Overnight into the 1st frontal rain cleared from SE England while areas of further rain and showers affected W areas of Scotland and Ireland. These falls continued across Scotland in particular during the day with further S being either much lighter or suppressed by high pressure (1022 mb across SW England by 2400 GMT). Across England there were long spells of sunshine - but in Ireland skies tended to cloud over from the W as a warm front approached later in the evening. Eskdalemuir reported some snow showers later in the day. (St Helier 9.9C, Carterhouse 3.7C maximum, Aboyne -2.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 16.6 mm, Manston 6.7 h.)
The warm front spread quickly E'wards on the 2nd followed by a cold front that passed through Scotland and much of Ireland by 2400 GMT. At low levels there was very little overnight air frost anywhere and by dawn frontal rain had fallen across Ireland, much of Scotland and in parts of Wales and SW England. N Britain and N Ireland had further rain during the day although it remained cloudy everywhere - falls of rain tended to be slight across S and Cent England. Only parts of E Scotland had more than a few minutes of bright sunshine. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 14.5C, Carterhouse 8.5C maximum, Santon Downham 0.3C minimum, Resallach 20.6 mm, Leuchars 2.6 h.)
Extensive cloud cover meant a mild night everywhere into the 3rd with minimum temperatures above 10C across parts of Scotland and Ireland. During the day the cold front reversed NE'wards and it was mainly N parts of Britain and Ireland that had much rainfall - with misty conditions further s. N Scotland had the best of the sunshine, although some smaller areas had a few stations with sunny spells. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 15.7C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 8.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 5.3C minimum, Resallach 14.4 mm, Wellesbourne 3.5 h.)
The 4th dawned after another mild night, some rain having fallen across Scotland with misty conditions early in parts of E and Cent England. High pressure remained centred to the S of the UK - around 1040 mb over the Channel Islands during the morning. N Scotland had a little light rain during the day - elsewhere it was mainly dry but with cloudy skies that gave some drizzle in places. Parts of E and N England saw breaks in the cloud, however. (Dyce 13.3C, Spadeadam 7.5C maximum, Fyvie Castle 3.7C minimum, Baltasound 7.2C minimum, Waddington 4.5 h.)
High pressure again dominated conditions on the 5th although only a few parts of E Scotland had an air frost. Early mist and fog patches soon cleared from Cent and E England. Most places were dry overnight but frontal cloud gave some moderately heavy falls of rain during the day across W parts of Ireland and Scotland. It was noticeably cool in the Channel Islands with most areas again having a dull day. (Kinlochewe 12.9C, Jersey Airport 6.6C maximum, Aboyne -2.2C minimum, Achnagart 14.0 mm, Waddington 2.7 h.)
There was widespread mist and fog, dense in places by dawn on the 6th across Cent and E England in particular, but in many areas from S Scotland and N Ireland, S'wards. Overnight rain affected parts of N Scotland W Ireland - and this persisted during the day with some heavy falls, especially in W Ireland where 13 mm fell in 12 hours ending 1800 GMT at Valentia. The fog was slow to clear and lingered as mist in many areas throughout the day - with the result that the day was a dull one in all areas. (Achnagart 12.4C, Inverbervie 7.1C maximum, Topcliffe -0.3C minimum, Lusa 12.6 mm, Leconfield 0.8 h.)
Overnight into the 7th the mist and fog reformed/thickened across Cent England ; further N there was rainfall across Ireland and the S half of Scotland - with some heavy falls in Ireland including 22 mm in the 12 hours to 0600 GMT at Valentia. This rain continued during the day across Ireland and S Scotland - also spreading into N England and N Scotland. Across England and Wales the mist gave way to drizzle before reforming in the evening. It was again another dull day in all areas. (Magilligan 12.1C, Wych Cross 6.9C maximum, Topcliffe 4.0C minimum, Dundrennan 30.0 mm, Camborne 0.5 h.)
Away from NE Scotland condition were mild in the early hours of the 8th with rain across Ireland and in S and W parts of Scotland. Mist and haze affected E and Cent areas of England and around dawn but as the day progressed the rain moved E'wards, affecting most of Wales and SW England, NW England and Cent Scotland by midday - and then East Anglia by midnight. Ireland turned largely dry and sunny once the rain had cleared. (Achnagart 12.6C, Lough Fea 7.8C maximum, Aboyne 1.1C minimum, Threave 22.4 mm, Shannon Airport 5.8 h.)
Places from Cent Ireland to NE Scotland had a slight air frost on the 9th; further S rain from Devon to Whitby overnight had mainly cleared by dawn to leave widespread mist and fog across England and Wales. Fog was also present across Ireland; it persisted all day in places here and, after clearing to mist over England and Wales, reformed in the evening. The day was mainly dry, except in N Scotland and the Northern Isles although the fog did produce snow grains early in the day across Cumbria and as far S as S Wales - with further falls in the evening from High Wycombe to Wittering. It was a cold day where the fog lingered, but a sunny one where it cleared early on. (Guernsey Airport 10.7C, Derrylin Cornahoule 1.6C maximum, Katesbridge -4.7C minimum, Cassley 8.6 mm, Aberporth 7.5 h.)
Away from W and N Scotland, and S England and East Anglia, there was a widespread ground frost on the 10th with places in Wales and N Ireland having a sharp air frost. Fog was widespread overnight across the British Isles while by dawn rain had pushed NE'wards into the Channel Islands and SW Ireland. The fog produced snow grains in places as far S as Essex and S wales during early morning while during the day areas of rain affected E areas of Scotland and England, and also Ireland, Wales and SW England before pushing into NW England and S Scotland. In Cent England, in between the rain areas, it was quite a foggy day in places with maximum temperatures around 1C. Some snow was reported in Dundrennan during the day. (Isles of Scilly10.3C, Keele 0.4C maximum, Katesbridge -5.7C minimum, Whitechurch 7.0 mm, Cork Airport 6.7 h.)
The 11th dawned with mist and fog in parts of Cent and SE England and S Ireland, and patchy air frost in many other areas away from S England. Rain fell overnight across Wales and into Hampshire, and in parts of E Scotland and NE England. These areas of rain weakened during the day but by early evening another area of rain was pushing into SW Ireland. Elsewhere mist and fog became more widespread during the morning and persisted throughout the day in many parts of England - meaning a rather dull day in E Britain. (Isles of Scilly 11.2C, Carterhouse 2.1C maximum, Shap -5.8C minimum, Dunstaffnage 12.6 mm, Lyneham 6.7 h.)
There was widespread mist and fog overnight into the 12th across England and Wales and a sharp air frost in parts of Cent Scotland. East Anglia and parts of SE England also had an air frost but by dawn an area of rain was affecting SW and Cent S England and parts of Wales and S Ireland. Kenley reported sleet at 0600 GMT on the leading edge of the rain as it met colder air. Further rain fell in this S area during the day with some heavy falls in Sussex and Hampshire - while another rain area affected some E districts of Scotland. In E Scotland Aboyne reported snow and sleet and wintry falls were reported from Portland to Wiltshire in the evening. (Jersey Airport 10.2C, Lentran -0.4C maximum, Aviemore -7.5C minimum, Thorney Island 45.0 mm, St Helier 6.6 h.)
Except in S England and W Scotland there was a widespread ground frost on the 13th - with an air frost away from coastal areas. W Scotland was cloudier overnight with an area of rain spreading from the W, turning to snow by dawn over higher ground in Cent Scotland. Some slight snow also fall in parts of the N Midlands and NE England before dawn. Inland areas of the UK had a cold day with further falls of rain or snow across N Ireland, N England and Scotland; Cent England remained rather misty. Into the evening snow was reported across E Ireland, Wales, the Midlands and in parts of SW England - although earlier it had been a sunny day in SW England. W Ireland was much warmer than elsewhere, albeit rather cloudy with some light rain. (Valentia 9.0C, Spadeadam -0.4C maximum, Shap -6.2C minimum, Harris Quidnish 21.4 mm, Yeovilton 7.2 h.)
Snow moved E'wards across E England early on the 14th, followed by rain and showers from the W during the day - although falls of snow continued in East Anglia into the evening. There was widespread precipitation overnight in Ireland and W Britain - and across most of the British Isles during the day. Ahead of the snow there was an air frost over much of inland England and Wales, and E Scotland, although on Scilly the overnight minimum temperature was 7.4C. Snow also fell at times across Scotland , while SW Scotland and Ireland had the best of any sunshine. Heavy snow across the East Midlands led to the closure of around 20 schools and caused flight delays and diversions at East Midlands Airport. Heavy snow hit much of the Grampian area, causing serious delays for motorists. (Isles of Scilly 9.3C, Houghton Hall -0.4C maximum, Aboyne -5.9C minimum, Harris Quidnish 18.8 mm, Glasgow 4.9 h.)
By 0900 GMT on the 15th reported snow depths included 8 cm at Wattisham and Marham and 4 cm at Eskdalemuir and Aboyne as the snow ceased falling in East Anglia in the early hours. There was a widespread overnight air frost in Scotland and E Ireland, and in Cent and N England. Snow continued falling in NE England and E Scotland until late afternoon and there were further falls in East Anglia during the day. W parts of the British Isles had some rainfall during the day while in the evening mist and fog formed widely across England and E Wales. In parts of N England and East Anglia it remained below 0C during the day. The fresh snow across parts of the UK caused further travel disruption. Norwich airport closed and trains between the city and Cambridge were cancelled or were running with delays because of the weather. In Suffolk, police reported more than 30 accidents involving vehicles on roads overnight in the county and a gritting lorry crashed into a ditch during a snow flurry on the B1115 at Little Waldingfield near Sudbury. Schools closed across Wales, where widespread icy conditions caused delays on roads and the temporary closure of the A4067 between Glais, Swansea, and Junction 45 of the M4. Many roads in the north-east of Scotland were described as hazardous, including the A90 north and south of Aberdeen. A car landed on its roof after an accident on the B979 near the Tyrebagger. The Met Office has issued a cold weather alert, warning of a 90% probability of severe cold weather or icy conditions until Friday in parts of England. The level three alert - one below a national emergency - warns the weather could increase health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt services, and notifies the authorities to take action. (Isles of Scilly 8.8C, Craibstone -1.1C maximum, Altnaharra -5.7C minimum, Houghton Hall 9.6 mm, Lyneham 7.5 h.)
The 16th dawned with widespread mist and fog across England and Wales, resulting in falls of snow grains in places. There was also some light snowfall in E Kent. Across W Ireland it was milder with frontal rain affecting the W half by 0600 GMT - and this rain also affected Scilly and Cornwall by this time. Grass minimum temperatures were down below -10C in many places from N Scotland to Cent S England with a widespread air frosts away from the coasts over Britain. Minimum temperatures fell below -10C in parts of East Anglia. With the mist and fog not clearing from many areas during the day, the daytime maximum temperature remained below 0C over a large area from N Hampshire to N Scotland, and from E Wales to coastal parts of East Anglia and NE England. Some snow fell in parts of Scotland and close to the E coast of England and as widespread rain spread across Ireland and into Wales by the end of the day it began to turn to snow here. (Valentia and Sherkin Island 9.2C, Brooms Barn -4.5C maximum, Marham -13.1C minimum, Isles of Scilly 10.2 mm, Wattisham 7.2 h.)
England, Scotland and Wales had another widespread air frost on the 17th away from coastal areas with east Anglia and E England being the coldest areas. By dawn there was falling snow in E Wales and W areas of the Midlands of England, with widespread mist and fog further E. Overnight snow also fell close to the E coast of England in places with some rain across W Wales and E Ireland. During the day the area of snow moved E giving falls to many parts of Cent and E England, and in parts of N England. Falls were often slight and with snow grains where the mist and fog lingered. Later in the day further fronts gave a widespread area of rain across Ireland. The N and E Midlands, N parts of England and parts of East Anglia had another ice day and, except in some E areas of England and Scotland, it was a dull day. Much of Norfolk and Suffolk was affected by heavy snow fall which led to school closures and poor travel conditions. (Valentia 10.3C, Emley Moor -2.1C maximum, Cavendish -12.0C minimum, Murlough 11.2 mm, Wattisham 6.4 h.)
E areas of Scotland and England had an air frost into the 18th while Ireland, W Wales and SW England had rain by 0600 GMT. In the latter two areas the rain turned to snow on the leading edge as it met colder air with depths by 1200 GMT of 26 cm at Sennybridge and 15 cm at Dunkeswell. Snow fell in many areas from the Channel Islands to N Scotland during the day with significant accumulations leading to disruption. In SW Ireland and E Scotland there was a little sunshine. By 1500 GMT depths included 25 cm at Sennybridge, 16 cm at Filton, 10cm at Middle Wallop and 5 cm at Heathrow. Temperatures remained below 0C in much of E and Cent England during the day. More than 3,000 schools were closed in England and Wales as a band of heavy snow affected most of the UK. Transport was disrupted with flights at Heathrow, Bristol and Southampton airports cancelled and hazardous conditions reported on many roads. There were widespread school closures in England with over 500 in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and 300 in Norfolk, while 300 schools and colleges have been closed in Gloucestershire. In Wales, 1,200 schools were closed. 10,000 households in parts of south Wales were being affected by power cuts. (Isles of Scilly 9.9C, Stowe -2.7C maximum, High Mowthorpe -4.7C minimum, Culdrose 28.8 mm, Stornoway 5.6 h.)
During the 19th the snowfall across England and Wales gradually eased off and by the evening was largely confined to NE Ireland, Scotland and parts of N England. Snow depths at 0000 GMT included 5 cm at Eskdalemuir, 17 cm at Loftus, 23 cm at Sennybridge and 7cm at Odiham. By 2100 GMT depths included 9 cm at Aviemore, 14 cm at Loftus, 21 cm at Sennybridge and 4 cm at Odiham. Except in S and Cent Ireland there was a widespread air frost and daytime temperatures remained below freezing in places from N Devon to Kent and from Wiltshire to N England. Rain fell across Ireland during the day and except in W Scotland it was a mainly dull day. Four people died after an avalanche in Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands, the Northern Constabulary has said. A party of six climbers, three men and three women, were caught up in the avalanche on Bidean Nam Bian, at about 1400 GMT. Engineers worked through the night and morning as more than 2,500 homes across Northern Ireland were affected as a result of heavy snow and high winds. In Wales travel problems were widespread with many main roads treacherous and some remaining completely blocked. First Cymru said bus services across south Wales are running to "near normal" timetables except in Bridgend and Maesteg areas where there was some disruption. In Edinburgh a teenager was rescued after falling 150ft down a steep embankment in a sledging accident. The 16-year-old suffered a broken leg. The Lecht ski centre in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, was closed on due to heavy snow on the access roads. A planned World Snow Day event at the Glenshee Ski Centre on Sunday has been cancelled. (Sherkin Island 8.0C, Lake Vyrnwy -2.3C maximum, Lake Vyrnwy -4.3C minimum, Killowen 13.6 mm, Stornoway 3.4 h.)
There was sleet in the Channel Islands before dawn and some falls of light snow in parts of England and Wales during the 20th. Falls were mainly confined to Scotland at first but became widespread across Cent and E England during the morning, before moving slowly N'wards into N England and N Wales by the evening. After a widespread air frost daytime temperatures again remained below 0C across much of England and Wales and in Cent and S Scotland. Precipitation amounts were mostly small, except in E England, and it was a mainly dull day. Birmingham Airport closed and Heathrow Airport cancelled 300 flights as the weather continued to disrupt air and rail services. Belfast City Airport's runway was also temporarily closed to allow snow to be cleared. Eurostar, Southeastern, South West Trains and First Capital Connect have all reported either delays or cancellations due to the adverse conditions. (Isles of Scilly 4.9C, Liscombe -2.4C maximum, Liscombe -3.8C minimum, Hull East Park 12.0 mm, Camborne 2.9 h.)
Wales and S England had a widespread air frost on the 21st ; snow pushed N'wards into SE Scotland overnight with mist and fog patches forming as snowfall cleared S England. Rain and drizzle fell across W Ireland overnight with 18 mm falling at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT. During the day the snow and sleet across England and Wales gradually cleared N'wards into Scotland and rain fell across Ireland and W Scotland. The E Midlands and East Anglia again had an ice day in places and in most areas it was another dull day. Flights and trains have been cancelled and schools remain closed as snow and ice causes disruption across England. Several airports suspended flights to allow snow to be cleared from runways, while others reported cancellations and delays. Thousands of schools also remained closed, including more than 600 in West Yorkshire and 500 in the West Midlands. A 16-year-old boy was critically ill in hospital after hitting a tree while sledging on Teesside. Heathrow Airport said low visibility forced some flights to be cancelled. A lorry toppled over on the M40 early in the morning leading to the closure of the southbound carriageway between the M42 junction and junction 15 at Warwick. Flights at Leeds Bradford, East Midlands Airport and Robin Hood Airport were suspended during the morning after poor conditions closed the runways. Flights were also suspended at Manchester Airport for a time to allow snow to be cleared. Heavy drifting snow has closed some schools and caused travel disruption across parts of Scotland. There was damage to a church in Cornwall which was hit by lightning. Pillaton Church was struck during a "tremendous thunderstorm" at about 2330 GMT. Elsewhere, tributes have been paid to a "quiet, friendly" postman who died on Exmoor in thick snow on Saturday. John Bircham, 57, collapsed as he neared the end of his round in Dulverton, Royal Mail confirmed on Monday. (Valentia 8.0C, Leek -1.4C maximum, Wellesbourne -6.5C minimum, Chillingham Barns 15.6 mm, Valley 6.5 h.)
There was a widespread air frost on the 22nd; across Scotland minimum temperatures were not that low but there was snow here in the E overnight. Sow also fell overnight in S Scotland and in places as far S as the Midlands and Wales with rain in SW England, S Ireland and S Wales. During the day precipitation became more widespread, turning to snow in S and Cent England. E England had some sunshine but most places were dull and in cent England a few areas remained below 0C during the day. Icy conditions led to train and flight cancellations across England, with warnings of further disruption caused by the severe weather. The A38(M) Aston Expressway in Birmingham was closed in both directions early in the day, between Dartmouth Circus and the M6, because of ice. Emergency services in Devon were called to a serious crash earlier after several vehicles spun off the road near Plymouth. A man was killed in another weather-related incident when the car he was driving left the road and crashed into a tree on the A12 in Essex on Monday night. Part of the A57 Snake Pass in Derbyshire and a section of the A68 in Corbridge, Northumberland, were closed because of snow. Staffordshire County Council said it had already overspent its £2.7m gritting budget. The authority said it had used more than 5,000 tonnes of salt in the past week and the overspend was a result of vehicle maintenance and labour costs. (Isles of Scilly 7.4C, Pennerley -1.1C maximum, Cambridge NIAB -12.2C, Swanage 30.2 mm, Rostherne 7.1 h.)
Low pressure close to S England on the 23rd pushed snow N'wards from cent S England into Wales and the Midlands during the day, before it tended to die out, and snowfalls also affected E areas of the UK in a E'ly surface flow. S Ireland had some spells of rain and drizzle at times. There was a widespread early air frost with an ice day in some Cent parts of England and E Wales; E parts of England and Scotland also had a cold day. Heavy snow moving into west and mid-Wales, brought a spate of road crashes in hazardous driving conditions. Three people were taken to hospital after a minibus crash and more than 475 schools closed in Wales. In the Cardiff area some 10 cm of snow fell overnight. In Somerset, gritter crews had their work cut out after almost 15 cm of snow fell in 24 hours. In Scotland, drivers were warned about ice and snow on the roads in Grampian, Tayside and the Borders after several days of heavy snow. About 70 schools were closed, more than 50 in Aberdeenshire. (Isles of Scilly 7.7C, Aviemore -2.4C maximum, Aviemore -9.5C minimum, Exeter Airport 16.0 mm, Kinloss 5.1 h.)
Air frost was again widespread on the 24th and overnight snow affected Scotland, E England and parts of the Midlands in particular. Mist and fog across Ireland gave way to some rain from the SW as a warm sector spread across the country. Rain and snow fell in places across England and Wales as a SW'ly flow developed around high pressure over N France. As a result snowfall across Scotland, E England and East Anglia largely died out by midnight; Wales and SW England had some sunny spells. (Sherkin island 8.6C, Libanus -0.8C maximum, Fyvie Castle -8.3C minimum, Liscombe 9.6 mm, St Athan 6.1 h.)
There was little snowfall overnight into the 25th but widespread overnight rain over Ireland was starting to edge into Wales by dawn. W and N Scotland also had some overnight rain that turned wintry in some places. Across E Scotland and much of England and Wales there was a widespread air frost. As the rain in the W moved E it turned increasingly to snow, especially across Scotland and N England. By 1200 GMT snow depths included 23 cm at Aboyne, 15 cm at Eskdalemuir, 22 cm at Redesdale, 25 cm at Little Rissington and 11 cm at Liscombe. Sleet and snow fell in parts of S England but by the end of the evening temperatures had risen and rainfall was the precipitation across much of Wales, the Midlands and SW England - with the snow falling mainly across N England and S Scotland. Only parts of E Kent saw much sunshine. (Valentia 11.0C, Fylingdales -1.7C maximum, Cavendish -10.8C minimum, Murlough 45.4 mm, Manston 1.4 h.)
The snow had largely stopped by dawn on the 26th in E England and SE Scotland; snow depths at 0900 GMT included 25 cm at Spadeadam, 25 cm at Albermarle, 32 cm at Redesdale, 20cm at Bingley and 10 cm at Andrewsfield. E England had a touch of air frost ahead of the rain and snow - which was heavy over parts of Wales overnight. S England was largely dry during the day and across Ireland daytime temperatures reached 10-11C in the S. It was, however, rather cloudy and dull across Ireland while elsewhere there were sunny spells once the snow had cleared. Rain did affect W areas of the British Isles later in the day. A family was forced to leave their home in South Yorkshire after a part of it collapsed under the weight of the snow, the fire service has said. Firefighters were called to the house on Wood Street, Barnsley, at 0400 GMT on and found the gable end of the building had fallen down. Heavy snowfall left motorists stranded for hours in their cars on motorways in the north of England. The Highways Agency closed the M6 in both directions between junctions 25 and 27, near Wigan, for a time. Up to 15 cm of snow has fallen across northern England since Friday. Elsewhere, flights were suspended at Leeds Bradford Airport as a fresh blanket of snow covered most of the Yorkshire region. (Shannon Airport 11.7C, Fylingdales 2.0C maximum, Topcliffe -6.3C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 38.0 mm, Dyce 5.6 h.)
Overnight rain was widespread across the British Isles with some heavy falls over the hills, accompanied by strong to gale force winds in N areas as a deep area of low pressure over the Atlantic on the 27th took control of the UK weather. The rain cleared to the E and temperatures rose - although Cent and N Scotland had some snow later in the day. In between the spells of rain there were sunny periods across much of England and Wales although Ireland and Scotland remained somewhat duller. Towards the end of the day more than 80 flood warnings and nearly 300 alerts are in place across Britain as thawing snow and heavy rain pushed river levels higher. In North Yorkshire a canoeist died after he was pulled from the swollen Arkle Beck, near Reeth. A baby boy was rescued by fishermen and a marina dock master in Somerset after his pushchair was blown into the water by a gust of wind. Eleven people were injured after a four-car crash on the M4 in south Wales shortly after a hailstorm. In Shropshire, fire crews were pumping water out of homes in Market Drayton and near Whitchurch. (Langdon Bay 10.8C, Killylane 2.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 1.1C minimum, Tyndrum 39.6 mm, Camborne 6.2 h.)
There was some snow in Cent Scotland overnight into the 28th with Eskdalemuir reporting falls later. During the morning spells of rain and showers affected most areas while across Ireland an area of frontal rain pushed E'wards during the morning. This crossed Britain during the afternoon and evening, with heavy falls in places. The extreme E of England and Scotland had a little sunshine ahead of this rain, while some sunshine followed the rain in Ireland. (Valentia 11.8C, Braemar 4.4C maximum, Winterbourne No.2 -0.7C minimum, Tyndrum 41.6 mm, Manston 3.8 h.)
A mild but brisk SW-W'ly flow on the 29th meant no snowfall at low levels, nor an air frost. S England and Scotland were the main rain areas overnight with all but E England and the Midlands having some falls during the day. There were some heavy falls across Wales at times - but almost no sunshine due to extensive frontal cloud cover. (Hawarden 14.5C, Dalwhinnie 6.5C maximum, Baltasound 1.2C minimum, Capel Curig 57.6 mm, Lerwick 1.3 h.)
The 30th followed a mild night - minimum temperatures overnight were around 7-9C across most of England and Wales. Most places had some overnight rain as a cold front cleared towards the SE, while s deepening low brought rainfall to W areas later in the day; the low was centred at 981 mb just W of Belmullet at 2400 GMT. In betwee the two rain areas most places had some sunny spells - except in N Scotland where it remained wet due to a deep low centre that pushed towards Shetland during the day. (Langdon Bay 12.3C, Carterhouse 4.4C maximum, Banagher Caugh Hill 1.5C minimum, Cassley 61.8 mm, Camborne 7.9 h.)
The 31st brought blustery showers to many areas - although there was a cold start to the day in N and NE Scotland. SE England and East Anglia remained largely dry overnight - while during the day there were some heavy falls of rain in Cent Scotland with showers elsewhere. The showers turned thundery in parts of SW Ireland during the morning. (St Helier 11.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 3.3C maximum, Altnaharra -1.9C maximum, Eskdalemuir 23.4 mm, Hawarden 6.5 h.)
A N'ly flow, ahead of a ridge, became established on the 2nd with the MSL pressure rising to about 1026 mb in SW Ireland by midnight. Scotland and a few places in N England and NE Ireland had an overnight air frost and there was overnight snowfall across N and NE Scotland. Further S, rain fell overnight - mainly in E England. Rising pressure meant a generally dry day although some snow showers affected N Scotland and a few rain showers fell close to the E coast of Scotland and England. Away from N Scotland the day was a generally sunny one. (Isles Of Scilly 8.7C, Fylingdales 1.9C maximum, Katesbridge -5.8C minimum, Fylingdales 7.0 mm, Lyneham 8.2 h.)
Frontal cloud gave rain, with snow or sleet in places in Scotland and N England from the W into much of Scotland and W England by dawn on the 3rd. Ahead of the cloud there was a widespread air frost across England, Wales and S Scotland. E and Cent areas of England remained mainly dry overnight and during the day. Wales, SW England and N Scotland had some precipitation during the day - with snow on Shetland in the evening - and in almost all areas it was a dull day. (Hawarden 11.5C, Braemar 6.0C maximum, Benson -5.8C minimum, Kinlochewe 30.8 mm, Leuchars 2.4 h.)
The 4th dawned following a mild night with precipitation across much of the N half of Britain and Ireland. Across N Scotland this fell as hail in places with snow as far S as the Highlands. Precipitation continued across Scotland and N Ireland during the day with falls also in N parts of England and Wales. Hail showers occurred in places, e.g. at Ronaldsway shortly before 1500 GMT and at Shannon Airport just before midnight. Across N and Cent Scotland sleet and snow was quite widespread - with falls becoming widespread across N England and N Ireland in the evening as the rain here spread into Wales and SW England along a cold front. (St James Park 11.1C, Braemar 1.5C maximum, Dalwhinnie -0.4C minimum, Cluanie Inn 17.8 mm, Dyce 6.9 h.)
The 5th was a blustery, W'ly day with surface flow around low pressure close to N Scotland - MSL pressure down to 977 mb close to Orkney before the main low centres transferred to E of East Anglia 12 hours later. N areas of Britain and Ireland had an early air frost and most areas were affected, overnight and during the day, by showery precipitation. These showers included thundery activity in Suffolk, Cornwall and W Ireland during the morning and overnight snow across Scotland and N England that spread further S and E during the day - interspersed with falls of rain in S areas. As convection died down in the evening, the snow became confined to East Anglia and Cent Scotland although falls of rain continued elsewhere. (Isles of Scilly 9.0C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 2.2C maximum, Braemar -2.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 39.6 mm, Lyneham 5.9 h.)
Low pressure to the E gave a N'ly flow on the 6th. There was little air frost overnight; most parts of W Ireland, England and Wales had some rainfall overnight but across Scotland precipitation fell mostly as snow - with some snow also falling over high ground in N Wales and the Peak District. It turned drier during the day across England and Wales but N Scotland and E England continued to get falls of precipitation - these were of snow or sleet across Scotland until mid-afternoon and were also wintry in E England throughout the day and into the evening. (Belmullet and Valentia 8.4C, Braemar 1.4C maximum, Lentran -1.1C minimum, Carterhouse 13.4 mm, Dublin Airport 7.9 h.)
There was a widespread ground frost on the 7th with showers, including falls of snow as far S as Suffolk in N Scotland and E Britain. The snow in the E stopped during the day while increasing cloud from the W brought rain to most of Ireland to W Britain during the day. Sleet and snow continued to affect N and Cent Scotland. It was a dull day, except in E England and SW Ireland - sunshine followed the rain in the latter area later in the day. (Sherkin Island 10.5C, Spadeadam 0.7C maximum, Spadeadam -4.4C minimum, Whitechurch 11.4 mm, Manston 5.7.h.)
Despite high pressure a sequence of fronts gave spells of precipitation on the 8th. There was an air frost in E areas of Scotland and England with frontal precipitation across Scotland and W Britain that tended to die out later in the night. There was some snowfall across parts of Scotland and N England - which continued to affect N England during the morning. Early mist and fog affected parts of the Midlands and S England around dawn - this soon cleared with outbreaks of rain affecting many areas of the British Isles during the day. Snow depths at 0900 GMT included 7 cm at Aviemore and 3 cm at Spadeadam. (Sherkin Island 10.4C, Norwich Airport 3.1C maximum, Benson -3.7C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 11.8 mm, Eskdalemuir 6.3 h.)
E astern areas of England and Scotland had an air frost on the 9th while cloud and rain affected most other areas overnight. This rain turned to snow over high ground in parts of S Scotland and N England overnight - and then more widely across Cent S England later in the morning and into the afternoon - as it met the colder air. Wales and other areas of Cent and W England had rainfall during the day and did Ireland and few places in Scotland. Mist and fog formed in the evening across many parts of England. Except in the extreme E of England and Scotland it was a cloudy day. Snow depths at 0900 GMT included 4 cm at Aviemore and 3 cm at Spadeadam. (Isles of Scilly 10.6C, High Wycombe 1.5C maximum, Writtle -3.1C minimum, Giants Causeway 13.2 mm, Leconfield 8.1.h.)
Minimum temperatures into the 10th ranged from just below 0C in some E coast areas of England and Scotland to about 7C in W Ireland. Low pressure, centred over W Wales at 1200 GMT (991 mb) gave unsettled conditions in most areas, although N Scotland remained largely dry during the day. Early mist and fog soon cleared from E and Cent England. Overnight parts of Scotland and N England had a little snow - this became more prevalent during the day. Falling across Scotland and N England during the morning, it spread S'wards in the afternoon and evening as far as Se and Cent S England. Apart from a little sunshine in S Ireland and N Scotland it was a dull day. Snow depths at 0900 GMT include 1 cm at Lerwick and 2 cm at Aviemore. (Exeter Airport 9.4C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 0.7C maximum, Altnaharra -3.2C minimum, Lough Fea 37.0 mm, Cork Airport 4.7 h.)
