Devon to Wiltshire on the 18th giving a generally cloudy day across the British Isles. There were some heavy falls of rain overnight from Ireland to S Scotland and these conditions then spread E across England. There were significant falls of snow over the Pennines, according to the Met Office, during the early hours. As the wind turned N'ly it became showery across Ireland, while across parts of East Wales and Gloucestershire the rain turned to snow in many places. Snow was also reported in an area north of London, through to Northamptonshire and into Staffordshire. At Harborne large snowflakes continued for an hour or so; thereafter it was mainly moderate snow but by 2230GMT there was 7.5cm of lying snow. Some traffic disruption occurred which, considering the day and the hour gave some indication as to the rapid accumulation. (Isles of Scilly 10.9C, Leek 2.2C maximum, Port Ellen 0.7C minimum, Hurn 42.2mm, Tiree 2.2h.)
Low pressure drifted SW from SW England during the 19th leading to an unsettled day across the British Isles. Overnight there was some snow/sleet over high ground in N England and Scotland, although by midday thia was generally confined to Scotland. There were a few isolated reports of thunder from S England shortly after dawn while around the coasts at this time winds were gusting to 45kn in places. The Met Office reported snow depths during the morning of up to 10cm over parts of Herefordshire; in Shropshire up to 4,000 homes were left without power for a while. Eight people were taken to hospital overnight following a motorway crash on the M42 near Tamworth, and about 20 vehicles got stuck in snow near Bewdley. Onshore rain and showers affected E Scotland during the day, and showers also fell across S England - turning heavy and thundery in the SE in the late afternoon and evening. Elsewhere showers were more spoardic. (Isle of Scilly 11.7C, Sennybridge 4.8C maximum, Sennybridge -0.5C minimum, South Farnborough 32.6mm, Southampton 4.5h.)
An E'ly surface affected the British Isles on the 20th with a shallow low developing over Biscay and moving to SE Wales by 2400GMT. Overnight there were falls of rain across Scotland from a decaying front while a trough brought showers across parts of Ireland, Wales and England. During the morning rain spread N into SE England and gradually moved N and W during the day as the low pushed N. The rain turned heavy over SW England with some snow over Dartmoor and thundery outbreaks in the SW. Over Ireland there were showers and sunny periods during the day while in Scotland the earlier rain continued to move N, to be followed by a few showers. (Isles of Scilly 12.8C, Okehampton 0.2C, Okehampton 25.8mm, Aberporth 4.4h.)
The depression moved slowly N through Britain on the 21st accomapanied by rainfall that was heavy and persistent in parts of Scotland. E Ireland had some moderate falls early in the day, while in W Ireland there were a few showers and sunny spells. Rain over England led to misty conditions in the E while after a bright start to the day in S England some heavy and thundery rain pushed N and E into SW and Cent S England in the evening. (London 13.9C, Altnaharra -0.6C, Aboyne 35.6mm, Valentia 7.0h.)
The low across N Scotland moved slowly E during the 22nd allowing a N'ly flow to become established everywjere by midnight. There was some persistent rain over E areas of England and Scotland caused by an occluded front associated with the low. Before the low moved away it caused windy conditions in NE Scotland with gusts to 50kn in places. Away from the front there were showers and sunny intervals across parts of Ireland, the Channel Islands and S England; elsewhere the day was rather cloudy with showers. (Isle of Scilly 12.2C, Preston Wynne -1.5C, Fyvie castle 20.4mm, Cork Airport 5.3h.)
The N'ly flow gave way to a ridge of high pressure on the 23rd. A few wintry showers affected eastern parts of England and Scotland for a time with hail showers also reported in East Anglia in the morning. By the afternoon the shwoers were mainly confined to E England. The day was a cold one with sunny spells except in parts of NE England and in N and NW areas of Scotland. By midnight under clear skies there was a widespread air frost across England and Wales; however, frontalcloud prevented this fall of temperature across most of Scotland and Ireland with rain falling in W areas of the British Isles by midnight. (South Uist 8.6C, Carterhouse -1.0C maximum, Saughall -7.8C minimum, Loftus 4.2mm, Filton, Cork Airport, Shannon Airport 7.5h.)
