The British Isles remained under high pressure on the 1st (large areas having MSL pressure over 1040 mb). After an air frost-free start to the day at low levels, a cold front pushed SW'wards across much of N Ireland and Britain, introducing colder air from the N. Precipitation amounts were light and there were sunny spells behind the front over S Scotland and N England, and ahead of the front in parts of S England. Daytime maximum temperatures were typically 5 degC lower to the N of the front, which gave some falls of snow over higher ground in Scotland. (Shoreham 12.1C, Lerwick 2.9C maximum, Kielder Castle 0.4C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 3.6 mm, Shap 5.8 h.)
The front cleared away to the SW and dissipated on the 2nd, leaving the British Isles under high pressure (centred 1045 mb over NW Lancashire at 1800 GMT). There were a few mist patches in S Wales and the Midlands around dawn along with a widespread inland air frost away from W and S Ireland, S Wales and SW England. Showers affected parts of E England overnight and during the day, and there were one or two falls of heavier rain in S Ireland during the day Cork Airport reported 6 mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. Except in parts of E Scotland and in Wales (and neighbouring counties) it was a rather dull day; only on Scilly and n parts of SW Ireland did temperatures reach 10C. (Sherkin island 11.3C, Balmoral -3.6C maximum, Braemar -8.1C minimum, Fylingdales 2.6 mm, St Athan 5.4 h.)
Pressure remained high over the British Isles on the 3rd (1044 mb over the N Midlands at 1200 GMT) and a mainly dry day resulted. E Scotland and a few areas of England had an air frost but many places remained cloudy overnight with a few light showers in E England and over Ireland. The day was mainly dull and dry; there were a few showers in parts of Est Anglia, Shetland and Ireland. It was slightly warmer than normal over Ireland, W Scotland and Scilly but mainly cooler than normal by day elsewhere. (Valentia 10.0C, Balmoral -3.9C maximum, Braemar -10.5C minimum, Cromer 0.8 mm, Bude 6.1 h.)
High pressure remained centred over the British Isles on the 4th, leading to an air frost in parts of E Scotland and more widely across England and Wales (away from SW England). There was little rainfall during the day, and most paces remained cloudy with sunshine mainly confined to parts of Wales, and to Cent S and SE England. W Ireland and N and W Scotland had a mild day while much of Cent England was cold under cloudy skies after a misty morning. (Baltasound 9.5C, Balmoral -1.7C maximum, Aboyne -8.1C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 3.0 mm, Hurn 6.4 h.)
The high pressure centre moved S'wards on the 5th - at 1200 GMT it was centred just SE of Devon at 1041 mb. There was an air frost in parts of E Scotland, E Wales and in parts of the Midlands and S England, although in many areas it was just a slight first. Frontal cloud spread some rain into NW Ireland and W Scotland later in the day elsewhere the day was generally dry but dull. In the UK Lerwick, with 6 minutes of bright sunshine, was the sunniest place. Only in W Ireland was 10C reached during the day while in parts of S England 4C failed to be reached by 1800 GMT. (Valentia 10.8C, Balmoral 0.5C maximum, Balmoral -6.3C minimum, South Uist 2.4 mm, Shannon Airport 2.4 h.)
Although pressure remained high on the 6th, a cold front moved SE'wards over Scotland before coming stationary over S Scotland. Widespread cloud meant little air frost away from sheltered areas of E Scotland with light precipitation falling over Scotland and N and W Ireland overnight. Further rain fell in these areas and in parts of N England during the day but falls remained slight. 10C was reached in parts of N England, Wales, Ireland and SW England despite widespread cloudy skies; bright sunshine was limited to parts of N Wales, NE Midlands, Lincolnshire and S Yorkshire. (Chillingham Barns 11.9C, Balmoral 5.6C maximum, Balmoral-1.1C minimum, Gt Cumbrae Millport 5.2 mm, Aberdaron 2.8 h.)
A low pressure system moved E'wards to the N of Scotland on the 7th giving a windy day across Scotland. Generally cloudy conditions led to an absence of air frost at low levels the overnight minimum temperature at Valentia was 10.2C. Rain, heavy in places, moved across Scotland and there were lesser falls across N areas of Ireland and England before dawn. During the day there were traces of rain as far S as Cent S England as a warm front moved E'wards across most areas allowing maximum temperatures to rise above 10C at most low-level stations in the British Isles. The best of any sunshine was to be found in parts of Scotland and N Ireland to the rear of a cold front that followed the warm air most places remained dull all day; Jersey Airport had reported just 12 minutes of bright sunshine since the start of January by nightfall. (Boulmer 13.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.9C maximum, Charlwood 0.7C minimum, Cluanie Inn 30.6 mm, Dyce 3.4 h.)
A cold front cleared S parts of England an Ireland around dawn, leading to a N'ly flow in most areas on the 8th. It was largely dry by day, apart for a few showers across N Scotland and in some E coast areas. Away from W Scotland, W Ireland and SW England most places had sunny spells during the day. (Sherkin Island 11.5C, Lerwick 4.0C maximum, Spadeadam 0.7C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 7.2 mm, Morecambe 6.3 h.)
There was a widespread inland air frost on the 9th with some showers continuing to affect E coast areas of the UK overnight. Pressure remained high (close to 1036 mb in W Ireland) although a slow-moving front in W Ireland gave cloud and some rain here. Further showers fell during the day in E parts of the UK but away from these rain areas and W Scotland there were spells of sunshine during the day. (Sherkin Island 11.8C, Leek 1.9C maximum, Bridgefoot -4.9C minimum, Tibenham Airfield 3.8 mm, Aberporth 6.6 h.)
Much of England and Wales began the 10th with and air frost; elsewhere there was frontal cloud and some light rain and drizzle. It soon became cloudy in all areas as the front moved SE'wards under the high pressure; there was a little sunshine in SW England but elsewhere there was patchy light rain or drizzle. It was a misty day in places and it turned slightly warmer from the W. (Valentia 11.5C, Wych Cross 2.8C maximum, Benson -6.4C minimum, Giants Causeway 2.8 mm, Camborne 3.5 h.)
The 11th was mostly cloudy and mild, with minimum temperatures across Ireland and in some W areas remaining above 5C. There were a few patches of rain and drizzle in places in some places in SE England the first measurable fall since the start of the year. A front led to some heavier falls of rain in W Scotland later in the day. (Sherkin Island 11.2C, Okehampton 5.8C maximum, Topcliffe -0.8C minimum, Lerwick 7.6 mm, Yeovilton 2.6 h.)
The 12th was a mainly cloudy and mild day as fronts brought some (mainly light) falls of rain and drizzle. A brisk W'ly wind in N areas was accompanied by some heavy falls over high ground in W Scotland. (Balmoral 12.8C, Okehampton 7.4C maximum, Aboyne 0.5C minimum, Achnagart 50.0 mm, Dyce 1.6 h.)
The 13th dawned after a mild night with overnight minimum temperatures above 8C in most areas under a brisk W'ly flow. Further fronts brought some light falls of rain to most areas but it was heavier across high ground in Scotland. Later, the passage of a cold front SE'wards introduced a colder N'ly flow across N Scotland later in the day with snow showers on Shetland in the evening s the temperature fell below 0C here. Ahead of this colder air maximum temperatures reached 10C and above in most areas. (Shawbury 13.2C, Baltasound 4.6C maximum, Baltasound 4.5C minimum, Achnagart 52.8 mm, Charterhall 5.4 h.)
N Scotland and parts of E Scotland had an air frost before dawn on the 14th and both overnight and during the day there were snow showers over the Northern Isles and in N Scotland. Many areas had a cloudy day although E areas of the UK had some sunny intervals but a cold day. It was milder towards the SW of the British Isles although as far W as the Midlands the temperatures dipped sharply in the evening. (Gosport Fleetlands 10.6C, Baltasound 0.8C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -4.8C minimum, Fylingdales 5.0 mm, Boulmer 5.7h.)
A warm sector on the 15th meant a mild night in many areas although clearer skies led to overnight frost locally in the Cent and S England. There was some rain overnight in N and W Scotland and in W Ireland but during the day these heavier falls were mainly confined to N Scotland. A weak front gave some light rain and drizzle later to S Ireland, SW England and S Wales. It was mainly cloudy during the day with N and E England having the best of any sunshine. (Leeming 12.0C, Okehampton 6.5C maximum, Benson -3.3C minimum, Achnagart 26.0 mm, Wittering 4.4 h.)
Low-lying areas were air frost-free on the 16th but during the day a cold front edged E'wards, introducing colder air from the NW. Overnight rain fell mainly over Ireland and W areas of Britain, with falls in all other areas during the day. Sunny spells and showers followed the rain; the showers turned wintry, with falls of snow mainly in N and E Scotland but also over high ground in Cumbria in the evening. (Cardiff Bute Park 11.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 1.1C maximum, Stornoway 0.2C minimum, Achnagart 27.4 mm, Leuchars 5.7 h.)
Showers were widespread into the 17th and an air frost was widespread across Scotland and N England. Some light snow fell with the rain on a cold front that cleared SE England in the morning. Away from W Ireland a sunny day followed with the N/NW'ly wind bringing winery showers in E areas of the UK. Snow also fell over N Scotland and there were showers over N Ireland at first. Cloud and rain spread into SW Ireland in the evening temperatures here reached 6C by 2100 GMT, by which time it was generally below 0C elsewhere over inland parts of the UK. Snow and ice caused difficult driving conditions across the NE Scotland. A woman was taken to hospital after an unoccupied car slid into her in Quarry Road in the Aberdeen suburb of Cults. Collisions and breakdowns also closed the A920 at Huntly and the A947 between Turriff and Oldmeldrum. The road problems also led to transport issues at several schools. (Isles of Scilly 7.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 0.2C maximum, Drumnadrochit -5.5C minimum, Swyddffynnon 7.8 mm, Wittering 7.3 h.)
There was a widespread air frost over the UK on the 18th away from the SW. This was severe locally in the NE Scotland where temperatures struggled to get above 0C during the day in places. Warmer air spread from the SW during the day and Ireland and S England reached near-normal temperature levels during the day. Outbreaks of rain moved slowly northeast during the day with some snow, chiefly in parts of the Midlands and in the north. It was sunny ahead of the rain/snow and also in SW Ireland. (Scilly St Marys 10.9C, Braemar No2 -3.6C maximum, Braemar No2 -10.8C minimum, Mumbles Head 28.8 mm, Shannon Airport 5.1 h.)
A low pressure centre remained close to Ireland for much of the 19th; the resulting cloudy skies meant that overnight air frost was largely confined to E Scotland and parts of NE England. After some heavy rain overnight in places, patchy rain affected some areas - mainly in the Midlands and central southern England. In the colder areas of E Scotland and NE England the temperature remained below 0C in places during the day., while in parts of the Midlands rain the morning was accompanied by sleet or snow. (Sherkin Island 11.1C, Lentran -1.9C maximum, Altnaharra -9.5C minimum, Mumbles Head 18.0 mm, Stornoway 6.0 h.)
E Scotland and East Anglia, along with neighbouring counties, had an air frost on the 20th but frontal cloud further W meant a milder start to the day here. There was overnight rain and drizzle over Ireland, Wales and W Scotland with widespread mist, and some fog patches, over much of England, Wales, S Scotland and E Ireland by dawn. Some parts of England and Wales remained misty all day. Cloud and patchy rain spread slowly SE'wards across N and W districts, with the sunniest skies being in the SE corner of England and in W Ireland following the clearance of rain. (Isles of Scilly 9.8C, Fylingdales 2.0C maximum, Kinbrace -9.6C minimum, Fair Isle 5.6 mm, East Malling 7.5 h.)
A weakening front across SE areas of the UK early on the 21st was slow to clear but gave little precipitation. There was a widespread air frost in all areas before dawn with mist (and fog patches) across England and Wales that gave some snow grains in places. During the day East Anglia and parts of S England had some sunshine - but most areas were cloudy ahead of a cold front that moved E'wards into E Scotland and Cent England by late evening. Rain on the front turned to snow for a while in areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland, NW England later in the day. (Isles of Scilly 9.1C, Fylingdales 2.1C maximum, Aboyne -7.6C minimum, Achnagart 15.4 mm, East Malling 7.5 h.)
There was a touch of air frost in most areas on the 22nd but the main feature of the weather was snowfall especially across England and Wales. N and Cent Scotland was relatively dry during the day, but cold after overnight snow had cleared towards the E. Showers followed during the day, leading to lying snow as far S as Cent S England later in the day. Away from Wales and S Ireland most places had some sunny spells, but by mid-evening temperatures were widely below 0C away from S Ireland, W Wales and SW England. Earlier in the day snow slowed commuters down on Scotland's major motorways; a three-vehicle crash on the A82, in Glencoe, closed the road in both directions from about 0815 GMT. (St Helier 8.4C, Salsburgh 0.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -6.3C minimum, Rhyl 17.2 mm, Boulmer 6.7 h.)
Inland areas away from S Ireland, SW England and W Wales had a widespread, and in places a sharp, air frost on the 23rd and temperatures remained below 0C during the day in parts of N England close to the Scottish border. Cent and E parts of England had some early mist with a few places from N Scotland to Berkshire reporting isolated flurries of snow overnight. During the day snowfall eased ff with only a few reports mainly across N Scotland and N Ireland. It was a cold day away from W Ireland and SW England but with long sunny spells away from Ireland and W areas of the UK. Snow and ice on the roads led to some accidents early in the day; Dyfed Powys Police said it had received "several reports" of crashes due to ice while North Wales Police said snow was causing "treacherous" conditions during the morning. (Valentia 10.5C, Newton Rigg -1.9C maximum, Braemar -10.2C minimum, Capel Curig 9.6 mm, Wellesbourne 7.2 h.)
There was a widespread air frost into the 24th despite cloud cover. Outbreaks of mostly light rain, with some snow at first in the north and east - and as far S as the Midlands - moved SE'wards across the UK, to clear SE England in the early afternoon. Brighter spells followed behind this precipitation in the E and NE, but some further rain affected NW Scotland later. SW England, Wales and Ireland became much milder, but frost, and isolated freezing fog patches, returned to parts of the E and N in the evening. (Sherkin Island 12.7C, Balmoral 0.7C maximum, Aboyne -9.0C minimum, Giants Causeway 8.8 mm, Lerwick 4.2 h.)
There was some early air frost in E areas of the UK on the 25th along with mist and fog in parts of England overnight. Some drizzly rain moved SE'wards overnight and at first in the morning, followed by brighter intervals, although there was still patchy drizzle, chiefly in the W. More persistent rain moved SE'wards across Scotland during the afternoon and evening. (Cardiff Bute Park 13.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.0C maximum, Coningsby -3.2C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 18.8 mm, Leeming 5.0 h.)
Most areas were mild and cloudy on the 26th with some rain/drizzle. A complex low pressure system over Ireland and Scotland helped to push a band of heavier rain from the W during the day, followed by showery conditions. Rain was more persistent over W and N Scotland, changing to snow in places here as it turned colder from the NE later in the day. It became increasingly windy during the day MSL pressure was down to 981 mb over NE Scotland by 1800 GMT. (Yeovilton 11.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 2.0C maximum, Cassley 0.1C minimum, Achnagart 48.2 mm, Magilligan 0.7 h.)
Although there was little air frost into the 27th due to windy conditions, the day was mostly rather cold. Rain and windy conditions persisted longer in the E and N as low pressure moved away E'wards. There were also some outbreaks of rain in SW areas early and late. Snow fell in many parts of Scotland and in N England, whilst there were gusts of around 65 mph off SW coasts overnight. There was some sunshine in places away from N and E Scotland. (Isles of Scilly 8.5C, Dalwhinnie 0.8C maximum, Spadeadam -0.8C minimum, Kinlochewe 24.8 mm, Glasgow 6.4 h.)
A NW'ly flow early on the 28th turned W'ly later as a frontal system spread rain and showers across W areas of Ireland and Scotland later. Early air frost was widespread away from W and S Ireland. The day was mostly quite cold, despite the widespread sunshine in E and S areas. Showers were wintry over Scotland and some N areas of Ireland and England, and also in N parts of East Anglia. (Isles of Scilly 9.8C, Balmoral 0.8C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -6.4C minimum, Bridlington 14.2 mm, Morecambe 8.1 h.)
England and E Scotland had an air frost on the 29th; further E it turned cloudy with rain and snow moving E'wards. The snow fell initially across Scotland N Ireland, later affecting high ground in N England. As the main precipitation area passed the weather turned showery and snow showers in Ireland fell as far S as Cork. N Wales and the N Midlands had rain and snow in the afternoon, with some snow falling after sunset in parts of Cent S and SW England. Snow fell in Kent and East Anglia in the evening while the best of the sunshine (mainly later in the day) was across N Scotland and W Ireland. There were delays and cancellations at both Belfast airports and up to 9cm of snow was reported in some places and some travel disruption occurred in N Ireland and N Scotland. (Hurn 7.3C, Loch Glascarnoch -1.0C maximum, Benson -6.5C minimum, Morecambe 23.2 mm, Stornoway 4.7 h,)
Air frost was widespread on the 30th and the day was generally cold. Away rom the Channel Islands and parts of N Scotland it was a mainly sunny day. There were falls of snow, mainly showery but with more prolonged falls in places (especially in NW England). Snow showers were also frequent across Ireland and in parts of N Scotland. Heavy snowfall in Greater Manchester temporarily closed the city's runways and caused problems on the roads. Footage shows cars struggling to drive up hills and thick snow at Manchester Airport. (Isles of Scilly 8.C, Spadeadam -0.9C maximum, Balmoral -9.3C minimum, Gt Cumbrae Millport 10.2 mm, Shobdon 7.7 h.)
Overnight into the 31st there was a widespread moderate to severe frost and some freezing fog patches. The fog persisted all day in parts of E and NE England, but many places in E England and N Scotland were sunny. There were snow showers in N, and cloud increased from the SW across Ireland, Wales and the southern half of England with rain turning to snow as it edged NE'wards into S Britain during the day, reaching SE England in the evening. There was heavy snow over the moors and hills in the southwest. Temperatures stayed below freezing all day in some central and northern districts. Up to 100 vehicles became trapped on a main road in Cornwall amid heavy snow. Drivers said they were stuck on the A30 on Bodmin Moor from about 1530 GMT after "significant snowfall" hit the area. Devon and Cornwall Police said there were hazardous driving conditions across the county, with multiple accidents reported. About 400 students were left stranded at Callywith College in Bodmin. (Isles of Scilly 9.1C, Balmoral -5.1C maximum, Braemar -14.3C minimum, Culdrose 22.0 mm, Kinloss 7.6 h.)
The 1st was a mainly wintry day. There was widespread air frost that was severe in N Scotland, while snow fell overnight across S England in particular. Snow and hail showers fell during the day over many areas of N England and Scotland with some turning thunder in parts of NE England. The best of the day's sunshine was to be found over N Ireland and S Scotland. Further S it was a dull, cloudy day with more falls of snow, leading to some large accumulations on parts of Hampshire. Snow depths included 19 cm at Odiham at 2100 GMT, 14 cm at Brize Norton at 1800 GMT and 13 cm at Bealach No Ba at 2100 GMT. Earlier in the day Chivenor reported a depth of 10 cm at 0000 GMT. (St Helier 7.7C, Okehampton -0.5C maximum, Braemar -15.4C minimum, Frittenden 16.6 mm, Katesbridge 7.4 h.)
The main area snow gradually died out over S England overnight into the 2nd. Air frost was widespread before dawn, being locally severe again in parts of N Scotland. Wintry showers continued near, and some way inland from, N-facing coasts, but much of the country had a sunny, cold day. Snow melted only slowly during the day; by 2100 GMT reported depths included 3 cm at South Uist Range, 7 cm at Carlisle, 6 cm at Culdrose RNAS, 4 cm at Larkhill and 2 cm at Guernsey Airport. Lying snow continued to cause problems in parts of southern England, with abandoned cars on roads and a hospital urging extra nursing staff to come in. Dozens of empty vehicles belonging to stranded drivers could be seen in Basingstoke this morning. The town's hospital has urged people not to use its A&E department if possible, after deciding not to discharge many patients. (Isles of Scilly 7.5C, Achnagart 0.2C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -12.4C minimum, Goudhurst 14.4 mm, Aldergrove 8.3 h.)
High pressure gave way to fronts over N and W areas of the British Isles on the 3rd with falls of rain, preceded by snow in the cold air, spreading across these areas. Most areas had an air frost (again sharp in parts of N Scotland), although some coastal areas and SW Ireland remained above 0C. Most places SE of a line Exeter-The Wash had a sunny day with some sunshine further W over England ahead of the advancing frontal cloud. Snow cover persisted in places across parts of Cent S England and in neighbouring counties to the W. At 2100 GMT 3 cm of snow was lying at Mumbles, with 4 cm at Sule Skerry at 1500 GMT. (Plymouth 10.6C, Fylingdales 1.7C maximum, Braemar -12.6C minimum, Okehampton 11.6 mm, East Malling 8.8 h.)
A series of fronts crossed all areas from the W during the 4th. The day dawned after a cloudy and mild night with minimum temperatures above 8C in S Ireland and Cornwall. Rain affected all areas overnight but was largely confined to the SE quarter of England during the day as brighter weather, with some showers in the N, followed the rain. It was a notably sunny day across much of Ireland, while fog formed across much of S England in the evening. (Cardiff Bute Park 13.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 2.8C maximum, Lentran -0.3C minimum, Eskdalemuir 22.8 mm, Morpeth Cockle Park 7.3 h.)
A ridge of high pressure gave a widespread air frost early on the 5th away from W and S Ireland, SW England, W Scotland and the Northern Isles. Rain was falling in parts of SW England and across much of Ireland by dawn as a frontal system moved NE'wards here. Elsewhere there was widespread mist and fog across England. A rather cold day followed for many, with the fog clearing only slowly, although across Ireland and in Wales and SW England temperatures rose above 10C. It was cloudy in all areas after some early sunshine in coastal areas of E Scotland and NE England. A band of heavy rain spread from the W across the whole country from late afternoon. (North Wyke 13.4C, Strathallan 2.5C maximum, Braemar -6.3C minimum, Murlough 25.8 mm, Kirkwall 4.9 h.)