Snowfall affected much of Cent S and SE England, East Anglia and the Midlands into the 11th. Rain and snow also fell across Scotland with rain over Ireland with some snow in N England. During the day the snow across England eased off slowly but not completely while rain and drizzle continued to affect Ireland. Parts of Birmingham had several centimetres of snow that led to some school closures. Poor driving conditions were reported across the region with several roads into Birmingham said to be gridlocked. Snow depths at 0900 GMT included 3 cm at Lerwick, 7 cm at Bingley, 12 cm at High Wycombe and 4 cm at Wattisham. (Plymouth 10.7C, Lake Vyrnwy -1.1C maximum, Okehampton -2.1C minimum, Stowe 12.4 mm, St Helier 7.5 h)
There was a widespread ground frost over Britain on the 12th with an air frost in a few places. In parts of E Wales and the Midlands the temperature then remained below freezing during 0600-1800 GMT. Precipitation amounts during the day were small - but there was some sleet and snow overnight and during the early morning in Cent S England. This cleared by midday with further falls in E England clearing by mid-afternoon. Some rain and drizzle affected onshore areas of E Scotland in a N'ly flow, and a front gave some light precipitation over Ireland during the day. Although generally a dry day, conditions were rather dull and hazy. Snow depths at 0900 GMT included 6 cm at Bingley, 10 cm at High Wycombe and 3 cm at Wattisham. (Isles of Scilly 8.7C, Lake Vyrnwy -1.0C maximum, Aviemore -4.2C minimum, Stowe 6.0 mm, Kinloss 6.9 h.)
Frontal cloud overnight into the 13th brought rain and drizzle to Ireland and later to W areas of Britain - with the rain turning to snow in W Scotland and parts of Wales. Much of E and Cent England and Scotland had an air frost and a rather hazy start to the day. During the day the precipitation spread E'wards across Scotland and Wales and into E England by midnight. As the rain met the cold air in the E it gave a spell of sleet or snow to most places; this then turned to rain in the warm sector - which straddled Wales and W parts of England by midnight. By midnight the wintry precipitation had turned to rain almost everywhere. Only in the extreme SE of England was there any sunshine. Dozens of drivers were trapped for up to four hours by snow on high ground in East Yorkshire. The A1079 Arras Hill at Market Weighton was closed in both directions after heavy snowfall and a four-vehicle accident, leading to long delays. There was traffic chaos in Leeds in the evening, and problems were also reported in Sheffield, York and Nottingham. Snow depths at 0900 GMT included 5 cm at Bingley and 6 cm at High Wycombe. (Valentia and Shannon Airport 12.0C, Fylingdales -0.4C maximum, Santon Downham -4.7C minimum, Cluanie Inn 37.4 mm, Manston 2.6 h.)
There was an air frost overnight in parts of E England and East Anglia ahead of the warm front arrival on the 14th. Overnight precipitation was widespread and heavy, especially over the high ground in Wales and W England. The main rain area had largely cleared E Britain by 0900 GMT although there were a few localised falls during the day. During the day falls were mainly confined, however, to N and W Scotland with most other regions had sunny periods. A man and a woman died and a man was critically injured after being caught in an avalanche in the Highlands of Scotland. (Heathrow 12.1C, Dalwhinnie 5.1C maximum, Fylingdales -1.1C minimum, Achnagart 30.0 mm, St Helier and Shannon Airport 7.8 h.)
A weak ridge gave a mainly dry day on the 15th although a weak front gave some rain across NW and N Scotland overnight. Ground frost was widespread across Britain early in the day along with some mist in S England. The day was generally sunny although in the afternoon frontal cloud and then some rain spread E'wards into W parts of Ireland and the Hebrides. (St Helier 11.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.1C maximum, Benson -2.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 12.4 mm, Lyneham 7.6 h.)
Mist and fog formed widely by dawn across Cent England and parts of Wales on the 16th while a warm front spread rain and drizzle across W Scotland and W Ireland by dawn. Ground frost was widespread away from these wet areas. There was little rainfall during the day - except on the Shetlands - although for many it was a cloudy day nonetheless. (Ballypatrick Forest 11.9C, Eskdalemuir 5.2C maximum, Aboyne -4.1C minimum, Baltasound 8.2 mm, St Helier 9.0 h.)
High pressure building from the E (MSL pressure of about 1024 mb on coastal Norfolk at 1200 GMT) meant a mainly dry day on the 17th. There was widespread mist and some fog across England to start the day and this took until late morning to clear in places. 2.0 mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT at Valentia - where the minimum temperature in the same period was 9.7C - while inland areas of England had a touch of air frost. During the day there were sunny spells in most areas, although not in W Ireland, NW Scotland and E parts of East Anglia and Kent where it remained rather cloudy. (Kinlochewe 13.9C, Cromer 4.8C maximum, South Newington -4.0C minimum, Otterbourne Water Works 0.4 mm, St Helier 9.9 h.)
High pressure and a SE'ly flow continued to dominate the weather on the 18th although early frontal cloud gave a little rain in SW Ireland with 2 mm at Valentia in the 12 hours to 0600 GMT . Mist, fog and haze were widespread by dawn across England, Wales and S Scotland - and it remained mainly hazy here all day. During the afternoon some thick fog formed in N Scotland and Orkney. Air frost was widespread early in the day across Scotland - with a few pockets in Wales and E England also. Away from E England and W Ireland it was quite a sunny day. (Aboyne 12.4C, Fylingdales 3.3C maximum, Kinbrace -5.9C minimum, Frittenden 0.2 mm, St Helier 10.0 h.)
Many places across the British Isles had mist, fog or haze by dawn on the 19th as high pressure prevailed. Overnight air frost was widespread except in W and Cent Ireland with the temperature not falling below 9.7C overnight at Valentia. An onshore breeze gave cloud and some light precipitation in places in E Britain close to the North Sea while mist or haze lingered throughout the day in many places. Away from N Scotland and NE England it was a mainly sunny day once any fog had cleared with the fog giving some snow grains in places early in the day; it was a cool day in some E areas. (Trawscoed 13.3C, Weybourne 3.3C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -8.6C maximum, Dyce 1.2 mm, St Helier 9.9 h.)
High Wycombe and Bedford reported some slight snow before dawn on the 20th as frontal cloud brought some rain and drizzle W'wards off the North Sea. For most of the British Isles mist and fog were the main weather conditions at dawn with an air frost from S England through Wales to Northern Ireland. Precipitation amounts were generally slight - but it was cold day in E area with the best of the sunshine in an arc from Dublin to Cornwall and the Channel Islands. (Valentia 11.8C, Leek 0.9C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -6.0C minimum, Dyce 5.6 mm, St Helier 9.9 h.)
As the cold front pushed towards the W an E'ly became established across S England on the 21st. It was a cloudy start to the day in many areas but with an air frost in many areas away from the E. A cold day followed, except in W parts of Ireland and Scotland and many places in East Anglia had a light snowfall in the E'ly flow. Parts of E Scotland had a little light rain or drizzle. (Valentia 8.6C, Lake Vyrnwy -0.9C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -7.1C minimum, Baltasound 1.8 mm, St Helier 9.9 h.)
High pressure to the E (1028 mb at 1200 GMT near Peterhead) meant another settled day on the 22nd. By dawn air frost affected most places except in SW Ireland and Cornwall but a mainly cloudy day followed. There were slight falls of overnight in East Anglia and on Guernsey before dawn; this spread to Hampshire and NE England in the morning with falls also in Cornwall and flakes then continued to fall in this area at times into the evening. (Stornoway 4.6C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park -1.5C maximum, Aviemore -10.0C minimum, Kinbrace 1.0 mm, Aviemore 7.6 h.)
High pressure continued to give an E'ly flow across S areas on the 23rd with MSL pressure close to 1030 mb on Shetland at 1200 GMT. Overnight precipitation was largely confined to E areas of England and N Scotland with light falls of snow as far W as the Channel Islands, Berkshire and the Highlands; falls were mainly slight, however. There was a widespread air frost, even in Cent Ireland, and snow flurries continued during the day - particularly in E England although further W there was light rain and drizzle. Some light snow also fell in parts of E Ireland and over high ground in N Wales and NW England. Away from N Scotland and parts of S Scotland it was a rather cloudy day. (Baltasound 7.4C, Okehampton -0.7C maximum, Braemar -4.3C minimum, Durham 8.0 mm, Lerwick 9.3 h.)
High pressure remained centred close to, or over, N Scotland on the 24th - 1034 mb over Shetland at 1200 GMT. Away from coastal areas there was a widespread air frost everywhere while overnight sleet and snow showers, again, mainly slight, affected S and E areas of England and Scotland. Falls also spread as far W as Somerset and also affected the Dublin area. The snow turned to rain in places during the day - which was generally cloudy and cold. Snow again fell on the Channel Islands. The best of the sunshine was to be found in W parts of Ireland and Scotland. (Tain Range and Valentia 8.1C, Liscombe 0.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -7.6C minimum, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens 5.0 mm, Tiree 9.9 h.)
Slightly warmer air spread into SE England on the 25th resulting in an end to the snow flurries - which turned increasingly to rain and drizzle during the morning. By lunchtime the snowfalls from cent S England to East Anglia had ended. Earlier there had been a widespread, sharp ground frost and an air frost - although SE England and East Anglia tended to escape the latter. Precipitation amounts remained slight - it was a sunless day over most of England and Wales but a sunny one for Scotland and Ireland. (Kinlochewe 10.0C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 2.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -7.7C minimum, High Mowthorpe 3.4 mm, Tiree 10.1 h.)
By 2400 GMT on the 26th MSL pressure was up to 1040 mb in SE Scotland - with a frontal area giving a cloudy day across England and Wales. S England had light rain overnight with misty conditions by dawn elsewhere across England and Wales - although the rainfall weakened during the day the misty conditions persisted in most areas. Scotland and Ireland had a widespread air frost followed by sunny spells, although some mist did form in Ireland and S Scotland in the evening. (Kinlochewe 13.3C, Emley Moor 1.5C maximum, Braemar -8.2C maximum, East Malling 1.8 mm, Tiree 9.8 h.)
The high migrated to N Ireland during the 27th. Overnight air frost was mainly confined to Scotland and N Ireland with widespread haze, mist and fog patches further S by dawn. Some light rain and drizzle also affected S and E England - during the day any rainfall tended to be light and sporadic although mist conditions persisted in many places. It was a dull day across Ireland, W Scotland and SW England - with prolonged sunshine in E Scotland and sunny periods elsewhere. (Drumnadrochit 12.3C maximum, Liscombe 0.9C maximum, Braemar -8.6C minimum, Hampstead 0.4 mm, Dyce 9.8 h.)
There was an air frost into the 28th across England, Wales and Scotland with misty conditions here, and across Ireland, that took until midday to clear in many places. Despite the continuing high pressure, frontal areas close to N Scotland and S England gave a little light rain or drizzle in places here. It was a cloudy day across S England and N Scotland also, but particularly sunny in N England. (Keswick 13.0C, Wych Cross 3.6C maximum, Shap -7.1C minimum, Resallach 2.2 mm, Leconfield 9.5 h.)
The high pressure declined in intensity on the 2nd (centre 1026 mb over W Ireland 2400 GMT). Parts of Ireland and E Scotland, along with N Wales and N England had an air frost before dawn. The night was mainly dry apart from some light rain for a while in E England, although mist and fog were widespread in parts of Ireland and N Wales by dawn. Light rain affected N and W Scotland during the day and into the evening with mist and haze across much of Cent and S England in the evening - after a sunny day in SE Scotland and much of N England. (Charterhall 12.9C, Okehampton 2.0C maximum, Topcliffe -7.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 3.4 mm, Shawbury 9.7 h.)
As the high pressure slipped away to the E of the British Isles on the 3rd a N'ly flow became established. Overnight there was some light rain and drizzle in N Scotland and widespread mist, fog and haze across England, Wales and parts of Ireland. Cent and S England and much of Wales had an air frost by dawn. The mist and fog cleared by late morning in most places and there was only light rain during the day in parts of N Ireland and N Scotland before mist and haze returned across England into the evening. Most areas had a rather cloudy day with temperatures remaining below 5C on the Channel Islands and in parts of S England. (Drumnadrochit 11.1C, Okehampton 1.7C maximum, South Newington -6.1C minimum, Aultbea 2.2 mm, Aberporth 9.0 h.)
A N'ly flow continued on the 4th which dawned with a slight air frost in parts of England and Wales and with widespread mist, haze and fog patches from Cent Scotland S'wards. Mist ad haze persisted throughout the day before spreading into Cent and N Scotland in the evening. Except in N areas it was a sunny day for most of England and Wales with other areas of the British Isles remaining mainly cloudy. (Porthmadog 12.2C, Fylingdales 2.9C maximum, Capel Curig -4.7C minimum, Baltasound 2.8 mm, St Helier 10.2 h.)
The weather remained generally dry into the 5th but there were widespread areas of mist and fog, thick in some places, by dawn, with a widespread air frost. The mist and haze tended to linger for most of the day in many areas and gave some falls of drizzle in E parts of England from time to time. Later in the afternoon and into the evening an area of light rain moved into Cornwall, the Channel Islands and SW Ireland. Away from NW and Cent Scotland, and S Ireland and SW England, it was a sunny day - feeling warm in some places as temperatures rose above 16C - but it was cold in places close to the North Sea where fog lingered. (Trawscoed 17.5C, Donna Nook 2.9C maximum, Redesdale Camp -6.4C minimum, Baltasound 1.0 mm, Wattisham 10.0 h.)
Overnight into the 6th rain spread into Cent Ireland and S and Cent England with areas further N being affected by mist and fog. Cloud conditions meant little air frost but there were some falls of snow grains in Yorkshire, the Midlands and East Anglia during the morning. The rain and drizzle continued to move further N during the day - into NE Scotland by midnight and it remained cloudy nearly everywhere. It was relatively mild in S England (where 13C was widely reported) compared to Scotland where 5C was more typical in the afternoon. (Charlwood 15.2C, Braemar 2.5C maximum, Shap -4.67C minimum, Magilligan 4.6 mm, Manston 3.0 h.)
Frontal systems gave widespread falls of rain across England, Wales and Ireland on the 7th - and to a lesser extent Scotland - as an E'ly surface flow persisted across the British Isles. There was little air frost overnight with minimum temperatures remaining about 8-9C across S England with 10.2C being the overnight minimum at Valentia. Falls of snow were reported in parts of Cumbria around dawn. The fronts meant a cloudy in all areas except in the Channel Islands - where temperatures reached 13C as a result. (St Helier 13.7C, Baltasound 4.5C maximum, Braemar 1.6C minimum, Killowen 12.4 mm, St Helier 3.8 h.)
The E'ly flow with embedded frontal systems continued during the 8th. The day dawned after a mild, cloudy night and throughout the day there were outbreaks of rain in most areas - although Cent and N Scotland remained mostly dry. England and Wales had widespread mist and fog around dawn, and this remained all day in places keeping daytimes temperatures low where it did so. Only the Shetlands, Channel Islands, Cornwall and parts of W Ireland had any sunshine. (St Helier 15.4C, Braemar 1.7C maximum, Braemar 1.1C maximum, Killowen 30.2 mm, St Helier 5.4 h.)
The weather on the 9th was largely a continuation of that on the previous two days. There was widespread mist and fog around dawn across England and Wales following a cloudy night that gave falls of rain in most areas - although W areas of Ireland and Scotland tended to remain mainly dry. N England, N Ireland and S Scotland saw the bulk of the rain during the day - although there were falls in other areas. Lerwick reported hail showers in the evening, while snow fell in parts of S and E Scotland, and in NW England in the morning, with falls in East Anglia and E England spreading to the Pennines in the afternoon and evening. Parts of SW Britain and S Ireland, along with the Channel Islands, had sunshine during the day - as did the Northern Isles; most areas remained sunless, however, and it was a cold day close to the North Sea. (Bude 14.4C, Fylingdales 1.1C maximum, Spadeadam 0.1C minimum, Cromer 42.6 mm, Bude and St Helier 5.9 h.)
Frontal systems cleared S'wards during the 10th, lying over the English Channel by 2400 GMT and introducing a brisk E'ly flow to all areas. MSL pressure at 2400 GMT was 1025.2 mb at Baltasound. N and NE Scotland had an overnight air frost, and as rain and drizzle moved S'wards during the day these falls were replace by snowfalls in all areas, with hail falling in parts of E and N Scotland. Rainfall was heaviest across S Ireland overnight and during the day with Cork Airport recording 32 mm in the 24 hours ending 1800 GMT. It was sunny during the day on the Northern Isles and these sunny conditions spread S'wards into the N Midlands by sunset. (Isles of Scilly 8.3C, Braemar -0.9C maximum, Dalwhinnie -5.6C minimum, Houghton Hall 12.0 mm, Tiree 9.7 h.)
An E'ly flow continued throughout the 11th in most areas, although during the day a wintry area of low pressure pushed fronts across over the Channel Islands and coastal counties in SE England. Snow from these fronts fell most heavily over the Channel Islands with 34 mm of precipitation at Guernsey Airport in the 24 hours ending 1800 GMT (18 mm falling in the 12 hours from 0600 GMT) while snow showers off the North Sea brought measureable falls across E England and E Scotland, S Scotland and NE Ireland during the day. Most places had a ground frost by dawn and temperatures remained below 0C in many areas of England, Wales and S Scotland. In Maidenhead 1.8C was the lowest March maximum temperature since 1986. At Guernsey Airport the maximum temperature during the day was 0.4C. However, away from S England and the Channel Islands it was a sunny day. Four jack-knifed lorries and more than a dozen ice-related crashes caused disruption on roads in Cumbria. On the Channel Islands all flights were suspended because of heavy snow. On Jersey between 60 and 70 homes in the rural parishes were without electricity after flying debris damaged eight overhead power lines. In Scotland snow and ice affected many parts of the country with some drivers complaining of ungritted roads. The weather also led to the closure of all schools across Guernsey, after four decided not to open at all. Some major roads in Sussex were later closed and buses in Brighton were halted after heavy snow across the county. Sections of the A27 in East and West Sussex and the A29 in West Sussex were shut because of accidents. On the rail network, cold conditions caused signalling problems and there were delays between Hastings, Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne. At Guernsey Airport 0345 GMT snow was falling with the temperature down to 0.4C. Moderate snow continued until midday, with north-east winds of force 7 gusting to force 9; in the 12 hours to midday 28mm of rain equivalent was measured. Snowfalls of this character are very rare on Guernsey. (Stornoway 5.1C, Okehampton -2.0C maximum, Aboyne -12.9C minimum, Lentran 5.6 mm, Tiree 10.5 h.)
There was a N'ly flow in all areas on the 12th. Snow showers continue to affect, S, Cent and E England overnight with heavier falls in the Channel Islands. There were also overnight snowfalls in E Ireland parts of Scotland. Few places escaped an air frost overnight while by day it was sunny in most areas, the Channel Islands being a notable exception. Snow and hail fell across the Northern Isles during the day and there was some snowfall across N and E Scotland in the evening. During the day N Scotland had some rain and drizzle while snow showers across England turned to rain in many places as temperatures rose later. Hundreds of drivers were left stranded after snow brought some roads in Sussex to a standstill. Tailbacks of up to 15 miles were reported overnight on the A23 between Crawley and Brighton, with some motorists stuck for up to eight hours. The blizzard conditions in the Bailiwick of Guernsey this week have been the worst for at least 16 years, the senior forecaster at Guernsey Met Office said. The maximum temperature during the days at Guernsey Airport was 0.3C. Drivers are being told to travel in Kent only if necessary, with snow, high winds and freezing temperatures expected to continue into the night. Journeys through the Channel Tunnel are also severely affected due to conditions in N France. An air frost on Scilly is rare in mid-winter, but to get one in mid-March is exceptional. On the 12th -0.4C was recorded on St. Martins and -0.3C on St. Mary's. The temperature at Guernsey Airport fell to is -1.4C, that's the lowest in March since 1986; there was a snow depth of 16cm which was something of an average from 8cm in some areas to drifts of 40-50cm in others; the greatest snow depth recorded for March at Guernsey Airport has been 14 cm on the 7th in 1964. (Harris Quidnish and Belmullet 8.3C, Okehampton 0.3C maximum, Saughall -11.9C minimum, Altnaharra 2.8 mm, Morecambe 8.7 h.)
Snowfall on the 13th was mainly confined to Scotland and to areas close to the North Sea elsewhere as a N'ly flow prevailed during the day. Overnight rain was mostly confined to W Scotland and NW Ireland with falls of snow in E and Cent Scotland. Some snow also fell in parts of E England and the Channel Islands. Air and ground frosts were again widespread. During the day rain showers fell at times across Ireland with snow in some E areas of that country - and snow showers also penetrated inland to the Midlands and Cent S England. Most places had some sunny spells during the day. Heavy snowfall and icy road led to some accidents in NE Scotland and transport problems affected some schools in the area. (Shannon Airport 10.3C, High Mowthorpe 2.0C maximum, Dalwhinnie -6.8C minimum, Fylingdales 12.6 mm, Tiree 8.9 h.)
A warm sector pushed E'wards across N Britain on the 14th as winds turned SW'ly in most areas. There was mist in East Anglia, SE and Cent S England by dawn with a little rain in parts of W Scotland and W Ireland; Cornwall also saw rain arriving before dawn and in some of these areas snow preceded the rain. Elsewhere, there was a widespread and, in many places, a sharp air frost. During the day rain spread across most of Scotland and N England, again preceded by snow across Scotland. There were also falls of rain across Wales and parts of Cent England by late evening. However, many Cent and S areas of England had a sunny day. (Sherkin Island 10.2C, Spadeadam 2.5C maximum, Sennybridge -8.7C minimum, Kinlochewe 11.2 mm, St Helier 11.4 h.)
The warm sector cleared all but Cent and S parts of England on the 15th as a cold front moved E'wards. Away from S England there was little overnight air frost. Overnight and during the day rainfall was widespread with some heavy falls over high ground in Wales and SW England - but by the evening was largely confined to England; clearer skies with sunny spells and few showers affected Ireland and W parts of Scotland while in Suffolk there were some reports of light snowfall. Low pressure persisted close to W Ireland throughout the day - MSL pressure was close to 992 mb here at 2400 GMT. (Helens Bay 11.3C, Fylingdales 4.4C maximum, Hurn -2.1C minimum, Capel Curig 27.8 mm, Tiree 6.8 h.)
A cyclonic circulation over the British Isles was maintained on the 16th with a central pressure of 989 mb over the North Midlands at 2400 GMT. This led to a wet night across England and Wales with this precipitation affecting England and E Scotland during the day. Other areas of the British Isles had lesser falls. Much of Scotland and Ireland had an overnight air frost with some mist and fog, while during the day sunny spells were mainly confined to W Scotland, and to W and S Ireland. Some snow showers affected S Scotland and N England during the day, with a few isolated falls in other areas. (Pershore College 10.6C, Salsburgh 0.7C maximum, Braemar -7.9C minimum, Okehampton 29.4 mm, Tiree 9.4 h.)
The cyclonic circulation persisted during the 17th. Cloudy skies meant that many areas escaped an air frost but there was widespread precipitation during both day and night. Some of this fell as snow, especially in N England, Scotland and Wales, but there were also falls in E Ireland and in S areas of England. 'Unexpected snow' across Oxfordshire led to criticism of the Met Office by the county council; deputy leader councillor Rodney Rose said there were no warnings in the overnight forecast and it was their own road sensors which first alerted them. He said gritters were eventually sent out but it was too late to stop a number of crashes across the county. Around dawn there were mist and fog patches in parts of Wales and W England while during the day sunshine amounts varied across the British Isles with E Britain being on the dull side. At 0900 GMT snow depths included 10 cm at Drumalbin and 2 cm at Manston and Larkhill. (Plymouth 10.5C, Salsburgh 2.3C minimum, Drumalbin -3.5C minimum, Otterbourne Water Works 21.4 mm, Bude 8.1 h.)
Areas of low pressure remained centred over the British Isles on the 18th. There was an air frost across Cent and S areas of England and Wales and in parts of Ireland with Scotland, W wales and E areas of England having a wet night. Snow and sleet fell overnight in places, including N England and East Anglia. Cent and S Englnd had mist and fog, thick in places, around dawn. During the day this mist and fog cleared - to return in the evening - while in E Scotland there were some heavy falls of snow and these spread into N England with a few outbreaks in some other places across England, Wales and E Ireland. At 0900 GMT snow depths included 2 cm at Drumalbin, 4 cm at Spadeadam, 4 cm at Bingley and 3 cm at Church Fenton. (Exeter Airport 11.1C, Braemar 0.3C maximum, Upper Lambourn -4.5C minimum, Fylingdales 21.2 mm, Bude 11.3 h.)
Low pressure moved S'wards on the 19th allowing an E'ly flow to become established in the N. Overnight there was air frost in many parts of the British Isles with falls of snow in E and cent Scotland and parts of E Ireland and N England, with some rainfall in parts of Cent and S England. This fell as snow in Scotland and there were also falls in parts of N England and E Ireland. During the day the main areas of precipitation were in Wales, E Ireland and in Cent, E and S Scotland with snow across Scotland in particular. Mist and fog across many parts of England and Wales around dawn soon cleared although during the day sunshine was mainly in the form of sunny periods. Thunder was heard in the Hampshire-Berkshire area in the afternoon. More than 100 schools were closed after heavy snow affected parts of Scotland, with whiteout conditions in some areas making driving difficult. Dozens of schools in the north east, Scottish Borders and West Lothianhave been shut, along with some in Angus, Moray and Perth and Kinross. In the Borders, about 20 HGVs and several cars were stuck for several hours on a stretch of the A697. Inverness Airport's runway was closed for a while. At 0900 GMT snow depths included 4 cm at Aviemore, 6 cm at Eskdalemuir, 6 cm at Shap Fell and 2 cm at Manston. (Plymouth 10.8C, Braemar -0.8C maximum, Scampton -5.1C minimum, Chillingham Barns 37.0 mm, Bude 10.0 h.)
Overnight into the 20th mist and fog affected many areas of England, Wales and E Ireland while air frosts was widespread in SW Ireland, NE Scotland and in parts of S England. Snow fell across Scotland and in parts of NE England and East Anglia overnight - with rain in N Ireland and in parts of N England and Wales. Snow showers continued to affect E areas of Britain during the day in a SE'ly surface airflow with some falls also occurring further W in Scotland; E Britain was consequently also quite cold during the day. W parts of Ireland and Scotland tended to be the sunniest areas. At 0900 GMT snow depths included 2 cm at Kirkwall, 13 cm at Aboyne, 5 cm at Spadeadam and 2 cm at Glennane. (Plymouth 11.9C, Fylingdales 0.0C maximum, Fyvie Castle -3.9C minimum, Killowen 18.8 mm, Bude 8.5 h.)
During the 21st pressure fell to the SW (down to 988.4mb at Valentia by 2400 GMT) as associated fronts pushed across SW and W parts of the British Isles. They brought rain that by midday was falling across S Ireland, S Wales, SW and Cent S England. A strengthening E'ly flow ahead of the fronts gave snowfalls in E Scotland in the morning, after a widespread air frost in Scotland and N England, and in places from N Wales to Kent. The rain in the SW made slow progress N'wards during the day - giving some heavy falls in SW England and S Ireland. On the leading edge of the rain cold air turned the rain to snow in the evening across Wales and the Midlands. The sunniest conditions during the day were to be found in N Scotland. At 0900 GMT snow depths included 9 cm at Aboyne, 2 cm at Leuchars, 2 cm at Spadeadam and 2 cm at Bingley. (Camborne 11.2C, Aboyne 1.1C maximum, Fyvie Castle -9.9C minimum, Plymouth 40.6 mm, Kinloss 9.6 h.)
Fronts continued to push precipitation N'wards into the E'ly flow on the 22nd. Cloudy skies and a more S'ly air track meant a mild night in the S (the minimum temperature on Scilly being 9.8C overnight) while there was an air frost in Scotland and parts of N England. Overnight precipitation occurred everywhere S of a line Sussex-SW Scotland with further heavy falls. Falls of snow occurred along the leading edge and into N England by dawn - and snow continued to fall from the Midlands to N Scotland throughout the day. The main rain area made little progress N'wards, however, and heavy falls continued across Wales and E Ireland. In places the snow was blown into deep drifts by the wind. Nearly 200 schools and scores of roads were closed by snow and high winds in mid and north Wales. Bus operators GHA Coaches Ltd and Arriva buses said some routes were affected due to the snow in Wales. Ferries services across the Irish Sea were cancelled or disrupted. Snowfall in the Isle of Man has been the heaviest recorded since 1963, according to the island's meteorological office. About 375 schools in West Yorkshire were closed because of heavy snow. A body was found at the site of a house which collapsed in a landslip in Looe in Cornwall after heavy rain. Cumbria Police said it had received 800 calls for help including drivers involved in crashes or stranded because of fallen trees. Many roads in the county are still only passable with care including the M6. Scores of schools closed across Merseyside after heavy snowfall. Cheshire Police said the snow had also caused the closure of the Runcorn Bridge with traffic being diverted via Warrington. Residents of Arran were warned that they may be without power for up to three days. The island's blackout followed heavy snowfalls in parts of Scotland. Northern Constabulary said the A9 was closed for a time, with road blocked due to high winds and snow; the snow gates were also shut at Ralia and south of Dalwhinnie. At 0900 GMT snow depths included 8 cm at Aboyne, 7 cm at Bingley, 4 cm at Hawarden and 5 cm at Shawbury. (Isles Of Scilly 12.4C, Emley Moor -0.4c maximum, Dalwhinnie -1.9C minimum, Katesbridge 67.2 mm, Odiham 1.7 h.)
Snow continued to fall overnight into the 23rd from N Scotland to the Thames Valley with mist and fog in S Ireland and SW England by dawn. There was a slight air frost in Scotland, N England and parts of the Midlands with precipitation being heaviest to the S of this. Temperatures to the N of the rain changed little during the day although the snow eased off across Scotland as the fronts edged S - with precipitation amounts decreasing during the day across England and Wales. Only on the Channel Islands could the weather be described as sunny and 'not cold'. Heavy snow caused disruption and has led to the cancellation of a major race meeting in South Yorkshire. The William Hill Lincoln in Doncaster is the first major event of the flat season but was called off following an early morning pitch inspection. Elsewhere, some flights at Robin Hood Airport were delayed and dozens of bus routes were affected. Passengers travelling from East Midlands Airport faced long delays after flights were diverted, or cancelled, after heavy snow. Snow depths at 2100 GMT included 8 cm at Aboyne, 29 cm at Bingley, 16 cm at Nottingham and 15 cm at Wittering; at 0300 GMT they included 0.5 cm at Lerwick, 4 cm at Eskdalemuir, 17 cm at Bingley and 10 cm at Shawbury. (St Helier 12.9C, Emley Moor -2.1C maximum, Braemar -2.4C minimum, Killowen 25.4 mm, St Helier 9.8 h.)