There was a widespread air frost overnight across England, Wales, S Scotland and E Ireland into the 24th; at Lyneham the grass minimum temperature was -12C. By dawn cloud had spread E leaving only E England under clear skies; rain had fallen overnight across Ireland and W Scotland and as the rain spread E into the cold air there were a few slippery surfaces in the N. Ahead of the rain a few places reported sleet; the rain spread E during the day clearing SE England by midnight. Gusts to 50kn affected N Scotland during the day and showers fell in W areas of the British Isles after the rain had cleared. Most areas were generally cloudy. Valentia 13.4C, Dalwhinnie 5.4C maximum, Benson -6.6C minimum, Aultbea 31.6mm, Leuchars 4.7h.)
N and NE Scotland had a cold start to the 25th but elsewhere temperatures held up overnight. The day continued rather cloudy in most places, with some snow showers in the Northern Isles during the day. Later in the morning rain and drizzle reached SW Ireland and spread NE with falls in SW England and SW Scotland in the evening. Some areas further to the E had a few showers during the day but in most areas it was a dry day . (Isles of Scilly 13.5C, Lerwick 1.0C maximum, Lerwick -0.6C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 5.0mm, Southampton 6.2h.)
Frontal bands spread small amounts of rain NE across the British Isles on the 26th resulting in a mainly cloudy day in most places. Temperatures were initially low in the E but tended to rise as the rain arrived. The rain was generally light and not too persistent and some places remained dry. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 15.8C, Lerwick 1.7C maximum, Carterhouse -1.9C minimum, Hawarden 4.2mm, Herstmonceux 2.8h.)
By dawn on the 27th rain had pushed NE to reach many areas from London to NW Scotland; to the E of the rain was an area of widespread mist and fog with some patches also across Ireland. The fog thinned to mist in most places but was reluctant to clear in Yorkshire. Light rain affected many areas during the day and truned heavy over Ireland and NW Scotland later in the afternoon as a frontal wave spread E into the British Isles. Some fog patches reformed across England in the evening; most places had a cloudy day. (Valentia, Isles Of Scilly, Topcliffe -1.5C, Lusa 13.8mm, North Wyke 3.5h.)
Fronts and embedded lows made gradual progress E across the British Isles on the 28th. Overnight rain was mainly confined to W Scotland and Ireland and as it moved E the intensity decreased across England and Wales. Early mist and fog across E Engfland by dawn soon thinned but with rain approaching the day was another generally cloudy one - the best of the sunshine was mainly to be found in S Ireland although then evening brought another area of rain to Ireland. (Isle of Scilly 12.9C, Cassley 4.0C maximum, Altnaharra 1.6C minimum, St Angelo 26.2mm, Cork Airport 4.1h.)
Two frontal systems crossed parts of the British Isles on the 29th leading to a generally mixed day. The first largely cleared the UK by midday although there was some persistent rain over S England for a while. Sunny aspells followed the rain and showers in N Britain gradually became confined to N Ireland and N Scotland. In the evening a warm front crossed Ireland from the W giving rain that later spread to W Scotland. At Valentia the tempereature at 2400GMT was 13.7C - having risen during the evening. (Lee-on-Solent and Valentia 12.2C, Aboyne -0.4C, Cardinham 18.6mm, Leconfield 6.7h.)
The warm front continued to make progress E during the 30th followed later by a cold front that lowered temperatures a little. E Britain started the day on a dry note but as the rain spread E there were some heavy falls over Wales, Scotland and N Ireland. Across much of England the rain was generally light although the warm sector did produce low cloud and mist, especially over higher ground. Heavy rain followed the warm sector as a cold front introduced cooler conditions; Herstmonceux reported 17mm in the 6 hours ending 2400GMT. Scotland had an generally overcast day with some wintry conditions over the Highlands. (Hawarden 15.0C, Braemar -2.3C, Capel Curig 43.2mm, Woburn 2.3h.)
British Isles weather, April 2007
High pressure centred across the British Isles on the 1st gave a generally dry day in all areas; MSL pressure was as high as 1039mb over NE Scotland at 1200GMT. The day dawned with little cloud except along the NE coast of England and E coast of Scotland and a ground frost in many places as a result. Across Cent Scotland there were some snowfalls on high ground. There was also some cloud in S England - whcih lingered until late afternoon due to an area of low pressure over the continent. Patchy cloud affected E coast parts of Britain and parts of Scotland during the day - elsewhere most areas were cloudless and sunny. Precipitation was confined to areas of NW and N Scotland - where amounts were small. (Lee-on-Solent 18C, Tulloch bridge -6C, Portland Bill 1mm; Kinloss 12.2h.)