Overnight rain cleared away to the E shortly after dawn on the 6th, introducing a mild flow from the SW. Parts of E Scotland had a slight air frost but in SW Ireland minimum temperatures did not drop below 8C in many places. Some rain affected W Scotland during the day at times, while a larger area of rain affected S and Cent Ireland later in the day as a shallow low moved NE'wards towards the coast of SW Ireland by 1800 GMT. Many parts of England and Wales were cloudy during he day with some mist, while the rain in the W spread across much of Ireland and S England in the evening. (Herstmonceux 12.1C, Dalwhinnie 4.3C maximum, Fyvie Castle -2.1C minimum, Achnagart 19.2 mm, Aldergrove 5.1 h.)
Low pressure over the Irish Sea at 0000 GMT on the 7th moved slowly E'wards during the day which was rather cloudy in some areas as a result. England, Wales and Ireland were rather wet overnight while parts of N and Cent Scotland had an air frost. Showers followed the rain in most places but across N England the rain persisted into the afternoon. It turned mild, especially in S and Cent England, but further rain affected W Scotland in the evening. (Hereford 11.0C, Braemar 4.0C maximum, Fyvie Castle -1.0C minimum, Capel Curig 40.0 mm, Shoeburyness 7.6 h.)
A deep area of low pressure (storm Erik - centre 956 mb to the N of Ireland at 1200 GMT) on the 8th spread wet and windy conditions across all areas. By 1800 GMT the low was centred to the N of Stornoway (955 mb) and as the rain cleared it turned mild in all areas, but with widespread showers. It turned sunny across Ireland and W Wales, but most other areas remained rather cloudy. Earlier in the day Capel Curig reported a gust of 86 mph. Two men died in separate storm-related incidents on the roads in Devon and in Wales, the latter due to a falling tree. (Linton on Ouse 12.5C, Cassley 5.4C maximum, Fyvie Castle -2.8C minimum, Shap 52.6 mm, Dublin Airport 5.1 h.)
By 1200 GMT on the 9th storm Erik was centred SW of Shetland with a central pressure of 964 mb. There were gusts of up to 75 mph in the most exposed areas of Wales and N England overnight and at first, and it was a wet night over much of N England, S and W Scotland, with blustery showers elsewhere. It turned brighter during the day with the heaviest rain and showers across N Scotland. There were longer spells of rain over southern England in the evening due to a developing frontal wave. It was generally a mild day. A kite-surfer died after getting into difficulty in high winds on a beach in north Devon as Storm Erik battered the UK for a second day, and the weather has caused widespread delays and disruption to transport. On the trains, speed restrictions of 80mph were imposed on the London North Eastern Railway between Leeds and York and on trains on the Tyne Valley line between Newcastle and Carlisle, according to rail operator Northern. (Kew Gardens 11.4C, Spadeadam 5.8C maximum, Drumalbin 1.4C minimum, Shap 34.8 mm, Leeming 7.0 h.)
A complex area of low pressure over the British Isles on the 10th led to a windy and showery day. There was an early air frost in parts of E and Cent Scotland with widespread outbreaks of rain over S and Cent areas of England overnight. During the day rainfall was heaviest in areas of NE Scotland and E England with most other areas having sunny spells at times. Later in the day a low pressure system over Ireland gave rain to Ireland and Wales. (St Helier 9.4C, Lough Fea 4.5C maximum, Aboyne -4.5C minimum, Trawsgoed 25.0 mm, Leuchars 8.1 h.)
A N'ly flow on the 11th led to an early air frost in parts of E Britain, but I many areas there were showery outbreaks overnight. A ridge of high pressure built from the W during the day, which was sunny away from W Ireland, W and N Scotland. Rain spread E'wards into W Scotland later. S areas of England Wales and Ireland were quite mild. (Cardiff Bute Park 12.6C, Lerwick 3.4C maximum, Topcliffe -4.2C minimum, Sennybridge 5.0 mm, Morecambe 8.3 h.)
Many inland areas of England and E Scotland had an air frost on the 12th. There was some rain overnight in W Ireland and N and W areas of Scotland, while mist and some fog patches formed in parts of England and Wales. During the day there was a little rain in some W areas of the British Isles, but amounts were small under high pressure and the day was generally mild. With frontal cloud in the N and W, it was East Anglia and SE England where the best of the sunshine was to be found. (Giants Causeway 13.7 C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 7.3C maximum, Santon Downham -3.1C minimum, Achnagart 13.8 mm, Shoeburyness 7.4 h.)
After dawn on the 13th the British Isles lay under a warm sector for much of the day. Cloudy skies meant an absence of air frost at low levels, while the best of the sunshine was to be found close to the English Channel. Some light rain fell in parts of N England and Scotland as the advancing warm front moved N'wards. E England had some mist in places at first, and further mist formed in S England in the evening. It was mild, locally very mild in the north. (Kinloss 14.0C, Bainbridge 7.4C maximum, Braemar 0.5C minimum, Kielder Castle 5.2 mm, Jersey Airport 8.5 h.)
High pressure centred to the SE of the UK on the 14th dominated the weather, although a weak front gave some cloud and rain across N Scotland. A few places in Cent and S England had a slight air frost while in Valentia the overnight minimum temperature was 10.5C. After early mist and fog in most parts of England, it was a sunny across England, Wales and E Ireland. Most places were mild, and locally warm well away from onshore winds. (Bala 16.1C, Dundrennan 7.4C maximum, Charlwood -3.5C minimum, Cassley 7.8 mm, Camborne and Jersey Airport 9.3 h.
Pressure remained high in the SE on the 15th but fronts close to W areas gave a dull day in W Scotland and W Ireland. E Scotland and Cent and E areas of England had an air frost with mist and fog patches being widespread around dawn across England. The cloudy W areas had some light rain and drizzle during the day elsewhere many areas had prolonged sunshine and locally very warm conditions especially where the foehn effect took hold. (Rhyl 17.5C, Inverbervie 8.3C maximum, Eskdalemuir -4.5C minimum, Tiree 7.6 mm, Jersey Airport 9.4 h.)
The 16th was sunny across N England, E Ireland and SW Scotland but rather cloudier elsewhere. There was an early air frost in parts of SE England with rain (heavy in places) across N and W Scotland overnight. S, Cent and E England had early mist and fog and a little rain fell during the day in W Ireland. It was another mild day in all areas. (Chivenor 14.2C, Lerwick 6.7C maximum, Charlwood -2.3C minimum, Fair Isle 18.4 mm, Leconfield 8.6 h.)
Low pressure to the W of Ireland on the 17th pushed frontal rain across Ireland and W Scotland overnight and this then also spread into Wales and SW England before dying out the front reaching E areas as little more than an area of cloud. Ahead of the rain much of E and Cent Britain was bright or sunny for some time. Most places were quite mild, with the brighter areas in the east being warm. It became sunny in W Ireland once the rain had cleared there. (Northolt 15.6C, Inverbervie 8.5C maximum, Charlwood -1.3C minimum, Tyndrum 13.6 mm, Weybourne 8.3 h.)
Frontal bands of cloud and rain affected all areas at times on the 18th. The heaviest rain was across Ireland and W Scotland earlier in the day it then turned sunnier here and across Wales later. NE England and W Scotland was also sunny for a time, but showery outbreaks continued across Ireland and W Scotland during the day. In parts of SE England the main rainband produced only very small amounts of rain. (Plymouth 12.7C, Dalwhinnie 5.2C maximum, Bainbridge 1.9C minimum, Tyndrum 22.4 mm, Lerwick 7.3 h.)
E Scotland and E and Cent England had sunny spells on the 19th; elsewhere it was a cloudy day with showers in the W giving way to rain that spread across Ireland by midday before reaching E Scotland and E wales by early evening. Under clearer skies in the S there was a little early air frost in parts of Cent S England. The warmest conditions were in E and S England. (Writtle 12.5C, Dalwhinnie 5.1C maximum, Hurn -2.4C minimum, Killowen 17.8 mm, Guernsey Airport 9.2.h)
The 20th was a rather cloudy day away from the extreme SE of England and the Channel Islands. Away from the SE corner of England most places had spells of rain at times more especially across Scotland and N England before dawn. Under a warm sector it was mild day, these mild conditions being noteworthy in NE Scotland. (Kinloss 14.9C, Eskdalemuir 8.0C maximum, Lerwick 2.8C minimum, Capel Curig 30.2 mm, Guernsey Airport 8.6 h.)
On the 21st many districts were bright or sunny, and it became unseasonably warm quite widely, well away from windward coasts. There were cloudier areas, especially in the N, and towards coasts of Cent S and SE England. Some frontal rain fell in parts of the NW Scotland. Although it was cooler across Ireland, 16C-18C was reached in many places from N Devon through Cent and E England to NE Scotland). Aboyne broke Scotland's February temperature record which had stood for more than 120 years. The highest temperature previously recorded for the month in Scotland was 17.9C in Aberdeen on 22 February 1897; Aboyne reached 18.3C today. (Aboyne 18.3C, Eskdalemuir 8.6C maximum, Fyvie Castle -1.0C, Capel Curig 12.6 mm, Manston 8.8 h.)
On the 22nd fog was widespread across Cent, E and S areas of England. The fog cleared, but it stayed cloudy over much of central southern England; temperatures were not far from normal here. There was also a lot of cloud Scotland and Ireland, but it was mild or very mild, except near windward coasts, here and in Wales. The evening was wet over western- and northernmost Scotland and in W Ireland. During the afternoon, thick fog rolled in from the southern North Sea across Thames Estuary regions, and then across much of Essex and Suffolk in the evening. (Gogerddan 18.1C, St Catherine's Point 7.6C maximum, Pershore -0.5C minimum, Tyndrum 2.2 mm, Weybourne 9.3 h.)
High pressure prevailed over E areas on the 23rd and many parts of Cent and E England dawned foggy as a result. The fog soon cleared, and these areas then became sunny and warm or very warm. Western and northern districts were fairly cloudy and mild or very mild with some rain, but there were brighter intervals. The rain was brought by a cold front and it felt cooler across Ireland and a result. (Kew Gardens 17.8C, Bridlington 9.0C maximum, South Newington -1.1C minimum, Tyndrum 6.0 mm, East Malling 9.8 h.)
E Ireland, S Scotland and much of England and Wales had mist and fog on the 24th which was slow to clear in places. A cloudy day followed across Ireland despite the presence of high pressure across the British Isles. It was a sunny, and warm or very warm (except near some windward coasts), day over much of England and Wales, and parts of E Scotland. It was cloudier, though mostly mild, elsewhere with some drizzle, and hill and coastal fog. Heavier rain affected the W Ireland and W and NW Scotland later in the evening. (Gogerddan 19.1C, Leuchars 7.0C maximum, Braemar -3.2C minimum, Tiree 1.2 mm, Manston 10.0 h.)
Many inland areas of England and S Scotland had an air frost on the 25th with fog patches in places. Much of England and Wales then had a very sunny day with over 9 h of bright sunshine in most areas. There was also record-breaking February warmth for many - although temperatures were lower over areas of North Yorkshire where it was foggy until early afternoon. Temperatures were also well above normal over N regions; there was some rain across N Scotland and in some W areas of Scotland. Notable maxim temperatures included 20.6C at Trawsgoed, 20.4C at Northolt, 20.0C at Bala, 19.0C at Rhyl and 18.7C at Loftus; relative humidity fell below 20% in places in the afternoon. 20.6C at Trawsgoed, Ceredigion, broke the UK's record for February, set when the temperature reached 19.7C in Greenwich in 1998. A new English record was also set by the 20.4C at Northolt. (Trawsgoed 20.6C, Lerwick 9.5C maximum, South Newington -3.9C minimum, Harris Quidnish 10.4 mm, East Malling 10.3 h.)
The 26th dawned after another air frost in parts of England and Wales, S Scotland and in parts of E Ireland. Another sunny day followed except in W Scotland and W Ireland, with further remarkable diurnal temperature ranges. At Reading 20.0 degC was the greatest daily temperature range in a record back to 1908. A weak front gave mainly cloud across N Scotland. A few places reported in excess of 10 h of sunshine in E Ireland, Wales and England. The UK broke the record for its warmest winter day for the second consecutive day, with a temperature of 21.2C in Kew Gardens, London. Temperatures broke the previous day's record of 20.6C in two other places - Porthmadog in NW Wales hit 20.8C while temperatures of 20.7C were reported in Teddington, SW London. (Kew Gardens 21.2C, Lerwick 9.5C maximum, Topcliffe -3.8C minimum, Isles of Scilly 0.2mm, East Malling 10.4 h.)
Many inland parts of England, Wales and S Scotland again had an air frost on the 27th with mist, haze or fog patches being widespread across S Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland by dawn. Another widely sunny day followed (except in parts of S Ireland and N Scotland). (Heathrow 19.2C, Thomastown 7.3C maximum, Aboyne -3.8C minimum, Lerwick 0.6 mm, East Malling 10.6 h (a suspect sunshine total).)
The 28th was a rather cloudy day as front spread rain N'wards in the S. However, despite the cloud, it was again quite mild for the time of year in S Britain. Away from NE England and E Scotland there was little morning air frost, but mist and haze were widespread around dawn across the British Isles. (Cavendish 14.5C, Spadeadam 5.0C maximum, Ravensworth -2.8C minimum, Okehampton 15.1 mm, Cork Airport 3.9 h.)
Fronts under a large area of high pressure on the 1st led to a rather cloudy day. There was some rain in the SE corner of England at first; otherwise the day was mainly dry until rain spread from the W across Ireland and into W areas of Britain in the afternoon and evening. Temperatures were slightly above normal with early air frost in parts of N Scotland. 16 mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT at Sherkin Island. (Trawsgoed 13.6C, Lerwick 5.8C maximum, Baltasound -0.5C minimum, Derrylin Cornahoule 10.4 mm, Aldergrove 4.7 h.)
The 2nd was a rather cloudy day as spells of rain moved E'wards. Away from high ground in W Britain falls were generally slight and, despite the cloudy cover, the day was mainly mild for the time of year. Later in the day a deep depression (named storm Freya) approached the Western Isles (centre 964 mb to the W of Stornoway), resulting in an increase in wind speeds. (Heathrow 15.1C, Resallach 7.3C maximum, Tain Range -0.5C minimum, Capel Curig 27.4 mm, Guernsey Airport 4.8 h.)
Storm Freya moved towards the N of Shetland by midday on the 3rd, while a wave depression (centre 981 mb at 1200 GMT just SW of Cork) moved towards SE Scotland during the second half of the day. Rain affected N Scotland overnight with another rain area clearing SE England. The second low pushed more rain NE'wards across most of the country. Following Freya it was quite sunny over E and NE Scotland. The rain cleared from much of England and Wales during the afternoon, but heavy showers edged into S coastal areas of England in the evening and it turned windy n the S. In the aftermath of Freya fallen trees and power lines were. Some roads have also been closed due to flooding and homes left without power. Mumbles reported a gust to 76 mph with a gust of 74 mph at Capel Curig. It was cold over Ireland with falls of snow in places. (Cardiff Bute Park 14.0C, Glenanne 5.7C maximum, Altnahinch Filters 2.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 32.4 mm, Dyce 6.5 h.)
There was a brisk W'ly flow across the British Isles on the 4th. Overnight rain in S and SE areas of the UK mainly cleared overnight and was followed by a showery day with sunny spells. After a cold night in Ireland there was a warning of icy roads there at first, especially in W areas. Icy conditions were also reported in several towns throughout south Leinster and in County Tipperary. (Sheffield 11.7C, Killylane 4,2C maximum, Katesbridge -1.4C minimum, Blencathra 21.2 mm, Weybourne 7.0 h.)
Pressure remained generally low to the W on the 5th. Overnight, parts of E Scotland had an air frost and there was widespread rain and showers across Ireland, and in some W areas of Britain. Areas of N Scotland, Cent England and East Anglia had a sunny day before rain moved from the W across much of England, Wales and Ireland during the afternoon and evening. Daytime temperatures were mostly rather below normal in the N and rather above in the S. (Weybourne 13.0C, Salsburgh 5.0C maximum, Aboyne -6.9C minimum, Eskdalemuir 28.4 mm, Stornoway 9.7 h.)
An area of low pressure moved NE'wards across the British Isles on the 6th, being located with a centre of 975 mb over SW Scotland at 2400 GMT. E Scotland had a sharp air frost in places before dawn but further S it was a mainly mild night with widespread rainfall that was especially heavy across Ireland. The rain continued to move N'wards during the day, becoming showery across England, Wales and Ireland. It was a cold day across N and Cent Scotland, but milder further S and with little sunshine away from W Ireland. (Pershore College 15.0C, Dalwhinnie 3.4C maximum, Braemar -5.7C minimum, Libanus 52.4 mm, Shannon Airport 3.5 h.)
The low centre moved NE'wards away from Scotland on the 7th, introducing a cooler flow from the N in E areas, although further W this was superseded by a W'ly ridge flow. Overcast skies and spells of rain extended southwards as far as the Midlands; further W and S there were showers and sunny spells, with the best of the sunshine being largely across W Ireland. Windy conditions early in the day gradually gave way to lighter winds as the pressure rose from the W. (Heathrow 12.5C, Dalwhinnie 4.6C maximum, Albemarle 1.6C minimum, Capel Curig 50.4 mm, Cork Airport 10.2 h.)
Many inland areas as far S as Cent Ireland and the Midlands had an air frost on the 8th as rain cleared E Britain in the early hours. A sunny day followed over E England, ahead of frontal cloud that heralded areas of frontal rain that spread to all areas eventually by late evening. Falls were heavy in W areas, with some snow over high ground in N Scotland. Away from Ireland and S England it was a cold day. (Roches Point 13.7C, Dalwhinnie 3.7C maximum Dalwhinnie -4.7C minimum, Capel Curig 24.4 mm, Tibenham Airfield 5.2 h.)
The 9th brought outbreaks of sleet and snow to S Scotland, N England and N Ireland along with some thundery outbreaks. This soon cleared E'wards, followed by showers. There was little early air frost away from this wintry area, while later in the day a shallow low (centre 999 mb in SW Ireland at 2400 GMT) pushed frontal rain from the SW across much of Ireland, Wales and S and Cent England by late evening. (Shoreham 14.7C, Fair Isle 4.3C maximum, Killylane -0.5C minimum, Fair Isle 18.6 mm, Dyce 9.6 h.)
An area of low pressure moving E'wards across S areas of the British Isles early on the 10th gave a wet night in the S half of the British Isles. Parts of Scotland had a sharp air frost and the night was generally cool in N Britain. As the rain pushed NE'wards there was snow on the northern edge of the rain area over parts of the Midlands. The rain, and some snow, cleared E and NE England in the afternoon. A showery day followed once the rain had cleared these were heavy across parts of Scotland and contained some hail, thunder and snow. It was mild in S England but quite cold in parts of N Ireland and Scotland. (Shoreham 12.0C, Resallach 2.1C maximum, Braemar -5.1C minimum, Harris Quidnish 21.6 mm, Guernsey Airport 8.7 h.)
The 11th was windy for much of the time. Overnight there were widespread showers over Ireland and W Britain with much of England, Wales and Scotland then having a sunny day as the winds eased a little. However, a deep low moving towards W Scotland pressure around 986 mb in the Western Isles at 2400 GMT led to an increase in wind speeds later as bands of frontal rain moved across Ireland and Scotland in the afternoon and evening. Rain also affected much of England, apart from the SE, in the evening. (Plymouth 12.7C, Dalwhinnie 4.9C maximum, Drumnadrochit -1.5C minimum, Thomastown 17.2 mm, East Malling 10.8 h.)
A deep area of low pressure (storm Gareth) moved across Scotland on the 12th - centre 971 mb close to Aberdeen at 2400 GMT. This led to a windy day in all areas, and especially across Wales, Ireland and Scotland. An area of occasionally heavy rain moved SE'wards during the morning, bringing a drop in both temperature and wind. Brighter weather then followed. Over Scotland and Northern Ireland, after a bright start it became very showery with some longer spells of rain, hill snow, and thunder in parts of NW Scotland. Roads were closed and flights and ferry services affected as winds began to build. Flights from Cardiff to Edinburgh and Belfast were delayed and ferry services between Pembroke and Rosslare and Dublin and Holyhead were affected. At Malin Head, County Donegal, gusts reached 80 mph while winds gusted to 62 mph at Orlock Head. (Exeter Airport 10.9C, Braemar 4.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie 0.4C minimum, Shap 64.4 mm, Kinloss 8.1 h.)
The effects of storm Gareth were still being felt on the 13th, although the strong winds and showers gradually eased. Most places then had a bright day with temperatures close to, or slightly above, normal. However, further frontal rain pushed across Ireland and into W Wales and W Scotland by early evening. Some of the showers were heavy earlier in the day. A Cumbrian family spoke of their "terror" after their house caught fire when it was struck by lightning during Storm Gareth. Lightning shot down the chimney of the house in Cotehill, near Carlisle, sending a gas fire hurtling across the room in the early hours. The storm left more than 2,000 people in Cumbria without power and caused overnight wind gusts up to 70 mph. The strong winds brought trains between Durham and Newcastle to a halt after overhead electric wires were damaged. P&O Ferries said Wednesday morning crossings between Dover and Calais were delayed by up to 90 minutes, which resulted in long delays for motorists on the M20 in Kent. SEPA put out flood alerts for nine areas: Ayrshire and Arran, Argyll and Bute, Central, Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Skye and Lochaber, Tayside, West Central Scotland and Western Isles. Several roads in Gwynedd, Powys and Carmarthenshire had to be closed due to fallen trees. There were also delays of up to 30 minutes on Virgin Trains West Coast services between Holyhead and Flint due to adverse weather conditions. (Bridlington 13.1C, Pennerley 6.5C maximum, Wick Airport -0.4C minimum, Braemar 29.6 mm, Boulmer 8.6 h.)
A series of fronts spread across the British Isles to give most places spells of rain at times on the 14th. The cloudy skies meant a mild night across S and Cent areas of England, Wales and Ireland while away from S Ireland and SW England most places had sunny periods at times during the day. During the day it was mainly mild, despite rather windy conditions. (St James Park 16.1C, Dalwhinnie 6.6C maximum, Baltasound 0.9C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 33.8 mm, Boulmer 9.0 h.)