Cold fronts made slow progress S'wards across England and S Ireland on the 24th although the E'ly flow decreased in strength during the day. Precipitation amounts were small overnight but there was a widespread air frost across much of England and Wales and in parts of Scotland and N Ireland. Snow fell overnight in many E and Cent areas of England - these falls continued during the day, becoming less frequent into the afternoon and evening. Lancashire villages in the area where a man's body was found in large drifts of snow are "running out of food" after being cut off, police said. Police "simply cannot get to" villages near Burnley, including Wycoller and Briercliffe, to check on residents. Snow depths at 2100 GMT included 6 cm at Aboyne, 7 cm at Shap Fell, 7 cm at High Wycombe and 12 cm at Andrewsfield; at 0900 GMT they included 4 cm at Eskdalemuir, 10 cm at Cranwell, 24 cm at Wittering and 3 cm at Lough Fea. (Jersey Airport 7.2C, Lake Vyrnwy -3.3C maximum, Lake Vyrnwy -4.2C minimum, Threave 22.8 mm, Tiree 6.4 h.)
An E'ly flow persisted on the 25th with MSL pressure of 1034.5 mb at Baltasound at 0000 GMT. There was a widespread air frost and some light rain and snow outbreaks overnight in some E areas. These continued during the day from E Scotland to E England with some falls pushing further inland. S parts of the British Isles were rather cloudy due to weak fronts moving S'wards here. Thousands of Scottish homes were still without power, three days after losing supplies due to severe weather conditions. Engineers' efforts to restore supplies have been hampered by a weekend of snow, blizzards and heavy winds. Residents in parts of Arran fear they will remain off the national grid until Friday as areas of Scotland continue to be hit by severe weather. In some areas there were 15ft snow drifts. An 80-year-old suffering from hypothermia was airlifted from Pirnmill to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock. A number of roads in the Highlands, Tayside, Grampian and Dumfries and Galloway remained closed. Snow depths at 2100 GMT included 3 cm at Eskdalemuir, 6 cm at Leek, 8 cm at Shawbury and 39 cm at Ballypatrick Forest; at 0900 GMT they included 7 cm at Aboyne, 27 cm at Bingley, 21 cm at Wittering and 11 cm at Andrewsfield. (Lusa 7.0C, Okehampton -1.2C maximum, Okehampton -3.8C minimum, Katesbridge 6.8 mm, Valley 7.9 h.)
An E'ly surface flow continued on the 26th across the British Isles. Overnight air frost was again widespread with wintry showers falling across E and Cent Scotland, N England and in E and cent areas of Ireland. During the day temperatures remained below 0C in some places and wintry showers continued to affect parts of Wales and Ireland, N England and Cent and E Scotland. It was a cloudy day in E Britain and in some S areas of England; elsewhere there were sunny periods. Snow depths at 2100 GMT included 5 cm at Shap Fell, 25 cm at Bingley, 13 cm at Wittering and 37 cm at Ballypatrick Forest; at 0900 GMT they included 6cm at Aboyne, 11 cm at Nottingham, 16 cm at Wittering and 10 cm at Andrewsfield. (Kirkwall 6.5C, Libanus -1.1C maximum, Dalwhinnie -4.9C minimum, Pennerley 8.0 mm, Lerwick 6.3 h.)
The E'ly flow continued on the 27th with troughs enhancing the precipitation amounts in some areas. Air frost was again widespread by dawn with wintry precipitation across N England and in E areas of Scotland and Ireland in particular. During the day the wintry conditions were more widespread from the Channel Islands and SW England to N Scotland with moderate accumulations of snow in places. Most places had sunny periods but N England and SE Scotland were quite dull. Snow depths at 2100 GMT included 22 cm at Bingley, 6 cm at Hereford Credenhill, 11 cm at Wittering and 34 cm at Ballypatrick Forest; at 0900 GMT they included 8 cm at Aboyne, 24 cm at Bingley, 5 cm at High Wycombe and 36 cm at Ballypatrick Forest. (Castlederg 6.9C, Emley Moor -0.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -7.9C minimum, Katesbridge 9.2 mm, Manston 10.0 h.)
Snowfall decreased on the 28th but not before there had been some large accumulations earlier in the night across N Ireland where a number of roads throughout Northern Ireland were closed because of the weather conditions. Air frost was widespread by dawn with some snowfall also in E Scotland and N England. During the day snowfall was mainly confined to parts of E Ireland and N Scotland - and this had largely stopped by the afternoon, turning to light rain in parts of E Scotland and NE England. Most areas had spells of sunshine, except for N England and SE Scotland. Snow depths at 2100 GMT included 21 cm at Bingley, 3 cm at Aviemore, 6 cm at Hereford and 31 cm at Ballypatrick Forest. At 0900 GMT they included 4 cm at Aboyne, 11 cm at Wittering and 33 cm at Ballypatrick Forest. (Kinlochewe 8.0C, Lake Vyrnwy 1.2C maximum, Braemar -8.7C minimum, Pennerley 5.8 mm, Stornoway 10.9 h.)
High pressure continued to prevail to the N of Scotland during the 29th but in the evening frontal systems affected some SW areas of the British Isles. The UK and N Ireland had a widespread air frost although cloudy conditions led to a milder night in parts of Cornwall and in S Ireland with the minimum temperature overnight at Sherkin Island being 4.4C. A little rain affected some parts of S England, SE Scotland and N England with some slight snow in parts of E Scotland and E England. During the day there were a few further light falls of snow with some frontal rain later in Cornwall and the Channel Islands, the latter area also seeing some snow at times. Snow depths at 2100 GMT included 29 cm at Ballypatrick Forest and 20 cm at Bingley; at 0600 GMT the depth at Ballypatrick Forest was 31 cm with 6 cm at Hereford and Wittering. (Lusa 8.7C, Lake Vyrnwy 1.3C maximum, Braemar -10.4C minimum, Emley Moor 5.0 mm (possibly melting snow), Stornoway 12.2 h.)
The high pressure centre weakened and moved S'wards on the 30th to be centred over SE Scotland at 1018 mb by 2400 GMT. E areas of England and SE Scotland had some overnight rain, sleet and snow and, except in S Ireland and parts of SW England and the Channel Islands, air frost was widespread. Precipitation amounts were slight during the day - mostly confined to E and cent areas of England and Scotland - falling as snow in places. Most places had sunny periods during the day. Snow depths at 0600 GMT included 19 cm at Bingley and 29 cm at Ballypatrick Forest. (Lusa 8.6C, Lake Vyrnwy 1.6C maximum, Braemar -11.2C minimum, Emley Moor 11.8 mm (probably melting snow), Stornoway 11.9 h.)
Air frost was widespread into the 31st and there was some light rain in parts of NE England and e Scotland before dawn. By midday frontal cloud had pushed rain into SW Ireland, preceded by light snow in places - this persisted into the evening and there were some light falls of rain or snow in parts of E Britain in the SE'ly wind. At Sherkin Island 23 mm of precipitation was reported in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. The lowest Easter temperature on record across the United Kingdom occurred in Braemar, Scotland, as the temperatures fell to -12.5C. This broke the previous record of -9.8C set in 1986, according the the Met Office. (St Athan 8.8C, Carterhouse 1.7C maximum, Braemar -12.5C minimum, Emley Moor 7.2 mm (probably melting snow) , Kirkwall 11.7 h.)
An E'ly flow persisted across S areas on the 2nd as high pressure remained centred close to Shetland. The day began with a widespread inland air frost (away from S Ireland) with grass minimum temperatures down to -14C in parts of N Scotland under the light winds there. There were a few snow showers reported across N England and S Scotland during the morning with isolated reported of light rain falling in parts of Ireland and Scotland - but generally it was a settled, albeit cool, day across the British Isles. Most places in S England, and also parts of W Scotland, Wales and Cent Ireland, had long spells of sunshine. (Lee-on-Solent 10.5C, Lake Vyrnwy 3.1C maximum, Braemar -11.2C minimum, Durham 1.0 mm, Stornoway 12.7 h.)
The E'ly flow extended into Scotland on the 3rd as the high centre migrated N'wards. The day started with widespread air and ground frosts and then continued with prolonged spells of sunshine in most areas. Exceptions to this were coastal areas adjacent to the North Sea in E and NE Scotland. In the afternoon cloud and rain spread into the Channel Islands and Kent and then further NW'wards as a trough moved across the area. There were reports of hail on Guernsey in the evening and some light snow in Surrey and the Channel Islands before midnight. (Valentia and Crosby 10.6C, Wych Cross 1.9C maximum, Sennybridge -7.6C minimum, Goudhurst 1.2 mm, Tiree 12.4 h.)
As the surface flow across the British Isles turned NE'ly on the 4th falls of light rain continued to affect parts of E Britain. Air and ground frost were again widespread by dawn with some light snow overnight in Cent Scotland and the Channel Islands. NW of a line Hull-Cardiff most places had a sunny day - to the SE of the line troughs led to a cloudy day with falls of light snow in places as far N as Suffolk , Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. Temperatures failed to reach 3C in some places in this area. (Helens Bay 10.5C, Wych Cross 1.2C maximum, Tyndrum -6.3C minimum, Lentran 3.8 mm, Stornoway 12.1 h.)
Light rain, and some light snow, fell overnight in the SE corner of England into the 5th; elsewhere there was a widespread air frost with grass minimum temperatures falling to -10C in places. Light rain also fell overnight in NE England and SE Scotland - and this turned to sleet and snow over some high ground here. Outbreaks of snow or sleet were reported from the Channel Islands throughout the day while Lerwick was reporting sleet at 1500 GMT as a cold front spread S'wards there. Further falls of snow and sleet occurred in the Northern Isles during the evening with rain in N Scotland. SW Scotland and NE Ireland had a mainly sunny day and, except in Cent S and SE England where it was cloudy with some light rain at times, most places then had sunny periods during the day. (Achnagart 11.5C, Wych Cross 3.4C maximum, Castlederg -5.9C minimum, Herstmonceux 4.2 mm, Tiree 12.9 h.)
A cold front across N Scotland was rather slow-moving during the 6th but did give some light falls of rain and snow in the Northern Isles overnight. Elsewhere, air frost and a sharp ground frost were widespread. During the day rain and later snow, as the temperatures into the evening, fell across N and Cent Scotland. With high pressure centred at 1026 mb in SE England at 2400 GMT most places to the S of the front had a dry and sunny day. (Lee-on-Solent 12.0C, Altnaharra 3.4C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -8.5C minimum, Stornoway 4.0 mm, Rostherne 12.6 h.)
A slow-moving front across Cent Scotland continued to gives falls of rain and snow to much of N and Cent Scotland during the 7th, with some hail observed on the Northern Isles. An overnight air frost was widespread away from S and W Ireland - here it was rather cloudy throughout the day with frontal rain moving NE'wards into the area in the afternoon. During the late afternoon and evening this frontal rain also affected Scilly and Cornwall. In SW Scotland and across much of England there were sunny periods during the day. (Santon Downham 11.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 1.3C maximum, South Newington -7.5C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 9.6 mm, Kirkwall 12.0 h.)
Cent parts of England and many areas of Scotland had an air frost early on the 8th while in S Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands there was some rain before dawn. Some rain and snow also fell overnight in Cent Scotland with rain in N England turning to sleet and snow over high ground here. Rain, snow and some hail continued across mainly Cent and E areas of Scotland during the day with cloudy skies and further, mainly light, rain, in S parts of Britain and Ireland. (Whitechurch 11.8C, Fylingdales 2.5C maximum, Kinbrace -9.6C minimum, Culdrose 5.4 mm, Tiree 11.1.h.)
Frontal cloud persisted across N Scotland and S parts of Ireland and Britain for much of the 9th. Overnight air frost was mainly confined to Scotland and N England while in S areas the frontal cloud produced some moderately heavy falls of rain, especially in SW England. E Scotland had some light rain and snow overnight, which tended to turn to rain as the day progressed. A few areas of high ground in SE and Cent S England had some light snow or sleet during the morning - during the day the rain in the S tended to dissipate although it remained cloudy. SW Scotland had the best of the sunshine with long sunny spells here. Elsewhere there were sunny periods after a hazy start to the morning. (St Helier 12.7C, Spadeadam 3.1C maximum, Aviemore -6.4C minimum, Isles of Scilly 17.8 mm, Tiree 13.1 h.)
There were some reports of snowfall across Cent Scotland before dawn on the 10th, with NW England and W and Cent areas of Scotland having an air frost. Rain fell across the extreme S of England and in S Ireland and the Channel Islands before dawn - but by 0600 GMT there was widespread mist and fog, thick in places, S of a line London-Bristol. The fog cleared and then a small area of low pressure moved E'wards into the English Channel, pushing an area of rain N'wards to Cent Ireland, the Midlands and into East Anglia by midnight. Lighter rain also fell across Scotland, albeit mainly in E areas with W Scotland having a very sunny day. (Cambridge NIAB 13.0C, Inverbervie 4.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -6.2C minimum, Shoreham 12.4 mm, Stornoway 12.5 h.)
Overnight rain in S areas pushed steadily into N England and N Ireland by dawn on the 11th. Ground frost was largely confined to Scotland and N England with just a touch of air frost in some parts of Scotland as rain and drizzle affected NE Scotland. During the day a new area of low pressure edged towards Cornwall with MSL pressure down to about 991 mb here by midnight. Away from the overnight rain and drizzle there was widespread mist and haze around dawn, turning to fog in places. During the day rain occurred widely across Ireland, Wales, and W parts of England and Scotland with thunderstorms in the Dublin area around 1800 GMT. The best of any sunshine was generally to be found in S areas once the early rain had moved away. (Jersey Airport and St Helier 14.1C, Fylingdales 2.9C maximum, Drumnadrochit -3.1C minimum, Chivenor 18.8 mm, Stornoway 7.6 h.)
A low pressure centred moved E'wards across England on the 12th, giving a spell of rain or drizzle in many areas. N and Cent Scotland had an overnight air frost with some of the sunniest conditions being found here during the day. As the rain area moved E it brightened up from the W - with a sunny day following in W Ireland. (Myerscough 13.7C, Loftus 4.1C maximum, Altnaharra -3.3C minimum, Northampton Moulton Park 14.6 mm, Kinloss 11.8 h.)
Air frost on the 13th was mostly confined to N Scotland and to parts of N Ireland. By dawn an area of frontal rain had begun to affect S Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands but elsewhere early mist and fog patches were the main features of the morning's weather. This frontal rain made steady progress NE'wards into the Midlands and N Ireland by midday - later affecting much of Scotland - and introducing a warm sector to most areas. Parts of East Anglia and NE England had a mild afternoon - and in the evening a following cold front began to cross W Ireland. Ahead of the rain it was the Northern Isles and NE Scotland that had the sunniest conditions during the day. (Weybourne 16.3C, Inverbervie 5.7C maximum, Altnaharra -7.9C minimum, Swanage 17.4 mm, Kirkwall 10.5 h.)
With most areas under a warm sector there was no air frost at low levels overnight into the 14th. Overnight minima remained above 10-11C over much of England and Wales while the following cold front brought some heavy rain overnight in W Scotland and W Ireland. The rain diminished as the front moved across E England while a further front gave more rain and showers in W parts of Scotland and Ireland in the evening. It was a very mild day in E England and most places had some sunny intervals ahead of, or behind, the cold front. (Gravesend 22.0C, Dundrennan 9.1C maximum, Lerwick 4.9C minimum, Cluanie Inn 54.0 mm, Wattisham 7.9 h.)
Fresh to strong SW'ly winds affected most areas on the 15th while towards midnight winds increased in strength in W areas as pressure fell there ahead of low centre just off W Ireland. Overnight minimum temperatures were mainly in the range 7-10C under cloudy skies that gave some rain across Ireland and in W Britain and cent Scotland before dawn. Spells of rain continued to affect these areas during the day with little affect from fronts in E areas. The sunniest, and warmest conditions, were consequently to be found in E England and E Scotland. (Donna Nook 18.8C, Eskdalemuir 9.2C maximum, Dalwhinnie 5.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 30.6 mm, Dyce 12.0 h.)
On the 16th an area of low pressure moved quickly from W Ireland towards W Norway - the early hours were mild and rather cloudy with widespread rain across Ireland and W Britain at times but with only light falls in E areas. As the rain moved away NE'wards it turned bright and sunny in S areas - although much of Scotland had rain, some of it heavy in places, during the day. (Coningsby 18.0C, Dalwhinnie 8.1C maximum, Cassley 4.8C minimum, Cluanie Inn 64.6 mm, Valley 12.0 h.)
The 17th was an unsettled day with low pressure to the W of the British Isles (MSL pressure down to about 980 mb on the Western Isles at 2400 GMT) pushing a warm sector rapidly NE'wards across E areas of Britain and giving windy conditions in N Britain and across Ireland. Many parts of Scotland and N areas of Ireland and Britain had a touch of ground frost before dawn and there was some heavy rainfall overnight in Ireland and W Scotland with 23 mm falling in the 12 hours to 0600 GMT at Valentia. During the day falls continued across Ireland were also widespread in Scotland and in N areas of England and Wales; Cent S and SE of England had some sunny intervals - as did W Ireland once the main rain area had passed. (East Malling 19.4C, Cassley 6.9C maximum, Redesdale Camp -1.1C minimum, Lusa 52.0 mm, Odiham 4.1 h.)
The morning of the 18th was windy across Scotland and N Ireland as a low centres headed NE'wards to the N of Scotland. Overnight rain was widespread across Ireland and Scotland in particular with some heavy falls in places. There was some rain in S and E areas of England during the day but the main rain areas moved NE'wards with the low - although bands of rain and drizzle continued to affect many areas during the day as a NW'ly flow developed ahead of rising pressure (MSL pressure was about 1026 mb in SW Ireland by midnight). Except in N Scotland most places had some sunny spells during the day - with the highest temperatures again to be found in E England. (Cambridge NIAB 16.1C, Cluanie Inn 7.1C maximum, Kinbrace 4.1C minimum, Eskdalemuir 32.0 mm, Herstmonceux 10.9 h.)
The 19th began with a NW'ly flow in most areas although during the day pressure rose from the SW - MSL pressure being centred close to Scilly (1034 mb) and off Lincolnshire (1034 mb) by 2400 GMT. Much of Scotland and N Ireland had a ground frost and troughs in the NW'ly flow brought some rain and showers to N and E areas in particular at first (Wattisham reported a hail showers during late morning). During the afternoon rainfall was mostly confined to NE and E England. Many areas saw in excess of 10 h of sunshine during the day. (Lee-on-Solent 15.6C, Baltasound 7.0C maximum, Tyndrum -0.7C minimum, Capel Curig 8.4 mm, Prestwick 13.2 h.)
High pressure meant a mainly settled day in most areas on the 20th - but it was a transient feature and as it rapidly moved away to the NE a cold front pushed into W parts of Scotland and Ireland in the afternoon and evening. Cent and S England had some mist and fog patches around dawn; air frost was widespread across England with ground frost being widespread away from W areas of Scotland and Ireland. Although Ireland and W Scotland had a rather cloudy day, much of England and Wales enjoyed in excess of 10 h of bright sunshine during the day. (Myerscough 16.3C, Manston 8.9C maximum, Santon Downham -4.5C minimum, Harris Quidnish 10.0 mm, Wattisham 13.7 h.)
Rainfall was widespread in Ireland and W Scotland overnight into the 21st while under clearer skies much of S, cent and E England had an air frost. By the evening most places W of a line Dorchester-Aberdeen had seen some rain from a cold front but this front then tended to dissipate and rainfall amounts in the evening were low across E England. East Anglia, Lincolnshire and SE England had the warmest conditions - but most places had some sunshine, either ahead of or to the rear of the front. (Holbeach 15.5C, Sennybridge 7.3C maximum, Santon Downham -4.2C minimum, Achnagart 27.0 mm, Manston 11.3 h.)
Some E and Cent areas had a ground frost on the 22nd under clear skies - and mist formed across much of E and Cent England by dawn. Further W there was frontal cloud and this gave rain across Ireland and W Scotland by dawn. The front crossed most areas during the day but falls further E were generally light; some moderately heavy rain fell due to a trough across parts of N and NW Scotland and across N Scotland rainfall was rather more prolonged during the day. (Murlough 16.9C, Fair Isle 8.8C maximum, Aboyne -2.1C minimum, Baltasound 9.4 mm, St Helier h.)
A brisk W'ly flow affected Scotland during the 23rd and leading to spells of rain and showers; the showers turned to hail across the Northern Isles in the morning and afternoon. In S England and parts of Ireland there were a few falls of light rain and drizzle overnight - with mist and fog forming in S England by dawn. This mist and fog soon cleared and, except in parts of SW England, the day was most dry with long sunny spells. E England also had a sunny day under the influence of high pressure; in other areas the day gave a mixture of sunshine and cloud. It was a warm afternoon in East Anglia and SE England. (East Malling 21.3 C, Fair Isle 8.0C maximum, Usk No.2 2.7C minimum, Cluanie Inn 7.4 mm, Filton 13.4 h.)
With high pressure centred to the S of the British Isles on the 24th and a developing front in N areas, there was widespread rainfall across W and N Ireland, Scotland and N areas of England and Wales before dawn - while mist and fog, thick in places, formed in S England and the Channel Islands. The fog cleared, slowly in the Channel Islands, and then reformed in the evening. Flights to and from Guernsey and Alderney Airports were delayed or cancelled because of fog and low cloud across the islands. The rain moved S'wards overnight and during the day affected mostly Ireland, Wales and N and some Cent areas of England - but falls here were mainly light. Scotland had sunny spells once the frontal cloud had cleared but elsewhere it tended to be rather a dull day apart for a few places close to the E coast of England. It was a warm day in E England away from any foggy coasts and onshore breezes. (Norwich Airport 21.4C, Fair Isle 8.1C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 2.5C minimum, Dunstaffnage 16.4 mm, Kirkwall 9.1 h.)
A front lay across Cent and S England and Ireland during the 25th; overnight a wave feature formed on the front and led to some heavy rain across Ireland with rainfall also in N England and later S Scotland. At Gurteen 14 mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT. Mist and fog was widespread across Wales and most other areas of England and Wales by dawn and was slow to clear in parts of the Channel Islands. The fog again disrupted flights in and out of Guernsey and Alderney; no flights departed or arrived until 1100 GMT. During the day the rain areas pushed SE'wards to affect much of Wales, SW and Cent areas of England by late evening. Another area of rain gave falls to parts of Scotland. The best of the sunshine was to be found behind the rain areas in SW Scotland or in SE England - with East Anglia and SE England having a warm afternoon. (St James Park 23.0C, Dalwhinnie 7.5C maximum, Kinbrace 1.1C minimum, Murlough 11.2 mm, Manston 10.9 h.)
A N to NW'ly flow developed across all areas on the 26th. A cold front moved SE'wards across the S and E areas of England overnight and into the morning giving a spell of rain to most places SE of a line Hull-Cardiff before midday. There was also rainfall across N Ireland and W Scotland before dawn - and this then spread to affect much of Ireland, Scotland and parts of N England by the evening. Parts of E Scotland and NE England had a slight air frost overnight and, although it was a sunny day away from the rain areas in the N, maximum temperatures in E England were 6-10 degC colder than o the previous day after the cold front had cleared. In parts of Scotland and N England the rain was accompanied by hail or snow - with some hail as far S as N Norfolk later. (St James Park 13.7C, Altnahinch Filters 5.6C maximum, Aboyne -2.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 11.6 mm, Bude 11.1 h.)
MSL pressure (1024 mb in W Ireland at 0000 GMT) slowly decreased on the 27th ahead of an approaching frontal system. Many areas of E Scotland, England and Wales had some light overnight rain with falls being heaviest across Wales and in E Scotland. A few places in N England also had a touch of air frost. The rain moved S'wards across Cent and S England during the day, with falls of hail in a few places, while rain spread across Scotland and N Ireland in the later afternoon and evening. In between the two rain areas many places had long, sunny spells. (Killowen 12.9C, Fylingdales 6.0C maximum, Shap -2.3C minimum, Milford Haven 7.0 mm, Prestwick 11.8 h.)
A warm and cold front gradually became occluded on the 28th as it passed SE'wards across the British Isles. It gave moderately heavy falls of rain in Scotland and N Ireland overnight but the intensity decreased as the rain spread across Cent and SE England later. Ahead of the rain there was an air frost in many areas of Wales, the Midlands, Cent S and SE England and East Anglia - along with some mist and fog - before dawn. As the frontal cloud spread SE'wards it meant that only the extreme SE of England and the Channel Islands had long spells of sunshine; behind the front there were falls of hail and snow/sleet across N Scotland close to a low centre (MSL pressure 990.1 mb at Baltasound at 2400 GMT). (Gringley On The Hill 14.9C, Dalwhinnie 6.4C maximum, Santon Downham -3.9C minimum, Cluanie Inn 15.6 mm, Herstmonceux 12.2 h.)
Pressure gradually rose during the 29th with Valentia reporting MSL pressure of 1028.2 mb at 2400 GMT. Frontal rain cleared SE England around dawn and much of England, Wales and S Ireland then had a dry day. Scotland and N Ireland had falls overnight and during the day as the winds here gradually decreased in strength. But most places had long sunny spells during the day, including the rain areas where many falls were showery in nature. (Writtle 15.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.4C maximum, Baltasound -0.8C minimum, Cluanie Inn 31.6 mm, Boulmer 13.5 h.)
There was some light rain in Scotland during the morning of the 30th, with some snow and hail showers across the Northern Isles before midday. Further rain fell across W Scotland later in the day but amounts were generally slight. Most inland areas had a ground frost to start the day, with sheltered places as far S as Hampshire reporting a slight air frost. E and S Scotland and most of England and Wales had a very sunny day - and even W and N Scotland had sunny intervals. (Lee-on-Solent 17.1C, Lerwick 6.6C maximum, Katesbridge -2.9C minimum, Stornoway 5.6 mm, Morecambe 14.2 h.)
High pressure continued to dominate condition in the S on the 2nd. Across Cent S and Wales, in particular, there was a widespread air frost - while ground frost was widespread in most regions. Rain spread from Ireland into Scotland during the day, and both these regions were rather cloudy as a result. In the evening the rain turned to snow in N Scotland and the Northern Isles. Most of England and Wales had a very sunny day - with the exception of the extreme SE of England. Relative humidity dropped to very low levels to the N and W of London in the afternoon, reaching 14% at Reading and with values of 25-35% being widespread in Cent S England and East Anglia. (Lee-on-Solent 19.7C, Harris Quidnish 4.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -4.8C minimum, Harris Quidnish 40.4 mm, Wattisham 14.4 h.)
An area of low pressure close to N Scotland during the 3rd led to a windy and wet day across Scotland, with widespread rain and Scotland and in N areas of Ireland, which only began to clear from N and W Scotland in the afternoon. Early in the morning and into the evening the rain turned to sleet and snow in colder conditions in N Scotland. Under clearer skies across England and Wales there was a widespread ground frost by dawn - with much of this area then having a very sunny day. In W Ireland the morning dawned mild - the overnight minimum temperature at Valentia was 10.2C - but the day was rather dull across most of Ireland. During the day the rain spread into SE Ireland, Wales and N England with advancing cloud reaching SE England in the evening. (St James Park 20.8C, Cluanie Inn 4.5C maximum, Santon Downham -2.6C minimum, Tyndrum 47.2 mm, Wattisham 13.9 h.)
Overnight into the 4th rain fell across E and S parts of Scotland and Ireland before affecting N and Cent England and Wales. As the rain moved SE'wards it weakened - with falls in SE England by 0900 GMT. The night was a cool one across N and W Scotland and in NW Ireland with a touch of air frost in places. Further rain followed into N Scotland by mid-morning and soon spread into Cent and E areas of Scotland. Later in the day some mist and drizzle affected Cent and S areas of Ireland - but after any early rain much of England and Wales had a dry day with sunny periods. In the evening some sleet was reported in the Northern Isles. (Cambridge NIAB 18.3C, Lerwick 7.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -1.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 13.6 mm, Bude 9.1 h.)
Overnight rain into the 5th was mostly confined to W and N parts of Ireland and to W Scotland. Clearer skies led to some ground frost in Cent and E parts of England but in S Ireland grass minimum temperatures were as high as 10-11C - with air minima slightly higher. During the day the rain made little progress E'wards, with falls in the W remaining generally light, as high pressure persisted across SE England. However, sunshine amounts were quite variable in the SE although temperatures did reach 18-20C across much of Cent and E England - and in parts of E Scotland. (Fyvie Castle 20.9C, St Bees Head 9.7C maximum, South Newington 0.5C minimum, Achnagart 10.6 mm, Manston 13.4 h.)
Rain continued to affect W areas of Scotland and Ireland overnight into the 6th with minimum temperatures around 10C in W Ireland. Sheltered areas of S Wales, SW, Cent S, Cent and NE England had a slight ground frost under clearer skies. Mist and fog was widespread around dawn in much of S England with the fog being thick in places. Rain continued to affect NW Ireland and W and N Scotland during the day but across most of England and Wales it was a sunny day with most areas having over 10 h of bright sunshine. Maximum temperatures reached 20-22C in the Home Counties and in parts of E England - but were close to 14C in S Ireland and on Scilly. The rain largely cleared from Ireland in the evening and it turned misty here. (St James Park 22.2C, Fair Isle 9.0C maximum, South Newington 1.0C minimum, Achnagart 29.8 mm, Leconfield 14.3 h.)
Rainfall overnight into the 7th was mainly across W and N Scotland and was frontal in nature. Further S, under light winds, there were some mist and fog patches in places by dawn with a touch of ground frost in parts of W and N England and in S and E Scotland. Most places had a dry, sunny and warm day (with temperatures widely around 20C except in NE Scotland) although rain affected W Ireland by midday and then slowly spread E'wards to SW England and S Wales by late evening. (Crosby 23.7C, Fair Isle 8.3C maximum, Eskdalemuir -0.8C minimum, Cassley 3.4 mm, Boulmer 14.1 h.)
An area of low pressure centred close to W Ireland for much of the day pushed areas of frontal rain N'wards and E'wards across most areas on the 8th. It was wet overnights across much of S Ireland (24 mm of rain fell at Cork Airport in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT) and this rain affected places SW of a line Sussex-Belfast by dawn. Cloud cover meant a generally mild night - but across Cent and S Ireland temperatures did not rise much during the day. During the day the rainfall was intermittent and patchy across England and Wales with some sunny intervals - but much of Scotland (except the extreme N) had a cloudy day with some rain. Some of the rain turned showery and thundery in E Ireland later in the day. (Norwich Airport 20.8C, Inverbervie 9.2C maximum, Ravensworth 2.6C minimum, Killowen 12.8 mm, Lerwick 10.9 h.)
The 9th was an unsettled day as the low centre crossed N Ireland and S Scotland during the day, giving spells of rain - heavy in places at times - to most areas. Parts of E England, East Anglia and SE England remained largely dry until later in the afternoon, and the best of the sunshine during the day was to be found here and across N Scotland. (Weybourne 17.1C, Blencathra 8.1C maximum, Aboyne 0.5C minimum, Banagher Caugh Hill 28.8 mm, Kirkwall 13.6 h.)