British Isles weather, May 2007
Away from SW and NE areas of the British Isles skies were largely clear in to the 1st; there was some light rain in the Shetlands, Channel Isles and SW England (with sfreics in Devon) and cloud cover in S Ireland before dawn. Parts of E Scotland and NE England also had some onshore fog around dawn. During the day the cloud cleared from the SW, but lingered in coastal areas of NE England and parts of E and NE Scotland; elsewhere the day was clear and sunny, albeit with a NE'ly breeze. (Hurn 24.1C, Braemar -2.8C, North Wyke 5.6mm, Stornoway 14.4h.)
British Isles weather, June 2007
The 1st dawned with some cloud across Scotland and S Ireland, clearing cloud in parts of S England after some overnbight rain here, and mostly clear skies elsewhere. However, fog patches were widespread over S Ireland and NE England. The fog soon cleared, and although for most places it was a dry and sunny day, cloud did tend to linger in parts of E Britain; iot thickened later in the day in SW England and S Ireland - with frontal rain in S Ireland from late afternoon onwards. A funnel cloud was observed in east Reading at around 1930GMT - at the time there were a few light showers in the area. (London 22.9C, Braemar 0.4C, Charlwood 7.2mm, Wittering 14.7h.)
British Isles weather, July 2007
Low pressure over W areas of the British Isles led to an unsettled day on the 1st. It was a generally cloudy day in most areas with several bands of rain affecting most places from time to time. Away from these bands, there were some heavy showers - these merged into further organised bands, and also turned thundery during the afternoon and early evening from N England to SE Scotland. By 2400GMT the low centres were located over the Isle of man (993mb) and just N of the Outer Hebrides (993mb). (Weybourne 21.8C, Aviemore 7.6C, Okehampton 32.8mm, Shepshed 7.6h.)
British Isles weather, August 2007
The 1st dawned with little cloud across much of England and Wales, but with a cold front advancing SE across Ireland and Scotland giving some light rain in places. The front made slow progress during the day with much of England having sunny spells as a result. By late evening the band of rain, mostly light, had reached W Wales and NE England - skies continued to remain cloudy to the N of the front during the day. (Northolt 25.0C, Sennybridge 5.3C, Tyndrum 12.6mm, Manston 12.5h.)
British Isles weather, September 2007
The cold front broke up across Cent and S England during the 1st, but another frontal system swept across Scotland during the afternoon and evening. There was some patchy light rain from N England to S England overnight - and some light rain in the Hebrides and W Ireland by mid-morninbg; elsewhere the day dawned mainly dry. There were a few showers over Ireland during the day, with light rain and drizzle in some W and later N parts of Ireland. Mainly light rain affected Scotland during the day, affecting some areas of N England in the evening. For most of England and Wales, however, the day was dry with patchy cloud and sunny spells. (Bridlington 24.3C, Topcliffe 6.1C, Cassley 10.2mm, Boulmer 9.6h.)
British Isles weather, October 2007
High pressure over N Britain on the 1st led to some clear skies and a touch of ground frost in parts of Scotland before dawn. There were also mist and fog patches before dawn which extended into Cent and W Ireland. Parts of W Scotland saw some slight overnight rain, but heavier rain fell in S England and the Channel Islands as front spread slowly N here overnight. During the day the fronts made only slow progress N'wards over S England and some heavy falls were reported in Cent S England; at Lyneham 25mm fell in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. N Ireland, N England and much of Scotland had a sunny day - apart from Shetland where it was rather cloudy with some rain during the day. (Edinburgh Gogarbank 19.4C, Altnaharra -2.4C, Lyneham 26.2mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 10.4h.)
British Isles weather, November 2007
Despite prevailing high pressure on the 1st, it was a rather cloudy day in many areas due to the influence of frontal systems over N Britain. A notable exception to these were the Shetland isles, located to the N of the fronts where it was sunny day for the time of year. By 2400GMT MSL pressure had risen to 1037mb at Culdrose. Across Scotland there was widespread rainfall, which was heavy in parts of the W. W Ireland also had some light rain during the day. Over England there were a few breaks in the cloud overnight, allowing temperatures to drop sharply with some fog pathces then forming. By day E and SE England had sunny periods - these areas being furthest from the frontal cloud. (Ashford, Co Wicklow 18.2C, Brize Norton 3.9C, Tyndrum 23.8mm, Lerwick 6.2h.)
British Isles weather, December 2007
Last updated 2 January 2008.