A warm sector crossed S areas of the UK early on the 15th and fronts remained over, or close to, S and N areas of the UK throughout the day. The day dawned after a generally mild night (minimum temperatures above 10C overnight in parts of S England and S Ireland. It remained cloudy during the day across Wales and the S half of England and Ireland these areas saw further patchy rain during the day. Scotland had a rather showery day, while further rain spread across Ireland, Wales and much of England later in the day as a warm sector edged N'wards. (Writtle 15.8C, Dalwhinnie 3.8C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 0.8C minimum, Kinlochewe 31.4 mm Leuchars 10.1 h.)
A low pressure centre tracked from SW of Ireland to E of Shetland (centre 981 mb in SW Scotland at 1200 GMT) on the 16th, drawing a warm sector across many areas ahead of cold fronts and a showery airstream. A cloudy day resulted. S parts of the UK had light falls of rain and drizzle until heavier falls in the evening. It was a wet day in most other areas, especially over hills and mountains (Capel Curig recorded 93 mm in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT), and snow fell at first over N England and S Scotland as the main rain area advanced N'wards. It was mild and windy in the warm sector, and cold on the N side of the depression. Homes were flooded at Betws-y-Coed and Llanrwst in Conwy county. Strong winds also caused disruption to roads, bringing down trees and more than 700 properties in south Wales and Ruthin, Denbighshire, experienced power cuts. (Hawarden 13.5C, Dalwhinnie 0.7C maximum, Dalwhinnie -0.3C minimum, Capel Curig 137.6 mm, Lerwick 2.4 h.)
A brisk NW'ly surface flow on the 17th led to a day of showers and sunny spells. There was a widespread ground first across much of Ireland, Scotland and N England with overnight showers falling as snow in some places in these regions. There was also some hail in places and isolated reported on thunder in the convective showers in Cent S and SE England. (Armagh 12.2C, Balmoral 4.1C maximum, Killylane -1.3C minimum, Resallach 16.4 mm, Leconfield and Cork Airport 9.1 h.)
Overnight into the 18th there was air frost in parts of NE England and E Scotland with showers across much of Ireland and in W Scotland. The showers, and more general areas of frontal rain, spread to most areas during the day, although E Scotland remained mainly dry. Most places were rather cool during the day and rather dull away from the E half of the UK. (Murlough 13.0C, Okehampton 6.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -4.7C minimum, Altnahinch Filters 9.0 mm, Lerwick and Kirkwall 10.6 h.)
Fronts moving slowly E'wards on the 19th led to a rather cloudy day. There was a slight air frost in some parts of E Scotland with widespread mist across England and in parts of E Ireland and Wales by dawn. Rainfall amounts were generally slight and, although sunshine was scarce in many districts, it was a mostly mild day. (Derrylin Cornahoule 15.5C, Lerwick 8.2C maximum, Aboyne -3.0C minimum, Stonyhurst 5.4 mm, Cork Airport 6.4 h.)
High pressure became established across S areas on the 20th - MSL pressure above 1032 mb over much of Wales, the Midlands and S England by late evening. There were widespread mist or fog patches over Wales, Ireland, England and S Scotland by dawn, but most areas of the British Isles had a mild night under a warm sector. Fronts to the N of the warm sector gave some rain to N Scotland and it was chilly with coastal fog around some northern Irish Sea coasts. It was cloudy in some areas but became quite warm in the Midlands and in adjacent areas. (Sheffield 19.4C, St Bees Head 7.9C maximum, Kinbrace 4.1C minimum, Baltasound 11.2 mm, Shawbury 10.3 h.)
Pressure remained generally high on the 21st but the flow shifted to a more SW'ly direction. A mild night in all areas was accompanied by mist and fog formation across many parts of England, Wales and Ireland. Patchy rain affected (mainly W) areas of Scotland during the day with N England and E Scotland seeing the best of the sunshine. Much of S England was rather dull. It became warm in some E areas. (Bridlington 18.0C, Lerwick 8.8C maximum, Cavendish 3.3C minimum, Resallach 17.2 mm, Lerwick 10.5 h.)
A cold front moved SE'wards across Ireland, Scotland and W England on the 22nd bringing falls of rain that decreased in intensity as the day progressed. Ahead of the rain there was a mild night in most areas; it turned cooler with some showers behind the rain area these fell as snow over some parts of N Scotland in the evening. Much of England, Wales and S Scotland had a dull day. (Hull East Park 14.7C, Dalwhinnie 8.0C maximum, Baltasound 5.2C minimum, Achnagart 25.2 mm, Jersey Airport 10.0 h.)
Pressure rose during the 23rd leading to a day with sunny periods in most areas, away from S England where a weak cold front maintained a band of cloud. There was some early mist associated with this front around dawn in parts of Se England. Apart from a few showers in the NW Scotland, most places were dry - bright or sunny in the N. (Chertsey Abbey Mead 14.2C, Spadeadam 7.0C maximum, Aboyne -1.3C minimum, Cassley 9.0 mm, Kirkwall 9.8 h.)
The high pressure on the 24th led to an early air frost in a few places as far S as Cent Ireland and Cent S England. It became locally warm in S England with many places in the S half of England and Wales having in excess of 10 h of bright sunshine. Further N, a narrowing and weakening band of showery rain moved S'wards across Scotland and N England, with quite a few further showers following across W and N Scotland. (St James Park 15.1C, Dalwhinnie 5.5C maximum, Topcliffe 2.7C minimum, Kinlochewe 28.4 mm, Lyneham 11.5 h.)
High pressure persisted over the British Isles on the 25th, the central pressure being 1038 mb just SW of Ireland throughout the day. Much of England, Wales and S Scotland had a sunny day again above 10 h of sunshine in many places but it was cloudier elsewhere due to a decaying, weak front over Ireland and Scotland. (Mumbles Head 14.6C, Baltasound 7.6C maximum, Kielder Castle -1.2C minimum, Fyvie Castle 6.6 mm, Morecambe 11.7 h.)
Air frost was quite widespread across S and Cent England on the 26th, with occurrences in a few other places. At Reading University this proved to be the only air frost (albeit only very slight) of the entire month. A mainly mild day followed over Ireland, Wales and England under high pressure and another very sunny day in S districts. There was some rain in W and N Scotland. (Usk No.2 15.1C, Salsburgh 7.2C maximum, Benson -3.6C minimum, Resallach 20.0 mm, Camborne 11.9 h.)
Pressure remained high on the 27th (centre 1038 mb off S Ireland at 2400 GMT) giving another mainly dry day. Parts of N and Cent Scotland (earlier in the day) were the exceptions to this. N Scotland had a mild night while any air frost was patchy and mainly across S Wales, S and Cent England. S Ireland, SW England and S Wales had a sunny day elsewhere it was cloudier. It turned quite warm in the sunnier areas during the day. (Cardiff Bute Park 16.6C, Lerwick 8.6C maximum, Llysdinam -1.8C minimum, Cassley 5.2 mm, Exeter Airport 12.0 h.)
Although the high pressure centred moved E'wards on the 28th another sunny day ensued across Ireland, Wales and England after localised but slight air frost here. There were a few fog patches at first in S Ireland, and in S areas of England and Wales, while any rainfall amounts were slight and were mainly confined to N Scotland early in the day. Misty conditions formed in S England in the evening. (Fyvie Castle 16.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 8.9C maximum, Sennybridge -3.2C minimum, Kinlochewe 2.8 mm, Aberporth 11.8 h.)
Pressure fell on the 29th and a cold front edged SE'wards across N Scotland. Away from Scotland, there were a few fog patches and local frost (this mainly over England and Wales) at first, then most places here were sunny and warm. However, N Ireland and W Ireland was cloudier and it later became wet in NW Scotland. (Sheffield 19.0C, Lerwick 7.9C maximum, Ravensworth -2.3C minimum, Kinlochewe 19.2 mm, East Malling 12.6 h.)
Overnight into the 30th there was some patchy fog and slight frost over England and Wales, whilst patchy rain moved SE'wards across Scotland. The rain then affected parts of N England during the day. Brighter weather with seasonable temperatures extended S'wards over Scotland and Northern Ireland, with a few showers in N Scotland. Most of S England and S Wales was sunny and warm or very warm; there were a few showers in the afternoon over East Anglia. (Kew Gardens 19.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.7C maximum, Ravensworth -3.9C minimum, Achnagart 8.8 mm, Jersey Airport and Guernsey Airport 11.3 h.)
A cold front overnight into the 31st pushed rain S'wards in places, mainly in E areas, across England and Wales overnight. Under the clearer skies behind the rain over Scotland and N Ireland there was a sharp frost in places. Many places had quite a sunny day, though the cloud was slow to break over much of S England and S Wales, and it was also fairly cloudy over N England. (Jersey Airport 15.9C, Baltasound 7.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -6.0C minimum, Chillingham Barns 0.8 mm, Tiree 11.8 h.)
High pressure in the E of the UK led to some air frost early on the 1st in E counties of England and Scotland, while cloudier skies meant a warmer night in the W as fronts pushed slowly E'wards. Rain spread across Scotland and Ireland, and into NW England and Wales in the evening. Much of England (away from the extreme N) and Wales had a sunny day ahead of the advancing cloud. (Gosport Fleetlands 16.9C, Salsburgh 5.0C maximum, Aboyne -5.8C minimum, Achnagart 12.4 mm, East Malling 11.5h.)
There was a widespread ground frost on the 2nd in inland areas away from N England, Wales and SW England with an air frost in parts of Northern Ireland, Cent Scotland and E England. Rain moved SE'wards across many areas overnight and during the morning, to be followed by showery weather in most areas during the day. These fell as hail and snow in Scotland and N England with some isolated thundery outbreaks in S Britain. It remained dull and wet across NE Scotland during the day, with sunny periods in most other areas. A snowstorm caused a 24-vehicle pile-up on a motorway in Lancashire; the M55 was closed in both directions after the sudden hail and snow caused the collision shortly before 2100 GMT. Drivers said the road was like a "skating rink". One driver said that "torrential hail" came from nowhere and seemed to "just stick and turn the road into a skating ring". (Hurn 12.0C, Craibstone 4.6C maximum, Katesbridge -3.1C minimum, Morpeth Cockle Park 21.0 mm, Tiree 8.4 h.)
A shallow area of low pressure (centre about 995 mb) moved slowly SW'wards over Scotland on the 3rd. An area of rain, with snow in many places overnight and at first, affected areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland and NW England. Most inland areas of England had an overnight air frost. During the day the rain moved SW'wards to affect much of E Ireland, Wales and SW England. After early fog in E areas of England there were some falls of showery rain here with some hail and isolated thunder. The day was cold with the best of any sunshine in parts of W Ireland. During the day snow was fell as far S as the Midlands, while in Scotland drivers were warned of hazardous driving conditions on the A9 in the Highlands because of snow and high winds. (Heathrow 10.9C, Spadeadam 3.1C maximum, Hurn -4.0C minimum, Aviemore 41.8 mm, Shannon Airport 9.6 h.)
An area of low pressure remained centred over or close to S wales on the 4th (centred 985 mb at 1200 GMT). An area of rain and heavy showers, with snow in places at first, moved NE'wards across much of England, Wales and Northern Ireland reaching SW Scotland later, although there were only a few showers, and sunny spells, in E England. Parts of E England and E Scotland had an overnight air frost. Much of Scotland was dry with some sunshine, although there was some rain in the N. It was quite windy over much of England due to the presence of the low. (Coningsby 11.9C, Lake Vyrnwy 2.7C maximum, Santon Downham -3.8C minimum, Cardiff Bute Park 31.0 mm, Manston 9.2 h.)
Scotland and E England had little rain on the 5th as the low centre moved slowly SW'wards. These areas, along with W Ireland, then saw the sunniest conditions during the day. Overnight rain cleared slowly from SW Scotland, but it was slow to clear from E Ireland and Wales, and throughout the day much of SW England and SW Wales was wet. It was mild in the dry, sunny areas, although the wetter areas were cold. (Kew Gardens 15.2C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 6.9C maximum, Aboyne -0.8C minimum, Dunkeswell 31.4 mm, Stornoway 12.2 h.)
The 6th dawned after a slight air frost across parts of N Scotland. During the day the surface flow gradually became E'ly in direction. Overnight rain in Ireland and parts of W Britain cleared away W'wards and another area of rain crossed Scotland from the E. A larger area of rain affected the Channel Islands during the day the overall result being that the best of the sunshine, quite prolonged in many areas, was to be found over Ireland, Wales and W England. Many of these sunny areas were quite mild for the time of year. (Levens Hall 15.3C, Salsburgh 5.8C maximum, Braemar -5.2C minimum, Cardinham 17.2 mm, Ronaldsway 12.1 h.)
The were widespread patches of mist, haze or fog around dawn on the 7th, S of Cent Scotland and across many areas of Ireland. Areas of Cent Ireland had a slight air frost, while the fog and low cloud persisted all day along parts of the E coast of England. Patchy rain moved W'wards across E England. E England, Scotland and N Ireland were rather dull, while the best of the sunshine was to be found in N Wales. (Porthmadog 16.8C, Dalwhinnie 5.0C maximum, Mullingar -2.1C minimum, Tibenham Airfield 5.2 mm, Valley 11.5 h.)
The E'ly flow with embedded fronts persisted for the 8th. England, Wales and Ireland had widespread patches of mist and fog by dawn although any ground frost was mainly confined to parts of Cent Ireland and E Scotland. Scotland was largely dry during the day, and sunny in the W. It was locally warm in parts of East Anglia and the W of the UK, but cooler in the E close to the coast; parts of E Scotland and NE England remained rather misty. Many parts of England were cloudy with outbreaks of rain in an area from Belmullet to Kent. (Santon Downham 19.6C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 6.3C, Newton Rigg 1.1C minimum, Shobdon 16.4 mm, Morecambe 12.5 h.)
Any air frost on the 9th was mainly confined to parts of N, Cent and E Scotland while early mist and fog was largely restricted to Ireland, Wales, Cent and S England. Frontal cloud led to a dull day in S Ireland and S England, but much of Scotland had a very sunny and dry day. The area of rainfall moved S'wards during the day, being mainly confined to S England by late evening. Temperatures failed to reach 10C in some parts of S England under the cloudy skies. (Achnagart 16.3C, Liscombe 7.0C maximum, Aboyne -1.8C minimum, Little Rissington 10.6 mm, Kinloss 12.8 h.)
High pressure built S'wards across the British Isles on the 10th. This led to a widespread inland air frost as far S as Cent Ireland and the Midlands. The S'ward-moving rain area cleared the Channel Islands around midday. The day was cloudy in N Scotland and near some E coasts, but most districts were sunny. Many places were rather cold, and it was cold wherever there was exposure to the NE'ly winds and under cloud cover. (Tulloch Bridge 14.4C, Fair Isle 5.8C maximum, Braemar -6.8C minimum, Isles of Scilly 4.4 mm, Morecambe 13.0 h.)
High pressure centred to the NE of Shetland led to a generally settled day on the 11th. An inland air frost was widespread, except over W and Cent Ireland; much of Ireland was rather cloudy with some mist by dawn. Away from W Ireland and N Scotland both areas seeing some light falls of rain during the day it was a mainly sunny day. (Achnagart 14.0C, Dundrennan 7.6C maximum, Ravensworth -6.1C minimum, Balmoral 1.0 mm, Lyneham 12.9 h.)
High pressure continued to dominate the weather on the 12th and another widespread inland air frost resulted across the UK. A cool day followed in most areas with a little rain in parts of NE Scotland for a while. There was little persistent sunshine -in most places the day brought a mix of cloud and sunny periods. (Kinlochewe 15.2C, Inverbervie 6.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -4.6C minimum, Craibstone 1.6 mm, Altnaharra 10.6 h.)
High pressure on the 13th led to a widespread air frost in Cent and E areas of the UK but across Ireland cloudier skies and rain in the extreme W by dawn were a prelude to rain that spread across much of the island by midnight. 13 mm fell at Sherkin Island during 0600-1800 GMT. Rain edged into the SE quarter of the UK in the evening but most other areas of the UK remained dry and sunny during the day, with the best of the sunshine being in W areas of the UK. It was a rather cool day. (Porthmadog 12.8C, Fylingdales 6.4C maximum, Shap -5.7C minimum, Charsfield 1.8 mm, Kinloss 13.1 h.)
Pressure remained high to the NE of Shetland on the 14th and there was a widespread air frost in Cent and E areas of the UK. Rain across Ireland and in SW areas of the UK made little progress E'wards, dissipating in intensity later in the day. Many districts had a lot of cloud and some sunshine and there were showers over East Anglia. Only on Shetland was there prolonged sunshine. Shannon Airport reported 23 mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT while in most pkaces the temperature failed to reach 10C during the day. (Aultbea 11.8C, Okehampton 5.0C maximum, Ravensworth -5.5C minimum, Isles of Scilly 28.8 mm, Lerwick 13.0 h.)
A SE'ly flow was maintained on the b15th but it was intensified by a low centred just to the W of S Ireland. SW areas of the UK, Ireland and W Scotland had spells of rain during the day and there were some showers near NE coasts of Scotland at first. Many E and NE coastal areas were cloudy but away from Ireland, W Scotland, W Wales and SW England were quite sunny. It was cold under the cloud. (Heathrow 15.3C, Balmoral 6.9C maximum, Santon Downham -2.9C minimum, Isles of Scilly 32.2 mm, Shoeburyness 12.4 h.)
A SE'ly flow with embedded fronts towards the W of the British Isles persisted on the 16th. As a result, most places were cloudy, as the persistent rain area edged NE'wards. It weakened, becoming patchy towards the S. Further E of the rain it remained mostly cloudy the best of the sunshine was to be found in East Anglia and Kent with much of E Scotland and E England remaining largely dry during the day. Many places were rather cold, but it was locally on the warm side in the south. (St James Park 17.5C, Dalwhinnie 6.9C maximum, Santon Downham 1.1C minimum, Killowen 12.8 mm, Weybourne 9.7 h.)
England, Wales and Ireland had widespread patches of mist, fog and haze by dawn on the 17th but air frost was confined to E Ireland at low levels. During the day it remained hazy in many parts of England. There was some light rain overnight and during the morning over parts of Scotland, and during the day in parts of Ireland. Most places, away from Ireland, were quite sunny during the day and it was also warm in many areas. (Nantwich 19.4C, Fair Isle 8.6C maximum, Casement Aerodrome -1.7C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 3.2 mm, East Malling 13.2 h.)
High pressure, centred to the NE of Shetland on the 18th, led to a dry and sunny day for most of the British Isles. Away from W Scotland there was widespread patches of mist and fog around dawn and there was some air frost in E Scotland. It became warm, except near windward coasts. (Wiggonholt 23.3C, Fair Isle 10.1C maximum, Aboyne -3.0C minimum, Kirkwall 0.2 mm, East Malling 12.4 h.)
Anticyclonic conditions prevailed on the 19th with MSL pressure around 1032 mb in E areas of the UK. Many areas had some mist and haze around dawn and the night was mild in many areas with temperatures remaining above 12C overnight in parts if S Ireland, W Wales and S England. E parts of the UK had long sunny spells further W it was a little cloudier. Away from North Sea costs it was a warm day. (Gosport Fleetlands 24.2C, Fair Isle 10.7C maximum, Shap 0.2C minimum, Strathallan trace, East Malling 13.6 h.)
On the 20th cloud and outbreaks of rain spread into W and N Scotland. Other areas were sunny and very warm, locally hot, after the clearance of early haze, mist and fog patches (mainly over England, Wales and Ireland). (Gosport Fleetlands and Bournemouth 25.5C, Harris Quidnish 11.0C maximum, South Newington 0.2C minimum, Drumnadrochit 4.0 mm, East Malling 13.8 h.)
Many areas of the British Isles had patchy mist or haze at first on the 21st, while E England had slight ground frost in places. Away from N Scotland, where there was some rain, and W Ireland (where it was rather cloudy), most places had a warm and sunny day. Three of the UK's nations recorded their highest ever Easter Sunday temperatures, the Met Office has said. Scotland's peak was 23.4C, in Edinburgh, with the same temperature reached in Cardiff. Northern Ireland beat a 95-year-old record with 21.7C at Armagh. (Heathrow 24.6C, Fair Isle 10.2C maximum, South Newington 0.3C minimum, Lerwick 8.4 mm, East Malling 13.9 h.)
A S'ly flow under high pressure on the 22nd led to another warm day. There was early ground frost in parts of E England with early mist or haze in a few areas. There were a few spots of rain in parts of Ireland and in some SW areas of the UK during the day but sunshine was widespread and prolonged in E and N England, Ireland and Scotland. It was the hottest Easter Monday on record in all four nations of the UK, the Met Office said. Outside England, the temperature hit 24.2C (75.6F) in Kinlochewe, 23.6C in Cardiff and 21.4C in Armagh. (Northolt, Heathrow and Wisley 25.0C, Fair Isle 10.5C maximum, Ravensworth -0.9C minimum, Culdrose 0.2 mm, Kirkwall 13.5 h.)
A SE'ly flow on the 23rd gave another warm day in many areas but frontal cloud gave some light rain over Ireland, S Wales and SW England overnight and during the day, with slight falls later in the day as far E as the Midlands. Most places were sunny, but also rather cloudy away from Shetland. There was a slight ground at first in E Scotland, while Saharan dust created a spectacular sunrise and was visible on cars after it fell overnight. (Porthmadog 24.8C, Fair Isle 9.7C maximum, Braemar 0.2C minimum, Culdrose 1.6 mm, Lerwick 11.7h.)
There was little air or ground frost on the 24th but by dawn an area of rain, associated with low pressure to the SW of the British Isles, had spread NE'wards across W and S Ireland, S Wales and parts of S England. The rain area continued to move N'wards during the day, although falls were slight in E and S England. By late evening falls were spread across N and Cent Ireland, N Wales, NW England and S Scotland. It was a warm day in E England and East Anglia and sunny, albeit with some cloud, across East Anglia and N Scotland. The rain was heavy at times further west, and turned thundery over the western Midlands and Lancashire for a time in the afternoon, whilst thundery showers broke out in the warm air over the NE Midlands and southern Pennines regions. (Weybourne 22.8C, Braemar 8.5C maximum, Aboyne -0.6C minimum, Scolton Country Park 16.4 mm, Stornoway 12.8 h.)