Although pressure rose slightly during the day, the 10th was still rather unsettled due to the presence of a couple of frontal systems. While parts of N and Cent Scotland had a slight air frost around dawn, S Scotland along with N Ireland, N England and much of Wales had rain overnight - and this rain also spread into parts of Cent England. Most places had rain or showers during the day - but also short spells of sunshine. (Holbeach 18.5C, Fair Isle 8.7C maximum, Altnaharra -2.4C minimum, Okehampton 13.6 mm, Cork Airport 8.0 h.)
Low pressure close to N Scotland during the 11th meant another unsettled day across the British Isles. Overnight there were falls of rain across Ireland and Scotland - and also across S England and East Anglia. During the day most areas had further outbreaks of rain or showers - but these falls tended to die away from midday onwards from the SW, with S and Cent Ireland having a sunny afternoon. (Manston 16.1C, Salsburgh 7.8C maximum, Topcliffe 2.3C minimum, Kinloss 17.6 mm, Connaught Airport 8.8 h.)
During the 12th a warm sector crossed much of the British Isles from the W, lingering E and Se areas of England by midnight. There was some rain across England and Wales during the early hours while by dawn the warm front was giving rain across W Ireland. This latter area of rain spread E during the day, tending to diminish in intensity as it did so. The best of any sunshine was to be found in E Britain ahead of the frontal cloud, while the highest temperatures were to be found in parts of East Anglia and SE England ahead of the clearance of the warm sector here in the evening. (St James Park 16.2C, Dalwhinnie 8.3C maximum, Aboyne 0.3C minimum, Stonyhurst 16.2 mm, Herstmonceux 7.9 h.)
An area of low pressure close to N Scotland on the 13th (MSL pressure down to 987.7 mb at 1800 GMT) led to a blustery, W'ly day across most areas. Most areas had showers or outbreaks of rain at times after some Cent areas of Scotland had a slight air frost. However, in most areas outside N Scotland, especially towards the E, falls were slight and all areas saw some sunshine. There was some slight snow reported in N Scotland in the early hours, with some hail showers during the day in parts of Ireland and England. (Heathrow 15.8C, Dalwhinnie 6.3C maximum, Aboyne -0.6C minimum, Cassley 50.8 mm, Boulmer 12.4 h.)
With as many as three low pressures over waters of the British Isles at 1200 GMT on the 14th, the day was rather unsettled. Overnight rain was largely confined to W and N Scotland, where there were some heavy falls in places. Parts of Cent England had an early ground frost - but during the day rain became widespread (heavy in places) over England and wales, with further falls across Ireland and W Scotland. Much of Scotland had sunny spells during the day while towards midnight some snow and sleet was reported in parts of the NW Midlands and Devon. (Helens Bay 14.9C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 5.7C maximum, Keele 1.1C minimum, Pembrey Sands 47.2 mm, Tiree 11.1 h.)
An area of low pressure moved N'wards through E Britain on the 15th. Overnight and into the early hours rain was widespread across England and Wales, with heavy falls in places. Snow fell in parts of Devon with gusts up to 65 mph in coastal areas of SW England overnight with a number of trees coming down leading to blocked roads. Western Power Distribution said some homes in Cornwall were without power after thousands were cut off overnight. 5 cm of snow also fell in Shropshire and people were warned to prepare for flooding. There was also early rain in N Scotland with an air frost in parts of S and E Scotland. During the day the rain and showers became more widespread but generally lighter, with most places having some sunshine. Skies tended to clear in the evening across much of England and Wales. (Hurn 15.1C, Okehampton 7.5C maximum, Saughall -1.6C minimum, Hawarden 39.4 mm, Valley 9.4 h.)
Winds were mainly light during the 16th as they shifted from W'ly to E'ly during the day. There was a widespread air frost to start the day with some places reporting a ground frost in E areas of Scotland. Overnight rainfall was mainly confined to W areas of Scotland and Ireland while fog patches formed by dawn in parts of Cent S England. Outbreaks of rain spread further E'wards during the day associated with troughlines - although the greatest rainfall totals continued to be on W-facing coastlines; thunderstorms were reported at Waddington and Northolt in the late afternoon. In between the spells of rain there were sunny spells everywhere. (Northolt 17.0C, North Wyke 9.3C maximum, Aboyne -2.7C minimum, Mona 27.0 mm, Kirkwall 14.8 h.)
The surface flow was generally from a N'ly through E'ly direction on the 17th with a warm front pushed onshore over NE Britain to give a cloudy day in many E areas. Early mist and a few fog patches were widespread across England and Wales around dawn with parts of Cent Scotland and E Ireland having an early air frost. NE Scotland and then E areas of Scotland and England had some light frontal rain and drizzle and daytime temperatures remained below 10C in places here. Parts of Ireland and SW areas of England and Wales had some heavy falls of rain during the day; these were thundery in places. (Glasgow 17.6C, Lerwick 8.1C maximum, Braemar -2.4C minimum, Milford Haven 13.8 mm, Tiree 14.9 h.)
Overnight rain affected N England and S Scotland with some heavy falls in places; there were also some falls in NE Scotland while across S England rather misty conditions developed by dawn on the 18th. Parts of the Midlands had a touch of ground frost under clear skies. The mist in the S soon cleared to give a very sunny day in some places here, and in S Ireland. Elsewhere it was a cloudy day with the rain persisting and turning heavy across N England, N and NW Ireland, E and S Scotland. Flooding forced the closure of some roads across NE England; diversions were put in place on some routes in County Durham, Teesside and Tyne and Wear as the Environment Agency issued a number of flood alerts and flood warnings for the region. (Hurn 17.7C, Aviemore 7.6C maximum, Swyddffynnon 1.6C minimum, Carlisle 49.0 mm, Camborne 13.1 h.)
Although it remained cloudy across Scotland, N England and N and W Ireland into (and throughout) the 19th the rain did ease off overnight as it moved N'wards. Much of E Scotland and E England was misty by dawn - as was N Ireland - and then remained cloudy during the day. Some rain affected parts of S and E England later in the day, and also fell on the Channel Islands. It was a remarkably cold day in the Channel Islands with maximum temperatures there around 10-11C. (Altnaharra 22.5C, Lerwick 10.0C maximum, Santon Downham 1.4C minimum, Braemar 7.2 mm, Aberporth 14.5 h.)
A N'ly flow persisted throughout the 20th across the British Isles although most places had a dry day despite the presence of weak fronts that gave some (mainly light) rain or drizzle from time to time. It was generally a rather misty/hazy day in many areas with the warmest conditions being found in parts of Cent Scotland. A thunderstorm occurred on Fairr Isle in the evening. (Strathallan 22.3C, Fair Isle 8.5C maximum, Whitechurch 3.2C minimum, Redesdale Camp 9.8 mm, Glasgow 10.1.h.)
A cool, N'ly flow persisted throughout the 21st across the British Isles. Some early rain across N England moved S'wards and gradually dissipated as it did so. Although there was some frontal rain during the day amounts were small and many places remained dry; in the evening another area of rain affected NW Scotland as the result of a trough. S parts of both Scotland and Ireland had a sunny day but elsewhere it was rather on the dull side. (Llysdinam 18.3C, Loftus 8.7C maximum, Leuchars 5.6C minimum, Albemarle 11.8 mm, Glasgow 11.8 h.)
The 22nd was a mainly dry day in a continuing N'ly flow - although there was some rain across N Scotland during the day. Most places saw some sunny spells - while light rain also affected parts of N England, N Ireland and Wales in the evening. MSLP pressure rose to 1027 mb at 2400 GMT at Valentia. (Lee-on-Solent 17.8C, Fair Isle 8.1C maximum, Fylingdales 1.8C minimum, Cassley 11.8 mm, Leuchars 11.4 h.)
A N'ly flow continued to persist on the 23rd. Troughs gave some spells of rain in places, while an area of low pressure that moved from S Norway towards E Scotland by 2400 GMT brought spiralling areas of rain to E areas. It was a cool day generally with maximum temperatures below 10C as far S as Essex and the best of the sunshine to be found in S Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands. Showers turned thundery in parts of Lincolnshire and fell as sleet in parts of N Scotland and as hail in places as far S as London and Somerset. The Met Office warned walkers and climbers to expect wintry conditions in Scotland's hills and mountains over the next few days. It said bitterly cold and strong northerly winds and snow would "present some very challenging conditions". Police said the A939 stretches between the Lecht Ski Centre and both Corgarff and Tomintoul were closed by snow. (Lee-on-Solent 13.7C, Braemar 4.1C maximum, Spadeadam -0.5C minimum, Resallach 12.8 mm, Cork Airport 14.6 h.)
As the low drifted S'wards close to E Britain during the 24th, so too did the spirals of rain. Rainfall affected many areas overnight but during the day the heaviest falls were mostly confined to E and Cent areas of England. Further W it was a generally sunny day - but it was a cold day in all areas. The rain had largely died out by midnight. (West Freugh 15.7C, Fylingdales 6.6C maximum, Otterbourne Water Works 1.9C minimum, Cromer 20.4 mm, Aldergrove 13.3 h.)
A ridge of high pressure developed from the SW on the 25th (MSL pressure up to 1024 mb over the Scilly Isles at 2400 GMT). After a cold start - there was widespread ground frost in Scotland, E Ireland, NW England and Wales and an air frost in N and cent Scotland - it was a sunny day with more than 14 h of sunshine in many places from Orkney to the N Midlands. The exception to this were places in W Ireland the Western Isles where cloud led to rain and drizzle in the morning that spread into W Scotland and cent Ireland in the evening. (Aboyne 20.1C, Cromer 9.8C maximum, Spadeadam -2.3C minimum, East Malling 5.4 mm, Morecambe 15.9 h.)
The 26th dawned with cloudy skies and a little rain and drizzle in W parts of Ireland and Scotland - but with a widespread ground frost in E Scotland and across England and Wales. After fading in the morning, the rain in the W pepped up in the afternoon as a trough and frontal system began to cross W areas. Elsewhere it was a dry day with long sunny spells in England and Wales in particular. (Leeming 20.1C, Fair Isle 10.3C maximum, Swyddffynnon -1.5C minimum, Glenanne 4.2 mm, Bude 14.9 h.)
Frontal systems associated with low pressure to the W of Ireland crossed W areas on the 27th. Cent and N parts of England had a ground frost in places by dawn with much of Ireland and W Scotland having rainfall (some heavy) in the hours before dawn. During the day this rain, which continued to be heavy in places, spread into E Scotland, Wales and SW England by midday - although E England had a sunny day and it turned sunny across Ireland once the rain cleared from the W in the afternoon. By midnight rain was falling in parts of NE and SE England. (Weybourne 19.1C, Lake Vyrnwy 8.4C maximum, South Newington -0.1C minimum, Threave 33.8 mm, Manston 14.7 h.)
Low pressure over S Britain, and the presence of fronts, led to an unsettled day on the 28th. England and Wales were affected by rain overnight with further heavy falls in S Scotland and lesser falls in W Ireland. Rain then continued to affect these areas during the day with the heaviest falls tending to be across parts of Wales, the SW Midlands and Cent S England. N and W Scotland, and SW Ireland, had the best of the sunshine - skies were rather cloudy over other areas of Scotland while much of England and Wales was generally sunless. (Houghton Hall 18.0C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 8.4C maximum, Katesbridge 0.7C minimum, Pennerley 28.0 mm, Lerwick 16.1 h.)
Cent and N Scotland had a ground frost on the 29th; elsewhere it was rather cloudy overnight due to frontal activity. Much of England had a wet day after some heavy falls across E Ireland and Wales overnight. At Carlton-in-Cleveland the rainfall in the 24 hours from 0900 GMT of 34.8mm was by far the largest total on any May day here, beating the previous record, set only 12 days ago, of 26.2mm on the 17th. It was a dull day in E England and mainland E areas of Scotland - but a sunny day across Ireland and W Scotland. (Achnagart 21.6C, Loftus 8.1C maximum, Altnaharra -0.9C minimum, Camborne 17.2 mm, Tiree 16.2 h.)
Frontal cloud gave some rain overnight into the 30th from NE England S'wards, although the heaviest falls tended to be in NE England. The rain quickly died down during the morning and during the day was largely confined to parts of the Midlands and Cent S England. However, it remained cloudy across much of England, except in the SW, while Ireland and W Scotland had a very sunny day. (Glasgow 21.3C, Loftus 8.3C maximum, Drumnadrochit 3.5C minimum, Loftus 29.8 mm, Tiree 15.7 h.)
The 31st dawned with widespread mist and haze across England, Wales and S Scotland - under a weak ridge of high pressure; there was some fog in parts of E England and E Scotland. By dawn a weak frontal system was giving some light rain and drizzle in W parts or Ireland and in the Western Isles. In E areas there were varying amounts of cloud during the day - but it remained mostly dry. Across Ireland the rain faded (although it remained somewhat cloudy) but in Scotland there was further rain during the day in some Cent and E areas; some of this spread into NE England for a while in the afternoon. (Lee-on-Solent 23.0C, Fair Isle 9.4C maximum, Kinbrace 0.1C minimum, Aboyne 7.2 mm, Morecambe 13.8 h.)
High pressure developed from the SW across all areas on the 2nd, with the MSL pressure rising to 1032.6 mb over SW Ireland by 2400 GMT. There was a little rain overnight in parts of N Scotland and NW Ireland with a widespread ground frost elsewhere across Scotland. NW Ireland and W Scotland in particular had a little rain during the day - elsewhere generally dry and very sunny conditions prevailed. (Lee-on-Solent 19.9C, Fair Isle 11.0C maximum, Saughall 0.5C minimum, Giants Causeway 3.2 mm, Bude 15.0 h.)
MSL pressure reached 1034 mb in places as a high pressure area migrated N'wards across the British Isles on the 3rd. The day was, as a result, a mainly dry one although some light precipitation did affect a few parts of Ireland and W Scotland at times. Across E parts of mainland Scotland and much of England and Wales it was a very sunny day, although W and N Scotland and much of Ireland remained rather cloudy, (Rostherne 21.4C, Harris Quidnish 12.1C maximum, Ravensworth 0.7C minimum, Portglenone 4.8 mm, Boulmer 15.5 h.)
MSL pressure fell during the 4th but still remained high. There was a little ground frost early in the morning in parts of E and Cent England before most areas had a sunny day. There were a few exceptions to this - it was a rather cloudy day in parts of N and W Scotland and in NW Ireland, with a few places remaining overcast all day. Some very light rain and drizzle fell in some of these dull places.(Auchincruive 23.5C, Lerwick 11.4C maximum, Santon Downham 0.1C minimum, Drumnadrochit 0.4 mm, Morecambe 16.1 h.)
Pressure remained generally high on the 5th and most areas remained dry. However, a weak front led to some mist and fog in places close to the coast in NE England and E Scotland around dawn - with a little light rain and drizzle here in places that was to also affect parts of W Scotland later. Falls were very slight although associated cloud did reduce the sunshine totals further to the W. Places in S England, W Wales and Ireland had the best of the day's sunshine. (Castlederg 24.2C, Lerwick 10.5C maximum, Redesdale Camp 2.8C minimum, Strathallan 2.6 mm, Tiree 15.3 h.)
High pressure remained throughout the 6th. Early mist was widespread across England, Wales and Ireland before dawn but this soon cleared. Parts of N and Cent Scotland had a touch of ground frost around dawn and, except in N Scotland where it remained cloudy or overcast, it was a sunny day - especially in some parts of W Scotland. Precipitation amounts were generally small, except for a small area of Northern Ireland. (Lee-on-Solent 25.0C, Fair Isle 11.4C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 0.0C minimum, St Angelo 8.2 mm, Tiree 16.9 h.)
A weak area of high pressure over the British Isles on the 7th gave mostly light winds and a generally dry day. Parts of cent Scotland had a slight ground frost at first while across coastal areas of S England minimum temperatures overnight hovered around 12C. Some inland areas of both the UK and Ireland had early mist and fog patches before dawn while a trough gave some rain and showers across S England during the morning and early afternoon. At Guernsey Airport 15 mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT with thunderstorms reported on the Channel Islands both early and late in the day. On Shetland there was some drizzle at times from a weak front to the N. Away from the rain and associated cloud most places had 12-15 h of bright sunshine. (Porthmadog 24.7C, Fair Isle 10.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 0.1C minimum, Swanage 9.2 mm, Tiree 16.2 h.)
High pressure persisted on the 8th. There was a little mist or fog in some E areas of England around dawn while heavy thundery activity around this time in SW Cornwall gave the day's heaviest rainfall across the British Isles. Otherwise it was a dry day with the exception of some scattered showers across Scotland. Areas close to the E coasts of Scotland and England had rather a dull day - sunless in NE Scotland - while across Ireland and SW Scotland 14-15 h of bright sunshine were widespread. (Derrylin Cornahoule 24.0C, Fair Isle 10.6C maximum, Redesdale Camp 1.8C minimum, Culdrose 20.8 mm, Tiree 16.5 h.)
High pressure continued in the form of a N-S ridge on the 9th but weak fronts to the NE and SW of the British Isles led to rather cloudy skies for many. N England, S Scotland had some mist and fog around dawn while some light rain and drizzle fell overnight in parts of E Scotland. This soon cleared and a mixture of cloud and sunny spells then followed - with the cloudier skies being close to the North Sea. SW Scotland and places bordering the Irish Sea had the best of the sunshine, generally in excess of 15 h during the day. (Magilligan 24.5C, Inverbervie 9.8C maximum, Katesbridge 1.7C minimum, Carterhouse 5.2 mm, Tiree 16.7 h.)
N Scotland had some fog patches by dawn with rather cloudy skies elsewhere in Ireland, England and Wales as frontal cloud led to rainfall in W Ireland by 0600 GMT on the 10th. By midday the rain had spread to Cent Ireland with some drizzle in SW Cornwall - with precipitation falling in W Wales and W Dorset by midnight. 20 mm of rain fell at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. In SW Scotland it was another sunny day while the highest temperatures occurred across N Scotland. (Achnagart 23.4C, Fair Isle 10.5C maximum, South Newington 2.3C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 2.8 mm, Tiree 16.1 h.)
Frontal conditions affected all but Shetland by mid-evening on the 11th. Rain was widespread across Wales, Ireland and SW England overnight - with falls across Ireland and W Scotland during the day. Lesser amounts fell across other areas of England and in E Scotland. With rather cloudy skies as a result of the fronts, it was places around the Moray Firth that had the best of the sunshine today. (Santon Downham 20.8C, Fair Isle 10.8C maximum, Altnaharra 0.0C minimum, Lough Fea 21.4 mm, Kinloss 7.9h.)
MSL pressure was down to 1002 mb near Cork at 0000 GMT on the 12th with a second centre close to Skye at the same time with the same central reading. By 2400 GMT a third centre was present, 1001 mb, over SE Ireland. Combined with the associated frontal systems, this meant an unsettled day with spells of rain and drizzle in all areas although falls in the extreme E of England tended to be slight. The best of any sunshine was to be found across S Scotland and N Ireland. (Weybourne 22.1C, Fair Isle 10.2C maximum, Castlederg 8.9C minimum, South Uist 22.2 mm, Magilligan 9.5 h.)
A weak ridge of high pressure formed for a time on the 13th in between successive frontal systems. Rain fell overnight and into the morning in most areas, although parts of S and Cent Scotland remained mainly dry. During the day much of Scotland and S England remained dry although heavy rain fell in parts of Cent England at times. Later in the afternoon thunderstorms were reported in E England while in between the rain most places had some sunny spells - except for the Northern Isles where the sunshine was restricted due to greater cloud cover. (Bridlington 20.9C, Fair Isle 11.3C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 3.4C minimum, Trawsgoed 15.8 mm, Camborne 11.5 h.) By 2400 GMT on the 14th there was a low pressure centre over Northern Ireland, 994 mb, and during the day this drove fronts across most areas as it approached Ireland. Overnight there was scattered precipitation in W areas of the British Isles - during the day Ireland, Wales and from SW England to NE England. Remaining areas were largely dry with the best of the sunshine being found in NE Scotland and SE England. (Cambridge NIAB 19.9C, Fair Isle 12.7C maximum, Katesbridge 3.2C minimum, Coventry 20.0 mm, Lerwick 11.2 h.)
During the 15th a low pressure centred moved slowly NE'wards across Scotland. Rainfall was widespread overnight except across the Northern Isles where there was thick fog by 0600 GMT. During the day the heaviest falls were in N Ireland and SE Scotland while a slow-moving front gave a line of rain across Cent Ireland, N England and the Midlands. It was a rather dull day across Scotland with E Ireland seeing the best of the sunshine. (Killowen 19.2C, Killylane 9.5C maximum, Lake Vyrnwy 5.5C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 52.0 mm, Dublin Airport 14.0 h.)
From midday onwards on the 16th a mainly E/SE'ly surface became established over the British Isles as a low pressure centre remained located to the SW. Overnight rain fell across N Ireland, S Scotland and N England although this soon cleared towards the E. Early rain over Scilly spread to most of S Ireland, S Wales and S England by midday and then into places S of a line Malin Head - Lowestoft by mid-evening. A little rain, heavy at times, also fell across NE Scotland in places although the sunniest places were to be found in E Scotland today. (Chillingham Barns 20.9C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 11.7C maximum, Fyvie Castle 4.3C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 12.6 mm, Kirkwall 11.6h.)
While most areas continued with a flow from the E/SE on the 17th, in W Scotland a S'ly flow developed later in the day. Overnight rain affected Ireland and extreme W areas of Wales and SW England; at Cork Airport 29 mm fell in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT. During the day rainfall amounts were generally slight with Ireland and areas bordering the Irish Sea the places that had the greatest falls. Later in the afternoon a thunderstorm occurred over Jersey but only gave 3 mm of rain at the airport. Even where it remained dry it was rather cloudy and only in W Scotland and around Fife were there long sunny spells. (Lee-on-Solent 22.7C, Fair Isle 12.5C maximum, Santon Downham 4.5C minimum, Bude 5.2 mm, Stornoway 14.9 h.)
Rainfall in the early hours of the 18th was mostly confined to SW England with mist or hazy conditions elsewhere - these led to a few fog patches in N England, E Scotland and Cent Ireland. The rain gave way to mist and fog during the day in the SW, while N and NE Scotland saw the largest rainfall totals during the day. With weak fronts straddling the British Isles most places remained rather cloudy and few had long sunny periods. (Rostherne 23.9C, Fair Isle 10.6C maximum, Aboyne 3.8C minimum, Lerwick 6.2 mm, Morecambe 10.2 h.)
S and Cent parts of England and wales dawned rather misty/hazy on the 19th with some light rain in E England. It was a mild night in E and Cent England with minimum temperatures around 13-15C and it then turned very warm in the SE later with temperatures of 25-26C here. There was some light rain in W and N Scotland overnight that continued into the day. An onshore flow led to rather cloudy skies in most E areas of the UK, including SE England and the best of the sunshine was mostly to be found across Ireland and in parts of SW England. (Herstmonceux 26.4C, Fair Isle 13.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 5.7C minimum, Kinlochewe 3.4 mm, Bude 14.3 h.)
The 20th was a generally cloudy day due to the presence of several fronts over the British Isles although rainfall amounts were mostly on the low side. There was a misty/hazy start to the day across much of S and Cent England and Wales, with some rain and drizzle in places. N Scotland also had an area of light rain which then lingered for most of the day. Exceptions to the mostly light falls were some heavy spells of rain in Cornwall, S Wales and Lincolnshire during the day. Mist and haze reformed widely over England and Wales in the evening. (Carlisle 22.6C, Harris Quidnish 12.3C maximum, Redesdale Camp 3.1C minimum, Normanby Hall 18.4 mm, Boulmer 8.5 h.)
Low pressure approached W Ireland during the day and by 2400 GMT on the 21st the dominant winds were cyclonic SW'ly in all areas. The day followed a mild night with minimum temperatures widely in the range 11-12C; overnight rain fell largely across N England and S Scotland with small falls in N Scotland and SW England. Another area of frontal rain affected W Ireland in the evening - 8 mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT at Valentia. Although it was a rather cloudy day, most places did manage to get some sunny intervals. (Heathrow 23.7C, Fair Isle 12.2C maximum, Libanus 9.1C minimum, Scarborough 13.2 mm, Filton 8.6.h)
On the22nd an area of low pressure moved across Scotland - giving spells of rain to all areas during the day. By 2400 GMT the low was centred close to NE Scotland at 993 mb. Although there were some heavy burst of rain in places, falls were generally light with many places in S and E England remaining mostly light during the day. (Marham, Heathrow and Gravesend 19.4C, Fair isle 11.5C maximum, Glen Ogle 6.8C (there may have been a colder place overnight), Kinlochewe 29 mm, Tiree 5.2 h.)
As the low centred moved off to the NE on the 23rd, a NW'ly flow became established in all areas with pressure rising to around 1027 mb in SW Ireland by 2400 GMT. During the day the main rain areas tended to move to the E, with showers starting to fall from the NW. It remained rather cloudy, however. (Manston 19.9C, Okehampton 10.3C maximum, Aboyne 6.4C minimum, Capel Curig 30.2 mm, Shannon Airport 9.6 h.)
A weak ridge formed during the 24th with the pressure gradient, and hence the wind speeds, decreasing as the day developed. NE Scotland in particular and also areas of E England, had some overnight rainfall and during the day it was E Scotland and a few places in E England that had further light rain or showers. E areas of England and Scotland remained generally cloudy, even where dry, although most other areas had some sunny periods during the day. (Lee-on- Solent 18.2C, Loch Glascarnoch 11.3C maximum, Astwood Bank 6.4C minimum, Fyvie Castle 10.8 mm, Tiree 11.6 h.)
There was a touch of ground frost in parts of Scotland and Wales under high pressure on the 25th. A mostly dry day followed although in N Scotland and Ireland there were some outbreaks of rain due to a slow-moving front. As a result Scotland and Ireland were rather cloudy with the sunniest conditions being found across England and Wales. (Kew Gardens 21.3C, Baltasound 11.8C maximum, Eskdalemuir 0.7C minimum, Harris Quidnish 2.8 mm, Manston 14.4 h.)
A NW'ly flow under high pressure affected the British Isles on the 26th. Some sheltered areas had a cool start to the day, N Scotland had some overnight rain and many parts of England and Wales had some mist or fog patches around dawn. Apart from some light outbreaks of rain close to the North Sea coastlines the day was a dry one with many places, away from the E coasts, having long sunny periods. (Heathrow 22.5C, Fair Isle 12.3C maximum, Katesbridge 3.6C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 1.4 mm, Glasgow 14.6 h.)
Although pressure remained high on the 27th a frontal system spread cloud and rain to most areas during the day. S and W Ireland did remain mostly dry, however. In the evening some fog formed after the rain had cleared - this was quite thick in parts of Cornwall. Except in the Northern Isles - where the rain arrived late in the day - it was a dull day. (Lee-on-Solent 21.6C, Spadeadam 12.1C maximum, Redesdale Camp 4.1C minimum, Katesbridge 14.8 mm, Lerwick 15.8 h.)
A cold front introduced a cooler NW'ly flow to most laces by the end of the 28th but at 2400 GMT a warm front was starting to push NE'wards across SW Ireland. This meant a mainly cloudy day - following a night in which temperatures only dropped below 10C on the Northern Isles - in all areas with all areas seeing some rain at times during the day. (Hurn 24.1C, Fair Isle 11.2C maximum, Baltasound 5.0C minimum, Keswick 18.2 mm, Aviemore 4.7 h.)
A warm front spread from SW Ireland early on the 29th to all areas (except East Anglia) by the end of the day. Rainfall from the front was light and except in Cent S and SE England it was a rather cloudy day. Mist and fog formed in SW England in the evening. (Lee-on-Solent 23.2C, Fair Isle 12.5C maximum, Kinbrace 4.7C minimum, Kirkwall 2.8 mm, Filton 11.9 h.)
Many areas of S England had some mist or fog patches around dawn following a mild night into the 30th in which minimum temperatures remained above 12C in most places. The warm front gave some rain over the Northern Isles overnight and a cold front then brought cloud and rain into Ireland W Scotland before the evening. In E England it was a warm day with temperature rising above 25C in SE England and in parts of East Anglia. At Jersey Airport the maximum temperature was just 13.7C, due partially to some foggy conditions. (Heathrow 27.2C, Gt Cumbrae Millport 13.2C maximum, Fylingdales 8.8C minimum, Achnagart 11.4 mm, Wattisham 13.9 h.)
The ridge was followed by frontal systems overnight across Ireland that spread W'wards during the 2nd. W Ireland and parts of SW Scotland had overnight rain and drizzle that spread into W Scotland and N England during the morning. This precipitation and associated cloud became widespread during the day - although in SE England, East Anglia and the E Midlands falls were slight. But, ahead of the rain, only NE Scotland had more than a few minutes of sunshine. (Norwich Airport 18.6C, Harris Quidnish 11.3C maximum, Fyvie Castle 4.0C minimum, West Freugh 20.0 mm, Kirkwall 6.3h.)
The 3rd was an unsettled and rather cloudy day in many areas, with a lack of sunshine in many parts of W Ireland and W Scotland, and in E England. Overnight rainfall was widespread but general light, and during the day precipitation was non-existent in many places, despite the cloud cover - which tended to decrease a little later in the day. (Heathrow 21.5C, Fair Isle 12.3C maximum, Killylane 9.6C minimum, Porthmadog 9.0 mm, St Helier 8.4 h.)
Further frontal cloud affected most areas on the 4th but by the end of the day a ridge of high pressure was building from the SW - with MSL pressure in SW Cornwall up to 1028 mb by 2400 GMT. Rainfall before dawn affected much of Ireland, W Scotland and W Wales, with mist and fog being widespread for a while in S Ireland and S England - while there were further falls across parts of N England, N Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland during the day. It turned out to be a warm day in East Anglia and in parts of E England and the rain gradually became to confined to Scotland by the end of the day. (Weybourne 25.2C, Cluanie Inn 14.0C maximum, Shoreham 7.8C minimum, Saughall 15.4 mm, Cork Airport 11.7 h.)
An area of high pressure extended NE'wards across the British Isles on the 5th giving a dry to most areas as a result. Exceptions to this were parts of W Scotland and N Ireland (overnight) and N Scotland during the day. It was a warm day in the Home Counties and East Anglia (away from the coasts) and across England and Wales most places had in excess of 12 h of bright sunshine. Fog affected parts of SW England, S Ireland and Channel Islands at times before dawn. (Northolt 26.7C, Lerwick 13.9C maximum, Swyddffynnon 5.5C minimum, Achnagart 2.6 mm, Cork Airport 14.0 h.)
Despite the presence of high pressure on the 6th (MSL pressure close to 1033 mb just offshore from SW Ireland at 2400 GMT) a SE'wards-moving cold front gave some cloud at first across W Ireland - followed by some moderately heavy rain in W Scotland during the day. Early fog affected SW England, S Wales and the Channel Islands in places before dawn - but soon cleared to give a mostly sunny day. It was a warm day in much of Cent and E England, and in parts of E Scotland. (Heathrow 28.1C, Tiree 13.5C maximum, Okehampton 5.1C minimum, Lusa 14.6 mm, Filton 14.9 h.)
The area of high pressure intensified on the 7th with a centre of 1038 mb off Aberdeen by 2400 GMT. Some light rain fell in SW Scotland overnight but the day was generally dry and sunny with sunshine durations of 13-15 h being widespread across England and Wales. Away from the coasts it was a warm day as far N as Cent Scotland (where 24C was reported in places). (Hurn 29.7C, Fair Isle 12.9C maximum, Kinbrace 3.4C minimum, Machrihanish 2.4 mm, Wattisham 15.2 h.)
High pressure continued to prevail throughout the 8th. Coastal mist and fog formed overnight as far N as E Scotland and Skye, before spreading inland. This generally cleared quickly after dawn and a mainly dry ad sunny day followed. Parts of NE England and E Scotland remained under low cloud - as did Shetland. Elsewhere it was a very warm day with temperatures of 27-29C in parts of Ireland and with 26C recorded in parts of Cent Scotland. (Lee-on-Solent 29.6C, Lerwick 13.8C maximum, Aboyne 7.0C minimum, Leek 0.4 mm, Prestwick 14.9 h.)
Mist and fog patches were widespread by dawn on the 9th with a little drizzle across Shetland. The visibility soon improved by the frontal precipitation continued into the afternoon as a cold front pushed S'wards into the persisting area of high pressure. To the S of this front it was a very warm day with 28C recorded in parts of Ireland and Cent Scotland - although it remained cooler on the coasts with 17C the maximum temperature in coastal areas of N Norfolk. Only on Shetland were there measurable falls of rain and away from W and N Scotland most places had 13-15 h of sunshine. (Shannon Airport 29.4C, Fair Isle 11.9C maximum, Santon Downham 6.7 C minimum, Baltasound 7.0 mm, Glasgow 15.2 h.)
High pressure (1030 mb MSL pressure close to Aberdeen at 1200 GMT) continued to give mainly dry weather on the 10th. Parts of Ireland, the Midlands and W Scotland had some fog patches by dawn - and in the early hours a weak front gave some rain and drizzle to parts of E Scotland. Although this precipitation largely cleared during the morning it remained rather cloudy in much of NE England and E Scotland; in many parts of Ireland 14-16 h of sunshine were reported and it was a hot day in many inland areas here. (Shannon Airport 29.5C, Inverbervie 11.6C maximum, Santon Downham 6.2C minimum, High Wycombe 0.6 mm, Shannon Airport 14.9 h.)
Mist and fog was widespread across Ireland and in many parts of Scotland by dawn on the 11th. In the Northern Isles fog lingered for much of the day and it was a cool day on Shetland (maximum temperatures around 13C) as a result (Kirkwall on Orkney recorded 20.5C). Away from the coasts temperatures exceeded 25C in parts of Scotland and reached 28C in Ireland - England was a little cooler due to a wind off the North Sea; away from North Sea coasts sunshine totals in excess of 12 h were common. (Castlederg 28.8C, Fair Isle 12.9C maximum, Aboyne 6.0C minimum, Strathallan 0.6 mm, Rostherne 14.6 h.)
Winds turned more N'ly on the 12th as the high centre migrated to the W of Ireland and a cold front crossed in NW Scotland later in the day. A little drizzle and rain fell in East Anglia and parts of Cent Scotland overnight and there was widespread mist across the British Isles by dawn - with some fog patches in places. The fog and mist soon cleared and it was a dry day almost everywhere - until some rain fell across N Scotland in the evening. Away from the coasts it was another warm day with 26C as far N as Inverness. SW Scotland, Wales, E Ireland and W England had 12-14 h of sunshine in many places. (Bramham 29.2C, Harris Quidnish 15.4C maximum, Exeter Airport 4.9C minimum, Isles of Scilly 0.2 mm, Bude 14.6 h.)
Pressure remained high on the 13th and led to some mist and haze around dawn. This soon cleared and a warm day followed - with a few outbreaks of slight rain or drizzle in parts of E Britain. These turned thundery in places (particularly in and around Lincolnshire) after hot conditions in which temperatures widely exceeded 28C in many inland areas of England. Over 12 h of bright sunshine was reported in S parts of Ireland, Wales and England. Three soldiers died as a result of an SAS selection training in mid Wales amid high temperatures; the men were on a 64 km hike when temperatures reached 29.5C . (Heathrow 31.4C, Lerwick 12.3C maximum, Exeter Airport 7.7C minimum, Cranwell 3.0 mm, Aberporth 14.3 h.)
Mist, haze and fog patches were widespread around dawn on the 14th across much of England, Wales, SE Scotland and S Ireland. Some light spots of rain also fell in E areas of England and on Shetland overnight - these tended to die out but further light rain and drizzle fell across N Scotland in the afternoon and evening. It remained rather cloudy across N Scotland during the day and in E parts of Britain bordering the North Sea; elsewhere it was a largely sunny day with the highest temperatures occurring in S and Cent parts of England. (Hurn 31.0C, Lerwick 12.9C maximum, Katesbridge 3.6C minimum, Cassley 4.8 mm, Morecambe 14.3 h.)
Low pressure remained centred over S areas on the 15th while frontal cloud gave falls of rain and drizzle across N Scotland throughout the day. After some early fog patches most of England had a sunny and warm day - at least away from the coasts. Elsewhere there were varying amounts of cloud that tended to reduce the sunshine duration and hold down temperatures. (Heathrow 30.9C, Fair Isle 12.3C maximum, Eskdalemuir 5.5C minimum, Cassley 8.8 mm, Filton 14.6 h.)
Most places had a rather cloudy start to the 16th with some overnight rain in N and Cent Scotland which moved N'wards during the morning. However, most of England and Wales did have another sunny day with warm to hot conditions across most of England - except in coastal areas. Elsewhere cloud was rather more persistent and extensive - although on Shetland the temperature did climb above 15C. (Kew Gardens 31.2C, Lerwick 13.6C maximum, Capel Curig 7.1C minimum, Tyndrum 5.0 mm, Valley 14.6 h.)
Early mist formed in places over Ireland, Wales and W and Cent England by dawn on the 17th and there was some overnight rain in N Scotland. Pressure remained generally high (MSL pressure around 1028 mb over SW Ireland at 2400 GMT) although further frontal rain affected N Scotland during the day. Sunshine led to very warm weather over much of England and Wales, before triggering some sharp thunderstorms in parts of Cent S England into the evening. Over W and N Scotland there was generally less than an hour of sunshine, however, in most places. (Hampton Water Works 32.2C, Lerwick 13.8C maximum, Aboyne 6.2C minimum, Aultbea 5.2 mm, Bude 14.5 h.)
The high pressure moved towards W Scotland during the 18th (1030 mb over Skye at 2400 GMT). Parts of Ireland and W Scotland had some early mist and fog patches and there was some overnight rain in N and W Scotland. Parts of E England also had some overnight fog and light rain although as the day developed the rain tended to clear from all areas. Across Shetland, however, it tended to remain rather foggy. N and W Scotland, W Ireland and few E coast areas of England had sunny periods - elsewhere there were long sunny spells with temperatures reaching 29C as far N as Aberdeenshire. (Hurn 30.5C, Lerwick 12.8C maximum, Katesbridge 8.1C minimum, Lerwick 4.8 mm, Valley 14.6 h.)
High pressure remained over N Scotland with surface values varying from about 1020 mb on the Channel Islands to 1030 mb over N Scotland on the 19th. Another mostly dry day ensured - although overnight there was a little precipitation on Shetland before fog formed here and across parts of N Scotland by dawn. During the day a little light rain fell in some parts of E England in the onshore breeze - but for most areas it was a dry, warm and sunny day with many places reporting in excess of 14 h of sunshine. Temperatures reached 27C as far N as cent Scotland. (Porthmadog 31.4C, Fair Isle 14.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 3.0C minimum, Lerwick 1.4 mm, Kinloss 15.6 h.)
Cloud blowing onshore in E areas of the UK on the 20th led to a sunless day in many places here and in places the early mist and fog that formed in E and NE Scotland was slow to clear - with some sea fog lasting all day around Shetland. The cloud in the E produced a little light rain and drizzle and the best of the sunshine was to be found during the day in Ireland and W Scotland. Aviemore reported 29.2C in the afternoon, compared to 15C in some coastal areas of E Scotland. Ireland also saw some high temperatures. (Shannon Airport 29.3C, Fair Isle 12.4C maximum, Kinbrace 4.0C minimum, Albemarle 0.8 mm, Kirkwall 15.8 h.)
Rain and drizzle affected many E areas of the UK overnight into the 21st, spreading into the Midlands and NW England in places but retreating E'wards later. Minimum temperatures were above 16C in parts of Ireland, Wales and S England but in parts of E England daytime temperatures did not rise much above 17C with the highest daytime temperatures being found in S England and in N and Cent parts of Scotland. Most places had rather a cloudy day and few places reported over 10 h of bright sunshine - W Scotland was a notable exception here. There were thunderstorms on the Channel Islands in the early morning and in the evening. (Aviemore 29.6C, Fair Isle 11.9C maximum, Altnaharra 3.2C minimum, Isles of Scilly 1.2 mm, Stornoway 15.5 h.)
The high pressure area that had persisted for much of the previous three weeks moved away NE'wards on the 22nd allowing fronts and troughs to move across S and W parts of the British Isles. Many E and Cent areas of England had a cloudy/misty start to the day with some light rain and drizzle in places - thunder was reported in W London during the early morning. Minimum temperatures were as high as 17C in parts of S Wales, S England and W Ireland and during the day temperatures of 27C or more were reported across much of East Anglia, the Midlands and S England. Troughs brought showers to some areas and the showers turned thundery in places in the afternoon and evening from Oxfordshire to Lincolnshire. W and cent Scotland, and S England away from the SW, had a sunny day - elsewhere cloud made for a humid-feel to the day. Extreme temperatures were melting roads leading to emergency repairs in some areas. Vale of Glamorgan council gritting vehicles, normally used in winter, are laying crushed rock dust to protect road surfaces reaching 49C. Similar problems have been reported in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Gwynedd. Today was the hottest day in the UK since July 2006 - with temperatures reaching above 33C in places just to the W of London. (Northolt 33.5C, Lerwick 12.8C maximum, Braemar 6.5C minimum, Market Bosworth 21.0 mm, Kinloss 13.3 h.)
Fronts and troughs affected all areas on the 23rd. Overnight mist and fog affected many areas with some also seeing heavy, thundery rain. Further heavy rain fell during the day, particularly across the Midlands and N England and also in N Ireland and S Scotland. After a warm night (minimum temperatures above 17C in some parts of England and Wales), the highest temperatures during the day were confined to the Midlands, East Anglia, Cent S and SE England with 27-29C in places. Further heavy thunderstorms occurred over Britain during the day, later reaching parts of S and E Scotland. Two homes caught fire after being hit by lightning strikes during violent storms in Kent overnight. A house in Lympne, was set alight at 0100 GMT and a property in Gillingham was struck at about 0330 GMT. Fire crews also had to pump water out of a house in Sandgate when it became flooded because of heavy rainfall during the stormy weather. Lightning strikes caused severe disruption to train services and a plane made an emergency landing at Glasgow Prestwick after it was struck. The Ryanair flight to Alicante was struck shortly after it took off from Edinburgh at about 1715 GMT. Train services in parts of the UK were badly affected after a series of lightning strikes on signalling systems. There were no trains running between Edinburgh and Berwick-upon-Tweed, with all trains in and out of Manchester's main Piccadilly station also cancelled. A lightning strike at Manningtree in Essex caused severe disruption to trains in the East Anglia area and disruption to trains in and out of Coventry, Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street stations. A woman from Birches Head in Stoke-on-Trent was taken to hospital after being hurt when lightning caused the ceiling in her home to collapse on top of her. In Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, several properties were damaged by lightning and a car was set alight. In Wiltshire, fire-fighters tackled a blaze in the roof of a house on Stonehenge Road in Durrington. Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said they received "many" lightning-related calls overnight. A church was struck by lightning in Greater Manchester which sent stonework crashing through the church roof and into the school playground next door In Market Bosworth, Leicestershire, 21 mm of rain fell in less than an hour, the BBC Weather Centre said. Lighting also affected power supplies, with about 6,500 properties cut off in Gloucestershire overnight. About 1,600 homes in the Bath and Bristol areas also had power supply problems and in Wickford, Essex, 3,000 homes were affected. (Heathrow 29.6C, Lerwick 13.9C maximum, Aboyne 8.4C minimum, Nottingham 67.8 mm, Yeovilton 9.0 h.)
Low pressure to the W of Ireland dominated the weather on the 24th. Overnight rain gave way to rather misty conditions in many areas as rain across Scotland moved NE'wards; heavy rain and some thunderstorms occurred in parts of E Scotland for a while. In most areas it turned brighter for a while during the day - the exception was in W Ireland where the next area of rain arrived late in the morning before spreading E'wards into much of W England and SW Scotland by late evening. Thunder was reported in the Dublin area in the evening. The Home Counties and East Anglia were the warmest places in the British Isles today. (Norwich Airport 28.0C, Fair Isle 15.5C maximum, Baltasound 11.5C minimum, Dyce 34.8 mm, Manston 11.7 h.)
A warm SW'ly flow brought further frontal rain to many areas on the 25th. Overnight, rain affected many parts of England, Wales and Scotland with lesser falls across Ireland. During the daytime falls were more scattered and generally moved away E'wards by midnight with most areas, albeit not E Scotland, having spells of sunshine at times. The day dawned after a mild night with minimum temperatures as high as 15C in many areas as far N as NW Scotland. Glasgow and Ayrshire in Scotland, and Antrim and Down in Northern Ireland faced flooding during the day. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was called to flash floods around the country and a fire in a block of flats in Greenock, thought to have been caused by a lightning strike. Thunderstorms occurred in NE and E Scotland, and also around Dublin, in the evening. (Norwich Airport 27.9C, Kirkwall 15.2C maximum, Baltasound 9.5C minimum, Katesbridge 62.6 mm, Hawarden 9.6 h.)
Overnight into the 26th there were varying amounts of rainfall across Scotland and Ireland with some heavy falls in parts of E Ireland. Rainfall continued in these areas during the day with England and Wales being largely dry and with temperatures reaching 25C in many parts of England. Except in the rain areas most places had sunny spells during the day amounting to close on 10 h of sunshine. In the late afternoon and evening thunderstorms occurred in N Scotland and on Shetland. (Gravesend 27.9C, Fair Isle 15.0C maximum, Exeter Airport 8.5C minimum, Drumalbin 22.2 mm, Morecambe 13.5 h.)
Parts of N Britain and N Ireland had a misty start to the 27th with some light precipitation overnight in parts of N Scotland and N Ireland. Many parts of Scotland remained dry during the day but it turned wetter over W Scotland and later in parts of W and S England - this latter area of rain then moving into the Midlands. In the evening over 60 mm of rain fell in parts of Leicestershire. It was a warm and humid day in England and Wales - while the sunniest conditions were to be found in parts of N and NE Scotland. (Northolt 29.5C, Fair Isle 15.1C maximum Redesdale Camp 5.2C minimum, Market Bosworth 41.0 mm, Kinloss 11.6 h.)
During the 28th a band of heavy rain moved N'wards from Cent England towards Shetland, associated with an area of low pressure that followed the same track. By midday the heaviest rain was confined to Scotland but subsequent bands of rain then affected parts of E Ireland, Wales and W England. E England had sunny spells - it remained largely dry here once the early rain had cleared N'wards. Overnight rain caused flooding in the High Street in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, and parts of Newcastle. News reports indicated that Carlisle had 73mm of rain in 12 hours, close to the average for the whole of July, and many places had falls of 25 mm or more in 12 hours during the 6 hours ending 0600 GMT. Newcastle City Council said the Scotswood Road near the River Tyne had been closed due to "floodwater and silt". Durham County Council urged motorists to take care because of standing water across roads in the county after heavy rain. (Norwich Airport 26.1C, Fair Isle 13.9C maximum, Katesbridge 7.8C minimum, Carlisle 83.8 mm, Manston 11.8 h.)
Rain was widespread across Wales overnight and was thundery in places as it spread into Cent England on the 29th. According to the Met Office Carlisle had 97.4 mm of rain in 48 hours over the weekend (ending 0900 GMT today), with other noteworthy falls including 66.8 mm at Shap, 65.2 mm at Market Bosworth, Bosworth Park, 55.6 mm in Rochdale and 48.4 mm at Keele. Flooding was reported in many areas of Annan in Dumfries and Galloway. During the day there were further falls of rain across much of the British Isles - with more thunderstorms in many areas. Despite the widespread rain, there were widespread sunny periods across the British Isles. (Norwich Airport 26.0C, Fair Isle 16.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 5.4C minimum, Lyneham 34.6 mm, Kirkwall 13.0 h.)
The heaviest rain during the early hours of the 30th was across N Scotland with further falls across in parts of NW England. Several properties in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, were affected by flash floods during torrential rain. A flood alert for the River Calder and its tributaries from Todmorden to Brighouse was issued by the Environment Agency at about 1645 GMT on Monday. River levels had risen rapidly during what residents said was a torrential downpour, according to the agency. Clean-up operations were under way on Tuesday after at least 19 properties were flooded. Following the flooding, the A6033 Rochdale Road in Todmorden was closed because of a landslip and traffic cannot get to the town's railway station. By dawn another area of rain had spread into SW England and this then affected much of S England during the day. Further falls occurred in the N half of Ireland and Scotland, in particular, during the day, with the best of the sunshine during the day to be found across N Ireland and N parts of England and Wales. (Scampton 24.1C, Lerwick 13.5C maximum, Katesbridge 7.8C minimum, Braemar 29.0 mm, Sheffield 10.2h.)
During the 31st pushed rain N'wards across S Ireland, Wales and SW and cent S England by mid-morning - giving a mild night here with minimum temperatures of 16-17C in places. Further E rainfall amounts were slight and by the evening there had been widespread falls as far N as Glasgow - with heavy rain in places, particularly across Wales. It was a rather cloudy day across England, Wales and Ireland - even once the rain had cleared - although some 9 h were reported at St Helier on Jersey - but parts of Scotland had sunny spells. (Writtle 25.6C, Fair Isle 13.4C maximum, Braemar 5.5C minimum, Capel Curig 39.2 mm, Stornoway 10.9 h.)
There was a mainly mild start to the 2nd but an area of low pressure to the W of Ireland soon pushed a cold front E'wards. E Scotland had a misty start to the day with fog and rain in places - while further S rain moved rapidly E'wards during the morning with some outbreaks of thunder at times from E Ireland, SW England to East Anglia, and in the Channel Islands. It was a mild day in the E, and especially so in parts of E Scotland and also a sunny day once the early rain had cleared and given way to shower activity from the W. (Dishforth 27.1C, Fair Isle 16.1C maximum, Fair Isle 12.5C minimum, Okehampton 19.6 mm, Boulmer 13.7 h.)
Many areas, notably W Scotland and much of England, had rainfall overnight into the 3rd and the associated cloud cover prevent a cool night across the UK. There were further outbreaks of rain during the day with some thunderstorms reported from S Ireland to E England later in the afternoon and evening. Precipitation tended to be short-lived and often showery with most areas having sunny spells during the day as a result. However, in parts of W Scotland it was a rather cloudy and cool day. (Norwich Airport 25.4C, Lusa 13.7C maximum, Redesdale Camp 9.6C minimum, Achnagart 29.8 mm, Valley 12.3 h.)
The weather on the 4th was dominated by an area of rain, heavy in places, that was slow-moving across Wales and SW England during the day. Lesser falls occurred elsewhere and in many areas it was a rather cloudy day. In the main rain area across Wales the rain turned heavier into the evening. According to the Met Office, at Libanus in Powys 58.8 mm of rain fell in the 24 hours from 1800 GMT with 15.4 mm recorded in Tredegar in the hour beginning 1000 GMT. (Norwich Airport 25.6C, Fair Isle 15.3C maximum, Katesbridge 8.7C minimum, Mumbles Head 29.8 mm, St Helier 12.9 h.)
Heavy rainfall continued into the 5th across Wales, W and N England with lesser falls further E. During the day the rain moved away E'wards with some falls also in E Scotland. There were also thundery outbreaks in E England and in parts of the S Midlands later in the day. Even in the drier areas there was quite extensive cloud cover and sunshine totals were generally low over the British Isles as a result. A woman and her young son were rescued from a car that became stuck in floodwater as heavy rain hit Cumbria; fire crews said the vehicle had drifted in waist-high water and become lodged at the ford at Mill Hill in Cleator Moor. Homes have been affected by flash flooding following heavy rain which has prompted weather warnings across Wales. Fire crews have been dealing with incidents in Neath Port Talbot, Gwynedd and the south Wales valleys. A number of roads were cut off by flood water in Rhondda and Bridgend area, while the A465 Heads of the Valleys road was said to be just passable at Rhymney interchange and Tredegar roundabout. By the end of the day low pressure had given way to a weak ridge in SW England. Before then, torrential rain caused flash flooding in Cornwall and forced the closure of a minor injuries unit at Newquay Community Hospital. North Devon Council said it had received reports of some localised flooding in parts of Ilfracombe and Braunton. (Norwich Airport 27.7C, Carterhouse 13.9C maximum, Kinbrace 0.2C minimum, Libanus 57.8 mm, Kirkwall 9.7 h.)
A transient are of high pressure affected many parts on the 6th. Rain before dawn was largely confined to areas of E and N Scotland while during the day there were some light falls in parts of W Scotland and W Ireland. For most places it was a dry day once some early mist and fog had cleared from parts of S England, although sunshine totals were kept down by broken cloud cover. (Gravesend 23.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 14.4C maximum, Eskdalemuir 4.7C minimum, Kinbrace 3.4 mm, Hurn 13.0 h.)
Overnight rain and showers into the 7th were mainly confined to W districts of Wales and Ireland with many inland areas of England having mist or fog patches before dawn. The rain tended to die down over Ireland but spread further E into E Scotland during the day - and there were also some isolated heavy falls in parts of Wales. A nearby front gave some rain and showers in the Channel Islands during the day while much of S Scotland and England had long sunny spells during the day. (Lee-on-Solent 25.1C, Fair Isle 13.5C maximum, Redesdale Camp 3.4C minimum, Sennybridge 37.0 mm, Valley 14.2 h.)
The 8th began with mainly dry conditions - except across N Scotland where there was some frontal rainfall overnight. Mist and fog patches formed for a while across much of England, Wales and in parts of Ireland before dawn - by which time it had turned mainly dry across N Scotland as frontal rain and drizzle began to fall in W Ireland. The rain in Ireland moved E'wards during the day with falls also in Scotland by early evening. By mid-evening the rain was falling across much of Wales and in SW and NW England - although falls were mainly light. E and SE England had a mainly sunny day - but sunshine amounts decreased towards the W. (Charlwood 25.5C, Fair Isle 12.9C maximum, Santon Downham 3.5C minimum, Castlederg 8.6 mm, St Helier 13.4 h.)
A series of frontal bands of rain and cloud affected much of the British Isles on the 9th - although after dawn rainfall was mainly to be found in E areas of England and across Scotland - with only lesser falls further W in parts of England, wales and Ireland. After a mainly mild night, around dawn there were reports of thundery activity in E England while the rain moved off to the E across Scotland during the afternoon. However, it was a rather cloudy day in most areas - the Channel Islands were a notable exception to this. (East Malling 25.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 13.8C maximum, Aboyne 7.2C minimum, Dundrennan 24.4 mm, St Helier 11.6 h.)
During the early hours of the 10th there was some rain and drizzle in W areas of Scotland and Ireland, and also some falls in parts of N Wales and NW England. Elsewhere, high pressure meant a mainly dry night - although during the day fronts and troughs gave rather cloudy skies to most areas - with some outbreaks of mainly light rain. Again, the Channel Islands were a sunny exception to this. In the evening areas of more widespread frontal rain and drizzle affected many parts of Wales and W and N parts of England. (Heathrow 23.0C, Tulloch Bridge 14.5C maximum, Carterhouse 6.3C minimum, Trawsgoed 5.0 mm, St Helier 11.4 h.)
Rainfall was widespread into the 11th across Scotland, Wales, Ireland and W areas of England. Falls were mainly slight and continued during the day across Scotland and N England - with some falls also in parts of S England and the Channel Islands. Elsewhere across England and Wales there were sunny spells, with some sunny periods across Ireland and Scotland. (Shoeburyness 24.8C, Lerwick 13.1C maximum, Aboyne 6.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 25.4 mm, St Athan 11.6 h.)
A ridge of high pressure built from the S during the 12th but this failed to prevent light falls of rain across N parts of England Ireland, and also across Scotland both overnight and during the day. There were also some outbreaks of rain across Wales and parts of the Midlands for a time. Consequently most areas were rather cloudy, although sunny spells were to be found on the Channel Islands and in SW areas of England and in S Ireland. By 2400 GMT MSL pressure had risen to about 1024 mb over Scilly and SW Ireland. (Heathrow 22.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 13.5C maximum, Baltasound 5.9C minimum, Altnahinch Filters 15.0 mm, St Helier 9.4 h.)
Away from the Channel Islands the 13th was a rather cloudy day. Overnight light rain and drizzle spread E'wards into W areas of N England and Cent Scotland. During the day there were falls of rain from the Midlands N'wards to E Scotland - with SE England and East Anglia being affected in the evening. Away from these light falls in the SE, much of S England remained dry under high pressure. (Hurn 22.7C, Dalwhinnie 14.2C maximum, Kinbrace 4.1C minimum, Resallach 12.4 mm, St Helier 12.6 h.)
During the 14th fronts pushed NE'wards across much of the British Isles. By dawn much of Ireland had seen falls of rain and drizzle - which was then affecting SW England and parts of Wales. The rain area lay W of a line Maidstone-Inverness by early evening - with the result that the best of any sunshine was to be found during the day in E areas of England and Scotland - and on the Channel Islands. However, rainfall tended to be heaviest across Wales. (Holbeach 24.4C, Lerwick 13.6C maximum, Aboyne 5.3C minimum, Mumbles Head 14.0 mm, St Helier 11.6 h.)
Rainfall was widespread during the early hours of the 15th although the SE corner of England was mostly dry. Warm sector conditions meant that overnight minimum temperatures remained above 17C in parts of Ireland, Wales and England (as far N as Merseyside). Rainfall, although generally light, continued to be widespread during the day although the Channel Islands were, again, largely dry and sunny. It was a warm day in East Anglia and Kent, while in the evening some very heavy rain fell in parts of Northern Ireland. (Norwich Airport 26.1C, Harris Quidnish 15.7C maximum, Kinbrace 9.3C minimum, Aldergrove 45.6 mm, St Helier 12.6 h.)
Rain spread E'wards across most of England and parts of Scotland into the 16th, finally clearing E coast areas around midday. There were some heavy falls and a little flooding across Wales for a time - the but the rain soon gave way to sunny spells (except in the E of England) during the day. A few mist and fog patches formed in parts of E England in the evening, while across Ireland some rain and drizzle spread in from the W. (Brize Norton 24.8C, Tulloch Bridge 15.0C maximum, Katesbridge 7.1C minimum, Trawsgoed 47.0 mm, Aberporth 10.5 h.)
The 17th dawned with rain and drizzle falling across Ireland, and parts of W Scotland, Wales and NW England. East Anglia and SE England had widespread mist and fog patches around dawn. During the day the rain moved E'wards as several frontal bands and troughs affected the British Isles - only parts of East Anglia remained dry by early evening. Showers continued to fall across Ireland for much of the day although there were some sunny spells here; much of the UK remained rather cloudy. (Norwich Airport 23.2C, Lerwick 14.3C maximum, Aboyne 4.8C minimum, Levens Hall 32.4 mm, Connaught Airport 8.7 h.)
Rain and drizzle, mainly light, fell across many areas into the 18th although during the day falls became less widespread, and mostly showery in nature. Showers tended to occur more in W parts of Ireland and the UK - with much of E Scotland and E England having a sunny day. (Writtle 24.5C, Cluanie Inn 12.8C maximum, Fyvie Castle 6.9C minimum, Cassley 15.4 mm, St Helier 12.2 h.)
A ridge of high pressure formed over S areas on the 19th with MSL pressure reaching 1028.7 mb at Scilly and Guernsey Airport at 2400 GMT. Rainfall totals were generally slight and most areas remained dry - if rather cloudy. Only across counties close to the English Channel were there long sunny spells. (Kew Gardens 24.4C (suspect value; 23.5C at Heathrow and other sites), Loch Glascarnoch 14.3C maximum, Redesdale Camp 5.7C minimum, Wych Cross 4.6 mm, Manston 12.1 h.)
The area of high pressure in S districts was short-lived on the 20th - by 2400 GMT a low centre to the W of Ireland was giving rain and drizzle to much of Ireland and Scotland. Parts of Wales, SW and N England had some mist and fog patches around dawn and there was a slight ground frost in some sheltered parts of E Scotland; by midday W areas of Ireland and Scotland were experiencing slight rainfall in places. The sunniest conditions during the day were to be found in S England and the Channel Islands. (Writtle 25.5C, Lerwick 14.5C maximum, Aboyne 2.4C minimum, Tiree 6.2 mm, St Helier 13.0 h.)
Away from East Anglia and S England the 21st was a rather cloudy day. Rain fell overnight across Scotland and in parts of Ireland while some mist and fog patches formed before dawn in parts of S England. Frontal rain spread SE'wards during the day, weakening as it did so - but giving falls across much of S England into the evening. It was a warm day in East Anglia and in Cent S and SE England. (Writtle 27.2C, Fair Isle 14.4C maximum, Santon Downham 7.2C minimum, Harris Quidnish 23.2 mm, St Helier 11.7 h.)
Fronts weakened during the 22nd as high pressure began to exert an influence from the NE. The day dawned after a mild night in parts of England - and there were widespread mist and fog patches by dawn across the British Isles. Overnight rain fell in a band from N Ireland to NE Scotland, and also across much of S England. The latter area of rain was slow to move away E'wards and E Scotland also remained rather cloudy with some light rain during the day. Mist reformed in many areas in the evening. Thunder occurred in parts of the NW Midlands during the late afternoon. (Chivenor 26.5C, Lerwick 13.7C maximum, Baltasound 5.6C minimum, Bradford 17.2 mm, Stornoway 13.5 h.)
Mist and fog patches formed widely before dawn on the 23rd across the British Isles while an area of rain spread E'wards across Ireland. The mist and fog cleared to cloud as the rain spread further E'wards during the morning - although the rain continued to spread E'wards during the day parts of East Anglia and SE England stayed dry until the evening. It was a warm day in E parts of England - and it was here that the sunshine was to be found as many Cent and W areas of the British Isles had a rather cloudy day. (Charlwood 28.6C, Fair Isle 13.8C maximum, Exeter Airport 9.2 C minimum, Coton-In-The-Elms 16.0 mm, Wattisham 9.7 h.)
The 24th dawned after a mild night in E England with the minimum temperature not dropping below 17C in places. Overnight rainfall was widespread across the UK with some heavy falls in E England due to a wave depression close to the SE and these continued during the day. Flash flooding has hit homes in Littlehampton and Bognor Regis in West Sussex following heavy rainfall, while a family had to be rescued from their sinking car after it became trapped in flood water as it was being driven under a railway bridge in Essex. Heavy flooding caused major disruption in south Essex throughout the day - Essex Fire and Rescue dealt with more than 300 calls for help as the result of floods. Rainfall totals for the event included Heybridge 100.6 mm, Hadleigh 96.0 mm and Canvey Island 92.4 mm. At Benfleet 70.7mm of rain fell in the 24 hours from 0900 GMT. E Scotland also had further rain during the day while the afternoon and evening brought another area of rain into Ireland and SW England. (Lee-on-Solent 22.2C, Fair Isle 13.5C maximum, Katesbridge 8.1C minimum, Bramham 55.8 mm, Stornoway 11.2 h.)