Low pressure centres to the W and S of the British Isles, and several associated fronts, meant a rather unsettled day on the 25th. Outbreaks of rain pushed N'wards during the day, affecting most areas but giving only slight falls in many places. There was some hail and thunder from SW Scotland to N Wales as the rain turned showery. Most areas saw some sunshine, although amounts were generally reduced by cloud cover. (Achnagart 18.9C, Fair Isle 9.3C maximum, Redesdale Camp 2.0C minimum, Chivenor 22.0 mm, Camborne 10.6 h.)
An area of low pressure crossed Ireland late in the evening (storm Hannah, centre 988 mb over the Irish Sea at 2400 GMT on the 26th). There was some early mist and fog in parts of E England by dawn, with frontal rain across Ireland, W Wales and SW England. Other areas of rain affected parts of Scotland overnight. During the day further spells of rain, including fronts associated with Hannah, affected most areas although E England remained largely dry. Ahead of the rain, the best of the sunshine was to be found in E Britain. There were very strong winds on the S flank of the low in the evening across Ireland. (Donna Nook 18.2C, Lake Vyrnwy 8.5C maximum, South Newington 1.0C minimum, Threave 33.4 mm, Kirkwall 10.3 h.)
Storm Hannah crossed N England during the morning of the 27th giving some heavy falls of rain across Ireland and then across N Wales and N England. Behind the rain (which persisted across some E areas of England and Scotland by late evening) it turned sunny in W Ireland and SW England. It was a blustery day to the S of the low centre. About 25,000 households were left with no power and flights were cancelled as Storm Hannah hit the west coast of Ireland overnight. ESB Networks said the areas most affected include the Iveragh and Dingle peninsulas and parts of west Cork. The damage is mainly due to trees falling on overhead lines. Peak gusts across Ireland included Mace Head 76 mph, Shannon Airport 74 mph while winds of 82mph were recorded on the Llyn Peninsula overnight and 78 mph at Pembrey Sands. A Turkish Airlines flight had to return to Birmingham Airport 30 minutes after departure because a heavy gust caused the plane's tail to strike the runway during take-off. (Kinlochewe 15.1C, Leek 5.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 2.2C minimum, Capel Curig 98.0 mm, Shannon Airport 11.0 h.)
Rain in E Britain from storm Hannah had largely cleared by dawn on the 28th but further frontal rain then moved across Ireland and into W areas of Scotland, W Wales and SW England by early evening. There were showers into the afternoon over East Anglia and Kent. In many places rainfall amounts were small. As a result, E Scotland was the sunniest area during the day, and it was also warm day here in places. (Kinlochewe 18.6C, Okehampton 9.2C maximum, Shap 0.3C minimum, Leek 14.4 mm, Leuchars 11.0 h.)
By dawn on the 29th there was patchy mist and fog in many areas from S Scotland S'wards. There was also some localised air frost in parts of N England and Scotland, although Ireland had a mild night with overnight temperatures remaining above 10C in some areas. Ireland and some parts of W Britain had a cloudy day with some light rain elsewhere, there were variable amounts of cloud but some long sunny spells in places. It was locally very warm in parts of N Scotland. (Achnagart 20.5C, Glenanne 9.4C maximum, Altnaharra -2.4C minimum, Valley 5.8 mm, Kinloss 14.7 h.)
On the 30th there was patchy fog and some air frost at first in central and eastern districts, then many of these areas were quite sunny and, away from windward coasts, fairly warm. There were, though, some cloudier areas, especially over a chilly East Anglia and east Kent, and it was cloudy and chilly in the most westerly regions with patchy rain, some of it heavy over Ireland and later Northern Ireland. (Altnaharra 19.4C, Killylane 9.1C maximum, Aboyne -1.6C minimum, Murlough 19.6 mm, Brize Norton 11.6 h.)
Overnight into the 1st spells of light rain affected many parts of Ireland and W Britain, while E areas of England had patches of mist around dawn. It was a cool night N and Cent Ireland once the rain had cleared. During the day the patchy, light rain moved E'wards - although it remained mainly dry in SE England. The best of the sunshine was across Ireland and the extreme W of Britain following the rain, while it was mild ahead of the rain in some E areas. (Santon Downham 19.3C, Lerwick 9.3C maximum, Santon Downham -0.5C minimum, Aviemore 31.2 mm, Weybourne 10.7 h.)
Frontal systems over many areas of the British Isles led to a cloudy day in most areas on the 2nd. There was a little mist in parts of S England at first while during the day most rainfall was light and showery, with isolated thunder over England. The sunniest places were to be found in SW Scotland and Northern Ireland. (Santon Downham 17.7C, Lerwick 7.4C maximum, Achnagart -1.0C minimum, Emley Moor 13.0 mm, Tiree 11.0 h.)
A cold front edged S'wards on the 3rd introducing a cool, N'ly flow. Precipitation along the front was generally showery, while across Scotland there was some snow at low levels during the morning and evening, with some hail showers at other times across Shetland. N, Cent and E England was mainly cloudy with sunniest intervals in other areas. Much of Ireland and SW England was dry during the day, while across much of Scotland and N England maximum temperatures remained below 10C. (Gosport Fleetlands 16.2C, Cassley 5.9C maximum, Baltasound 0.0C minimum, Shoeburyness 10.2 mm, Tiree 10.8 h.)
High pressure to the NW of Scotland on the 4th (MSL pressure close to 1028 mb over the Western Isles at 1200 GMT) created a N'ly flow across the British Isles. Inland areas of Scotland and N England had an air frost while precipitation overnight in N Scotland fell as snow and hail in places. During the day showers were largely confined to N and E areas of Britain with further snow and hail in N Scotland. The showers were thundery in some SE areas. It was generally a sunny day (especially in the W) but also cool. (Plymouth 14.0C, Balmoral 5.8C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -3.9C minimum, Hawarden 10.6 mm, Ronaldsway 14.1 h.)
Overnight precipitation into the 5th was mainly confined to E England and N Scotland, with many inland areas of the UK and Ireland (as far S as Cent S England) had an air frost. Pressure remained high throughout the day, but frontal showers and rain affected N Scotland. It was a rather cloudy day in many areas, away from parts of SW England and W Ireland. It was a cold day away from the sunny areas. (Gosport Fleetlands 14.6C, Lerwick 6.5C maximum, Katesbridge -4.0C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 8.2 mm, Bude 14.2 h.)
Pressure remained high on the 6th with a continuation of the N'ly flow in most areas. There was a slight air frost as far S as parts of Cent Ireland and Cent S England with some outbreaks of rain overnight, mainly across N Scotland. This rain moved slowly S'wards into N England and East Anglia (followed by showers across Scotland) with the best of the sunshine being across N Scotland and in the Channel Islands as a result. The cloudy skies led to another cold day. (Plymouth 13.8C, Fylingdales 5.9C maximum, Katesbridge -4.0C minimum, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 10.8 mm, Jersey Airport 12.5 h.)
Parts of Scotland had an air frost on the 7th and a cool and showery day followed here. W Scotland was rather sunny, but S Scotland and N England had a cloudy day with some outbreaks of rain, especially in the E. An area of low pressure to the W of Ireland pushed rain into S Ireland and SW England later in the day. ( Heathrow 17.5C, Lerwick 5.8C maximum, Kinbrace -6.2C minimum, Bridlington 12.6 mm, Stornoway 12.5 h.)
A complex area of low pressure affected the British Isles on the 8th - at 1800 GMT centres were located near Brest (986 mb), Tenby (987 mb) and Hull (987 mb). It was cold day in all areas with temperatures remaining below 10C in much of Scotland and in parts of E Ireland and N England. Rainfall was widespread, and heavy in places. Showers were often thundery within a zone from the West Country to London, the Chilterns and Suffolk. It became quite sunny later in parts of SE England, but with most areas remaining dull the best of the sunshine was to be found in W and N Scotland. (St James Park 16.1C, Braemar 4.3C maximum, Altnaharra -3.7C minimum, North Wyke 31.6 mm, Lerwick 11.9 h.)
On the 9th, after an early air frost in parts of N Scotland, the day across NE England, E and N Scotland, and SW and coastal parts of S England was mostly dry with sunny spells. It was also largely dry and sunny in W Ireland. Elsewhere, it was a generally wet day, with some heavy outbreaks of rain, especially in the SE where there was isolated thunder around the middle of the day. It remained generally cold and was very cold for the time of year over N England and N Wales. (Wisley 16.0C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 6.1C maximum, Altnaharra -2.8C minimum, Derrylin Cornahoule 27.6 mm, Cork Airport 13.7 h.)
Generally light winds and slack pressure gradients led to an air frost in parts of N and E Scotland and NE England at first on the 10th. Many other inland areas of the British Isles had a ground frost while Cent and S England had mist or fog patches around dawn. There were showers in N areas overnight, and widespread showers in almost all areas during the day these were heavy, and thundery showers in places, especially over Northern Ireland, N Wales and in Cent England. The best of the sunshine was to be found in S Ireland and W Wales. (Northolt 17.2C, Dalwhinnie 8.1C maximum, Altnaharra -4.3C minimum, Katesbridge 34.6 mm, Valley 12.3 h.)
With high pressure to the W, the British Isles lay under a N'ly flow on the 11th. Many areas in, and adjacent to, Cent England had early mist or fog patches with many areas of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and N England having a widespread ground frost. Rain affected East Anglia and the Channel Islands at first, then E Britain had a showery day. Away from the cool, showery areas it was a sunny day. (Gosport Fleetlands 18.0C, Lerwick 7.9C maximum, Altnaharra -4.5C minimum, Brooms Barn 17.0 mm, Prestwick 14.9 h.)
Under a large area of high pressure (centre 1038 mb just E of Humberside at 1200 GMT), the 12th was a largely dry day. Overnight frost in various districts, quite sharp in some northern areas, gave way to a mostly sunny day (NW Ireland was rather cloudier with some early rain) with temperatures mostly rising to around normal. (Chivenor 18.4C, Baltasound 9.3C maximum, Kinbrace -4.6C minimum, Baltasound 1.2 mm, Eskdalemuir 14.8 h.)
Pressure remained high on the 13th; 1040 mb over parts of E England at 1200 GMT was unusually high for mid-May. Pressure rose to just over 1041mb on the East Anglian coast in the morning. Much of England and S Scotland had a ground frost and the day was then a very sunny one, away from the N half of Scotland. It became quite warm in the W and N, but temperatures mostly stayed rather below normal in the south-east, where there was a chilly NE'ly breeze during the day. (Aboyne 21.2C, Fair Isle 11.1C maximum, Santon Downham -1.2C minimum, Baltasound 0.8 mm, East Malling 14.9 h.)
Continuing high pressure on the 14th led to another sunny day with most places becoming warm. It was, however, chilly and rather breezy towards SE, and some SW, coasts. At Altnaharra there was a diurnal temperature range of 23.9 degC (from -1.6C to 22.3C). (Drumnadrochit 24.0C, Manston 13.2C maximum, Altnaharra -1.6C minimum, Plymouth (and a few other places) trace, East Malling 15.4 h.)
A S'ly flow under high pressure led to a sunny and mostly warm day everywhere on the 15th, although it was slightly cloudy at times across Ireland. After an early ground frost in parts of E, Cent and SE England, it was very warm in parts of the W and N, but cooler towards many S and E coasts. (Kinlochewe 25.8C, Fair Isle 12.3C maximum, Santon Downham 0.0C minimum, Goudhurst 0.2 mm, Lerwick 15.6 h.)
Parts of NE Scotland dawned misty on the 16th, while there was a ground frost in parts of E England while in W Ireland overnight minimum temperatures remained above 10C in many places. The day was mostly sunny and quite warm, although W Ireland and parts of SW England were rather dull and cloudy; some rain fell in parts of W Ireland and E Scotland with 2-3 mm failing in parts of W Ireland. (Kinlochewe 22.5C, Fair Isle 10.8C maximum, Ravensworth 0.3 minimum, Kinlochewe 3.0 mm, Kinloss 15.5 h.)
After some overnight rain into the 17th in N England, many northern and central areas were quite sunny and, away from windward coasts, warm. SE Ireland and S Britain was mostly dull and chilly with some drizzly rain, although the Channel Islands were fairly sunny. (Achnagart 21.1C, Okehampton 8.6C maximum, Braemar -1.3C minimum, Isle of Portland 8.4 mm, Kirkwall 15.3 h.)
On the 18th some coastal areas, especially in S England and Wales, were fairly sunny - otherwise it was mostly cloudy and dull with some slow-moving showers. Longer spells of rain moved W'wards from E Scotland overnight to affect W Scotland during the day. Temperatures were mostly below normal, and it was markedly cooler than recently in the north. It was locally quite warm in the south, chiefly on the inland edge of the coastal sunshine. However, 9 mm fell in nearly three hours of rain in the late afternoon at Hurn. (Herstmonceux 19.3C, Dalwhinnie 9.3C maximum, Altnaharra 4.5C minimum, Craibstone 14.4 mm, Aberdaron 7.8 h.)
Slack pressure gradients and some weak fronts on the 19th led to a lot of cloud with only SW Ireland seeing much prolonged sunshine. It was a mild night in SW Ireland and in SW (and some parts of S coastal) England. Rain areas were slow-moving, resulting in large totals in places - notably in east Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire and south Hampshire. Many places, however, remained dry. Where there was any sunshine, it became rather warm, but generally temperatures were below normal. (Wiggonholt 20.1C, Fair Isle 10.1C maximum, South Newington 1.8C minimum, Exeter Airport 9.4 mm, Cork Airport 11.7 h.)
A mainly N'ly flow prevailed on the 20th with fronts leading to a rather cloudy day across Scotland; it was also rather dull in some places in S England. There was some sunshine, especially in the more W'ly and SW'ly regions. It was showery over Scotland, with a few showers elsewhere. Temperatures varied around the normal. (Cavendish 20.5C, Fair Isle 10.6C maximum, Sennybridge 2.3C minimum, Balmoral 20.6 mm, Morecambe 14.3 h.)
A weak area of high pressure over the British Isles on the 21st. Fronts led to N and E Scotland and the extreme NE of England being wet overnight and at first, with some heavy rain. The rain turned more showery during the day, and there was thunder around the Forth. Much of the rest of the British Isles was sunny after an early ground frost in parts of Ireland, Wales and N England. Temperatures were mostly not far from normal. (Wiggonholt 21.9C, Fair Isle 10.9C maximum, Katesbridge -0.3C minimum, Aboyne 22.6 mm, Morecambe 15.3 h.)
High pressure in the S on the 22nd meant a mainly dry and warm day across much of England and Wales, after some early rain in parts of N England. Much of Scotland was quite cloudy and chilly with patchy rain and there was also some rain during the day across parts of Ireland. (Heathrow 22.5C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.1C maximum, Eskdalemuir -1.3C minimum, Lossiemouth 22.4 mm, Dundrennan 15.4 h.)
Overnight into the 23rd areas of rain moved S'wards across N Scotland and also affected Ireland and parts of N England due to low pressure centres near Shetland and to the W of Ireland. Both areas of rain were slow-moving and much of S Scotland, England and Wales had a sunny day. It was a warm day in the London area, Cent England, East Anglia and in surrounding counties and rainfall amounts in Scotland and Ireland were mainly slight. (Heathrow 24.7C, Resallach 8.5C maximum, Sennybridge 0.9C minimum, Resallach 34.4 mm, Boulmer 15.4 h.)
Minimum temperatures across Ireland and in parts of SW England and Wales remained above 10C into the 24th with just light falls of rain across the Northern Isles and in parts of Ireland. It was a cloudy day across N Scotland, much of Ireland and in W areas of Britain with some light rain and showers in N Scotland and across parts of Ireland. S Scotland and E England had a mainly sunny day, but elsewhere over England varying amounts of cloud reduced the sunshine duration. (St James Park 23.2C, Fair Isle 9.8C maximum, Shap -0.6C minimum, Resallach 2.6 mm, Eskdalemuir 15.1 h.)
Overnight showers in SE parts of the UK into the 25th cleared to leave a fairly sunny, warm day over England and Wales. Frontal cloud and rain spread to many other districts, although there was only a little rain S of the Anglo-Scottish border. Except locally in the E, it was rather cool under this cloud, and became quite breezy in the N later. It was mainly cloudy across Ireland and Scotland. (Teddington Bushy Park 24.5C, Harris Quidnish 9.5C maximum, Braemar 0.8C minimum, South Uist 18.2 mm, St Athan 11.4 h.)
Low pressure centred across N Scotland on the 26th led to a wet day here, and patchy rain moved SE'wards across the rest of the UK. There was very little rain in the S, and the SE had a sunny morning. Brighter weather spread from the NW after the rain areas later, except across N Scotland where is stayed dull. S and Cent regions had a warm, night, with minimum temperatures of 15.3C at Shoeburyness and Hawarden; the day was quite warm in the SE, especially E of London, but generally rather chilly and breezy elsewhere. The extreme N of Scotland was cold. (Wattisham 23.0C, Wick Airport 8.0C maximum, Lerwick 4.2C minimum, Achnagart 46.4 mm, Cork Airport 9.6 h.)
On the 27th it was mostly dry and bright over S England, but showery elsewhere due to frontal cloud and low pressure persisting across Scotland. The heaviest, and often lengthy showers with some thunder, moved across Northern Ireland, Wales, N England and the Midlands. It was chilly, except over S and E England. (Teddington Bushy Park 20.1C, Fair Isle 9.1C maximum, Kinbrace 2.6C minimum, Hull East Park 20.6 mm, St Athan 9.4 h.)
Slock pressure gradients and a flow from the NW on the 28th led to a mainly dry day, with sunny spells in most places and some rain in parts of E Britain. The sunniest areas extended from SW Scotland to N Wales. In was generally rather cool with a ground frost at first in parts of N Scotland. (Frittenden 18.9C, Fair Isle 8.2C maximum, Achnagart 1.0 minimum, Cavendish 15.2 mm, Ronaldsway 13.6 h.)
The 29th had a bright start in parts of E England, and it was sunny for some time in N Scotland (after overnight air frost in places). Otherwise, it was overcast and rain or drizzle spread NE'wards across most districts. It was quite chilly under the thick cloud which led to a dull day across Ireland, Wales and W England following overnight minimum temperatures above 10C in places here. (Shoeburyness 18.5C, Lerwick 8.5C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -3.5C minimum, Capel Curig 18.4 mm, Loch Glascarnoch 10.3 h.)
On the 30th Shetland and much of the S coast of England was sunny. Most other districts were cloudy, although there was some sunshine over England and Wales. Much of Scotland, N Ireland and northern-most England was quite wet, and there was some drizzly rain over parts of Wales and Cornwall. It was chilly in the north, but warm and muggy in the south, away from windward coasts and in a mild night for S Scotland and areas to the S overnight minimum temperatures were in the range 10-15C. (Heathrow 24.8C, Lentran 7.9C maximum, Baltasound 2.2C minimum, Salsburgh 24.4 mm, Lerwick 11.4 h.)
Fronts affected N and W areas of the British Isle son the 31st with much of England lying under a warm sector as a result. There was further rain in N districts, but S Britain became increasingly sunny. Temperatures were mostly rather above normal, except in the wetter areas. It was breezy in the west and north. Overnight minimum temperatures were 14-15C in parts of England, Wales and N and Cent Ireland, though there was a good deal of variability depending on cloud cover. (Sheffield 21.6C, Fair Isle 9.3C maximum, Kirkwall 3.7C minimum, Dunstaffnage 40.6 mm, Camborne 9.8 h.)
Minimum temperatures into the 1st remained above 10C in many parts of the British Isles. There was some overnight rain in Scotland and lighter falls in parts of N England and N Ireland. It was a sunny day SE of a line Cardiff-The Wash but rather cloudy elsewhere with some patchy rain over N Scotland, N England, Ireland and N Wales. Heavier rain moved into areas of Ireland in the evening. In parts of East Anglia and in places close to London temperatures reached 25C and above in the afternoon. (Heathrow 27.6C, Lerwick 11.8C maximum, Katesbridge 4.6C minimum, Baltasound 7.0 mm, Guernsey Airport 14.4 h.)
Low pressure centred to the W of Ireland on the 2nd led to a rather unsettled day in W areas. Rain affected all areas except for East Anglia and SE England by late evening. Minimum temperatures overnight in parts of Cent and E England remained above 15C in places, including 17.3C at Kenley and 16.4C at Church Lawford. There were sunny spells ahead of, and behind, bands of rain that moved SE'wards during the day; afternoon temperatures reached 27C in some areas of E England. Heavy showers, with isolated thunder, affected NW Scotland in the evening. (Weybourne 28.8C, Lerwick 10.7C maximum, Braemar 5.2C minimum, Harris Quidnish 30.2 mm, East Malling 11.6 h.)
Low pressure moved slowly NE'wards to the N of Scotland on the 3rd. Rain and showers affected Scotland and Ireland overnight and during the day, while most of England and Wales had sunny spells during the day. Temperatures were close to normal in E England, but cooler towards W areas of the British Isles during the day. (Heathrow 22.0C, Resallach 10.9C maximum, Tain Range 6.2C minimum, Achnagart 19.8 mm, Morecambe 12.7 h.)
An area of low pressure moved NE'wards across S Ireland and Wales during the 4th (central pressure 999 mb over NE Wales at 1800 GMT). To the N, N Scotland had a showery day. Rain moved NE'wards across most other districts, with some heavy rain across Ireland and in W areas of Britain. There were sunny periods across Scotland, and in parts of S Ireland and S Britain once the rain cleared. (Otterbourne Water Works 20.7C, Lake Vyrnwy 10.6C maximum, Katesbridge 4.3C minimum, Armagh 25.6 mm, Lerwick 9.9 h.)