Overnight into the 25th the largest rainfall amounts continued to be found close to North Sea coasts - across Ireland and SW England and Wales amounts were mostly slight. By dawn the rainfall rates in the E had reduced and many places were reporting misty conditions. During the day there was little rainfall although some places remained rather misty of hazy with sunshine amounts consequently low. The exception to these low amounts was an area of SW Scotland and around parts of the Irish Sea. (Lee-on-Solent 25.0C, Lerwick 14.3C maximum, Bala 2.6C minimum, Kenley 20.4 mm, Prestwick 12.7 h.)
There was a rather misty start to the 26th in most areas across the British Isles - following a mostly dry night. With a weak ridge of high pressure straddling the country these mostly dry conditions persisted during the day before misty conditions returned during the evening. In Ireland and W Scotland it was a rather cloudy day with some light rain in both areas in the evening. (Lee-on-Solent 26.6C, Fair Isle 13.4C maximum, Dalwhinnie 5.0C minimum, Giants Causeway 1.2 mm, St Athan 12.2 h.)
Rain and drizzle fell during the early hours of the 27th across N and W Scotland and in parts of Ireland. Elsewhere, mist and fog was widespread before dawn although this soon cleared to give a day with sunny spells for much of England and SE Scotland. Elsewhere the day was a rather cloudy one - although any frontal rain associated with this cloud in the W was slight except across N and W Scotland and N Ireland. (Lee-on-Solent 26.1C, Fair Isle 13.2C maximum, Ravensworth 5.7C minimum, Baltasound 13.2 mm, Leconfield 11.4 h.)
There was widespread mist and fog before dawn across England and Wales on the 28th following a night that had been largely dry. Sheltered parts of mainland N Scotland had a slight ground frost. The day was also mostly dry although in the evening some light rain and drizzle spread E'wards into N and W Scotland and W Ireland. Across Wales and much of Cent, S and E England it was a fine, sunny day. (Hurn 24.8C, Lerwick 13.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 1.6C minimum, Charterhall 1.4 mm, St Helier 12.6 h.)
There was a misty/hazy start to the 29th across S and E areas of England with some light rain and drizzle in much of Ireland and in N and W Scotland by dawn. The misty conditions soon gave way to lowering cloud as the rain and drizzle spread E'wards - although rainfall amounts were slight everywhere during the day. England (away from the SW and N) and the Channel Islands had a mostly sunny day. (Heathrow 24.7C, Lerwick 14.4C maximum, Aboyne 6.6C minimum, Lusa 6.0 mm, St Helier 12.2.h.)
Weakening fronts moved E'wards across the British Isles on the 30th but gave only small amounts of precipitation - and this was mostly concentrated in W Scotland during the day. England, Wales and Ireland had some fog patches in places around dawn before skies clouded over from the W. Rising pressure in S areas helped to weaken the fronts - although the day was a mainly cloudy one except in E and SE England. (Cavendish 25.8C, Lerwick 14.1C maximum, Aboyne 6.8C minimum, Achnagart 11.6 mm, Wattisham 8.7 h.)
High pressure dominated the weather on the 31st - MSL pressure was around 1032 mb over SW Ireland by 1200 GMT. Overnight rain was mostly confined to N and W Scotland, with some falls in SW Scotland and NE Ireland, and the rainfall distribution during the day was very similar - with some light falls also occurring in N England. Most places had some sunny spells, with the best of the sunshine in the S half of England and Wales. (Lee-on-Solent 23.0C, Dalwhinnie 12.3C maximum, Ravensworth 3.3C minimum, Baltasound 6.4 mm, Hurn 11.9 h.)
A weakening area of high pressure persisted across S districts on the 2nd allowing overnight precipitation to affect parts of Cent Ire and N England - as well as Scotland - although it was a mild night across Scotland with minimum temperatures of 14-15C in places. Daytime rainfall was mostly confined to N and W Scotland; E Scotland had a sunny day in many places. It was also a sunny day in most parts of England, Wales and Ireland with temperatures reaching 25C in parts of S England - and in E Scotland. (Heathrow 26.2C, Lerwick 13.0C maximum, Benson 6.3C minimum, Resallach 24.4 mm, Waddington 12.8 h.)
The 3rd dawned after another mild night across Scotland and Northern Ireland with widespread mist and some fog patches by dawn across England. Throughout the day rain and drizzle fell at times in N and W areas of Scotland but most other places remained dry with mist and fog developing in the evening across England and Wales. It was a mild day in most places with sunny spells or periods away from the falls of rain. (Frittenden 26.8C, Baltasound 14.2C maximum, Upper Lambourn 7.5C minimum, Achnagart 6.2 mm, Hurn 12.4 h.)
Frontal cloud remained close to (and later over) W parts of the British Isles on the 4th with some moderately heavy falls of rain here during the day. Widespread mist and fog patches across the British Isles soon cleared and S and E areas of England then had a very warm day; away from the frontal cloud there were sunny spells in most places. (Wisley 28.7C, Harris Quidnish 13.9C maximum, Aboyne 4.0C minimum, South Uist 18.6 mm, Heathrow 12.5 h.)
A cold front moving E'ward brought some rainfall to parts of W Wales and SW England by midnight on the 5th. W Scotland and W Ireland had moderate accumulations of rain in places but falls lessened as the day developed. Across England and Wales, mist and fog patches soon cleared after dawn and it then turned warm and sunny across much of England and Wales with sunny spells across Scotland and Ireland as the rain weakened. Before the fog cleared, sixty people have been injured as more than 130 vehicles were involved in a series of crashes in thick fog on the Sheppey crossing in Kent. Eight of those hurt in the collisions, which took place in thick fog, sustained serious injuries. Ambulance crews said 35 casualties needed hospital treatment in what were described as "horrendous scenes". The A249 bridge was closed for more than nine hours and reopened to traffic at about 1630 GMT. (Writtle 30.2C, Aboyne 13.2C maximum, Derrylin Cornahoule 4.7C minimum, Lusa 8.2 mm, Manston 12.6 h.)
A cold front with a wave feature was slow-moving in E areas on the 6th; overnight rainfall intensity increased over E Scotland and W England before the rain turned rather more widespread during the day across England and Wales, with some falls also in S Scotland and N Ireland in particular. There was an air frost in some parts if N and Cent Scotland. The best of the sunshine was to be found across Ireland, W Scotland and in S England - although parts of S England also had some heavy rainfall later in the day. Rainfall was thundery in parts of Wales, SW England and S Ireland. Cars were swept away and 60 homes evacuated after torrential rain hit NE England. Two cars were swept away by floodwater in Saltburn, and the RNLI and Cleveland Police helicopters were scrambled over fears drivers had been swept away. Everyone was accounted for. Cleveland Fire Brigade said 60 homes had to be evacuated in Redcar. (Charsfield 21.8C, Carterhouse 9.1C maximum, Kinbrace -2.4C minimum, Durham 62.8 mm, Tiree 11.6 h.)
An area of low pressure over the British Isles led to a wet night into the 7th - except in E and Cent England and in SW Ireland. Rain continued to fall here, and in SW Ireland, during the day. E England started the day with misty conditions that gave way to sunny periods during the day; there were sunny periods across Scotland but Ireland remained largely dull. (Weybourne 20.8C, Capel Curig 10.6C maximum, Shobdon 3.8C minimum, Chivenor 28.6 mm, Manston 10.3h.)
Areas of low pressure affected W areas of the British Isles in particular on the 8th. This resulted in cloudy skies and some overnight rain in W areas but a touch of ground frost in E areas of England and Scotland overnight. Mist and fog patches in these E areas soon cleared after dawn. Rain continued in some W areas during the day with troughs giving showery outbreaks across S and SE England later. Most parts of the British Isles, however, had some sunny intervals during the day. (Norwich Airport 20.3C, Lake Vyrnwy 12.1C maximum, Redesdale Camp -0.3C minimum, Mumbles Head 21.8 mm, Dyce 12.0 h.)
Troughs and an area of low pressure close to S England on the 9th led to an unsettled day in S areas in particular, although by 2400 GMT MSL pressure had risen to 1028 mb in W Ireland as high pressure introduced a N'ly flow to most areas. There was a ground frost in NE Scotland before dawn, while rain was frequent and widespread during the morning across many parts of England and Wales. The rain weakened and tended to move away to the E during the afternoon as pressure rose although there were some thunderstorms reported in E Yorkshire and E England during the late morning and afternoon. Away from SE England (where it was a cool day) most places had some sunny spells, despite the occurrence of some rain and drizzle across Ireland later in the day. (Hurn 20.8C, Hampstead 12.1C maximum, Kinbrace -1.7C minimum, Bridgefoot 32.0 mm, Kirkwall 9.0 h.)
A trough gave some rainfall in the early hours to parts of E England and some light rain and drizzle also fell before dawn on the 10th in N Scotland. Further rain continued to fall in these E areas during the day, slowly moving S'wards and weakening. Elsewhere, most places had some sunny intervals although later in the day frontal cloud and some light rain began to affect W Scotland. (Yeovilton 20.2C, Fylingdales 10.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 2.3C minimum, Norwich Airport 11.8 mm, St Helier 11.4 h.)
Frontal systems brought rain from the W to many areas during the 11th. Early rain and drizzle in some E parts of England soon cleared but by midday had reached a line Hull-Bristol, with some parts of SW England staying dry. The rain made further progress E'wards and S'wards during the afternoon and evening, before giving way to widespread mist and fog patches across much of England, Wales, E Ireland and S Scotland by 2400 GMT. It was a sunless day in most places as a result. (Drumnadrochit 19.7C, Leek 11.5C maximum, Shap 4.0C minimum, Salsburgh 12.0 mm, Cork Airport 5.3.h .)
Further frontal systems on the 12th made for another unsettled day. Rain and drizzle were widespread in the early hours across much of S Ireland, Wales, S England and the Midlands - with mist and fog both here and as far N as S Scotland. Further rain then fell from the W across much of Ireland, Scotland and W areas of England and Wales by the evening - although further E there was some sunshine and temperatures rose above 20C in places. The rain continued to move E'wards into E parts of England and Scotland during the evening. (Pershore College 22.0C, Baltasound 13.2C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.8C minimum, St Bees Head 11.2 mm, St Helier 6.6 h.)
Further frontal cloud brought spells of rain to most areas on the 13th. While N Scotland had ground frost in places it was a mild start to the day in Cent S and SW England with minimum temperatures above 16C in places. There was widespread rain across England and Wales during the day - and also rain in parts of Scotland, although much of Ireland remained dry. The cloud also made for a generally sunless day. (Thorney Island 20.9C, Salsburgh 9.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 1.6C minimum, Upper Lambourn 27.8 mm, Stornoway 4.2 h.)
Early rain cleared E and SE England by midday on the 14th although across Scotland a cold front gave further outbreaks for a while longer. Despite this, there was a ground frost in some parts of Scotland before dawn. Under a weak high pressure ridge most other areas had a dry day - although the next frontal system brought cloud and rain to W Ireland and W and NW Scotland by midnight. It remained cloudy and dull across SE England even once the morning rain had cleared with maximum temperatures below 14C in places here. (Plymouth 17.9C, Wych Cross 12.3C maximum, Kinbrace -0.5C maximum, Hampstead 20.6 mm, Lerwick 10.3 h.)
Overnight into the 15th there was a touch of ground frost in parts of England; further W frontal cloud gave rainfall to much of Scotland, W and N Ireland by dawn. By midday, any mist of fog in the SE quarter of England had cleared, and cloud had spread light rain into much of this area. Falls of rain were widespread across the British Isles during the day as an area of low pressure brought MSL pressure down to about 980 mb over Shetland during the afternoon. By midnight much of the rain had cleared E Britain - with showers and sunny intervals spreading from the W on a brisk W'ly flow. Hail fell in S Scotland in the afternoon. (Rhyl 18.9C, Lerwick 11.8C maximum, Santon Downham 1.0C minimum, Cluanie Inn 52.8 mm, St Helier 5.1 h.)
Low pressure centred close to N Scotland throughout the 16th produced a brisk W'ly-NW'ly surface flow across the British Isles. Despite this, parts of E Scotland had a touch of ground frost while some rain and showers affected many areas. Falls were, however, greatest in W parts of the British Isles with E areas seeing more sunshine during the day. (Thorney Island 16.9C, Spadeadam 9.6C maximum, Fyvie Castle 1.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 29.8 mm, Heathrow 9.4 h.)
An area of low pressure crossed E'wards over Ireland and England on the 17th resulting in rather cloudy and wet conditions here after dawn. There was some frontal rain in N and W Scotland overnight - this continued in places during the day. But the heaviest rain by day was across S Wales and S England - this turned into drizzle and mist during the evening in many areas. As a result of the cloud associated with the low, the best of the sunshine was to be found across Scotland during the day. (Usk No.2 18.7C, Blencathra 8.6C maximum, Baltasound 3.4C minimum, Sennybridge 37.0 mm, Aviemore 6.4 h.)
Early rain and drizzle in S England had largely cleared away to the S by midday on the 18th; overnight rain also affected N and W Scotland although parts of NE England and E Scotland had a slight ground frost. Despite the development of a weak ridge, showers and outbreaks of rain affected Scotland and N England, in particular, during the day - although falls were mostly slight. Most places had some sunny spells during the day, especially in E Scotland and NE England. (Lee-on-Solent 18.0C, Cluanie Inn 9.9C maximum, Aboyne -0.9C minimum, Baltasound 19.0 mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 10.2 h.)
A depression (centre 997 mb close to Tiree at 1200 GMT) crossed Scotland on the 19th, pulling associated an associated frontal system across the British Isles during the day. Ahead of the rain there was a slight ground frost in E Scotland, but by dawn rain had fallen across much of Scotland, Ireland and NW England - and by the evening this had extended SE'wards to affect all areas of the UK. The fronts moved quickly E'wards and the clearance of the rain area was preceded by a little sunshine and followed by sunshine and some showers. (Pershore 20.2C, Braemar 8.5C maximum, Topcliffe 2.2C minimum, Great Cumbrae Millport 15.0 mm, Valley 7.0 h.)
N England and parts of Scotland had a little rain overnight into the 20th - but in most places the day began dry and there were few fog patches in parts of Cent S England. High pressure in the S meant these dry conditions continued here for many - while some frontal rain fell across parts of Scotland during the day due to fronts. In the late afternoon and evening another front brought cloud and then rain into S Ireland and SW England. Most places had some sunny intervals during the day. (Kew Gardens 19.5C, Emley Moor 12.1C maximum, Aboyne 2.5C minimum, Dunstaffnage 4.4 mm, Filton 7.9 h.)
A warm sector developed from the SW across much of the British Isles during the 21st. However, rainfall amounts were mainly slight while in the evening widespread mist and fog patches formed across much of England and Wales. In parts of Wales and Ireland the temperature reached 22C in places under the warm sector. W and S Scotland and S England had a rather cloudy day - elsewhere most places had some sunny intervals. (Newport (Shropshire) 23.1C, Baltasound 12.6C maximum, Topcliffe 3.9C minimum, Baltasound 8.4 mm, Aberporth 5.7 h.)
High pressure (MSL pressure over 1024 mb in many S areas) dominated the weather on the 22nd. Overnight, however, there was some heavy rain across N Scotland while in S England minimum temperatures remained around 15-16C in many places. N Scotland had some further light rain during the day. Early mist and fog was widespread across England but cleared during the morning - before reforming again in the evening. Much of S England, S wales and parts of S Ireland remained cloudy all day - elsewhere many E counties of N Britain and Ireland had a very sunny day. (Donna Nook 24.4C, Lerwick 12.4C maximum, South Newington 8.4C minimum, Kirkwall 25.2 mm, Hawarden 11.3 h.)
The main high pressure centred slipped away E'wards on the 23rd. Much of England had a foggy start to the day - with some associated light drizzle - and in places it remained misty all day before mist and fog again reformed in the evening. Much of Wales, S Ireland and SW England had a mild night with minimum temperatures above 16C in places. Due to a lingering front, measureable rainfall was mostly confined to N Scotland while during the day the best of the sunshine was to be found in parts of E Ireland, E Scotland and in NE England. In many places it remained sunless all day. (Trawscoed 24.9C, Lerwick 10.0C maximum, Braemar 3.4C minimum, Lerwick 7.4 mm, Dyce 11.1 h.)
A SE'ly flow developed across the British Isles on the 24th between cold fronts across N Scotland and close to SW Ireland. Overnight there was some light rain in parts of N Scotland - elsewhere, widespread mist and fog was the main weather feature by dawn with some drizzle falling from the fog in places. In most areas the mist and fog gave way to cloudy and hazy conditions during the day. A trough gave widespread light rain and drizzle across many parts of Scotland before widespread misty conditions returned in the evening. Across Scotland, N England and Ireland there was almost no sunshine during the day. (Charlwood 23.7C, Lerwick 9.9C maximum, Dalwhinnie 5.1C minimum, Wick Airport 7.0 mm, St Helier 10.5 h.)
A surface E'ly flow was maintained during the 25th as high pressure pushed S'wards into Scotland (1019.6 mb at Baltasound at 2400 GMT). Widespread mist and fog across much of the British Isles gave way to hazy conditions by midday while fronts, that had given some rain overnight across Scotland and Ireland, moved S'wards. This frontal movement introduced clearer air once the rain had fallen - leading to a contraction of the area affected by haze as the day wore on. Rain and drizzle affected many areas during the day, particularly S England and N Wales. Ahead of the rain there was some sunshine in S England, although the Northern Isles and NE Scotland were the sunniest areas overall. (Kew Gardens 22.6C, Dalwhinnie 9.7C maximum, Baltasound 5.7C minimum, Yeovilton 13.0 mm, Kirkwall 6.0 h.)
High pressure was centred to the NE of Scotland by midnight on the 26th. There was a widespread ground in E Scotland by dawn while S areas of Ireland, Wales and England had some overnight frontal rainfall. A slow-moving front gave some rainfall from S England through Wales and into Ireland and SW Scotland during the day, which was generally cloudy away from E areas of England and Scotland - and also N Scotland. (St Helier 23.0C, Lake Vyrnwy 10.7C maximum, Braemar -2.4C minimum, Murlough 15.2 mm, Stornoway 9.5 h.)
Parts of NE Scotland had a ground frost around dawn on the 27th as a mainly SE'ly flow persisted. Rain fell across S Scotland and N England overnight with lighter falls elsewhere from a slow-moving, but weak, front. Many parts of Scotland and Ireland had a misty start to the day and for many in these countries the day was a dull one. NE Scotland and E Ireland had some sunshine - as did the bulk of England and Wales. Mist returned across Scotland in the evening while thunderstorms occurred on the Channel Islands just before midnight. (Jersey Airport 22.0C, Fair Isle 12.1C maximum, Altnaharra 0.4C minimum, Stornoway 7.0 mm, Hawarden 8.9 h.)
A SE'ly flow due to high pressure to the E continued to control the weather on the 28th (MSL pressure was around 1015 mb over NE England at 0000 GMT). An area of low pressure close to the Channel Islands led to thundery conditions here at times throughout the day. Many other areas had a misty start to the day - with frontal rainfall across N Scotland overnight. The rain in N Scotland continued in places during the day, while frontal rain also edged N'wards into S England. SW Ireland had some heavy falls during the day - in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT 34 mm fell at Sherkin Island and 16 mm at Valentia. However, away from these rain areas there were long sunny spells in places. (Prestwick 21.7C, Lerwick 12.6C maximum, Bainbridge 2.3C minimum, Exeter Airport 16.6 mm, Morecambe 11.0 h.)
A SE'ly flow persisted on the 29th. Frontal rain affected S England for a while before dawn and some rain also fell across Ireland during the time; some heavy rain also fell across the Northern Isles. Most other areas had a dry, if misty, start to the day although, away from the Channel Islands and SW England, this mist soon cleared. S Ireland had a little frontal rain during the day, as did SW England and the Channel Islands. Rain on Shetland gave way to cloudy skies before the evening - elsewhere most areas had a day with sunny spells. (Whitechurch 21.3C, Braemar 12.2C maximum, Bridgefoot 2.9C minimum, Lerwick 23.2 mm, Wittering 10.8 h.)
Sheltered parts of mainland N Scotland had a ground frost on the 30th although, elsewhere, minimum temperatures remained widely above 10C. Rainfall overnight was largely confined to SW Ireland although the fronts that caused this moved a little further N during the day to give outbreaks from Cent S England though Wales and in many parts of Ireland. As a result the mainly dry areas of Scotland and E England had the best of the sunshine. (Frittenden 20.8C, Dalwhinnie 12.2C maximum, Aviemore -0.4C minimum, Valley 7.2 mm, Wattisham 10.5 h.)
The presence of fronts in a S'ly airflow over the British Isles on the 2nd led to another mild but unsettled day. Minimum temperatures exceeded 15C overnight in S parts of England, Wales and Ireland and many areas had some rainfall overnight, heavy in places, away from the extreme E coast parts of England and Scotland. The rain turned more patchy across Ireland as the eastern edge of the rain areas moved E. It was a generally dull day - except in W Ireland behind the main frontal area. Maximum temperatures reached 20C in many parts of W and S Ireland and S England. (Heathrow 22.0C, Dalwhinnie 12.1C maximum, Santon Downham 7.5C minimum, Stormont Castle 42.0 mm, Shannon Airport 6.3 h.)
Pressure remained low to the W of Ireland during the 3rd and by 2400 GMT a new centre was located over SW England. Frontal cloud meant a mild night in all areas with a mainly S'ly airflow - and rainfall was widespread overnight except in the SE corner of England. Rainfall continued to be widespread during the day with further heavy falls in places - and very little sunshine as a result. By 2400 GMT MSL pressure had fallen to 999.7 mb at Cardinham. Most places had a mild day, and it was rather misty in between spells of rain across England and Wales. Thunder was reported at Wattisham in the evening. (Jersey Airport 22.1C, Lerwick 11.7C maximum, Santon Downham 9.2C minimum, Tyndrum 43.8 mm, Wattisham 3.9 h.)
Widespread cloud and rain meant another mild night into the 4th (in fact it was unusually mild in parts of SE England) - low pressure moved NE'wards from SW England, giving some heavy falls of rain in places. During the day pressure rose a little from the SW and the rain tended to fade from the S and W, allowing the development of sunny intervals in S parts of Ireland and England. (Heathrow 22.0C, Fair Isle 13.4C maximum, Braemar 10.8C minimum, Aberdaron 41.6 mm, Brize Norton 4.0 h.)
With a ridge of high pressure pushing N'wards overnight, the 5th began with only a little rain and drizzle in places - and with some mist in parts of S England by dawn. During the day it was mainly dry and sunny, although it remained cloudy across parts of East Anglia and SE England. Later in the day weak fronts gave a little rainfall in parts of W Scotland and W Ireland. (Thorney Island 20.1C, Lerwick 11.8C maximum, Aboyne 4.3C minimum, Okehampton 6.6 mm, St Helier 10.1 h.)
Overnight into the 6th there was a NW-SE split in the weather, with frontal cloud giving rain across W Ireland and in W and N Scotland, and clearer skies over S and Cent parts of England leading to a slight ground frost in places. Cent and E areas of England also reported some fog patches by dawn, with visibility down to 200 m in parts of Cent S England. The frontal precipitation moved slightly S'wards during the day with falls mainly from SW Ireland to SE Scotland. To the N of the rain there were a few sunny intervals, with more prolonged sunshine occurring to the S of the rain. (Exeter Airport 20.6C, Spadeadam 13.5C maximum, Santon Downham 2.6C minimum, Achnagart 16.0 mm, Filton 10.6 h.)
High pressure overnight into the 7th led to widespread mist and fog by dawn across the Midlands and Cent S and SE England. Heathrow Airport cancelled 40 flights and several other planes were delayed because of poor visibility due to fog. Widespread fog and mist also led to delays and cancellations at London City Airport. Scotland had a mild night with rain, some of it heavy, and rain also affected parts of Ireland, Wales and NW England. During the day the rain was mainly confined to Scotland and Ireland with E and S England having sunny periods; other areas of Wales and England remained under frontal cloud during the day. (Donna Nook 22.4C, Fair Isle 13.7C maximum, Santon Downham 4.0C minimum, Achnagart 41.2 mm, St Helier 10.4 h.)
The surface flow turned a little more NW'ly during the 8th. Overnight, frontal rain affected much of Scotland and also parts of Wales and Ireland while early mist and fog patches again formed SE of a line Dorset-The Wash. This soon cleared and a cold front brought a little rain across England during the day - although falls here were generally slight. Further bands of rain affected mainly W areas of the British Isles during the day; consequently, sunshine totals tended to be highest in the E of Scotland and England. (Wainfleet 22.3C, Resallach 12.1C maximum, Santon Downham 6.9C minimum, Capel Curig 15.2 mm, Sheffield 7.5 h.)
High pressure became centred to the W of Ireland during the 9th with a N'ly flow becoming established during the day, and MSL pressure rising to 1029.5 mb at Mace Head by 2400 GMT. Overnight rainfall was mostly confined to W and N Scotland; elsewhere the night was mostly dry with some mist forming in S England. Rain and showers became widespread across Scotland during the day, with falls also occurring in parts of Ireland across other many parts of Britain. However, most areas also had some sunny periods. (St James Park 18.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.4C maximum, Dalwhinnie 3.6C minimum, Resallach 23.2 mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 7.2 h.)
High pressure to the W of Ireland (MSL pressure 1033.6 mb at 2400 GMT at Tulloch Bridge and Loch Glascarnoch) dominated the weather on the 10th. This resulted in a N'ly flow that produced a touch of air frost in some sheltered W parts of Ireland and Britain - while frontal cloud and rain affected places close to the North Sea. Despite this rain all places had some sunshine during the day - especially over Ireland. During the late afternoon and evening the rain area pushed further W'wards into some Cent and Cent S parts of England as the high centre moved N'wards. (Chivenor 13.8C, Braemar 6.7C maximum, Saughall -0.7C minimum, Norwich Airport 13.8 mm, Aldergrove 10.0 h.)
The anticyclone centre moved E'wards across the Northern Isles on the 11th, allowing an E'ly flow to become established in many areas to the S with fronts spreading W'wards over S areas of England and Wales. Overnight rain fell generally E of a line Durham-Portsmouth and then during the day a little further to the S and W - mainly E of a line Hull-Portland. There was an early air frost in Cent Scotland and in parts of N Ireland with many inland areas of Scotland and Ireland having an air frost. Onshore-blowing cloud led to a rather cloudy day in E parts, with the greatest sunshine amounts tending to be in W areas of Ireland and Scotland. (Plymouth 16.4C, Carterhouse 8.9C maximum, Tyndrum -2.8C minimum, Shoeburyness 47.8 mm, Tiree 10.5 h.)
An E'ly flow persisted across most areas on the 12th with mainly dry conditions across Scotland and rainfall in many S areas. The heaviest rainfall tended to fall E of a line Durham-Somerset. N and Cent Scotland had a widespread ground frost by dawn with an air frost in Cent Scotland. Rainfall was very heavy overnight in parts of Kent and Sussex with local flooding as a result. W and Cent Scotland then had sunny spells during the day, with sunny periods across S Scotland. For Ireland and most places from S Scotland to the S Midlands it was a rather dull day with rain moving into Wales and SW England in the evening. (Walney Island 16.2C, Spadeadam 9.2C maximum, Dalwhinnie -3.6C minimum, Herstmonceux 44.4 mm, Tiree 10.3 h.)
Low pressure close to East Anglia throughout the 13th led to a wet day for much of England. The rain was heavy at times and spread into Wales in the afternoon with lesser falls also occurring across Scotland and Ireland from an occluded front. Earlier in the day there had been a widespread ground frost across Cent Scotland while minimum temperatures were closer to 11C across S Ireland. As a result of frontal cloud it was a sunless day across much of England and Wales. (Isles Of Scilly and Sherkin Island 15.9C, Pennerley 8.0C maximum, Braemar -2.1C minimum, Houghton Hall 28.4 mm, Tiree 9.9 h.)
A low pressure centre persisted over, or close to, E England during the 14th. Rainfall was widespread across England and Wales overnight, with lesser falls in parts of E Scotland and SE Ireland. The rainfall reduced in intensity during the day - and in the evening gave way to widespread mist across much of England. For W Scotland and much of Ireland it was a largely dry day with sunny periods. During the afternoon the rain turned thundery in Somerset. (Auchincruive and Valentia 15.6C, Pennerley 8.8C maximum, Sennybridge 2.8C minimum, Durham 22.6 mm, Thomastown 9.5.h.)
By dawn on the 15th mist and fog patches were widespread in many parts of the British Isles, and a ground frost had formed across much of Ireland and in parts of Wales, SW England and W Scotland. Overnight rain had largely died out across E areas of Scotland and England by dawn and there were only a few slight falls here during the day. In many areas it was a sunny day with mist and fog patches reforming across England and in parts of Wales and Scotland in the evening. By midnight, frontal cloud had started to bring rain to SW parts of Ireland and Cornwall from the SW. (Chivenor 17.5C, Baltasound 9.5C maximum, Katesbridge 0.6C minimum, Ravensworth 7.6 mm, Tiree 10.2 h.)
The 16th was an unsettled day as a sequence of fronts moved NE'wards across the British Isles - accompanying a newly-formed low centre that crossed N England later in the day. Early mist and fog across England and Wales soon gave way to rain and drizzle from the W by late morning. Across Scotland there was a widespread ground frost with an air frost in N Scotland - the rain reached S Scotland in the afternoon. Falls were heavy in places although the rain gave way to sunshine in S Ireland and S Britain from late morning onwards. (Hurn 19.2C, Lentran 7.9C maximum, Kinbrace -2.9C minimum, Derrylin Cornahoule 27.8 mm, Camborne 7.8 h.)
There was a slight NW-SE split in the weather on the 17th due to a weak ridge in the SE and frontal systems that affected NW'ly areas. Overnight some rain fell across S England, while another area of rain in N England and Scotland became largely confined to Scotland by dawn. Spells of rain continued across Scotland during the day with only lesser falls in parts of Wales and SW England. On mainland Scotland the day was generally dull as a result, while sunny spells occurred in most other parts of the British Isles during the day. Mist and fog became widespread in the evening across England and Wales. ( Goudhurst 19.3C, Baltasound 8.0C maximum, Katesbridge 2.5C minimum, Charterhall 21.0 mm, Leeming 8.9 h.)
The surface flow on the 18th was from a mainly S'ly direction as fronts moved N'wards over the British Isles, driven by low pressure to the W. Mist and fog persisted in parts of E England and east Anglia until mid-morning by which time rain, heavy in places, had affected many areas to the W. It remained misty and hazy in these E areas during the afternoon, with rain not making much progress into E England until the late evening. By this time drier conditions were beginning to spread across Ireland. In most areas away from Shetland and the Channel Islands it was a sunless day. (Northolt 18.3C, Lerwick 8.9C maximum, Topcliffe 1.7C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 40.4 mm, St Helier 5.3.h.)
The 19th brought a continuation of unsettled weather with rainfall being widespread overnight and during the day across the British Isles. When the rain did clear conditions were rather misty and sunshine tended to be restricted to sunny intervals in parts of Ireland, Wales, SW England and the Channel Islands. Some of the rain turned thundery in the afternoon and evening in parts of Cent S England and E Ireland. However a S to SW'ly flow meant a generally mild day. (Pershore College 19.1C, Lerwick 8.1C maximum, Baltasound 5.7C minimum, Kirkwall 35.3 mm, Camborne 5.1 h.)
Rainfall was widespread overnight into the 20th although parts of E England did remain largely dry. Thunderstorms were reported in Cornwall before dawn with thunder in cent S England during the morning and later in the London area. Rainfall continued to be widespread during the day, although places in NE England and Cent and E Scotland saw only minor falls. In between the rain, which was often associated with troughs, there were sunny intervals in most areas. (Pershore College 17.9C, Baltasound 9.7C maximum, Aviemore 3.2C minimum, Boscombe Down 35.2 mm, Dublin Airport 5.0 h.)
A frontal system pushed NE'wards over the British Isles on the 21st with much of England and Wales being under a warm sector by midnight. Overnight there was widespread rain and drizzle over England and Wales - with heavy falls in parts of Wales. During the day the rain spread N'wards into Scotland, clearing from S and Cent Ireland as it did so. Downpours and high winds led to problems in parts of Pembrokeshire and Powys in the morning. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service reported "severe" flooding in Haverfordwest. Seventy sheep were rescued from flooded farmland in Herefordshire at Buckton. Crews from Leintwardine and Bromyard rescued them from "rapidly rising flood water" from the River Teme. Only parts of Cent and N Scotland had more than an hour of sunshine - with most places in England, Wales and Ireland remaining sunless. Thunder was reported in the Dublin area just before midnight. (Rhyl 19.2C, Lerwick 10.9C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 5.5C minimum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 50.8 mm, Kinloss 3.9 h.)
Low pressure systems continued to dominate the weather on the 22nd. The day dawned after a mild night across much of England and Wales with minimum temperature around 15C. It was mostly dry overnight in E England; elsewhere overnight rain was widespread and, in places, heavy. Rain and showers continued to be widespread during the day with generally mild S'ly winds; thunder was reported in Cent S England, the Channel Islands and E England in the afternoon and evening. In many places the day was a dull one - with the best of the sunshine in Cent parts of Ireland. Heavy rainfall across parts of Scotland caused flooding and travel problems in southern and central areas. Surface water has caused problems on the M74 in the Lanarkshire area and drivers were warned to take care on all routes in Dumfries and Galloway. Train passengers faced cancellations and delays through Anniesland and Westerton in Glasgow because of flooding. Flooding between Dalmuir and Garscadden was also disrupting trains through those stations to Motherwell, Springburn and Lanark. (St Helier 19.5C, Lerwick 11.7C maximum, Altnaharra 4.6C minimum, St Bees Head 36.2 mm, Casement Aerodrome 4.1 h.)
The 23rd dawned after a mild night in all areas. Overnight rain was widespread, except in E and N Scotland where falls were intermittent and slight - and was due to an area of low pressure to the N of Scotland. At 1200 GMT the MSL pressure over Shetland was about 980 mb. As the day wore on the rain moved away N'wards and E'wards, being confined to parts of Scotland by midnight. Across Ireland and S England, in particular, there were sunny spells after the rain had cleared. (Heathrow 17.8C, Altnahinch Filters 9.7C maximum, Tain Range 6.0C minimum, Capel Curig 31.6 mm, Shannon Airport 8.6 h.)
E'ly winds turned SE'ly during the 24th as a depression moved NE'wards towards SW Ireland, pushing fronts across W areas. Overnight there was a ground in parts of England and Ireland with rainfall in W and N Scotland. By dawn mist and fog patches were widespread across much of S and Cent England. The visibility improved in these areas by midday and much of Britain had a sunny day except across Cornwall and Devon where there were spells of rain. Rain also fell across Ireland from time to time during the day, although by the evening more widespread frontal rain was falling across much of S and Cent Ireland; this then spread into SW Scotland, Wales and places SW of a line Cumbria-Sussex by midnight. Across N and E England mist formed quite widely by midnight. (Kew Gardens 18.4C, Dalwhinnie 8.9C maximum, Katesbridge -0.9C minimum, Fair Isle 7.4 mm, Boulmer 8.7 h.)
An area of low pressure moved from SW Ireland to Shetland during the 25th giving some rain to all areas and introducing a mild S'ly airflow to much of England and Wales. By dawn rain was widespread across the UK although in S Ireland the sky was beginning to clear. Overnight falls in S Ireland and SW England were heavy in places and these heavier outbreaks then spread N'wards into Wales and Scotland during the day. As the rain cleared from the S across England, Wales and Ireland sunny periods developed - although mixed with organised shower bands in places; one of these showers turned thundery in the Dublin area later in the afternoon. Across Scotland it was a mainly dull day. During the evening a weak front spread further rain from the W across W and Cent Scotland. (Gravesend 19.6C, Lerwick 9.7C maximum, Aboyne -0.4C minimum, Shap 40.4 mm, Camborne 5.5 h.)
The 26th was generally a windy day, with spells of showers or frontal rain affecting most areas. Overnight rainfall was mostly confined to SW England, Wales, N England and Scotland with overnight minimum temperatures in S England generally in the range 13-16C. Across W Scotland minima of 5-8C were more typical. During the day rainfall was heaviest across Ireland, and in W England, Wales and W Scotland while maximum temperatures reached 17C in parts of SE England, East Anglia and the E Midlands. Low level cloud meant little sunshine - except on the Channel Islands. A wind turbine collapsed in strong winds which swept across Devon later in the day. No-one was reported injured after the 27 m high turbine came down in a field at Higher Rixdale Farm at Luton, near Teignmouth. (Weybourne 18.0C, Baltasound 9.7C maximum, Tain Range 3.8C minimum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 24.4 mm, St Helier 7.9 h.)
The 27th was a day with a blustery W'ly to SW'ly flow in all areas, although by midnight a deepening depression (christened 'St Judes storm') had moved to just SW of SW Wales with a centre of 981 mb. All areas had rainfall overnight in to the 27th (Shannon Airport reporting an early thunderstorm) although parts of E Scotland had only light falls and here there was a slight ground frost in places. During the day falls were again widespread but with most places also having sunny intervals in between spells of rain or showers. By the end of the evening there was more general rainfall across S Ireland and in much of England - especially over S England where it was heavy in places. In parts of SW England gusts over 55 kn had been reported by midnight. A search for the 14-year-old boy who was swept away into the sea at Newhaven, East Sussex was later halted as conditions worsened. (Gravesend 17.1C, Dalwhinnie 8.7C maximum, Tain Range 2.7C minimum, Cluanie Inn 32.2 mm, Church Fenton 6.1.h.)
Conditions on the 28th were dominated by the passage of a deepening depression that moved rapidly across Cent England towards Denmark by 1200 GMT. A second depression was centred close to Shetland (970 mb at 0000 GMT). At Holbeach the MSL pressure reached 975.5 mb at 0600 GMT. The main rain area moved NE'wards as the low centre crossed England giving way to showers, while an area of severe gusts occurred across S Britain. Winds were generally lighter between the two low centres than to the south of the one over England. Between the two lows there were spells of rain and showers throughout the day although most places had some sunny intervals. Four people died as a result of the St Jude storm, which also led to 625,000 homes losing power, and major rush-hour disruption to commuters. A teenager in Kent and a man in Watford were killed by falling trees. A man and a woman died in west London after a falling tree caused a suspected gas explosion and a house to collapse. Many rail companies suspended morning services before running reduced services later. Flights and ferry crossing were also affected as the storm moved across Britain. Network Rail said the damage to infrastructure had been "worse than expected", with more than 100 trees on lines. Several hundred staff worked through Sunday night and into the morning to monitor conditions and react to damage. A double-decker bus rolled over in Suffolk, injuring the driver and several passengers. Witnesses told police the vehicle blew over at 0800 GMT, rolling on to its side and coming to a stop in a field in Hadleigh. Police say 125 trees fell across Sussex including one on a taxi in Eastbourne, from which the driver climbed out uninjured. A crane on the roof of the Cabinet Office in London collapsed. Peak gusts included 99 mph at The Needles, 82 mph at Langdon Bay and 81 mph at Isle of Portland. According to the Met Office, rainfall totals from 1800 GMT on 27 October to 0800 GMT today included 50.0 mm at Otterbourne Water Works, 45.4 mm at Wych Cross, 44.8 mm at Bute Park and 42.0 mm at Hurn. During the afternoon a thunderstorm with hail was reported at Lusa. (Shoeburyness 15.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 8.4C maximum, Fyvie Castle 2.0C minimum, Cardiff Bute Park 54.0 mm, Manston 5.9 h.)
NW to W'ly winds continued to affect all areas on the 29th with troughs giving outbreaks of rain and showers to most areas during the day. Overnight, the greatest rainfall totals were to be found over W parts of Scotland and Ireland, over Wales and in SW England. It remained generally brighter in the E during the day with further rain and showers being heaviest mainly in the W. But all areas also had spells of sunshine during the day. (Swanage 14.6C, Dalwhinnie 7.4C maximum, Killylane 2.9C minimum, Resallach 36.2 mm, Leuchars 8.4 h.)
A weak ridge of high pressure soon gave way to E'wards-moving fronts by late morning over Ireland and by the evening these had brought rain to almost all areas of England. Under clear skies there was a widespread ground frost by dawn inland across the British Isles with a slight air frost in very sheltered areas. However, my midday rain and drizzle was affecting most of Ireland and parts of W Scotland; this rain then moved E to reach all but E England by the evening. This latter area had a sunny day with W Scotland, in contrast, remaining rather dull. (Isle Of Portland 15.2C, Dalwhinnie 9.0C maximum, Aboyne -1.8C minimum, Whitechurch 16.6 mm, Wattisham 9.0 h.)
A brisk W'ly flow again affected all areas on the 31st. Parts of E Scotland had a slight ground frost to start the day with rain moving E'wards across England and NW Scotland. The latter area of rain expanded during the day to much of Scotland and Ireland although it turned drier across England for a while with further rain moving across S areas later in the day. However, it remained cloudy in SE England but with sunny intervals elsewhere. (St Catherine's Point 14.7C, Aviemore 5.9C maximum, Katesbridge 0.5Cminimum, Achnagart 30.6 mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 5.5h.)
A deep area of low pressure centred over NW Ireland at midday (979 mb) and later over NE Scotland at 2400 GMT (974 mb) led to a stormy day in W and N areas on the 2nd. There was a widespread ground frost overnight in Scotland, with an air frost in the E and in parts of NE England. Across England and Wales early rain gave way to mist and fog patches in many places by dawn - by which time frontal rain ahead of the low was falling in W Ireland. The rain over Ireland soon spread NE'wards to most W areas of Britain and by the evening only parts of East Anglia had remained dry; this part of England received little rain as the rain areas headed NE during the day. By midday gusts of 50-60 kn were affecting coastal areas W Wales and SW England and gusty conditions then spread further N and E in the afternoon and evening. As the rain cleared from the SW there were outbreaks of showers later in the day with a brisk W'ly surface flow becoming established. (Gravesend 16.4C, Braemar 4.2C maximum, Redesdale Camp -3.8C minimum, Port Ellen 26.8 mm, Camborne 4.5 h.)
The 3rd was an unsettled day - it began with one low pressure system over NE Scotland and ended with another system moving across S Ireland into SW England (981 mb over Devon at 2400 GMT). Rain and showers were widespread across Scotland, Ireland, and Wales and over W and N England overnight. There was a temporary drying from the W as the rain moved E'wards and a weak ridge followed the rain - but further rain soon reached SW England and in the evening there were some heavy falls here as the rain then spread across much of S and Cent England. Rain continued to fall at times across N Scotland during the day and this was heavy over the Northern Isles. Except over N Scotland, most places had some sunshine under the weak ridge. (Bude 14.2C, Braemar 5.8C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 0.3C minimum, Lerwick 52.0 mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 7.1 h.)
While rain affected S Ireland and much of S and cent England and Wales for a while overnight into the 4th, ground frost was widespread in most other inland areas - with an air frost as far S as Cheshire and S Wales. Across S England the rainfall was heavy for a time in many areas while across N Scotland a few scattered showers fell from time to time in the early hours as N'ly surface flow became established for a while across the UK. There was little rainfall during the day in many areas although into the evening an occluded front across Ireland and later into SW England. Most districts had sunny spells once any early rain had cleared; at Spadeadam snow grains were observed falling in early morning fog with the visibility down to 100 m. (Cardiff Bute Park 12.8C, Spadeadam 4.7C maximum, Katesbridge -5.8C minimum, East Malling 26.8 mm, Waddington 8.6 h.)
Further fronts and troughs affected the British Isles on the 5th on what was a blustery, W'ly day for many. Except in S and Cent Ireland and in SW parts of England and Wales, there was a widespread ground frost before dawn with an air frost in much of Scotland and N England. However, cloud and rain across Ireland reached much of W Scotland and most of England and Wales by dawn. Rain fell in all parts of the British Isles during the day - with the best of any sunshine to be found over E Scotland. (St Helier 14.8C, Tyndrum 2.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -6.1C minimum, Liscombe 19.0 mm, Lerwick 5.3 h.)
The 6th was again dominated by a brisk W'ly airflow although a wave depression moved quickly from SW Ireland at 1200 GMT to the North Sea over the following 12 hours. Minimum temperatures overnight were around 10-11C in SW England and S Wales while E Scotland had a sharp ground frost in places. Many W and N areas of the British Isles had some rain overnight with Tulloch Bridge reporting sleet at 0600 GMT as the rain met the cold air in the E. E Scotland and NE England were largely dry during the day - elsewhere rainfall was widespread although in many S and Cent parts of England and Wales it fell as drizzle in misty conditions. Only N and Cent parts of Scotland had any sunshine as a result. (Exeter Airport 16.5C, Dalwhinnie 5.3C maximum, Fyvie Castle -2.0C minimum, Liscombe 25.0 mm, Kinloss 7.1 h.)
Rain-bearing troughs affected N and W areas during the 7th with some early frontal rain and drizzle clearing S areas of England by around dawn. Many parts of Ireland and Scotland in particular had a ground frost before dawn and a day with sunny spells then followed in all areas except in S England and the Channel Islands. In these latter regions it remained rather cloudy, dull and misty even after the frontal rain had cleared. Across Scotland the precipitation during the day fell as sleet or snow in the NW or over higher ground. (Cardiff Bute Park 12.9C, Aviemore 5.1C maximum, Aboyne -3.8C minimum, Dunstaffnage 33.0 mm, Boulmer 7.5 h.)
The 8th dawned after a cool night with a touch of ground frost in places. Rain fell in many W areas and across much of Scotland by dawn - before spreading NE'wards across much of England and Wales during the day as a wave developed on a frontal system in N France. Rain showers later affected parts of Ireland and W Britain - with thunder being reported at Northolt in the afternoon. It turned misty across E England in the evening and the best of the sunshine during the day tended to be across NE Scotland and in SE Ireland. (Gravesend 14.3C, Lake Vyrnwy 5.2C maximum, Westonbirt 0.2C minimum, Achnagart 24.8 mm, Cork Airport 7.7 h.)
The 9th was a generally unsettled day as a W'ly flow brought troughs and fronts across the British Isles. Most places saw some rainfall overnight with further falls, generally slightly heavier, being widespread during the day. Despite the overnight rain, there was a widespread ground frost once skies cleared, and E Scotland had a widespread air frost - although areas of W Ireland, East Anglia and SE England remained rather cloudy during the day. Sleet, snow and snow grains were reported in parts of N Scotland and Cumbria. (Isles of Scilly 13.3C, Dalwhinnie 3.6 C maximum, Aboyne -5.9C minimum, Stonyhurst 20.4 mm, Dyce 7.0 h.)
A ridge of high pressure brought some quiet weather across the British Isles for a time on the 10th, although by the evening the next warm front was crossing Ireland. Away from S and Cent parts of England and S Ireland there was a widespread ground frost with many parts of N Ireland, N England and Scotland also having an air frost. The milder areas overnight in the S had a spell of rain for a while in the early hours but during the day it was generally dry until rain pushed into W Ireland in the afternoon. Away from W Ireland there were long sunny spells in many areas although in Cumbria some early fog led to falls of snow grains. (Valentia 13.4C, Carterhouse 4.4C maximum, Katesbridge -5.6C minimum, Culdrose 11.6 mm, Wattisham 8.5h.)
A warm sector across Ireland early on the < b>11th meant a mild night here with 13.1C being the overnight minimum temperature at Valentia; across much of England and Scotland there was a widespread ground frost with an air frost in some E counties. By dawn the frontal rain had spread to all but a few parts of E England - with some heavy falls in SW England and S Wales. The rain continued to affect much of Britain during the day, giving way to misty conditions later - although across Ireland it was a mainly dry day. Except across Scotland where there were some sunny intervals it was a rather cloudy day. (Exeter Airport 16.0C, Braemar 9.6C maximum, Santon Downham -3.2C minimum, Mumbles Head 25.6 mm, Tiree 5.0 h.)
The warm sector cleared SE England by midday on the 12th and a large area of high pressure then extended into the SW of the British Isles with MSL pressure reaching 1036 mb in Cornwall and S Ireland by 2400 GMT. There was little frost overnight except in parts of E Scotland; W and N Scotland had some overnight rain and showers and rainfall affected much of S and Cent England and Wales for a time in the morning. Rainfall continued during the day across W, Cent and N Scotland (and in parts of N Ireland) with some snow later over the Northern Isles; Northolt reported thunder shortly before midday. Most places, apart from the extreme SE of England, had sunny spells later as pressure rose. (Pembrey Sands 14.0C, Dalwhinnie 5.6C maximum, Katesbridge -1.2C minimum, Cassley 24.0 mm, Filton 7.3 h.)
The effects of high pressure were short-lived on the 13th and by 2400 GMT a cold front had spread across all but SE England and East Anglia from the W. England and Wales had a widespread ground frost under high pressure overnight while outbreaks of rain continued overnight over N Scotland. Cloud increased from the W during the day with rain in W Ireland by midday; this spread to affect most of Ireland and Scotland by the evening - and most of England by 2400 GMT. Ahead of the rain it was a sunny day across most of England, but Scotland and Ireland remained rather dull. (St Helier 13.4C, Dalwhinnie 6.4C maximum, Benson -3.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 23.8 mm, Wattisham 7.4 h.)
High pressure built from the W during the 14th, once a cold front and following trough had cleared SE England. MSL pressure reached 1039.3 mb at Valentia and Sherkin Island by 2400 GMT. Bands of rain moved across Britain during the morning with only light falls in some W parts of Britain in the evening. A rather cloudy night meant no air frost across the UK at low levels although during the day, behind the cold front, it was quite sunny in E and S England. (St Helier 12.2C, Dalwhinnie 5.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 2.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 25.6 mm, Leconfield 7.4 h.)
High pressure persisted during the 15th although a weak front gave cloud and some rainfall across Scotland and Ireland. E Scotland and Cent England had a widespread ground frost by dawn - with an air frost in parts of N and Cent England. Precipitation amounts were small overnight and during the day but the frontal cloud in the W meant that most sunshine was confined to the SE of a line Hull-Exeter. (Fyvie Castle 13.9C, Rochdale 6.7C maximum, Topcliffe -3.3C minimum, Harris Quidnish 2.6 mm, Lyneham 6.9 h.)
Although pressure remained high on the 16th, weak frontal systems over NW and S areas resulted in a rather cloudy day in most areas. There was an early ground frost ahead of this cloud over Cent, SE and E parts of England overnight with an air frost in parts of SE England; overnight minimum temperatures in N Scotland tended to remain above 10C. Most of the rain during the day, albeit slight, was to be found over W and N Scotland and in N Ireland; England and Wales had a mainly dry day although misty conditions early in the day persisted in places and gave some light drizzle and a cool day in places. (Fyvie Castle 15.0C, High Wycombe 6.7C maximum, Upper Lambourn -3.2C minimum, Achnagart 11.8 mm, Manston 7.3 h.)
The 17th was a generally cloudy day due to weak frontal systems across the British Isles. However, overnight some clear skies gave a widespread ground frost and a touch of air frost in Scotland - with mist conditions further S leading to fog patches in places and some light rain and drizzle overnight in Ireland. During the day this rain spread across much of Ireland and SW Scotland - although E Scotland had some sunny intervals. Most of England and Wales remained rather misty and this mist became more widespread in the evening. (Gogerddan 12.9C, Tyndrum 4.4C maximum, Braemar -4.0C minimum, Dundrennan 13.0 mm, Kinloss 4.7 h.)
During the 18th a N'ly flow became established across the British Isles. There was little frost to begin the day due to widespread mist, fog patches, drizzle and light rain in most areas associated with a pair of cold fronts. Most of the rain overnight was across Scotland and Ireland; as the fronts moved SE'wards so too did these conditions with the rain falling largely across Wales, W and N England during the day. Only once the rain and drizzle cleared from the NW did the skies clear to allow sunshine - so England and Wales remained dull. NW Scotland had falls of snow from late morning into the evening - the snow falling in N and parts of E Scotland later in the evening. (Isles of Scilly 11.5C, Loch Glascarnoch 3.1C maximum, Aboyne -4.0C minimum, Bridgefoot 14.2 mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 5.2 h.)
A cold NW'ly flow early on the 19th turned W'ly in the afternoon as a deep depression N of Scotland pushed its fronts across N areas. Air frost was widespread overnight in Scotland, E Ireland, and in parts of Cent and N England. Showers in many areas gave way to more general rain later - hail fell across the Northern Isles during the morning and in SW England and the Channel Islands at times throughout the day and into the evening. This was probably the snowiest day of the month with falls being widespread across N and W Scotland before dawn - with falls also in parts of Wales, N Ireland and Cumbria before 0600 GMT. Falls then gradually tended to die out as a warm sector spread across Scotland in the evening - but a few falls continued as far S as Cumbria and the Pennines ahead of the warm front. In between showers of rain, sleet or snow (which fell mainly on W-facing coastal areas) there were widespread sunny spells - but it remained a cool day. (South Uist 8.9C, Carterhouse 0.6C maximum, Tyndrum -5.2C minimum, Kinlochewe 18.2 mm, Wittering 7.5 h.)
A low pressure centre moved S'wards over the North Sea during the 20th, drawing the warm sector S'wards across Britain - along with showery conditions as NW'ly flow became established behind the fronts. England and Wales had a widespread ground frost by dawn, as did parts of SE Scotland; air frost was also widespread away from coastal areas in England and Wales. By dawn rain had fallen across Ireland, Scotland, Wales and NW England - preceded by some snow over N England as the rain met the cold air. The rain then spread SE'wards to affect all of England and Wales during the day - again preceded by light snow in parts of the Midlands and Cent S England. Rain and showers continued to affect Scotland with hail on Shetland and Guernsey. Thunder was reported from Odiham in the afternoon and some further snow was observed in parts of E Scotland and N England later in the day. (Jersey Airport 11.1C, Dalwhinnie 2.9C maximum, Benson -6.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 32.4 mm, Prestwick 4.5 h.)
A mainly N'ly flow persisted during the 21st although high pressure built from the W during the day, with the MSL pressure reaching 1022 mb in W Ireland by 2400 GMT. There was a touch of air frost in parts of Cent Scotland overnight; E Scotland and much of England and Wales had rain at times overnight with some heavy falls in SE Scotland and NE England for a time. Around dawn some snow fell for a while in Altnaharra. The rain largely cleared from E England during late morning and in most places the day was a dry one - although a few light showers affected some areas. Scotland had a rather cloudy day - as did much of S England; elsewhere there were sunny intervals from time to time. (Isles of Scilly 10.1C, Dalwhinnie 1.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -2.5C minimum, Chillingham Barns 57.2 mm, Shannon Airport 6.8 h.)
There was a widespread ground frost early on the 22nd with grass minimum temperatures falling below -10C in some Cent parts of Scotland and Ireland. Air frost was also widespread in Scotland, Wales and E Ireland. A few showers fell overnight in parts of E England (including hail on Guernsey) and mist was widespread by dawn in the Midlands and S Wales. During the morning rain began falling across N Scotland and continued here throughout the remainder of the day; further showers also affected E areas of Britain in the N'ly flow. However, away from N Scotland it was a bright and sunny day in most areas - although parts of Kent and NE England remained rather cloudy. (Isles of Scilly 10.1C, Carterhouse 0.4C maximum, Tyndrum -7.7C minimum, Manston 11.4 mm, Camborne 8.0 h.)
High pressure remained centred to the W of Ireland on the 23rd - MSL pressure readings at 2400 GMT included 1033 mb at Mace Head. Away from E England (where it was cloudy with some overnight rain) and coastal areas there was a widespread air frost, while many parts of S and Cent England and Ireland had widespread mist by dawn. Overnight frontal rain affected N Ireland and N Scotland - these areas, along with parts of E Britain, continued to have rain and drizzle at times during the day. (Isles of Scilly 10.3C, Eskdalemuir 2.4C maximum, Shap -6.3C minimum, Resallach 5.4 mm, Cork Airport 6.7 h.)
By 2400 GMT on the 24th the anticyclone was centred over W Scotland at 1040 mb. Wales, W England and Cent Scotland had an overnight air frost and some light rain and drizzle affected parts of N Ireland, N Scotland and E England overnight. As a cold front edged S'wards across the British Isles a little rain fell in places across England and Wales - and most places were rather cloudy as a result, feeling cold in the N'ly surface flow. (South Uist 10.6C, Glasgow 1.9C maximum, Exeter Airport -4.9C minimum, Fylingdales 2.2 mm, Bude 5.1 h.)
By 2400 GMT on the 25th high pressure was centred close to Valentia, 1044 mb. After a ground and air frost across Britain (Ireland generally remained above 0C overnight) the day was a mainly dry one, away from some E coast areas where a few showers fell at times during the day. Ireland and W and N areas of Scotland had a rather cloudy day with the sunniest conditions to be found in the N Midlands and NW England; much of S England was also rather cloudy. (Tiree 9.6C, Aviemore 1.3C maximum, Braemar -8.1C minimum, Kirkwall 2.0 mm, Morecambe 6.3 h.)
High pressure remained centred over Ireland on the 26th with another mainly dry day ensuing. Many areas of E Scotland and N, Cent and SW England had an overnight air frost although frontal cloud gave some rain in N Scotland. Patchy mist was widespread across England by dawn; during the day the light rain and drizzle in N Scotland moved S'wards to N Ireland, Norfolk and the N Midlands - although S of Edinburgh falls were very slight. Behind this frontal rain the warmest conditions were to be found over Scotland during the day, with S England having the best of any sunshine before cloud arrived from the N. (Kinlochewe 13.2C, Astwood Bank 3.6C maximum, Braemar -6.1C minimum, Lerwick 11.6 mm, Odiham 7.1 h.)
Although high pressure (centred to the W) gave mainly settled weather on the 27th, passing fronts brought cloudy skies and spells of light rain or drizzle to some areas. It was a mild night in Scotland with some mist and drizzle across England and Wales before dawn. It remained rather misty across much of England, in particular, during the day. There was very little sunshine, except in parts of the NE Midlands and in parts of E and SE Scotland. (Boulmer 13.4C, Manston 7.1C maximum, Topcliffe -1.6C minimum Cassley 4.0 mm, Wittering 5.1 h.)
High pressure held sway in the S on the 28th but by 2400 GMT a depression near Iceland had pushed a warm sector across much of Scotland. E areas of Britain had a slight overnight ground frost with misty conditions (and some fog) across England while in Ireland drizzle fell in places before dawn. Misty conditions persisted all day in many parts of England with some light drizzle in places. Across Scotland and N Ireland frontal rain began spreading E'wards in the afternoon - there was little sunshine anywhere as a result. (Isles of Scilly and Shannon Airport 11.1C, Tyndrum 4.6C maximum, Strathallan -1.3C minimum, Harris Quidnish 1.8 mm, Prestwick 2.2 h.)
Away from E Scotland a few places in NE England, the 29th was another dull day. The warm sector cleared SE'wards through E Britain and a N'ly flow became established by the end of the day. The warm sector and its fronts gave some moderately heavy rainfall across Scotland overnight - but falls were lighter as the system spread SE'wards with just light rain and drizzle falling in many areas. Cooler air followed the clearance of the rain - with the S being the warmest by day as a result. (Bude 11.6C, Carterhouse 4.5 C maximum, Shap -0.9C minimum, Cluanie Inn 31.4 mm, Boulmer 5.8 h.)
A rather cloudy, NW'ly flow dominated on the 30th across Scotland - but further S there were sunny spells once early cloud and some light rain had cleared. Parts of Scotland, Wales, SW England and E Ireland had a slight ground frost - but further E in England there was a cloudy start to the day for most places. A little light rain fell during the day in parts of Scotland. (Cardiff Bute Park 11.0C, Spadeadam 5.5C maximum, Shap -2.9C minimum, Wainfleet 3.2 mm, Filton 7.1 h.)
The main centre of the high pressure moved E'wards on the 2nd. Parts of E Scotland had a slight air frost by dawn with mist and fog patches being widespread across much of Cent and E England by dawn. At 0300 GMT the visibility was 400 m at Topcliffe, with light snowfall reported. Fog patches lingered until late morning in parts of E England - elsewhere the day was a cloudy one with only one or two places reporting any sunshine at all. Later in the afternoon and evening fronts pushed SE'wards across N Scotland giving some slight rainfall here. (Exeter Airport 11.4C, Fylingdales 4.8C maximum, Aboyne -2.6C minimum, Lusa 3.2 mm, Yeovilton 1.8 h.)
A cold front pushed slowly SE'wards on the 3rd, reaching the Midlands by midday. Rainfall was widespread and heavy across N and Cent Scotland - but falls were mainly slight from S Scotland S'wards. Almost all areas remained cloudy during the day with misty conditions in parts of England around dawn. (Achnagart 11.8C, Kinbrace 3.3C maximum, Norwich Airport 0.1C minimum, Achnagart 31.8 mm, Valley 1.0 h.)
A W'ly flow became established behind the cold front as it cleared SE England around midday on the 4th. Inland areas of Ireland and Scotland had a widespread ground frost by dawn as skies cleared here with a slight air frost in parts of E Scotland and N Ireland. S England remained rather cloudy once the frontal rain had cleared - this rain was mainly slight across England and Wales - but across N areas the flow was a showery one with showers of hail and snow in N Scotland. These showers gave way to another area of frontal rain in the afternoon and evening. It also turned windy in Scotland in the evening with reported gusts at 2400 GMT of 53 kn at South Uist Range and 51 kn at Tiree. (St Helier 12.0C, Carterhouse 3.5C maximum, Katesbridge -4.1C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 14.0 mm, Boulmer 6.2 h.)