The 5th was a mainly cool day for the time of year, due to mainly cloudy skies from a slow-moving low pressure system over N England and S Scotland. Scotland and N Ireland saw little sunshine while, after a bright dawn, cloud spread N'wards over Cent and E England and SE Scotland. Many places in the S half of England and Wales were dry overnight, but there was later some rain in SE England, with further rain across Ireland, N Wales, NW England and Scotland. (Heathrow 19.8C, Dalwhinnie 8.3C maximum, Baltasound 4.1C minimum, Derrylin Cornahoule 24.8 mm, Shannon Airport 11.1 h.)
The low pressure centred remained over, or close to, Northern Ireland on the 6th. Overnight there was a touch of ground frost in parts of N Wales, the W Midlands and E Ireland, while 19 mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT at Connaught Airport. During the day, N and W Scotland and N Ireland were rather wet with showery spells in other W parts of the British Isles. There was thunder in the late afternoon and early evening over parts of E Wales, the NW Midlands and in parts of NW England and N Yorkshire. Away from N and W Scotland there were sunny spells especially so in the SE corner of England and NW Wales. (Heathrow 21.0C, Lerwick 9.7C maximum, Swyddffynnon 1.6C minimum, Tain Range 15.6 mm, Valley 15.6 h.)
A depression moved NE'wards over the Channels Islands later on the 7thbringing areas of rain N'wards as far as N as Cent Scotland. These were heavy in places with thunder in the late afternoon over, SW England, S Wales and the S Midlands. England and Wales were rather cloudy, with the best of the sunshine in N and W Scotland, and in parts of Ireland. Under the clearer skies, there were ground frosts in parts of E and S Scotland overnight. It was particularly cool in SW England, Wales and S Ireland under the heavy rain. Cars were left submerged and people faced disruption on the roads after a thunderstorm brought flash flooding to parts of Cardiff. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had attended flooding calls in Llanrumney, Rumney and Pentwyn; there was heavy traffic on the M4 westbound at the Brynglas Tunnels after one lane was closed due to flooding. Heavy storms flooded shops and homes in Somerset, while a lightning strike left a hole in the roof of a nursery; fire crews called to Ready Steady Go nursery in Worle on said the strike caused severe structural damage. A pregnant woman was taken to hospital for checks and four others were treated at the scene for minor injuries. (Kinlochewe 20.5C, Lake Vyrnwy 10.9C maximum, Braemar 0.0C minimum, Liscombe 32.0 mm, Thomastown 13.0 h.)
Rain areas moved away NE'wards on the 8th after some heavy overnight falls in SW England. As a result the best of the sunshine was to be found in SW Britain and S Ireland, but this help to set off showers (some of them thundery) across S England which then tracked towards N Kent. They were at heaviest over the Hampshire Downs, the North Downs of Surrey and Kent; 23 mm fell just south of Dorking. Parts of W Scotland also had thunder later. Daytime temperatures failed to reach 15C in many places across the British Isles. A ship carrying 255 D-Day veterans back from the commemorations in France was diverted because of the weather; the MV Boudicca had been due to dock in Portsmouth for an official welcome home party and fireworks but adverse weather caused by Storm Miguel meant the ship had been diverted to Dover. A woman died after being struck by lightning in the Highlands. A group of seven walkers were on Na Gruagaichean, a mountain near Ben Nevis, on Saturday when the lightning struck. The party were all airlifted to Fort William, but the 55-year-old died as a result of her injuries. (Heathrow 20.3C, Lerwick 10.4C maximum, Baltasound 4.2C minimum, Stormont Castle 34.6 mm, Guernsey Airport 12.9 h.)
Low pressure centred to the NW of Ireland for much of the 9th led to rather showery day across the British Isles, with the showers moving SE'wards as the day developed. Some of the showers were heavy, with thunder over Northern Ireland, Wales, and England away from the SE. There was a touch of ground frost in parts of N and E Scotland, and in a few locations just NW of London. Away from S and Cent areas of, many places again failed to reach 15C during the day although the best of the sunshine was to be found around coasts of the Irish Sea.(Heathrow 21.0C, Fair Isle 10.0C maximum, Resallach 1.1C minimum, Aviemore 22.0 mm, Aberdaron 14.2 h.)
On the 10th northernmost Scotland was mostly dull and chilly with some drizzly rain. Parts of S Scotland and N England had a slight ground frost. Away from N Scotland most other W and N districts had sunny spells and temperatures not far from normal, but there were some heavy, thundery showers, especially over SW Wales and Devon. Thick cloud and rain, heavy at times, moved north over much of Cent and E England; the rain area turned more to the W during the day to envelop most of S Britain by the evening, when there was some thunder in SE England. It was a cold day under the rain. There was flooding in various parts of the southeast, notably in north Kent following an evening of torrential rain. Known rainfall totals in the 24 hours from 0600 GMT included 75.6 mm at Holbeach, 45 mm at South Farnborough and 53 mm at Kenley. The heavy rain has caused travel disruption amid weather warnings issued for large swathes of England. In London, an underground station, bridge and major road flooded due to the wet weather. Regent's Park tube station was also temporarily closed due to flooding during the evening rush but had re-opened by 1645 GMT. Flooding also closed Kingston Bridge, in west London, around 1500 GMT, forcing bus services to be redirected. A stretch of the North Circular was also flooded shortly before the evening commute, although Transport for London said the carriageway between Charlie Brown's Roundabout and Waterworks was cleared within an hour. Meanwhile, the Cricket World Cup fixture between South Africa and West Indies was abandoned after rain stopped play at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. (Threave 19.7C, Lerwick 9.1C maximum, Redesdale Camp -0.3C minimum, Kenley 53.0 mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 14.9 h.)
Low pressure over the near continent drew a NE'ly across much of the British Isles on the 11th. It was cloudy and showery across Scotland and N Ireland as a result. Most of England and Wales was cool and dull although SE England had the best of the sunshine (along with parts of S Ireland). Heavy showers, thundery in places affected S Essex, N Kent, and parts of Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire in the later afternoon and early evening. Maximum temperatures during the day in the dull areas were unusually low for the time of year with many places failing to reach 12-13C. Homes were flooded, rivers burst their banks and people were left stranded amidst the heavy rains causing floods across Lincolnshire today. The emergency services responded to a high volume of calls about flooding and fallen trees blocking roads. Some schools across the county had to close, and many bus service routes were cancelled. Drains became overwhelmed as some areas received over a month's rainfall in 24 hours. (Writtle 19.5C, Pennerley 7.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie 3.2C minimum, Wainfleet 75.6 mm, Shoeburyness 13.4 h.)
A NE'ly flow led to another cool day on the 12th. Areas of rain moved NE'wards to affect, overnight, mainly Wales and N England (with some heavy falls in places) with another area of rain over SE parts of England during the day. Away from SW Scotland and NW Ireland there was little sunshine, and daytime temperatures were held at 12-14C in many parts of the British Isles, with lower maximum in parts of N Scotland. At about 0630 GMT, homeowners along Church View, Pentre, Flintshire, awoke to flood water pouring into the back of their houses. They are among many residents and businesses who have been trying to protect their properties. Two children were among four people rescued from a car after it was swept into a river following heavy rain near Cae'r Odyn Woods, Cilcain, Mold. Firefighters from Wrexham responded after reports a van driver was stuck in his vehicle on Cefn Road at 0500 GMT, while crews evacuated seven properties in the Bagillt Road area of Greenfield, Flintshire, at 0550 GMT. More homes are being evacuated following severe flooding in and around Wainfleet, amid concerns about flood defences along the River Steeping. The Environment Agency said water levels remained high and a decision had been made to "evacuate the highest risk areas and the most vulnerable". The Environment Agency has described the situation as "unprecedented" after 132 mm of rain fell between Monday and Wednesday. (Gosport Fleetlands 17.9C, Aviemore 8.5C maximum, Strathallan 3.7C minimum, Pennerley 39.4 mm, Tiree 15.3 h.)
Low pressure centred close to E Britain throughout the 13th drew a surface flow from NE and widespread cloud across most areas. Widespread rain affected most areas although W Scotland and Ireland were rather more showery. The widespread cloud led to another cool day in most areas with maximum temperatures below 10C in many parts of E Scotland and NE England. Passengers stuck on a train for up to eight hours after torrential rain caused a landslip said it was "a nightmare". The London to Nottingham service was stranded in Corby, Northamptonshire. Commuters were transferred to a second train which also became stuck due to flooding on the line. (Shoeburyness 17.4C, Balmoral 7.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie 4.4C minimum, Chillingham Barns 56.4 mm, Tiree 6.3 h.)
The 14th was another unsettled day with a depression centred close to N Scotland all day. Areas of rain tended to weaken and become more showery as the day developed. Away from the sunniest, E, SE and Cent S England it was another cool day with maximum temperatures remaining below 15C in many places. (Heathrow 20.1C, Fair Isle 11.2C maximum, Katesbridge 1.2C minimum, Almondsbury 17.2 mm, Manston 12.7 h.)
Bands of showery rain, moving across from the W, affected most areas on the 15th - although in many places rainfall totals were small. Sunshine amounts were mainly small with the sunniest conditions in parts of Wales and SW England. Much of Ireland had a cool night with temperatures at inland sites remaining below 5C in most places a mainly cool day followed over the British Isles, although temperatures reached the normal in some of the more sheltered E and N districts. There was thunder over parts of the Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northern Ireland. (Weybourne 21.1C, Altnahinch Filters 11.0C maximum, Derrylin Cornahoule 1.4C minimum, Killowen 24.2 mm, Aberdaron 11.4 h.)
An area of low pressure W of Ireland on the helped to drive showery outbreaks across all areas on the .16th. Most places had sunny spells, especially those close to the E coast of England and Scotland. It was a cool day in places for the time of year, accentuated by rather blustery conditions, although 20C was reached in East Anglia and SE England. (Heathrow 21.4C, Fair Isle 12.4C maximum Kielder Castle 1.1C minimum, Capel Curig 21.6 mm, Tiree 9.7 h.)
As the low pressure centres transferred to NW of Scotland on the 17th, pressure, and temperatures, rose in SE England and places to the SE of London saw over 10 h of bright sunshine. Elsewhere, it was a cloudy day in many areas with spells of showery rain N'wards of a line SW England-Humberside. These wet areas were also largely cool again. Across Scotland and N Ireland some of the showers were heavy. (Santon Downham 22.9C, Dalwhinnie 12.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 4.9C minimum, Tyndrum 29.0 mm, Morecambe 13.0 h.)
Overnight into the 18th showers affected Scotland and N Ireland, moving slowly SE'wards. These continued in places during the day across Scotland while a large area of rain spread into S England mid-morning, moving N'wards and reaching N England by late afternoon. Thunderstorms drifted across East Sussex and Kent in the late evening, with a separate outbreak in the Colchester/Ipswich area. Ahead of this S area of rain there were sunny spells, especially so across S Scotland and Cent Ireland. The S'ly flow led to a milder day in many areas, despite the increased cloud cover. (Frittenden 22.1C, Tulloch Bridge 13.0C maximum, Aboyne 3.4C minimum, Achnagart 20.0 mm, Dundrennan 13.8 h.)
Thunderstorms cleared from the Kent and East Anglian coasts early on the 19th but there were further showery outbreaks in many areas of the British Isles during the day. It was a dull day E of a line Hull-Exeter, but further N most places had some sunny spells, especially in W Wales and NW England. It was a slightly cool day for the time of year. (Frittenden 21.5C, Harris Quidnish 13.6C maximum, Katesbridge 2.5C minimum, Frittenden 16.2 mm, Morecambe 12.4 h.)
The 20th brought showers to most areas at some time during the day, with the heaviest and most frequent showers over parts of Scotland and S England. Temperatures during the day were, at best, close to average despite sunny spells occurring in all areas. (Heathrow 20.5C, Tulloch Bridge 12.0C maximum, Altnaharra 3.8C minimum, Harris Quidnish 12.0 mm, Guernsey Airport 12.6 h.)
After an initially generally W'ly flow into the 21st, high pressure built over S areas as the day developed. During the day, showers were largely confined to parts of Scotland and Ireland, with the best of the sunshine being mainly across S areas of Ireland and Britain. It was another cool day with temperatures struggling to reach much more than 20C in E and S England and remaining below 15C in W Scotland. (Heathrow 22.4C, Fair Isle 12.0C maximum, Katesbridge 1.2C minimum, Achnagart 12.6 mm, Aberdaron 15.5 h.)
High pressure initially dominated the weather on the 22nd but, later in the day, slipped away E'wards as fronts approached N and SW areas of the British Isles. Overnight there were a few showers in NW Scotland and W Ireland, and a slight ground frost in parts of E Scotland. W Ireland was cloudy with some showers during the day; elsewhere many places had long, sunny spells away from some E coast areas of England. Temperatures during the day were close to normal in most inland areas. (Northolt 23.8C, Fair Isle 13.3C maximum, Braemar 0.1C minimum, Kinbrace 7.0 mm, Manston 14.8 h.)
An area of low pressure to the SW of Ireland on the 23rd resulted in a series of fronts spreading frontal cloud across most areas during the day. Ahead of the rain there were sunny spells, but much of Ireland, SW England and S Wales had a dull day. With a mild S'ly flow, parts of S Wales and S Ireland had minimum temperatures overnight remaining above 15C. A warm day followed in parts of SE and E England, but in S Ireland temperatures changed only a little from their overnight values. (Shoreham 25.4C, Fair Isle 13.1C maximum, Braemar 5.4C minimum, Capel Curig 19.6 mm, Lerwick 14.5 h.)
Low pressure to the SW of Ireland led to a mainly E'ly flow across much of the British Isles on the 24th. Cent and S areas of England, Wales and Ireland had a mild night with rain across Scotland and N Ireland. Further rain followed in these areas during the day with outbreaks also moving N'wards over E England. The rain was heavy in parts of E Scotland. Edinburgh and Stirling were hit by flash flooding from thunderstorms with one man stranded on a car roof; heavy rain led to disruption in the west of the capital across Bankhead, Clermiston and Corstorphine. Tram services were temporarily shut down in some areas as flood water covered tracks. After soaking the capital, heavy rain made its way to Stirling, prompting warnings from police and Stirling Council about flash floods. After overnight minimum temperatures of 17-18C in parts of SE England, it was a warm day here and in East Anglia. (Santon Downham 26.3C, Lentran 11.5C maximum, Dalwhinnie 6.9C minimum, Edinburgh Gogarbank 44.4 mm, Camborne 7.2 h.)
There was some rain across N areas of Scotland into the 25th and another area of rain, heavy in places, with thunder in the extreme SE of England, moved N'wards over much of England and Wales overnight and during the morning and into the afternoon, gradually fading out during the day. Weak fronts gave some rain other areas including across Ireland. Away from the N and SW, minimum temperatures overnight across England were in the range 15-18C, although only in a few places in SE England did the temperature reach 25C during the day. In E Scotland and other E coast areas of England it was a cool day. (Herstmonceux 26.4C, Lentran and Loftus 12.1C maximum, Braemar 8.2C minimum, Winchcombe Sudeley Castle 38.4 mm, Tiree 14.2 h.)
Parts of NE England, N Wales and SW Ireland and had some rain overnight into the 26th and during the day, but amounts were small. The day dawned following a mild night in S England and S Wales with minimum temperatures above 15C in places. Much of the Midlands and East Anglia (and neighbouring counties) was dull, as was N Scotland and rather extensive cloud from the North Sea spread across many parts of England and Wales during the day. Temperatures were close to normal in many areas, but lower than normal along the E coast of the UK. (Porthmadog 24.7C, Fylingdales 11.3C maximum, Braemar 1.3C minimum, Ryhill 5.4 mm, Tiree 16.1 h.)
The 27th was a mostly dry day a largely sunny one except in parts of N Scotland close to some E coast areas the UK. After a mild night in SW areas of England and Ireland (minimum temperatures of 17C in places) it turned quite warm in some W areas if Ireland and the UK, but remained chilly towards E-facing coasts, and breezy in S Britain. (Porthmadog 27.1C, Fair Isle 11.9C maximum, Ravensworth 2.3C minimum, Loftus 0.2 mm, Kinloss 17.0 h.)
It was cloudy across much of E and Cent areas of the UK at first on the 28th - but this soon cleared E'wards. After a clear start, cloud spread E'wards across Ireland during the day. It was a cloudy day in W Ireland and in a few E coast areas of the UK where the cloud lingered. After a mild night in S Ireland, W Wales and SW England where minimum temperatures remained above 15C, 30C was reached in Achnagart making this the warmest day of the year so far. Away from the cool E coast of the UK it was mainly a warm or very warm, and quite hot locally in some W areas of the UK. But in S Ireland temperatures remained below 18C in places. Police warned of the dangers of playing or swimming in rivers, lakes and reservoirs in the hot weather following a schoolgirl's death. 0.7 mm of rain fell in the Cork area during 0600-1800 GMT. (Achnagart 30.0C, Fair Isle 11.6C maximum, Shap 6.0C minimum, Charterhall 0.2 mm, Morecambe 15.3 h.)
Minimum temperatures into the 29th remained above 15C in many W areas of the UK, Northern Ireland and SW Ireland. Rain and thunderstorms overnight in Ireland moved NE'wards across Scotland. Narrow bands of showers and isolated thunder crossed areas of Wales and England, except the south, during the afternoon and evening, delineating an advancing cold front. Most of England and Wales, away from the extreme W, had a hot day with 30C in many places from the Midlands to SE England. It turned much cooler from the west later, and it was a chilly and misty day near some western coasts. Due to the advancing cold front cloud, the best of the sunshine was to be found E of a line Hull-Weymouth. The UK has had its hottest day of the year, as temperatures soared across S England. At Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, organisers were giving away free sun cream and water to help combat the heat. (Northolt and Heathrow 34.0C, Lerwick 15.9C maximum, Redesdale Camp 8.1C minimum, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens 15.8 mm, East Malling 15.6 h.)
Many areas, away from S and E England, had some rain into the 30th as a cold front cleared all E areas of the UK before dawn. The day was showery in the N where it became increasingly blustery. It remained warm in many E areas, albeit much cooler than in recent days. Much if E England had a sunny day, but it was cloudier towards the W. At Reading University maximum temperatures had been 24.2C, 32.3C and 22.7C on the 28th-30th respectively, corresponding to 24-hour changes in the maximum temperature of +8.1 degC and -9.6 degC in successive 24-hour periods; such a change in temperatures either side of a 30C day is unprecedented in the 110-year record. (Heathrow 25.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 14.2C maximum, Braemar 8.9C minimum, Baltasound 22.4 mm, Wattisham 13.8 h.)
Low pressure to the N of Scotland on the 1st led to a rather cloudy day with spells of rain and showers across Ireland, Scotland and N England in particular. N Scotland was rather dull, but here were sunny spells elsewhere, with the best of the sunshine to be found in parts of S Ireland, the Channel Islands and in Kent. Temperatures were generally slightly below normal during the day. (Frittenden 23.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 10.C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 8.6 minimum, Resallach 17.0 mm, Guernsey Airport 12.5 h.)
High pressure slowly built from the SW during the 2nd, with most of Ireland reporting MSL pressure above 1028 mb by 1200 GMT. After some light rain in parts of Scotland and N Ireland overnight, daytime precipitation was mainly confined to N Scotland. Inland areas of Wales had a cool night, with most of Wales and England then having a sunny day. (Gosport Fleetlands 23.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 11.3C maximum, Sennybridge 3.2C minimum, Resallach 6.0 mm, Bude 15.2 h.)
High pressure dominated the weather over the British Isles on the 3rd, although a weak front gave light falls of rain and drizzle across N Scotland overnight and during the day. Clear skies led to a cool night in many parts of Scotland, Wales and Ireland - but then led to a widely sunny day, although N Scotland remained rather dull. (Northolt 23.7C, Lerwick 13.0C maximum, Katesbridge 1.7C minimum, Craibstone 4.8 mm, Dublin Airport 15.5 h.)
Pressure remained generally high on the 4th; there was some frontal rain overnight across Scotland this spread erratically SE'wards across other areas of Scotland during the day, although falls were mainly slight. Temperatures rose to 25C in parts of the Midlands and in some places in Cent and SE England. It was a sunny day across much of S Ireland, Wales and in Cent and S areas of England. By early evening there were some outbreaks of rain in N England. (Kew Gardens 26.8C, Fair Isle 11.2C maximum, Capel Curig 4.0C minimum, Resallach 29.6 mm, East Malling 15.7 h.)
Further outbreaks of (mainly light) rain and drizzle affected parts of Scotland and N Ireland on the 5th, moving slowly SE'wards across Scotland later. Further S it was warm and sunny with temperatures reaching 25C in Cent, S and E England in the afternoon. Later, a narrow zone of altocumulus lay across southern England, with some very some colourful skies here in the evening. (Heathrow 27.6C, Fair Isle 11.4C maximum, Baltasound 5.6C minimum, Baltasound 12.8 mm, Wellesbourne 15.1 h.)
Overnight into the 6th rain fell across N Scotland, and also in N Ireland and N England. The latter area moved slowly S'wards during the day although most falls were light. It remained cloudy across N Scotland but there were sunny conditions ahead of the rain and in S Scotland and N England once the rain had cleared. Cool air followed the rain from the N, but it was a warm day in cent S England. (Otterbourne Water Works 26.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 11.5C maximum, Tyndrum 5.3C minimum, Nottingham 5.0 mm, Prestwick 13.5 h.)
A N'ly flow under the influence of high pressure became established on the 7th in all areas once frontal rain across S England had cleared away S'wards in the morning. Some rain fell in N and E Scotland during the day while an area of heavy rain affected west London for an hour or so in the late evening. Many places in W Scotland, N Ireland and N wales had a sunny day but it was rather cloudy in some other areas. (Plymouth 25.3C, Fair Isle 10.6C maximum, Katesbridge 1.6C minimum, Thorney Island 5.0 mm, Aldergrove 15.0 h.)
Pressure remained high in E Britain on the 8th (centred at about 1023 mb near Lincolnshire in the afternoon) but by dawn fronts had spread light rain across much of Ireland. Parts of S England and S Wales had mist or fog patches by dawn while during the day the frontal rain spread into N England and W Scotland. After a cool night in some E areas (there was a ground frost in parts of N and E Scotland) there were sunny spells ahead of the advancing frontal cloud, with prolonged sunshine in parts of E Scotland, SW England and the Channel Islands. It was a cool day in parts of N Ireland. (Cardiff Bute Park 24.8C, Fair Isle 12.3C maximum, Altnaharra -0.4C minimum, Lough Fea 7.2 mm, Bude 14.2 h.)
A series of NE'wards-moving fronts led to spells of rain and rather cloudy skies in many areas away from SW England, S Wales, S Ireland and the Channel Islands on the 9th. It was also a sunny day on Shetland. Places from S Lancashire to London had a warm night with minimum temperatures above 15C in places while 25C was reached in the London area during the day. (Heathrow 25.8C, Fair Isle 12.5C maximum, Baltasound 4.4C minimum, Dunstaffnage 41.4 mm, Bude 15.2 h.)
The 10th dawned after a warm night with minimum temperatures widely above 15C in S and Cent England, S Wales and S Ireland. Away from S England most areas saw some outbreaks of rain, mostly patchy but quite heavy in areas of Scotland and N Ireland, and also heavy in parts of N Wales and NW England in the evening. It was a warm day in the SE corner of England despite the day being rather cloudy away from SW England. Parts of Dingwall in the Highlands were flooded after more than a month's worth of rain fell in just a few hours in the evening. The town, along with other parts of northern and eastern Scotland, were affected by thundery downpours. (Heathrow 26.7C, Lerwick 12.1C maximum, Baltasound 7.1C minimum, Cassley 42.0 mm, Guernsey Airport 11.4 h.)
Many places from S Scotland S'wards had minimum temperatures above 15C into the 11th. S England was mostly dry, but a SW'ly flow brought spells of rain and showers to other areas. There was mist and fog around some of the coasts of NE Scotland. There were also some thundery outbreaks over E Scotland and in parts of N England and the N Midlands. It was warm in the SE corner of England with 25C being reached in places. (Heathrow 27.3C, Fair Isle 13.2C maximum, Lerwick 11.1C minimum, Balmoral 27.2 mm, St Athan 8.8 h.)
Minimum temperatures into the 12th remained above 15C in S England, S Wales and East Anglia. As a N'ly flow became established there were showers in N and E areas, with little sunshine over N Scotland and N Ireland. After a misty start in parts of the Midlands, the day tended to be warmer towards the S, with 25C recorded in Cent S and SE England. (Gosport Fleetlands 26.9C, Fair Isle 11.9C maximum, Tyndrum 7.3C minimum, Albemarle 17.0 mm, St Athan 14.2 h.)
Pressure remained high to the W on the 13th, with a centre of 1028 mb just W of Ireland at 1200 GMT. The day was rather cloudy, however, with falls of light rain in parts of Scotland and NE England in particular. In the evening a S'ward-moving trough began to bring rain to E England. As a result of the widespread cloud, temperatures failed to rise above 23C in many areas. (Wiggonholt 25.0C, Fair Isle 12.0C maximum, Shap 7.1C minimum, Redesdale Camp 8.2 mm, Guernsey Airport 14.2 h.)
: Outbreaks of rain moved southwards over E England overnight into the 14th, clearing the Se by late morning. There was then little further rainfall anywhere, but rather cloudy skies at times helped to keep the temperatures close to the normal by day for the time of year. The best of the sunshine was to be found from SW Scotland to SW Ireland. (Chivenor 24.7C, Fair Isle 12.9C maximum, Swyddffynnon 3.9C minimum, Gringley-on-the-hill 9.2 mm, Shannon Airport 15.5 h.)
The 15th was a mostly dry day. High pressure led to a sunny and warm day, although it was cloudy in E England at first (this was slow to clear from areas like Kent and East Anglia). Later in the day cloud spread across Ireland (where it was rather cloudy in the W) and later into W areas of England and Wales. There was some light rain and drizzle in S Ireland in the early evening. (Bainbridge 25.1C, Fair Isle 12.7C maximum, Kinbrace 4.2C minimum, Baltasound 1.4 mm, Kinloss and Stornoway 13.7 h.)
A series of fronts crossed the British Isles from the W on the 16th - although rainfall amounts were mainly slight. The day dawned after a warm night in Ireland where minimum temperatures overnight remained above 15C in places. However, the warmest areas during the day were those at inland sites SE of a line Weymouth-The Wash where 25C was widely reached. Away from the Northern Isles, where there was some early thick fog, many places were sunny. (Cavendish 27.4C, Lerwick 12.9C maximum, Cavendish 5.3C minimum, Fyvie Castle 16.4 mm, Shoeburyness 14.6 h.)
Fronts spread cloud across all areas of the British Isles from the W during the 17th, bringing some heavy falls of rain across Ireland and W Scotland during the day. Amounts tended to decrease towards the E; however, at Reading the 2.4 mm that fell in the 24 hours from 0900 GMT was the first measurable rainfall since 24 June although the rain did not start falling until later today. (Santon Downham 26.7C, Lerwick 12.9C maximum, Swyddffynnon 6.6C minimum, Gt Cumbrae Millport 22.2 mm, East Malling 9.2 h.)
: Patchy rain moved SE'wards overnight into the 18th, clearing SE England by midday. A cooler flow from the W became established following the rain with showers across Scotland and Ireland. A day with varying amounts of cloud followed in all areas. There was some thundery activity, for example over SW Ireland before dawn, over Cent Ireland in mid-afternoon and early evening, and in parts of SE England in the evening. (Heathrow 24.8C, Fair Isle 15.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 6.4C minimum, Fyvie Castle 22.2 mm, Morpeth Cockle Park 11.3 h.)
During the 19th an area of low pressure moved towards SW Ireland (centre 998 mb on the W coast at 1800 GMT) with frontal rain being pushed ahead of it across most of England, Wales and Ireland by early evening. N Scotland had sunny spells and some showers, while the rain further S was followed by showers from the SW across Ireland, Wales and N England. There were areas of heavy rain, especially in the SW and W England, with isolated thunder. Buildings and cars were damaged when an (unconfirmed) tornado swept through parts of Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Rain caused havoc near Manchester Airport and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park for about an hour from 1530 GMT. There were no reports of any injuries but there were reports that debris "swirled through the air" at Stamford Park. (Manston 22.0C, Fair Isle 15.1C maximum, Katesbridge 6.2C minimum, Almondsbury 40.0 mm, Lerwick 9.9 h.)
An area of low pressure moved from Ireland to Shetland during the 20th. The night was warm (minimum temperatures widely above 16C over England and Wales) but wet as an area of rain followed by showers affected most areas, with the showers continuing until later in the day especially in E areas of the UK. There was some thunder over E and SE England. Aberdeen was hit by flash flooding after sustained heavy rainfall. The city council said about 30 locations in the city were affected with a number of manhole covers forced up by the volume of water. Bridge of Don was the worst affected areas with some drivers being forced to push their vehicles to safety. (Heathrow 25.6C, Lerwick 13.8C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 10.4C minimum, Shoreham 37.2 mm, Tiree 11.0 h.)
A SW'ly flow dominated the weather on the 21st, the flow becoming fresher later in the day across Ireland and W Scotland as fronts pushed across these areas. Parts of S Wales and SW England remained above 15C overnight and by dawn rain had spread E'wards in W areas of Scotland and Ireland. Cloud soon spread from the W across most areas, with the W half of the British Isles having a dull day. Some thunder was reported over N Ireland. In the evening there were some heavy falls of rain across parts of N England. (Writtle 25.2C, Harris Quidnish 15.1C maximum, Topcliffe 6.7C minimum, St Bees Head 31.2 mm, Jersey Airport 12.4 h.)
The 22nd dawned after a warm night, with minimum temperatures above 15C across much of the British Isles from Cent Scotland S'wards. Overnight rain and showers in many areas gradually became confined to parts of N and W Scotland during the day, and skies tended to clear of cloud in many E areas of England. It was a sunny and warm day in E England, with temperatures reaching 28C and above in East Anglia and Lincolnshire. (Cavendish 30.5C, Lerwick 15.1C maximum, Fair Isle 12.2C minimum, Achnagart 93.4 mm, Jersey Airport 13.7 h.)
High pressure, centred just to the SE of the British Isles on the 23rd, drew hot air over much of the British Isles. Overnight minimum temperatures remained above 15C across most of Ireland, inland Scotland, N England, Wales and SW England with rain falling overnight across N and NW Scotland giving some heavy falls in places. Away from parts of N Scotland the day was dry and hot or very hot. With widespread prolonged sunshine across E and S Scotland, and over England and Wales, temperatures rose to 25C as N as N Scotland and rose above 30C in E England, the Midlands, parts of E Wales and in Cent S and SE England. 36C was recorded at Jersey Airport equalling the previous highest there recorded in 2003, as the Channel Islands came under the influence of hot air of Saharan origin. 35.7C was recorded at the Maison St Louis Observatory on Jersey. (Jersey Airport 36.0C, Harris Quidnish 17.5C maximum, South Newington 10.6C minimum, Resallach 15.0 mm, Dyce 14.8 h.)
Away from N Scotland, most inland areas remained above 15C into the 24th - and above 20C in parts of East Anglia and Kent. A widespread area of rain, thundery in places, pushed rapidly NE'wards across many areas of England and Wales from the S before dawn, and across Scotland during the morning. It was sunny in E, SE and Cent S England during the day, but cloudier elsewhere with some rain W Ireland by early evening. Temperatures rose above 25C around the Moray Firth and in E England, the Midlands and in Cent S and SE England, with 30C reached in East Anglia, along the Thames Estuary and in the London area. (Writtle 34.3C, Fair Isle 14.9C maximum, Braemar 11.9C minimum, Cardiff Bute Park 27.4 mm, Hurn 13.5 h.)
The 25th was the hottest day on record in the UK, with a maximum temperature of 38.7C being recorded in Cambridge. A hot S'ly flow continued to be drawn N'wards into the UK, but fronts crossing E'wards over Ireland began to introduce cooler air and rainfall here. Minimum temperatures were widely in the range 15-17C across England, Wales and Ireland; at Wattisham the overnight minimum was 20.5C. During the day, much of England (away from the SW) and Wales had a sunny day with temperatures widely reaching 30C across England. Edinburgh registered its hottest day ever with 31.6C recorded, and 30C was also reached around the Moray Firth. Commuters faced disruption in areas where trains were running slower on tracks at risk of buckling. In Bristol, thousands of people were left without water after a water main burst, with Bristol Water saying the problem might have been caused by the heat. Great Western cancelled some trains between London, Cardiff and Swansea because of the heat and routes between London and Scotland were also affected. In the early afternoon thunderstorms broke out over S Wales and moved N'wards into S Scotland by early evening. Another area of thundery activity affected SE England and East Anglia in the evening. (Cambridge Bot Gdns 38.7C, Fair Isle 16.4C maximum, Ravensworth 10.5C minimum, Charsfield 9.8 mm, Bala 13.2 h.)
Lines of thunderstorms affected parts of the Midlands and E England overnight and into the morning of the 26th. Minimum temperatures were widely above 15C as far N as Orkney, and above 20C in parts of East Anglia and E England. At Loftus the overnight minimum was 22.6C. A thunderstorm at 0400 GMT at South Darenth produced hailstones up to 20 mm diameter, covering the ground for a short time. There was widespread mist around dawn in E Scotland and most places had a rather cloudy day. Further thunderstorms affected E England and East Anglia in the afternoon. Temperatures rose above 25C later in the day in parts of E Scotland, E England, East Anglia, SE England and in parts of the Midlands but remained below 18C in W Ireland. (Charsfield 29.1C, Fair Isle 16.8C maximum, Shobdon 13.1C minimum, Boulmer 18.2 mm, Aberdaron 11.4 h.)
Minimum temperatures into the 27th remained above 15C in many parts of E Scotland and across much of England, away from the SW. Bands of rain were oriented SSE-NNW, becoming increasingly SE-NW, across the UK, with a very slow W'wards drift in the north and NE'wards drift in the south. Most of Ireland was dry after dawn (when there were a few fog patches in the N) and S Wales and SW England were also mainly dry apart for a few showers later in the day. S Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands had the best of the sunshine. There were some heavy falls of rain over NE England during the day. (Hurn 24.8C, Leek 14.6C maximum, Derrylin Cornahoule 7.8C minimum, Herstmonceux 50.0 mm, Lerwick 14.9 h.)
On the 28th a persistent band of rain continued along a SE-NW, increasingly ESE-WNW, track across SW Scotland/N Ireland, NW England, parts of the north coast of Wales and parts of the Midlands; rain in East Anglian died out during the morning. Heavy showery outbreaks moved W over Scotland, while the best of the sunshine was to be found in Shetland (23.4C was reached at Baltasound), W and S Wales and in SW England leading to warm conditions in SW England. The recent rain had been persistent with heavy outbreaks and a consequence of this was flooding over parts of the Midlands and NW England. Roads and rail lines were closed in NW England. Motorists faced disruption as sections of the M60 motorway in Greater Manchester were temporarily shut following heavy rain. Trains between Manchester Victoria station and Southport were also delayed. Heavy rain also led to delays at the Senior Open at Royal Lytham and St Anne's Golf Club in Lancashire. The A77 was closed between Kilmarnock and Ayr in the evening due to flash flooding. (Hurn 24.7C, Altnahinch Filters 12.6C maximum, Scolton Country Park 8.8C minimum, Rochdale 91.0 mm, Lerwick 14.6 h.)
The 29th dawned after a warm and wet night across S Scotland and N England and it was also a warm night in E Scotland. During the day the best of the sunshine was to be found over S and Cent areas of England (away from the SW) and Wales. The overnight rain over N England, N Wales, N Ireland and S Scotland gradually died out during the day but an area of low pressure (located S of Scilly at 1800 GMT) spread rain across much of Ireland and SW parts of the UK by mid-evening. Temperatures rose above 25C in parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and the London area. Rush hour commuters faced delays as heavy rain continued to cause disruption to the road and rail network in NW England. Trains were cancelled between Manchester and nearby towns including Wigan and Stalybridge. The A555 Manchester Airport Relief Road remained closed. The Environment Agency had 12 flood warnings in place across the North West during the morning and said water levels would continue to rise. There were also flood warnings in Yorkshire and the Midlands. Several properties were flooded in Rochdale. (Heathrow and Wellesbourne 26.7C, Ballypatrick Forest 16.0C maximum, Libanus 7.3C minimum, Port Ellen 30.2 mm, Valley 12.7 h.)
An area of low pressure moved from SW England to N England during the 30th, with rain and showers affected most areas, and with some very heavy falls in the Midlands and N England. Thunderstorms (some with heavy hail) affected the N Midlands, N Wales and N England from late morning onwards, moving N'wards with later outbreaks in parts of E Ireland and SW Scotland, before dying out in the late evening. It was a warm night in parts of NE Scotland, and in much of E and S England with high temperatures in parts of N Scotland and NE England during the day. A bridge collapsed as flash flooding hit part of North Yorkshire after almost a month's rain fell in four hours. Roads remained shut and rail passengers faced disruption after a landslip between Carlisle and Skipton. Northern Rail said trains had been suspended between Ribblehead and Kirkby Stephen because of the landslip. Yorkshire was pounded by hailstones the size of "pickled onions" as a summer storm swept through and Malham Tarn in the Yorkshire Dales had 82 mm of rain in 24 hours, the majority in the space of four hours. The Brymor Ice Cream parlour, near Masham, was caught in a freak' hailstorm that left some customers with minor injuries as torrential rain caused water to come through the ceiling and left the town 'cut off'. The main road along Swaledale linking Richmond and villages including Reeth and Keld was washed away near Grinton. (Hull East Park 26.8C, Okehampton 15.0C maximum, Kielder Castle 7.4C minimum, Malham Tarn 82.2 mm, Dyce 10.4 h.)
An area of low pressure remained over, or close to, N England throughout the 31st. After a warm night across much of England, Wales and S Scotland, the day was fairly cloudy and showery over much of the British Isles, with further heavy downpours and thunderstorms over parts of S Scotland and N England. S areas and Ireland had only a few showers, while the best of the sunshine was across S England and S and Cent Scotland. Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident amid widespread problems in Poynton. Vehicles were left trapped in the town, and a nursery, several homes and a farm were also swamped. Floodwaters also caused disruption to the motorway network, resulting in the closure of the M60 between Stockport and Cheadle. Eleven people and four dogs have been rescued in Bramhall, Stockport from rising water, said Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. Derbyshire Police said a number of properties had been flooded across the High Peak, in particular in and around Buxton, Whaley Bridge and New Mills. Rail services between Manchester and Chester via Altrincham were disrupted because of water on the track at Skelton junction near Timperley as well as lines between Stockport and Buxton, said Northern Rail. Workmen have had to pump 800,000 litres of water from the new £290m dual carriageway - the A555 in Stockport, Greater Manchester. It is the second time in a week the relief road linking the A6 at Hazel Grove and the M56 had been flooded. Flights at Manchester Airport were also disrupted. (Heathrow 24.9C, Pennerley 14.5C maximum, Dalwhinnie 9.1C minimum, High Mowthorpe 45.8 mm, Yeovilton 10.0 h.)
The 1st followed a mainly mild night with minimum temperatures above 15C in parts of E and N England and in NE Scotland. N Scotland had a dull day; elsewhere there were sunny spells and some showers, which extended S'wards during the day across S Scotland, N England and parts of the North Midlands and Norfolk. The Toddbrook Reservoir dam, above Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire, was damaged following recent heavy rains. Police have now told the town's 6,500 residents to gather at a local school and they will be evacuated from there. A severe flood warning, has been issued for the River Goyt, below the reservoir. The Canal and River Trust, which manages the dam, has engineers assessing the damage - but pictures shared on social media show the collapsed part of the wall was growing. Flash flooding brought disruption to parts of Scotland including East Ayrshire, Renfrewshire and Stirlingshire. A section of the A77 was closed near Kilmarnock after heavy rain. There was also disruption in Johnstone and Dundonald. (Pershore 26.1C, Loftus 15.4C maximum, Castlederg 6.9C minimum, Dalwhinnie 14.0 mm, Aberdaron 13.3 h.)
Despite generally high pressure on the 2nd, frontal cloud over E areas of the UK led to a mild night here (minimum temperatures above 15C in parts of E and S England). It also gave some light rain at times, chiefly over NE England during the day. The best of the sunshine was to be found in W areas of the UK and Ireland and in the Channel Islands. It was a mostly warm day. (Gosport Fleetlands 26.4C, Inverbervie 16.5C maximum, Shap 6.6C minimum, Chillingham Barns 8.6 mm, Jersey Airport 13.3 h.)
Much of S Ireland, England and Wales had a mild night into the 3rd with frontal rain spreading NE'wards across W Ireland. During the day narrow bands of showery rain, with isolated thunder, moved NE'wards across Ireland and W areas of the UK. Much of N Scotland had a sunny day, and it was also bright in E areas ahead of the advancing frontal cloud. It was quiet warm in many areas. (Jersey Airport 26.6C, Fair Isle 15.0C maximum, Aviemore 6.5C minimum, Castlederg 9.4 mm, Kirkwall 12.2 h.)
Frontal cloud and rain moved NE'wards across much of the British Isles on the 4th, giving widespread cloud but only small amounts of rain in S England and N Scotland. After a widespread warm night with minimum temperatures widely above 15C, a warm day followed in E England but it turned cooler in the W during the day. During the afternoon, thunderstorms became widespread over W Ireland, S Scotland, N England and the Midlands giving some heavy falls of rain in places. (Writtle 27.5C, Fair Isle 13.4C maximum, Altnaharra 7.3C minimum, Dundrennan 56.4 mm, Tibenham Airfield 6.4 h.)
Low pressure remained centred close to the NW of Ireland during the 5th, with frontal rain affecting most areas overnight with widespread showers during the day as a result. Across Scotland there was some heavy rain overnight and it was a mild night in parts of E Scotland, E, Cent and S England. Parts of N Ireland and N Scotland had thundery outbreaks during the afternoon and evening. Many parts of England and Wales were very sunny and it was quite warm in parts of East Anglia and in the London area. (Heathrow 26.5C, Fair Isle 15.9C maximum, Castlederg 10.2C minimum, Kinlochewe 27.2 mm, Aberdaron 13.7 h.)
Low pressure moved slowly across Scotland on the 6th, with a mainly showery day resulting in all areas. Overnight minimum temperatures remained above 15C in many parts of S Wales and S England with E and S England remaining largely dry During the day there were thundery outbreaks across parts of England (away from SE England) and Scotland. The SE corner of England remained mainly dry and sunny - but was relatively cool along the coasts. (Cavendish 25.4C, Fair Isle 14.3C maximum, Aboyne 7.0C minimum, Shap 39.8 mm, Shoeburyness 11.2 h.)
The low centre moved slowly E'wards across Scotland and out over the North Sea on the 7th. After a warm night in most areas with showers over Scotland, N England and Wales, further showers fell during the day over much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and S England; elsewhere it was drier and sunnier. Thunder occurred around the Moray Firth and Edinburgh, with some flooding, and over parts of the southeast of England. The main rail line from Edinburgh to Glasgow was shut after flooding at Winchburgh tunnel in West Lothian resulted in passengers on five trains being trapped for several hours. At Edinburgh Gogarbank 13.4 mm of rain fell in one hour and the nearby site of Murray Burn recorded 19 mm in one hour. At Lossiemouth 11 mm fell in one hour while Drumnadrochit recorded 15 mm in one hour. The heavy rain also caused problems around Edinburgh Airport in the evening, with access roads flooded and cars stuck in floodwater. Cars and buses were unable to access the airport for a time after the approach road from the M8 motorway came under several feet of water. (Holbeach 25.1C, Baltasound 14.4C maximum, Katesbridge 6.9C minimum, Aviemore 44.2 mm, Ronaldsway 12.0 h)
There were a few showers across Scotland overnight into the 8th and also during the day, but the main rain area was in SW parts of Ireland and the UK in the afternoon and evening. Away from SW England, S Ireland and N Scotland most places had a sunny day. It was also generally arm, with temperatures reaching 25C in East Anglia. The village of Dipple in Moray recorded 69.4 mm of rain in the 36 hours up to 1200 GMT today - which is the local average for a month. (Cavendish 26.7C, Fair Isle 14.3C maximum, South Newington 8.1C minimum, Cardiff Bute Park 16.8 mm, Shoeburyness 12.7 h.)