During the first half of the 5th a deepening depression moved from NW of Scotland into S Norway, bringing storm-force conditions across N Britain and a developing tidal surge later in the evening around the N-facing coasts of Britain. A lorry driver was killed when his vehicle was blown over in Scotland, while a man died when he was hit by a falling tree in Nottinghamshire. Rail travel was badly affected, with all train services in Scotland cancelled because of debris on the lines and damage to equipment. Services in northern England were also hit. Strongest wind gusts occurred over high ground in Scotland; the Met Office reported the following gusts in the 18 hours ending 0600 GMT - Aonach Mor 142 mph, Cairnwell 137 mph, Bealach Na Ba 116 mph, Great Dun Fell 113 mph and Glen Ogle 106 mph. Accompanying fronts crossed all areas during the day, introducing a NW'ly surface flow that was one of the causes of the tidal surge. Rain fell along these fronts, but in the colder air behind them there were showers of hail from late morning onwards in N Scotland, and also showers of snow from dawn onwards - initially in N Scotland but later as far S as Glasgow. Lerwick reported a thunderstorm before 0600 GMT. Ahead of the frontal rain there was a widespread ground frost in England and Wales with an air frost in S and Cent England. The frontal rain decreased in intensity as it pushed SE'wards during the day. (Usk No.2 11.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 1.7C maximum, Hurn -4.9C minimum, Tyndrum 56.0 mm, Eskdalemuir 3.3 h.)
The 6th dawned after a storm-induced tidal surge in North Wales and in particular at locations on the coastline of the North Sea, with widespread flooding and some property damage resulting. Reports indicated that this was the worst North Sea Surge since January 1953. In E Britain thousands of people were evacuated from their homes. The surge reached north Norfolk in the evening on the 5th and made its way south through the night. By dawn the Environment Agency had dozens of severe flood warnings in place. Many of the severe warnings related to areas in the east of England, where there are also about 200 lower-level warnings and alerts. 9,000 people were evacuated their homes in Norfolk, mainly in the Great Yarmouth area, where at least 26 properties have been flooded and a lifeboat station was washed into the sea. The day was a mainly showery one - with hail showers in the Northern Isles throughout the day, and falls of snow over N Scotland and over high ground elsewhere in Scotland. Some snow also fell as far S as the S Pennines early in the day. There was a widespread air frost early in the day across Britain with an air frost in Scotland - temperatures remained below freezing in N Scotland in places during the day. (Milford Haven 11.8C, Lerwick -1.7C maximum, Dalwhinnie -6.0C minimum, Logan Botanic Garden 5.0 mm, Odiham 6.3 h.)
A warm sector spread E'wards across all but the Northern Isles on the 7th. This led to a spell of mainly light rain in many places, while snow fell ahead of the front across Scotland N England - this turning to sleet ad then rain as the warmer air arrived from the W. N and E Scotland and parts of NE England had an air frost overnight - although in W Ireland overnight minimum temperatures were around 8C. Except in parts of the Midlands and East Anglia, it was a rather cloudy day. (Valentia 11.4C, Baltasound 4.5C maximum, Lerwick -5.4C minimum, Cluanie Inn 20.8 mm, Wittering 3.5 h.)
During the early hours of the 8th there were falls of rain and drizzle in many N and W areas of the British Isles - although falls were mainly slight. During the day the rain intensity increased across N Scotland; much of Scotland, and N areas of England and Ireland, had rain during the day. Some broken cloud led to a slight ground frost in parts of Cent S England, and during the day the best of any sunshine was to be found in S England, the Midlands and the Channel Islands. (Achnagart 13.4C, Baltasound 7.7C maximum, Shoreham -0.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 51.2 mm, St Helier 7.4 h.)
Conditions on the 9th were the result of high pressure to the SE of the UK (1031 mb at 2400 GMT in SE Kent) and a developing surface flow from the SW. Rainfall continued at times across Scotland overnight while patches of fog formed in parts of S England. Minimum temperatures across Scotland and N Ireland were around 9-11.5C while a ground frost occurred in parts of S England and the Channel islands. Rainfall was light and scattered during the day and evening across Scotland, weakening all the time; elsewhere it was a mainly dry day with sunny spells in E Ireland, Wales and W and Cent areas of England. (Chillingham Barns 14.2C, Wattisham 8.2C maximum, Exeter Airport -1.8C minimum, Cluanie Inn 19.6 mm, St Helier 7.4 h.)
Patches of mist and fog were widespread by dawn on the 10th across England and Wales - giving falls of snow grains in places as minimum temperatures dipped below 1C. Across NW Scotland minimum temperatures were about 10C in places. The visibility was slow to improve during the morning - and further mist and fog returned to much of England and wales in the evening. A little light rain and drizzle fell across parts of Scotland and Ireland at times during the day - but most areas remained largely dry and cloudy under the continuing high pressure - MSL pressure was about 1032 mb in E Kent for much of the day. (Kinlochewe 14.2C, Charsfield 5.1C maximum, South Farnborough -3.4C minimum, Achnagart 6.4 mm, St Helier 7.2h.)
A mild S'ly flow continued on the 11th with high pressure over the near continent. By dawn mist and fog were widespread across England - and also in parts of E Wales ad S Ireland. In England the fog was dense in places with the visibility not improving much as the day wore on. Dense fog forced at least 280 flight cancellations at London's Heathrow Airport, causing disruption for thousands of air travellers. London City Airport was shrouded in fog through the day, with every flight on Wednesday morning cancelled or delayed. At Southampton Airport, the fog had cleared by midday but 16 flights were cancelled in the morning. The fog led to falls of snow grains in parts of Cent S England, East Anglia and NE England. Overnight minimum temperatures ranged from about -2C in parts of Cent S England to 12C in parts of N Scotland. Overnight, Scotland saw warmer temperatures than any other part of the country, with overnight maximum temperatures of 16.2C at Achnagart, according to the Met Office. Weak fronts gave a little light rain or drizzle in parts of W Ireland and W and N Scotland and, except in the Channel Islands and parts of S England and E Scotland, it was a rather dull day. (Kinlochewe 15.3C (daytime maximum), Charlwood 2.9C maximum, Shoreham -3.1C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 6.6mm, St Helier 7.1.h.)
There was a west-east split to the weather on the 12th due to high pressure over the continent (1024 mb MSL pressure in Kent at 2400 GMT) and several fronts over Ireland and W Britain. Parts of E England and the Midlands had an air frost early in the day while at Sherkin Island the overnight minimum temperature was 11.5C. Rain and drizzle fell overnight across Scotland and W Ireland while much of England had mist and fog patches by dawn. The rain and drizzle moved slowly E'wards during the day - with misty conditions persisting in the E areas of England. By 2400 GMT the rain had reached Hampshire and Lincolnshire. Only across East Anglia and the extreme SE of England was there much sunshine; on Jersey the maximum temperature during the day was 6.9C at the Airport.. (Achnagart 15.5C, Cavendish 5.9C maximum, Northolt -3.6C minimum, Achnagart 32.2 mm, Wattisham 1.5 h.)
Fronts gave most places one or more spells of rain and drizzle on the 13th, although the S'ly airflow and cloud cover meant a mild night in all areas; minimum temperatures were as high as 12C in parts of Ireland and W Scotland. Following the clearance of the fronts to the E it turned showery across Ireland and the best of the day's sunshine was also to be found here. (Kinloss 15.0C, Langdon Bay 8.5C maximum, Charlwood 2.9C minimum, Eskdalemuir 24.0 mm, Cork Airport 4.2 h.)
A weak ridge of high pressure gave way on the 14th to a fall in pressure as a deepening low pushed NE'wards to the NW of Scotland. MSL pressure fell to 984.6 mb at 1800 GMT at Foula before rising later. The low pushed bands of rain across all areas and gave windy conditions in Ireland and Scotland in particular. Ahead of the system many inland areas of England and Wales had a slight ground frost but increasing cloud had led to some heavy falls of rain across Ireland and W Britain by 1800 GMT. Many areas remained cloudy during the day - Kent and East Anglia were the sunniest regions ahead of the rain. Reported gusts at 1800 GMT included 51 kn at South Uist Range and Ronaldsway. A number of ferry services on the west coast were cancelled and Traffic Scotland warned drivers of crosswinds and falling trees and debris. Flooding and problems with overhead wires affected some ScotRail lines and some football matches were called off. Bridges were also been affected, with the Forth, Tay, Skye and Kessock road bridges closed to high-sided vehicles. The Met Office noted that gusts of 66 mph were recorded at Inverbervie and at Eskdalemuir. On higher ground, a gust of 102 mph was registered on the Applecross peninsula in Wester Ross and a gust of 111 mph was recorded near Tomintoul in the Cairngorms National Park. Flooding and surface water are also causing problems on roads in Dumfries and Galloway, with the A701, about two miles north of St Anne's Bridge in Dumfries, blocked by a fallen tree. Power cables were brought down in South Ayrshire between Minishant and Culroy. In Omagh, County Tyrone, Market Street was closed for a while after part of a supermarket roof was blown off. The Foyle Bridge in Londonderry was closed to high-sided vehicles for a number of hours, and a 30 mph speed limit was in place for other vehicles. (Rhyl 13.3C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 8.8C maximum, South Newington -0.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 45.4 mm, Wattisham 5.1h.)
It remained generally wet and windy on the 15th across the British Isles as another depression brought further rain to most areas. Rainfall was widespread at times overnight, although amounts were small in E Britain, and a similar pattern of rainfall occurred during the day - this time with N England also being relatively dry as well. Places close to the E coast of Britain had 1-2 h of sunshine in places but in most regions it was a cloudy day. By midday South Uist Range was reporting gusts to 59 kn with 63 kn gusts reported at Lerwick at 1800 GMT. The village of Aultbea was buffeted by gusts of 62 mph. (Bude 14.7C, Dalwhinnie 6.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 0.3C minimum, Wych Cross 21.6 mm, Kinloss 3.5 h.)
Frontal rainfall was widespread into the 16th; across England and Wales it was a warm night in most places with minimum temperatures of 10-13C. Rainfall was again widespread during the day, although by mid-afternoon it was turning drier and cooler across Ireland and in N and Cent parts of England and Wales. This was due to rising pressure in the SW behind a clearing cold front - MSL pressure rose to 1020 mb on Guernsey and to 1021 mb in S Ireland by 2400 GMT. There were showers, and some organised bands of rain, behind the cold front across Scotland - which included falls of hail on Shetland. (Coningsby 13.9C, Dalwhinnie 3.0C maximum, Braemar -0.8C minimum, Carlisle 24.0 mm, Dyce 3.6 h.)
The early ridge on the 17th was short-lived and by 2400 GMT fronts were giving rain across much of Ireland W Scotland. Many N and W parts of the British Isles had a ground frost by dawn as rain in the S of England finally clearing by 0900 GMT. Showers of rain and hail affected parts of Scotland at times before dawn although during the day much of Scotland, except the W, was dry during the day. During the evening rainfall affected W parts of Scotland and Ireland - while the late afternoon and evening saw a different area of rain spinning into the Midlands, East Anglia and S England as the result of a wave-like system forming on the cold front. In between these two rain areas it was quite a sunny day. (Isles of Scilly 10.4C, Fylingdales 3.9C maximum, Topcliffe -3.3C minimum, Cassley 19.2 mm, Wittering 6.1 h.)
The 18th was an unsettled day with several areas of rainfall affecting the British Isles at times. In addition, a deepening low off NW Scotland by the evening (MSL pressure 951.4 mb at South Uist Range at 2400 GMT) produced severe gales in some NW areas with large gusts in many other areas. High gusts in the period 1800 GMT to 0700 GMT on the 19th included 94 mph at Needles Old Battery, 90 mph at South Uist Range, 87 mph at Tiree, 85 mph at Plymouth and 84 mph at Castlederg. Rain and drizzle in E areas of England soon cleared early in the day and by dawn there were widespread mist and fog patches across much of England. Ireland, and much of Scotland and N Wales had frontal rainfall overnight - and spells of rain then spread E to all areas during the day. As a cold front cleared there were reports of snow over high ground in Cumbria and parts of Scotland. Most areas remained rather cloudy as a result of the passing fronts. The severe weather caused disruption as strong winds and heavy rain spread across Wales. South Wales Fire Service said it was inundated and Dyfed-Powys Police had "hundreds" of calls about localised flooding and fallen trees. About 900 homes in Aberdulais in the Neath Valley lost power for a time. The old M48 Severn Bridge closed due high winds. In Scotland, towards the end of the day flood warnings indicating "flooding is expected, immediate action required", covered parts of Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, west central Scotland and Tayside. Across Ireland winds brought down trees with some roads flooded by heavy rain and many people lost powers as cables came down. The Newry area was badly hit with winds bringing down railings, chimneys and trees. The winds ripped a 400m wooden canopy from its foundations and threw it onto a train at a railway station in Cork. In County Westmeath in the Republic of Ireland, a woman was killed when a tree fell on her car. Elsewhere in the country, eight other people were injured as gales felled trees and damaged buildings and left thousands of premises without electricity. A search was underway for a man who fell from a cargo ship moored on the River Trent in North Lincolnshire in stormy conditions. Heavy hail forced a delay in the League Cup match between Stoke City and Manchester United. Hundreds of homes lost power in parts of Cumbria and Lancashire due to wind damage to overhead lines. Passengers were delayed for more than two hours on Wednesday night when a tree hit a train on the London to Bournemouth line near Christchurch, Dorset, and a man was injured after a tree fell on his car in Warwickshire. The Championship football match between Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan at Hillsborough was abandoned early in the second-half due to a waterlogged pitch. (Casement Aerodrome 13.0C, Fylingdales 7.9C maximum, Shobdon -0.7C minimum, Whitechurch 44.8 mm, Wattisham 2.5 h.)
As the low centre moved N'wards the winds gradually eased on the 19th. Many W parts of the British Isles had a slight ground frost and rainfall was widespread overnight across the British Isles at times. Across N and W Scotland and in parts of Ireland rain showers gave way to hail and snow showers from around dawn. These continued across N Scotland for much of the day, turning to rain in the evening. Across Wales and SW England there were some falls of hail and snow as a band of rain moved NE'wards from here across much of Wales and England in the afternoon and evening. Thunderstorms were reported during late morning to mid-afternoon in Cornwall. (Lee-on-Solent 10.3C, Dalwhinnie 0.7C maximum, Shobdon -0.5C minimum, Achnagart 29.0mm, Wattisham 6.5 h.)
The 20th brought a warm sector to many areas for a time. Many places had an overnight ground frost with a slight air frost in parts of the Midlands and E Wales. W Ireland and much of Scotland had some rain before dawn, with some falls of snow over higher ground in N and Cent Scotland. By the evening fronts had given falls of rain to most of Ireland, Scotland, NW England and Wales, and also to parts of SW England. Other areas of England had sunny periods for a time during the day before frontal cloud arrived from the W and by midnight rain had fallen in much of E England - as cloud cleared across SW Ireland. (Killowen 12.5C, Fylingdales 6.6C maximum, Sennybridge -2.4C minimum, Tyndrum 58.6 mm, Manston 6.0 h.)
The 21st was a windy day across the British Isles. Falls of rain were widespread overnight with some heavy falls over Scotland and Wales and further falls were widespread during the day, except in NE England, the Midlands and East Anglia. N England had some sunny spells during the day, while in Scotland the rain turned to snow in parts of Scotland. Snow depths included 2 cm at Eskdalemuir at 1800 GMT. A flash flood swept through the Borders town of Jedburgh as weather conditions deteriorated in parts of Scotland. The town's square and High Street were submerged in floodwater when the Skip Running Burn burst its banks in the evening. In the afternoon a freak storm ripped through an ancient woodland in Gwynedd destroying oak trees in gale force winds. The Met Office said it appeared the area had been hit by a weather front which brought intense rainfall, hail and thunderstorms. The Met Office said gusts of up to 80 mph had been recorded at Capel Curig in the afternoon. Thunder was reported at Shannon before dawn, with reports later in the morning as far E as Ronaldsway. In the evening further thundery activity was reported in W Ireland. (Bude 12.9C, Dalwhinnie 5.1C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 3.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 40.6 mm, Hawarden 3.9 h.)
There was a slight ground frost in NW Scotland early on the 22nd with rainfall being widespread before dawn. Blustery W to SW winds continued to blow during the day. A house caught fire after being struck by lightning during stormy conditions overnight in Cumbria. The property in Broughton Mill, near Cockermouth, was not badly damaged and the blaze was quickly put out. No-one was seriously hurt. Heavy rain caused localised flooding which resulted in a number of properties in the Aspatria and Whitehaven areas being damaged. Parts of Rickerby Park in Carlisle were also flooded after the River Eden burst its banks. Falls of rain affected most places at times during the day with many places also have sunny intervals. Falls of snow were reported throughout the day in Cent Scotland with sleet and snow in parts of W Ireland and later in the Dublin area and NW Ireland before midday. Falls continued in Scotland during the day, especially over high ground. The snow depth at 0900 GMT was 4 cm at Aviemore and police closed the snow gates on the A9 south at Dalwhinnie for several hours. (St Helier 11.4C, Dalwhinnie 1.1C maximum, Aboyne -0.3C minimum, Tyndrum 30.4 mm, Wittering 4.7 h.)
Weather conditions on the 23rd were the result of a rapidly deepening depression that headed towards the seas to the NW of Ireland by midnight; at 2400 GMT the MSL pressure had dropped to 948.2 mb at South Uist Range. Overnight was mostly confined to the Ireland and, later the Wales as a series of fronts pushed across Ireland and into W Britain. Most places avoided an air frost. During the day rainfall was widespread, and heavy in places. Across Scotland and parts of Ireland the rain turned to sleet and snow as rain met cold air - snow depths at 1500 GMT included 3 cm at Tulloch Bridge. It was a dull day in most areas due to the presence of the low, frontal cloud. Conditions were particularly bad in Wales and two people died in the stormy conditions - a man in Cumbria and a woman in Gwynedd. A woman also died in a car crash in "difficult conditions" in Shropshire. Gales and heavy rain are brought problems across Wales, with a wind speed of 87 mph recorded in Conwy. The storm has brought fallen trees and blocked roads, property damage and cancelled trains and ferries. Arriva Trains Wales have cancelled some rail services in mid and south Wales due to flooding. In Monmouth, fire crews used a boat to rescue two people from a car trapped in flood water. In Conwy, the castle was closed due to high winds, while an 87 mph wind speed was recorded by the Met Office at Capel Curig. In Carmarthenshire, a large tree blocked a road at Pontantwn and also damaged a bridge. Part of the roof had blown off a hall at Newcastle Emlyn. In Pembrokeshire, there were difficult driving conditions. The Cleddau Bridge was closed to high-sided vehicles but reopened. In Powys, the A40 was closed between Sennybridge and Halfway due to a fallen tree, and was also blocked for a time at Crickhowell. The A470 at Brecon is closed between Brynich and Bishops Meadow. There were restrictions on the M48 Severn Bridge and the Britannia Bridge over to Anglesey. A roof was blown off a block of flats in Purfleet, forcing four people to leave their homes, but there were no reports of injuries. The QE2 Bridge on the M25 motorway, linking Essex to Kent, was later shut because of the winds. (Bude 13.3C, Cassley 3.1C maximum, Kinbrace -2.2C minimum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 50.2mm, Magilligan 1.6 h.)
Stormy conditions continued into the 24th across the southern half of the UK. Maximum wind gusts between 1800 GMT on the 23rd and 0700 GMT on the 24th included 92 mph at Needles Old Battery, 84 mph at Berry Head, and 76 mph at Reading and Langdon Bay. In the same period 53.6 mm of rain fell at Kenley. The Met Office said that Boscombe Down recorded 66.7 mm of rain in the 24 hours from 0900 GMT on the 23rd. This is a new all-time daily record for any month at the station - records go back to January 1931. As the low centre moved close to Scotland the MSL pressure dropped to 936.4 mb at Stornoway Airport at 1229 GMT - according to analysis by Stephen Burt this is the lowest value for a UK land station since 1886. (Burt SD. 1983. New UK 20th century low pressure extreme. Weather, 38: pp 208-213. Burt SD. 1983. The lowest of the Lows ... Extremes of barometric pressure in the British Isles, Part 1 - the deepest depressions. Weather, 62: pp 4-14) Rainfall was widespread overnight and during the early hours, especially in parts of S England. During the day the wind and rain eased in the S but across Scotland stormy conditions continued - with further rainfall here and across Ireland. In places in Scotland the rain turned to snow- 5 cm of lying snow was reported at Aviemore at 1200 GMT; snow also fell in parts of Wales and the N Midlands and over some high ground in N England. However, Cent parts of England had sunny spells once early rain had cleared. In Coulsdon, Surrey, the rainfall total in 24 hours ending 0900 GMT made it the wettest day in station records back to September 1979 as 71.6 mm of rain fell. This had a devastating effect in the Mole Valley where severe flooding has occurred. Upstream the river caused the flooding and subsequent chaos at Gatwick Airport's North -Terminal. Across parts of the UK homes were damaged, with 150,000 without power in southern England, and road, sea and air travel is affected. As many tried to travel home for Christmas, there was widespread disruption to rail services. Southern later said some services were running after an earlier suspension because of "extreme disruption" to the network. South West Trains was running a "very reduced" service. First Great Western said many routes remain blocked as a result of Monday's storm. The severe weather caused disruption at some airports. At Gatwick, a power outage at the north terminal left several thousand passengers stranded. Heathrow warned of problems while Bristol and Glasgow airports also had delays and cancellations. Many ferry services were disrupted, including services between Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry crossings. The latter company has said it will operate a Christmas Day sailing. Some people were forced to spend the night in their cars at the Port of Dover, waiting to sail to France, however the port reopened at 0700 GMT. Tens of thousands of homes are without power, with Kent, Surrey and Sussex worst affected, the Energy Networks Association said. It said there had been "notable collisions" along power lines during the stormy weather. Two sailors - one French, one Swiss - were rescued after their racing yacht was damaged by 30ft waves and Force 10 winds off Land's End. In Dorset, 30 people trapped in cars by flood water were rescued by fire crews. In Devon and Cornwall, several properties have been flooded, while some homes are without power. More than 9,000 homes were without power in East Anglia, hundreds have no power in Somerset, and 50,000 homes in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were cut off. The Coastguard rescued 76 people from a flooded caravan park in Yalding during the day, moving residents by boat and in four-by-four vehicles to a leisure centre. In Surrey residents were evacuated from their homes in Dorking, Leatherhead and Guildford, while more evacuations occurred in Tonbridge, Kent. Wiltshire Police say the historic Lacock Bridge has been washed away in the bad weather. In Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire, wind speeds reached 77mph, while on South Uist it was 75mph. The rest of Scotland experienced gusts of between 50 and 60mph. High winds saw part of the roof at Thurso High School in Caithness blown off, damaging two vehicles. Part of an empty building in Elgin was also damaged, and three families were evacuated from nearby houses, after part of the structure collapsed on to the road. In the Scottish borders, fallen trees and debris caused problems on some roads, with a mudslide temporarily closing the A7. (St Catherines Point 10.5C, Dalwhinnie 1.7C maximum, Killylane -0.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 57.4 mm, Filton 5.0 h.)
As the deep low moved N'wards away from Scotland on the 25th the winds gradually eased here. There was a widespread ground frost to begin the day across Ireland and Cent and S parts of England. Many places had some overnight rain and again during the day. Rain was heavy in parts of N and cent Scotland and was widespread across S England. Many parts of N England and much of England, however, had a sunny day. At 0900 GMT the snow depth at Aviemore was 2 cm - but it was not a White Christmas at low levels in the British Isles with now snowfall reported. In N Scotland engineers reconnected 1,700 properties still affected on Christmas Day. In a first for December 25, ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne was running special sailings to North Uist and Harris, to help people affected by flight and ferry cancellations on Christmas Eve. Flooding caused difficulties for thousands of people in southern England today. Three severe flood warnings were in place in Surrey and Dorset, with many people rescued from homes overnight, and some 50,000 homes across the UK are without electricity, the Energy Networks Association said. The River Mole in Surrey burst its banks in several areas and an Environment Agency severe flood warning - which means a danger to life - was been issued for Leatherhead. One hundred people booked in for Christmas dinner at the Wetherspoon's pub in Tonbridge, Kent had their plans disrupted after the restaurant flooded and managers had to send customers elsewhere. (Milford Haven 9.4C, Llysdinam 2.9C maximum, Katesbridge -1.1C minimum, Cassley 98.2 mm, Waddington 6.3 h.)
The 26th brought a ridge of (relatively) high pressure to S England for a while before a deepening depression reached W Ireland by midnight. MSL pressure had fallen to 948.0 mb at Belmullet by 2400 GMT. Away from N Scotland there was a widespread ground frost overnight with an air frost in many parts away from Scotland. After some overnight rain there was a foggy start to the day in parts of Cent and S England - and this lingered all morning in some places. Further rain spread across Ireland in the afternoon ahead of the depression and then across most of the UK in the evening. Ahead of the rain, however, most areas had some sunny intervals. By midnight it was windy in all areas with gusts to 50 kn around Cornwall. Gale force winds caused travel disruption in the evening across Ireland. Fallen trees blocked roads and police advised motorists to exercise caution when driving. Strong winds caused an electricity pylon to crash into two homes in County Down in the evening. (Isles Of Scilly 11.5C, Dalwhinnie 2.9C maximum, Topcliffe -4.6C minimum, Tulloch Bridge 11.6 mm, Charlwood 6.5 h.)
The 27th brought another spell of windy weather in the morning although winds eased off in the afternoon as the parent low moved away towards Shetland. MSL pressure values included 945.1 mb at Tiree at 0600 GMT, 948.5 mb at Altnaharra at 1200 GMT, 951.4 mb at Sule Skerry at 1800 GMT and 956.1 mb at Lerwick at 2400 GMT. According to the Met Office, maximum gusts included 102 mph at Aberdaron, 87 mpg at Capel Curig and 85 mph at Mumbles Head and St Bees Head. As the low centred crossed N Scotland it brought widespread rainfall overnight - which turned to sleet and snow in parts of W Scotland and as far S as the N Midlands over high ground. During the day the rain was largely confined to Scotland and Ireland - with lesser falls across England and Wales; the rain gradually moved away towards the with Cent England having some sunny intervals later. Fast ferry sailings between the UK and Channel Islands were cancelled due to high winds and rough seas. Strong winds also led to flight and ferry cancellations to and from the Isle of Man. Rail services were disrupted, while road closures have been reported around the UK because of uprooted trees. In the Republic of Ireland, Dublin Airport had to divert six planes overnight because of "high winds gusting across both runways" and in the UK some rail services were disrupted or delayed. South West Trains said it had cleared over 140 fallen trees in the last three days. Cumbria Police said a property in Barrow had partially collapsed because of high winds, but all occupants got out. (Manston 11.5C, Dalwhinnie 4.3C maximum, Cassley -0.2C minimum, Tyndrum 49.8 mm, Yeovilton 4.1 h.)
Winds continued to ease during the 28th and a weak ridge built across Ireland later in the day. Overnight most places W of a line York-Exeter had some rainfall and the resulting cloudy skies meant that a slight ground frost was mainly confined to Cent and S England. A trough brought some rain across S England during the day but the majority of the rain during the day fell across N Ireland and Scotland while some mist and fog patches developed in the evening in parts of Cent S England. Much of England, Wales and S Ireland had some sunny spells during the day. Jersey Airport reported a thunderstorm in the evening. (Swanage 10.2C, Killylane 2,7C maximum, Yeovilton 0.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 42.2 mm, Wattisham 6.4 h.)
Winds continued to ease during the 28th and a weak ridge built across Ireland later in the day. Overnight most places W of a line York-Exeter had some rainfall and the resulting cloudy skies meant that a slight ground frost was mainly confined to Cent and S England. A trough brought some rain across S England during the day but the majority of the rain during the day fell across N Ireland and Scotland while some mist and fog patches developed in the evening in parts of Cent S England. Much of England, Wales and S Ireland had some sunny spells during the day. Jersey Airport reported a thunderstorm in the evening. (Swanage 10.2C, Killylane 2.7C maximum, Yeovilton 0.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 42.2 mm, Wattisham 6.4 h.)
A weak ridge gave some clear skies and a widespread ground frost into the 29th - with a touch of air frost across much of Wales and in Cent and S England. Parts of NW Ireland, W and S Scotland had spells of light rain but for many pplaces it was a dry night. It remained dry in the E during the day under a weak ridge of high pressure - but low pressure just SW of Ireland pushed frontal rain across Ireland during the afternoon and into much of Scotland and across parts of Wales and W England by midnight. Ahead of the rain it was a sunny day in the E of England, in particular. At Valentia, 16 mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. By midnight Capel Curig was reporting gusts to 60 kn. (Isles of Scilly 11.4C, Carterhouse 3.4C maximum, Benson -4.9C minimum, Murlough 12.6 mm, Wattisham 6.9h.)
A shallow low moved from SW Ireland to SE Scotland during the morning of the 30th - bringing a spell of rain E'wards to all areas during the day. Ahead of the rain, which had largely cleared W Ireland by dawn, there was a touch of ground frost in E England. By 0800 GMT the Met Office had reported the following peak gusts: 77 mph at Capel Curig, 75 mph at Berry Head and 71 mph at Plymouth and on Scilly. By early afternoon it had turned dry across much of S and Cent England and most other regions were dry by mid-evening. The rain was heavy over high ground in Wales, NW England and Scotland. Floods caused travel disruption after heavy rain and winds of almost 80mph battered parts of Wales; several roads were blocked by fallen trees and flood water while rail services have also been hit by floods. Firefighters had to rescue three people when their car became stuck in flood water beneath a railway bridge in Monmouthshire. Rail travel was also affected with a number of delays and cancellations across Wales. Western Power Distribution said that 1,263 customers lost power for a time at Llansteffan, Bancyfelin, Meidrim, St Clears and Llangynnog in Carmarthenshire as well as Nantyderry, Abergavenny. The A4042 at Llanellen, Monmouthshire, was closed when the River Usk bursts its banks. Trains were disrupted between Llandudno Junction in Conwy and Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd due to flooding at Llanrwst. Wind warnings were in place on the M4 Briton Ferry Bridge, Neath Port Talbot with restrictions on the M48 Severn Bridge and A55 Britannia Bridge over to Anglesey. Flooding affected the A470 in Libanus area of Brecon. Two men have been rescued after one of them fell from a boat in adverse weather off the coast of Somerset. Swansea Coastguard said the man was airlifted by a Sea King helicopter close to the Minehead shore. (Rhyl 11.4 C, Kinbrace 3.7C maximum, Baltasound 0.6C minimum, Eskdalemuir 70.6 mm, Cork Airport 5.7 h.)
Parts of N and Cent Scotland had a slight air frost into the 31st; however, across England, Wales and Ireland there were widespread falls of rain by dawn - which then also affected W and S Scotland. Further spells of rain and showers followed during the day, with blustery SW'ly winds. Some light snow was reported in W Ireland during the morning while thunder was heard at Ronaldsway in the afternoon. Much of Ireland, Wales and W England had some sunny intervals during the day - further E it was generally cloudy. (Swanage 11.3C, Dalwhinnie 4.1C maximum, Altnaharra -3.1C minimum, Capel Curig 23.2 mm, Bude 4.4.h.)