A depression moved NE'wards into W Ireland during the 9th (centre 981 mb over W Ireland by 1800 GMT), pushing frontal bands of rain NE'wards across all areas during the day. The rain was heavy in places. The night was mild over much of England and Wales minimum temperatures were widely above 17C and as high as 19.1C at Shoreham and 18.2C at Shoeburyness. N and Cent Scotland was cool and windy, while maximum temperatures reached 25C and above across East Anglia. Showers followed the rain. There were some thunderstorms, mainly over England and Wales, in the overnight rain and the afternoon showers, and it became quite windy as pressure fell. Torrential rain caused flooding and landslides in the Highlands, disrupting roads and rail travel in some areas. Footage posted on social media showed water rushing through Carrbridge's 18th Century packhorse bridge. The flooding at Carrbridge also closed the railway line between Perth and Inverness. Organisers of cycling's Women's Tour of Scotland, taking place for the first time, were forced to abandon the first stage of the event - from Dundee to Dunfermline - due to "extreme weather conditions". A lightning strike and the sudden loss of two large electricity generators caused nearly a million people to lose power in England and Wales at 1600 GMT, a subsequent interim report found. (Weybourne 27.6C, Balmoral 13.5C maximum, Kirkwall 7.8C minimum, Shap 49.8 mm, Casement Aerodrome 6.6 h.)
Low pressure moved from Ireland across Scotland and out over the North Sea on the 10th, resulting in a rather unsettled day in many areas. It was a mild night across the British Isles with minimum temperatures above 16C in parts of Ireland, Wales and England. Southern Britain was windy and showery, but the showers mostly died away to leave a sunny end of the day. Much of N England was wet with some heavy rain, and there were showery outbreaks over Scotland and Ireland. There were thunderstorms in parts of S Scotland and N Ireland. Travellers were hit by widespread disruption as rail operators across the country battled hazards caused by wet and windy conditions. Passengers on five trains were trapped for a time after heavy rain caused the temporary closure of the West Coast mainline between England and Scotland. Network Rail said water levels had risen a foot above the track between Penrith North Lakes and Lockerbie. In SE England, trees caused damage to various train lines resulting in speed restrictions being put in place; there was disruption between Ashford International and Hastings; Guildford and Reading; Newbury and Westbury and between Ipswich and Lowestoft on Saturday morning. More than 1,200 households were left without power in Wales after windy weather caused disruption. The worst affected area was around Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent where almost 700 customers lost power and Glynneath in Neath Port Talbot where more than 300 homes were cut-off. The high winds caused ferry passengers to be kept on a ship in the Channel for three and a half hours before their vessel was allowed to dock in Dover. (Strathallan 24.4C, Stornoway 14.0C maximum, Aboyne 9.2C minimum, Spadeadam 71.4 mm, Guernsey Airport 12.3 h.)
A large area of rain, heavy in places, moved from N England across Scotland on the 11th, causing widespread flooding. It was a warm night across S England with minimum temperatures above 15C in places. Some showers followed in places and it was rather dull across Scotland, S Ireland and N England. Heavy showers and thunderstorms became widespread over SE Wales, Devon, Somerset, the West Country, S Midlands and East Anglia during the afternoon and early evening. Rail passengers had a narrow escape after their train struck a tree that had fallen on to a line near Lincoln due to strong winds. The Lincoln to Nottingham hit the tree shortly before 0800 GMT, Network Rail said. (Benson 25.2C, Loch Glascarnoch 11.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 9.2C minimum, Auchincruive 63.0 mm, Hurn 11.1 h.)
On the 12th a W to NW'ly flow developed with bands of showers affecting many areas. The day dawned after a cool night in parts of Cent Ireland and N Scotland. Thunderstorms occurred in parts of S Ireland, the Channel Islands, S England and East Anglia. (Hurn 21.7C, Fair Isle 13.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 3.0C minimum, St Catherine's Point 23.0 mm, Morecambe 10.6 h.)
The 13th was a sunny day across most of England (away from the SW), Wales and E Scotland. A warm front gave some rain to some S areas pf England and Ireland at times during the day, while showers affected other areas from the W. Temperatures were, at best, close to normal, despite the sunshine. (Heathrow 23.4C, Dalwhinnie 14.3C maximum, Katesbridge 2.0C minimum, Preston Moor Park 19.8 mm, Ronaldsway 12.0 h.)
As a low pressure centred moved towards NW Ireland during the 14th, a series of fronts pushed NE'wards across many areas to give widespread falls of rain and a rather cloudy day away from the Northern Isles. The day followed a warm night across parts of Wales, Ireland and S England behind a warm front. But most areas then turned rather chilly, despite some sunshine later in the day across Ireland. (Castlederg 21.5C, Loch Glascarnoch 13.9C maximum, Aboyne 3.0C minimum, Wainfleet 30.4 mm, Lerwick 11.8 h.)
It was a mild night across S England into the 15th and there were widespread sunny spells during the day once early rain cleared away to the E. Some showers fell in places during the day, with more widespread rain across W Scotland and N Ireland later in the evening. (Heathrow 23.5C, Fair Isle 14.1C maximum, Baltasound 7.3C minimum, Kinlochewe 14.6 mm, Aberporth 11.5 h.)
Widespread rain spread SE'wards across the British Isles on the 16th, giving falls to most areas. It was a mainly dull day across England and Wales, but it turned brighter and showery across Ireland and Scotland later. After a mild night in areas of Wales, Ireland and SW England it was a cool day in E England. However, it turner warmer in the showery areas later. (Killowen 23.3C, Lerwick 13.9C maximum, Santon Downham 6.2C minimum, Capel Curig 36.6 mm, Aldergrove 5.9 h.)
Low pressure centred to the W of Scotland drew a brisk W'ly flow across N areas on the 17th. It was a warm night across S England. Rain fell in many areas overnight pushing away to the SE. The rain was followed by showers, mainly over Ireland and in W areas of the UK. There were some longer spells of heavy rain over W Scotland. (Heathrow 24.1C, Dalwhinnie 14.6C maximum, Balmoral 7.6C minimum, Achnagart 24.0 mm, Ronaldsway 12.4 h.)
Low pressure remained close to, or over, Scotland on the 18th (centred 987 mb over NW Scotland at 1200 GMT). It was rather showery throughout the night and day, with some heavy falls across Scotland. There were sunny intervals in all areas, but the day was rather cool and windy in the N. (Holbeach 22.6C, Spadeadam 14.5C maximum, Topcliffe 8.5C minimum, Achnagart 41.6 mm, Aberporth 11.0 h.)
A W'ly flow around low pressure centred to the N of British Isles led to a showery day on the 19th. The showers were widespread and prolonged later in the day across Ireland, N and W Scotland. Thunderstorms broke out over East Anglia in the late morning and during the afternoon affected many areas SE of a line Bristol-Hull, gradually clearing away towards the NE by early evening. Away from W and N Scotland most places had sunny periods between the showers and temperatures were close to, or below, normal. (Cavendish 23.4C, Resallach 13.4C maximum, Balmoral 7.6C minimum, Dunstaffnage 15.6 mm, Casement Aerodrome 11.5 h.)
Although pressure rose in the S on the 20th (above 1024 mb across S England and S wales by 1800 GMT), a W'ly flow brought spells of frontal rain and showers across many areas (especially Ireland, Wales and parts of N England and S Scotland) during the day. There were sunny intervals in most areas between the showers, but longer spells of sunshine in S England and the Channel Islands. It was a cool day with maximum temperatures below 18C in most areas away from E and Cent England. (Heathrow 22.8C, Lerwick 12.2C maximum, South Newington 5.7C minimum, Blencathra 17.6 mm, Jersey Airport 12.6 h.)
On the 21st a warm sector crossed the British Isles leading to marked temperature differences overnight, with minima above 15C in areas of S Wales and below 9C in parts of SE England and East Anglia, for example. Widespread and, in places, heavy rain crossed Ireland during the morning and also affected Scotland, N England and N Wales later. There were sunny spells ahead of the rain across much of S England. It was a cool day across Ireland and W areas of the UK. (Cavendish 24.4C, Altnahinch Filters 13.7C maximum, Braemar 2.9C minimum, Tyndrum 24.8 mm, Shoeburyness 11.9 h.)
By 1800 GMT on the 22nd MSL pressure ranged from 1027 mb close to the Isle of Wight to 998 mb to the W of Shetland. Away from E Scotland it was a mild night in many places with rainfall across Ireland, Wales, N England and W Scotland in particular. Further rain followed during the day, although most of the Midlands, S England and East Anglia remained dry. Ireland and Wales had a rather dull day, but it was sunny across S England, away from the SW. (Cavendish 25.8C, Fair Isle 13.7C maximum, Aboyne 2.6C minimum, Capel Curig 49.0 mm, East Malling 13.6 h.)
High pressure on the 23rd led to a mainly dry day although one area of rain moved N across Scotland during the day, with further frontal rain arriving from the W into W Ireland and W Scotland in the evening. A warm S'ly flow led to a mild night in most areas while during the day the temperature rose above 25C in many parts of E, Cent and S England. It was particularly sunny in these warm areas. (Hull East Park 28.1C, Fair Isle 14.3C maximum, South Newington 8.9C minimum, Achnagart 26.8 mm, Waddington 13.4 h.)
a S'ly airflow covered most of the British Isles on the 24th but by 1200 GMT a shallow, wave depression (centre 1013 mb) was located over SW Ireland. The night was mildest across S Ireland, SW England and S Wales with minimum temperatures above 15C in places. There was rain overnight and during the day in W Ireland and W Scotland while most of England and Wales had almost unbroken sunshine. Inland air temperatures were wildly above 25C over England, Wales and in arts of E Ireland and SE Scotland. Around the London area and the East Midlands maximum temperatures rose above 28C unusually hot for the time of year. 4 mm of rain fell at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. (Heathrow and Maison St Louis 30.7C, Harris Quidnish 15.0C maximum, South Newington 5.1C minimum, Altnaharra 2.6 mm, Wellesbourne 13.2 h.)
A surface flow from the SE affected much of the British Isles on the 25th, drawing warm air across the British Isles. In parts of England overnight minimum temperatures remained above 17C in places. Small amounts f rain from a near-stationary front fell in parts of Ireland and W Scotland. Elsewhere, away from the Northern Isles where it was a dull day, most parts of England and Scotland had a very sunny day with little cloud. There was coastal/sea mist and fog around the Northern Isles during the day, and in other areas of coastal Scotland. The high temperature record for the hottest late August Bank Holiday weekend (since its inception in 1965) was broken, with a high of 33.3C at Heathrow. (Heathrow 33.3C, Fair Isle 16.5C maximum, Braemar 7.0C minimum, Baltasound 2.0 mm, Glasgow 12.9 h.)
Frontal cloud and rain spread very slowly into parts of W Scotland and W Ireland on the 26th, with most other areas remaining dry in a warm flow from the SE. Away from Ireland the day followed a warm night, with temperatures during the day rising above 25C in much of E England, the Midlands and in parts of E Wales. 30C was reached widely from Humberside towards the London area and N Kent. This warm area, along with areas of E Ireland and E Scotland, recorded in excess of 12 h of sunshine. It was the hottest late August Bank Holiday Monday on record in the UK, as temperatures rose to 33.2C at Heathrow - beating the previous record of 28.2C set two years ago. (Heathrow 33.2C, Harris Quidnish 14.0C maximum, Braemar 6.8C minimum, South Uist 9.0 mm, East Malling 13.2 h.)
A slow-moving front remained close to or over W Scotland and W Ireland throughout the 27th, leading to a dull day here with some heavy falls of rain at times. Many areas, including Ireland, had a mild start to the day and it was again hot in E and Cent England with 30C being widely reached from Lincolnshire to Kent. This warmth, accompanied by sunshine, led to lines of convection that turned thundery in late afternoon. Lines of thunderstorms then moved N'wards from just N of London, the Midlands and NE England throughout the evening although many places saw only small amounts of rain. (Heathrow 33.4C, South Uist 135C maximum, Aboyne 5.1C minimum, Holbeach 22.4 mm, East Malling 12.8 h.)
Fronts pushed W'wards across all areas during the 28th giving falls of rain and some showers in most areas, although in many cases the falls were slight. It was a warm night in most places but during the day the warm conditions were largely confined to areas in and around East Anglia with temperatures failing to rise above 17C in parts of Wales, N England, W Ireland and W Scotland; this was a reflection of generally cloudy skies away from the S half of Ireland. (Santon Downham 27.0C, Libanus 13.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 9.4C minimum, Harris Quidnish 35.0 mm, Cork Airport 10.6 h.)
The 29th dawned generally mild in the extreme W of Ireland, but cooler elsewhere. Some rain and showers moved E'wards across England overnight (leaving mist and fog patches in many parts of Cent England by dawn) while further rain edged into W Scotland and W Ireland before dawn. This latter area extended E'wards across much of Ireland and Scotland during the day, gradually weakening as it did so. Away from E and S England it was a cloudy day with only scattered sunny intervals and the day was generally cooler than normal as a result. (Heathrow 24.7C, Dalwhinnie 13.6C maximum, Braemar 3.2C minimum, Tyndrum 15.8 mm, Jersey Airport 11.8 h.)
On the 30th most northern and central districts were blustery with spells of rain; the rain was heaviest and most persistent over N Ireland and W Scotland, whilst parts of E Scotland were fairly dry and warm with a little sunshine. It was sunnier, and warm, towards SE England. (Cavendish 25.7C, Resallach 13.6C maximum, Frittenden 8.4C minimum, Kinlochewe 60.0 mm, Guernsey Airport 12.2 h.)
Low pressure towards the NW on the 31st gave a blustery day in N and W areas of the British Isles. There were heavy falls of rain across high ground in Scotland. A cold front pushed SE'wards across all areas of England weakening as it did so and giving little rain in many parts of England towards the S and E. However, despite the lack of rain there were some sudden dips in the air temperature as the rain arrived. Showers followed the rain across N Scotland and it was quite cool in the N and W. (Manston 26.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 10.0C maximum, Charlwood 8.6C minimum, Achnagart 69.4 mm, East Malling 8.8 h.)
Low pressure close to Shetland at first on the 1st led to rain overnight over N Scotland, followed by showers from the W that affected places as far S and the Midlands and S Ireland. It was generally dry and sunny across S Wales and S England, with sunny intervals further N. The showers were thundery over parts of N England in the afternoon, especially close to the North Sea. (Frittenden 21.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 11.6C maximum, Topcliffe 5.3C minimum, Resallach 31.2 mm, St Athan 12.0h.)
On the 2nd an area of low pressure moved E'wards to the N of Scotland centred close to Orkney at 1800 GMT with a central pressure of 1005 mb). It was a cool night in parts of E Scotland ahead of an area of rain that spread E'wards across all but S England and parts of S Ireland. Wales, Cent and S England had some sunshine ahead of the cloud associated with this rain area. It was a cool day across N Ireland and in many W and N areas of the UK. (Heathrow 23.6 (South Farnborough 22.3C), Lerwick 12.3C, Aboyne 0.0C, Achnagart 42.2 mm, East Malling 10.4 h.)
******FOOTNOTE The maximum temperatures quoted for Heathrow are often significantly higher than those in nearby sites in the West London area. Alternative maximum temperatures will sometimes be quoted when there appears to be some reasonable doubt about the Heathrow value.
The 3rd dawned after a cold night in N Scotland while in parts of SW and Cent S England overnight minimum temperatures remained above 15C. During the day it was warm in E England, with rain and showers spreading across Scotland and Ireland and into N England and Wales in the evening. Mainland Scotland and most f Ireland had a rather dull day. (Cavendish 24.2C, Lerwick 12.8C maximum, Kinbrace 3.5C minimum, Eskdalemuir 22.8 mm, Wittering 8.9 h.)
Low pressure moved E'wards across Scotland on the 4th (centre 994 mb over the Western Isles at 0600 GMT). Cent and E Scotland had a cool start to the day, but it was a mild night across S England and parts of E England. Rain and showers moved across all areas at times during the day with gusts over 50 mph in parts of NW Britain. (Shoeburyness 21.3C, Banagher Caugh Hill 11.7C maximum, Aboyne 4.4C minimum, Harris Quidnish 33.8 mm, Cork Airport 9.7 h.)
After a cool night in many parts of Scotland and N England into the 5th, most places had sunny periods, with longer spells of sunshine in parts of England. Overnight showers affected many areas these being more confined to Scotland and N areas of England and Ireland during the day. Later in the evening a larger area of rain spread into N Ireland and many parts of Scotland. (St James Park 19.4C, Lerwick 11.4C maximum, Warcop 2.1C minimum, Harris Quidnish 13.0 mm, Shoeburyness 11.9 h.)
Frontal rain affected most areas during the 6th although falls were generally light in S England and the extreme S of Ireland. The day was mainly cloudy with the best of the sunshine being in some N areas of the UK. As a result of the cloud it was a cool day in places. (Pershore 21.2C, Altnahinch Filters 12.6C maximum, Frittenden 4.0C minimum, Achnagart 32.8 mm, Charterhall 7.1 h.)
There were a few showers in places overnight into the 7th, but the day was largely dry as high pressure built from the W, reaching 1028 mb over SW Ireland in the afternoon. It was a rather cloudy day in most areas although much of S Scotland was an exception to this. (Usk No.2 20.1C, Fair Isle 11.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 3.7C minimum, Aviemore 2.4 mm, Prestwick 12.2 h.)
High pressure led to a very cool night into the 8th in E Scotland and E and Cent England; many places in this area had a ground frost. At Benson (Oxfordshire) the minimum temperature was down to -0.5C. Most areas of England, Wales and E Scotland then had a sunny day before cloud arrived from the W, followed by widespread rain in W Scotland and W Ireland later in the evening. (Plymouth 19.6C, Fair Isle 12.2C maximum, Aboyne -1.6C minimum, Tiree 4.8 mm, Jersey Airport 12.2 h.)
Parts of E England had a cool night into the 9th ahead of frontal rain that gave most areas a dull and cool day. In the E rainfall amounts were light in many areas and Ireland was mainly dry during the day. But there were some heavy falls in W areas of Britain. There was little sunshine across England, Scotland and Wales Shetland being a notable exception but there were sunny spells across much of Ireland. It was a cool day across Cent England in particular. (Murlough 18.0C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 11.5C maximum, Santon Downham 1.6C minimum, Chivenor 35.6 mm, Lerwick 10.8 h.)
There were patches of mist and fog in many E areas of Scotland, England and Ireland into the 10th. Away from the Channel Islands and parts of Cornwall the day was rather cloudy, with rain spreading across Ireland and into many parts of Scotland, N England and N Wales by mid-evening. It was a cool day in these wetter areas after a cool morning in Cent Scotland and parts of Ireland. (Heathrow 21.9C maximum (Herstmonceux 20.7C), Killylane 13.0C maximum, Katesbridge 0.3C minimum, Tiree 21.2 mm, Jersey Airport 10.4 h.)
Low pressure to the N of Scotland on the 11th spread bands of frontal rain and showers across all areas during the night and during the day. However, falls during the day across much of England were light. It was a cloudy day across the extreme S of England elsewhere, the daytime showers were interspersed with sunny intervals. Daytime temperatures were close to (or slightly above) normal in E England and parts of S Ireland, but it was rather cool elsewhere. (Bedford 24.6C, Dalwhinnie 13.7C maximum, Houghton Hall 8.5C minimum, Achnagart 22.8 mm, Aberdaron 8.5 h.)
Pressure was high across the Channel Islands on the 12th while a wave depression pushed E'wards across N Ireland and N England, bringing a warm sector across much of England during the day. Minimum temperatures remained above 15C in parts of SW England, S Wales and the Channel Islands as an area of rain pushed into W Scotland and N Ireland by dawn. This rain moved SE'wards during the day although falls were slight across much of England (away from the extreme N). Away from parts of East Anglia it was a rather cloudy day. (Cavendish 26.8C, Fair Isle 12.7C maximum, Santon Downham 6.1C minimum, Fair Isle 13.6 mm, Shoeburyness 9.4 h.)
Overnight into the 13th light rain cleared SE'wards with the parts of Kent, Sussex and the Channel Islands having a mild night. However, across areas of Cent Ireland, E and S Scotland the night was cool. High pressure spread across all areas during the day at 1200 GMT centred at 1038 mb close to Valentia. There were some light showers across N and W Scotland and N Ireland during the day which was very sunny across much of England, Wales, S Scotland and S Ireland. (Gosport Fleetlands 23.1C, Lerwick 13.1C maximum, Katesbridge 0.2C minimum, Cassley 9.4 mm, Lyneham 12.3 h.)
High pressure over S areas of the UK on the 14th led to a cold night followed by a warm, sunny day across much of S and Cent England and S Ireland. Further N it was a cloudier day as with falls of rain in places; these were especially heavy over W Scotland as a pair of cold fronts edged S'wards. After a mild night in N Scotland, it was a cool day here. (Heathrow 24.0C, Lerwick 12.9C maximum, South Newington 0.8C minimum, Kinlochewe 50.6 mm, Lyneham 12.2 h.)
S'ward-moving cold fronts remained across Cent Ireland, S Scotland and N England for much of the 15th, lading to a warm and sunny day across Cent S and SE England and spells of rain in the area of the fronts. N areas of Scotland were largely dry after some overnight rain in places albeit rather cloudy. It was also a cool day across Scotland and parts of N Ireland and N England. (St James Park 26.9C, Fair Isle 11.2C maximum, South Newington 3.4C minimum, Mona 8.2 mm, Jersey Airport 12.2 h.)
The 16th dawned mild across S areas of England, Wales and Ireland, ahead of S'ward-moving cold fronts that gave rain across Cent Ireland, the Midlands, N Wales and S areas of N England. In areas of E Scotland and N England there was a ground frost overnight. During the day, thick cloud and a few patches of light rain or drizzle affected most of southern Britain, with brighter weather gradually spreading from the northwest across other districts. N Scotland had some further patchy rain. There were sunny spells across N England, N Ireland and Scotland during the day but it was cool in N Scotland. (Cardiff Bute Park 21.7C, Lerwick 11.7C maximum, Kielder Castle -0.1C minimum, Sutton Bonington 12.0 mm, Morecambe 10.3 h.)
There were a few fog patches into the 17th in parts of Cent Ireland and S England, and most area then had a day with sunny spells as high pressure developed (centre 1030 mb near Belmullet at 1200 GMT). There was less sunshine across Scotland; it clouded over from the NW across Scotland and N Ireland, with some rain later in N Scotland. (Gosport Fleetlands 20.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 10.6C maximum, Katesbridge 0.5C minimum, Baltasound 2.8 mm, Lyneham 11.8 h.)
High pressure dominated the weather on the 18th across the British Isles, but fronts gave cloudy conditions and spells of rain to N Scotland. Parts of Cent and E England had an early ground frost, but it was quite warm in S Britain and in many parts of Ireland. N Scotland had a cool day under the cloudy skies. (Killowen 21.7C, Baltasound 10.3C maximum, South Newington 0.2C minimum, Cassley 19.2 mm, East Malling 12.2 h.)
Continuing high pressure led to widespread mist and fog patches by dawn on the 19th. These cleared to give a mainly dry day the exception being NE Scotland where a weak front gave some rainfall overnight and during the day for a time. England, Wales and Ireland had a warm day with almost unbroken sunshine. (Coton-In-The-Elms 22.5C, Lerwick 12.7C maximum, Santon Downham 1.5C minimum, Kirkwall 2.8 mm, East Malling 12.2 h.)
The high pressure drifted slowly E'wards during the 20th (MSL pressure in a N'ly flow was down to 1027 mb in East Anglia at 1200 GMT. Fog and mist patches were widespread at dawn, but soon cleared and a dry day followed in all areas with prolonged sunshine and warm conditions almost everywhere. N Scotland had a ground frost in places, but in S Ireland and SW England grass minimum temperatures early in the day remained above 13C in places. (Kinlochewe 25.3C, Fair Isle 14.4C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -0.3C minimum, Wych Cross 0.2 mm, East Malling 12.0 h.)
On the 21st a clear N'ly flow persisted across the UK. Over Ireland, after a clear start, cloud and rain spread from the W to all areas by the evening, also reaching S Wales and SW England. After a warm night in S Ireland, S Wales and SW England where temperatures remained above 15C in places, a warm and sunny day followed over much of the UK with temperatures rising above 25C in places from Anglesey to London. 14 mm of rain fell at Sherkin Island in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. (Valley 27.4C, Fair Isle 13.5C maximum, Braemar 0.5C minimum, Whitechurch 12.6 mm, Kinloss 11.7 h.)
Much of Ireland, Wales and England (excepting NE England) had a mild night into the 22nd; minimum temperatures were 1718C in parts of Wales and S England. During the day widespread rain spread across all areas except NE Scotland as most areas had a cloudy day. There was some sunshine at first in East Anglia, and later in SW Ireland; in parts of East Anglia temperatures rose above 25C ahead of the rain. There were heavy outbreaks of rain in places, with thunderstorms in W regions early in the day and Lincolnshire in the evening. 41 mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT at Ballyhaise. Several roads in Sion Mills, County Tyrone, were closed due to severe flooding and several residents had to leave their homes. Part of the main A5 road was closed by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service following heavy rain. In Eire, Co Cavan, heavy rain led to flooding in parts of Cavan town; the N3 bypass was closed for a time between the Cootehill Road and the Dublin Road roundabout due to flooding. (Weybourne 27.7C, Lerwick 11.1C maximum, Braemar 0.7C minimum, Derrylin Cornahoule 39.8 mm, Tibenham Airfield 7.3 h.)
Overnight rain across Wales, N Ireland, Scotland and N England into the 23rd soon cleared away towards the NE, with another area reaching SW Ireland by dawn, this latter rain area then moving to affect all or Ireland, Wales, England and S Scotland by mid-evening. Much of Scotland and E and Cent England had some sunny periods ahead of the second rain area and it was a mild day in E England and parts of N Scotland. (Lossiemouth 21.5C, Lerwick 12.2C maximum, Exeter Airport 7.4C minimum, Capel Curig 22.8 mm, Waddington 6.5 h.)
Low pressure moved E'wards on the 24th into W Ireland (centre 992 mb in W Ireland at 1800 GMT), pushing rain-bearing fronts ahead of it across all areas. There were falls of over 40 mm in places in parts of England with some of the showers being thundery with one giving 22 mm of rain in an hour at St James's Park. This followed a mild night across S England and S Wales where minimum temperatures remained above 15C overnight. The heavy rain caused travel disruption in Liverpool as vehicles became trapped in floodwater in Queens Drive and West Derby. A major road was submerged in water as heavy rain brought flash flooding to a Northamptonshire town; video footage showed cars driving through deep water on London Road in Wellingborough at lunchtime. The day was rather cloudy everywhere, but there were some sunny spells for a time across Ireland, Wales, N Scotland and S England. It was again mild in parts of N Scotland and N Ireland. (Kinlochewe 22.3C, Lerwick 11.8C maximum, Aboyne 5.4C minimum, Boscombe Down 55.8 mm, Guernsey Airport 5.1 h.)
The 25th was a cloudy and unsettled day in all areas, with some heavy rain at times in many areas. After a mild night in most places due to low cloud, temperatures then rose only slightly during the day. There were widespread mist and fog patches across Ireland at first. (Heathrow 22.2C, Lerwick 12.3C maximum, Katesbridge 5.5C minimum, Okehampton 33.4 mm, Stornoway 4.8 h.)
Low pressure to the W of Scotland gave another unsettled day on the 26th. Bands of rain crossed from the W overnight and at first, with rather more showery weather and some sunshine following for most places during the day - though there were still some longer spells of rain in the west and north. It was a blustery day but generally mild, following overnight minimum temperatures above 15C in parts of S England. (Santon Downham 21.5C, Lerwick 12.2C maximum, Altnahinch Filters 9.8C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 37.0 mm, Shobdon 7.0 h.)
A complex low pressure centre, close to or over Scotland on the 27th, drove frequent showers across the British Isles. These were prolonged and heavy in places, with thundery outbreaks affecting East Anglia in the afternoon. Winds were gusty and strong in some of the showers. After a mild night in S England, temperatures were close to average during the day in most areas. Most places, away from SE Scotland and neighbouring counties in NE England, had sunny intervals. (Santon Downham 19.1C, Salsburgh 12.2C maximum, Altnaharra 2.9C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 51.2 mm, Shoeburyness and Jersey Airport 5.1 h.)
On the 28th persistent heavy rain (due to nearby centres of low pressure) led to localised flooding and difficult driving conditions in NE Scotland. Images posted on social media showed many flooded roads and water surging through the coastal village of Crovie. A bridge collapsed on an unclassified road between King Edward and Balchers. Another rain area moved across Northern Ireland and N England overnight, gradually narrowing as it drifted S'wards to give a wet day over Nh Wales and southern counties of N England. There were showery outbreaks further south overnight, but these faded during the day - before more rain moved NE'wards across Ireland, England and Wales during the afternoon and evening. A mudslide covered a railway track between Lancashire and Yorkshire after heavy rain; it was found at about 0645 GMT when a Lancaster to Leeds service encountered problems on the line near Bentham. It was warm in the extreme E of SE England and East Anglia these areas and S Scotland having the best of the sunshine. (Manston 20.9C, Craibstone 12.2C maximum, Strathallan 3.3C minimum, Scolton Country Park 34.0 mm, Charterhall 8.9 h.)
On the 29th the northern half of Scotland was showery. Central and southern districts had a wet night and morning, but it gradually turned more showery with a little sunshine in places. It was mostly rather cool and quite windy, but much of Cent and E England was fairly warm before the wind turned to the NW as a depression, (centre 989-990 mb) that have travelled from SW Ireland to Humberside, moved away E'wards. Scotland and E England had a rather dull day. Heavy rain caused cliff falls in East Sussex; coastguards warned people to keep clear of the crumbling cliffs at Birling Gap after the chalk gave way. In St Leonards, several beach huts standing on shingle by the sea wall were picked up by large storm waves and washed down the beach. Roads were flooded in Yorkshire by heavy rainfall and a number of events were cancelled because of the wet weather - including the Regatta London race on the River Thames. Organisers of the Cycling Road World Championship changed the course in Yorkshire amid safety concerns. Horsey Island on Braunton Burrows (Devon) broke its banks after the area reportedly recorded the highest tidal levels in its history. The previous record was set in September 2006 at 5.48m, with yesterday's tide coming in at 6.36 metres. As a result of the breach at Horsey Island, hundreds of small fish were left stranded on the neighbouring road with many believed to have died as a result. (Weybourne 20.8C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 11.0C maximum, Tyndrum 4.1C minimum, Stonyhurst 51.8 mm, Aberdaron 4.2 h.)
The 30th was another fairly cloudy day. Northern regions had some showers, whilst rain moved NE'wards across most of England, Wales and Ireland during the afternoon and evening, reaching S Scotland during the evening as further showery weather moved E'wards further S. Heavy rain caused damage to parts of Aberdeenshire; seven bridges were swept away or badly damaged and the surfaces of roads were also washed away. The combination of very high tides and heavy rain brought flooding to Bristol - with the River Avon bursting its banks in the evening, and tributaries also flooding roads and homes. The River Avon flooded land all along the Avon Gorge and into the city centre. (Thorney Island 19.0C, Lerwick 8.9C maximum, Katesbridge 2.7C minimum, Capel Curig 34.6 mm, Lerwick 6.5 h.)
The 1st saw a depression (centre 993 mb near Cork at 0600 GMT) move E'wards over S areas. The day dawned after a wet night in many areas of England, Wales and S Ireland; while parts of Scotland had a ground frost, minimum temperatures in parts of S England and S Wales remained above 15C. Scotland had a cool, but fairly bright, day with some showers, and these conditions edged S'wards during the day as the rain cleared away from Northern Ireland and S Scotland towards the SE. Some heavy showers developed during the day and they merged into longer spells of rain over the Midlands and East Anglia. Thunder occurred during the afternoon, mostly in a rather narrow zone from the West Country across the south Midlands and London to Essex. The S half of England and Wales was quite warm, and it was a sunny day across much of Scotland. The heavy rains brought floods, closing roads and railways, and leading to some places being evacuated. On the Isle of Man, a major incident was declared as floodwaters trapped people in their homes. In Cornwall, floods caused by a coastal surge meant people were told to leave caravans and seaside properties in the morning and not to return until it is safe to do so. Worcestershire was one place that experienced torrential rainfall, with the fire and rescue service issuing a warning to drivers after a car was submerged in floods. In the north of England, heavy rain overnight meant several roads were flooded in Cumbria and a landslide on the rail line between Carlisle and Newcastle disrupted train services. Flooding on the Cumbria Coast line between Carlisle and Maryport saw cancellations on Northern services from Carlisle to Barrow and onwards. On the Isle of Man, the village of Laxey was cut off after its second major flood in four years. The river that gave the village its name burst its banks, leaving people trapped in their homes. The fire service helped to evacuate several houses, while a coastguard helicopter was flown in on standby. Flooding also appeared to trap cars in the East Midlands, with two vehicles caught up in high waters at Colston Bassett, Nottinghamshire. (Trawsgoed 21.3C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 8.7C maximum, Kinbrace -1.8C minimum, Carlisle 41.2 mm, Glasgow 8.7 h.)
A cool, N'ly flow on the 2nd led to a ground frost as far S as parts of Cent S England with any places in Scotland having a slight air frost. There were some showers in N Scotland; elsewhere there were varying amounts of sunshine during the day except in W Ireland where it was dull. Except for some places in S England it was a cool day. (Plymouth 16.7C, Fylingdales 9.6C maximum, Tyndrum -2.7C minimum, Baltasound 8.2 mm, East Malling 11.4 h (suspiciously high).)
A deep area of low pressure (storm Lorenzo) to the W of Ireland on the 3rd brought areas of rain from the W across most places by sunset. Ahead of this frontal rain there was little sunshine except in N Scotland, although ground frost was widespread before dawn. It was a cold day in most areas, although it warmed up from the SW across Ireland and parts of Wales and S England in the evening. (Plymouth 16.3C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 8.9C maximum, Dalwhinnie -2.9C minimum, Scolton Country Park 14.6 mm, Stornoway 5.2 h.)
Storm Lorenzo moved from W Ireland to SE Wales on the 4th. As it did so, frontal rain to the N over England and Wales gradually retreated to the S and SW, with brighter skies extending from Scotland and N Ireland. There were a few showers in the north. After a mild night (minimum temperatures above 13C in places) over S Ireland, S Wales and S England, temperatures were near or rather below normal. By dawn, authorities in County Donegal were dealing with flooding after rainfall totals in the preceding 48 hours of 50-100 mm in places. Almost 40 homes in the county were flooded in the early hours. At the height of the storm, almost 20,000 homes across the Republic of Ireland were without power. (Hurn 18.2C, Braemar 9.8C maximum, Salsburgh 5.9C minimum, Thomastown 25.0 mm, Kirkwall 7.6 h.)
The 5th was a rather cloudy day with areas of rain that pushed E'wards across Ireland and W Scotland towards E Scotland and the Midlands by early evening. The rain was heavy and prolonged in Wales and Ireland, although it cleared from much of Ireland by the evening. There was frost in parts of N and Cent Scotland before dawn. (Bude 17.7C, Dalwhinnie 9.8C maximum, Altnaharra -2.7C minimum, Murlough 24.8 mm, Lerwick 5.5 h.)
Fronts and an associated slow-moving wave depression crossed all areas on the 6th giving widespread rain to all areas that was heavy and prolonged in places. During the evening there was further widespread rain in W and S Ireland. The frontal cloud led to a mild night and dawn but a cloudy day in E England and S Scotland. Much brighter weather followed the rain in W areas; but there were some showers, with thunder briefly in mid-afternoon over SW London and parts of Surrey. (Pershore 18.5C, Salsburgh 9.5C maximum, Braemar 7.2C minimum, Tibenham Airfield 47.2 mm, St Athan 9.5 h.)
A deep area of low pressure to the W of Scotland on the 7th led to a generally cloudy day in all areas, with frontal bands of rain crossing towards the E. Rainfall amounts tended to be greatest in the W with Sherkin Island reporting 36 mm in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT. Brighter and clearer, though rather showery, weather, with thunder in the northwest, spread slowly SE'wards behind the fronts. Parts of Scotland and Ireland saw some sunshine as the rain passed and some places to the north of high ground were moderately warm. (North Wyke 17.5C, Fylingdales 10.7C maximum, Marham 4.9C minimum, Culdrose 27.2mm, Magilligan 6.4h.)
Low pressure close to W Scotland led to a windy day on the 8th, especially in the N. After a mild night, there were sunny spells and showers in most areas. Parts of Cent and S England had misty conditions around dawn. Some of the showers were heavy, and there was local thunder in the NW of the UK overnight, and over Leicestershire, Norfolk and SW Essex in the late afternoon. There were longer spells of heavy rain over W Scotland later in the day. (Kew Gardens 18.0C, Dalwhinnie 9.4C maximum, Fyvie Castle 4.6C minimum, Achnagart 51.2 mm, Sheffield 8.1 h.)
Low pressure persisted close to N Scotland on the 9th giving another breezy day. Showers spread E'wards across all areas interspersed with sunny intervals, except across N Scotland where the day was mainly dull. There were some heavy and thundery showers during the day, mostly across S areas of England. (Hurn 16.8C, Dalwhinnie 9.2C maximum, Altnahinch Filters 6.2C minimum, Achnagart 39.6 mm, Leconfield 6.3 h.)
E England remained mainly dry on the 10th. Elsewhere spells of rain and showers moved E'wards in rather windy conditions as low pressure remained close to both Shetland and W Ireland. E England had a day with sunny spells with temperatures close to normal; elsewhere it was rather cool with sunny intervals, except from S Scotland to SW England where it was rather dull. (Hurn 17.7C, Dalwhinnie 9.6C maximum, South Newington 4.2C minimum, Tyndrum 34.6 mm, Manston 8.1 h.)
Low pressure slowly moving E'wards over (or close to) N Scotland on the 11th led to a blustery day with spells of rain moving S'wards for much of the day. Ireland, Scotland and N areas of England and Wales had sunny periods; elsewhere it was rather cloudy. It was quite sunny over much of E Scotland, but there were a lot of showers over W and N Scotland. After a mild night across England (with minimum temperatures above 15C in parts of the Sussex and Hampshire, it was a mild day in S England. (Jersey Airport 18.0C, Dalwhinnie 9.8C maximum, Baltasound 4.8C minimum, Achnagart 51.4 mm, Charterhall 8.2 h.)
Slow-moving fronts in SE areas of England on the 12th gave a dull and wet day here with prolonged spells of rain. It was brighter further N and W, with showers and sunny periods. N Scotland was rather dull. The wetter areas in the S were cool, but it was milder in the sunny areas. (Myerscough 16.3C, Dalwhinnie 9.9C maximum, Katesbridge 1.3C minimum, Swanage 21.4 mm, Dyce 9.5 h.)
Low pressure and fronts over S England moved slowly N'wards on the 13th, pushing rain as N as Cent Scotland by early evening. N Scotland was mainly dry and sunny, and it turned sunny over S and Cent areas of England, Wales and Ireland once the rain cleared from here. It was cool in the dull, wet areas, but warm when in the sunny areas after some early air frost in N Scotland. (Manston 18.4C, Dalwhinnie 9.1C maximum, Aboyne -2.9C minimum, Aberdaron 37.4 mm, Lerwick 7.1 h.)
Outbreaks of rain moved N'wards across much of the British Isles on the 14th, although N and E Scotland were mainly dry and sunny during the day. In parts of S Ireland over 25 mm fell in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. Most areas of the British Isles had a cool day with an early air frost in a few sheltered areas of E Scotland. (Manston 17.3C, Cassley 9.6C maximum, Kinbrace -0.9C minimum, Little Rissington 20.4 mm, Dyce 7.4 h.)
Low pressure and frontal systems persisted over the British Isles on the 15th, leading to another rather cloudy day. There was overnight rain, mostly across England, Wales and Ireland; during the day there were a few showers (mainly in Wales and Ireland), and these were heavy over parts of W and S Wales. Further rain moved into S Ireland and SW England during the evening. Clearer skies meant that parts of Scotland were quite sunny during the day after early frost in places. (St James Park 17.7C, Leek 10.4C maximum, Aviemore -1.3C minimum, Scarborough 13.0 mm, Loch Glascarnoch 7.3 h.)
Frontal rain crossed all areas on the 16th and became slow-moving in E areas of the UK during the day. It turned brighter with a few showers following the clearance of the rain and temperatures were close to normal in the W'ly surface flow. (Shoeburyness 18.0C, Dalwhinnie 10.9C maximum, Aviemore 1.1C minimum, Machrihanish 27.8 mm, Aldergrove 9.2 h.)
Low pressure centred to the W of Ireland on the 17th pushed showers widely across the British Isles during the day. There was an air frost in many inland areas of N and Cent Scotland, and it was a cool day in most areas. In between the showers there were sunny periods, particularly over NE England, N and W Scotland. (Cardiff Bute Park 16.5C, Lentran 9.0C maximum, Kinbrace -4.4C minimum, Valley 20.8 mm, Morpeth Cockle Park 8.9 h.)
The area of low pressure pushed across Ireland and into NW England on the 18th (centred at 991 mb over SE Ireland at 1200 GMT). Areas of rain and showers pushed across most areas, with some thunder in S Britain. There were some large falls in areas of Wales and E Scotland. It was a cool day in most places with the best of any sunshine being in E England, Shetland and S Ireland. (Herstmonceux 16.0C, Balmoral 8.7C maximum, Katesbridge 0.5C minimum, Dundrennan 44.0 mm, Cork Airport 6.4 h.)
The low centre gradually moved away E'wards into the North Sea, introducing a N'ly flow in W areas of the British Isles on the 19th. An area of rain, heavy in places but slowly weakening, edged SE'wards from Scotland into N England and Wales. Behind it, it was rather showery, especially over N and E Scotland. Much of England and Wales was quite sunny, although there were some showers. Temperatures were well up to normal in the south, but central and northern districts were chilly. (Plymouth 16.6C, Braemar 8.1C maximum, Kielder Castle -0.8C minimum Edinburgh Botanic Gardens 31.0 mm, Almondsbury 8.0 h.)
Pressure built from the W during the day (1024 mb at Belmullet by 1800 GMT) but a N'ly flow made for a cool day on the 20th. There were (mainly light) showers in most areas and it was a rather cloudy day away from Ireland and areas from SW Scotland to SW England. (Jersey Airport 14.7 C, Dalwhinnie 7.4C maximum, Sennybridge -0.1C minimum, Fylingdales 11.8 mm, St Athan 7.4 h.)
There was a sharp frost in parts of Scotland into the 21st, and it was quite sunny during the day over much of Ireland, E and S Scotland, N England and W Wales. Elsewhere it was rather cloudy with some areas of rain, mainly in E areas of England. It was a cool day in many areas. (Chivenor 15.2C, Braemar 7.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -5.5C minimum, Manston 17.0 mm, Katesbridge 8.2 h.)
Many inland areas of England, Wales and S Ireland had a ground frost on the 22nd, with much of England (away from the N and SW) having early mist and fog. There were some showers over the Channel Islands at first, and rain overnight and during the day in N Scotland. S and Cent England and S Wales had sunny spells during the day; elsewhere the day was rather dull. (Wiggonholt 17.1C, Altnahinch Filters 8.7C maximum, Topcliffe -1.0C minimum, Lerwick 21.8 mm, Herstmonceux 8.0 h.)
There was ground frost and patchy mist and fog across the S half of England and Wales on the 23rd before cloud and rain spread NW'wards here later in the day. E'ward-moving rain was widespread during the day across Scotland and Ireland. In between these two areas of rain there was some sunshine, with temperatures close to normal in most places. Parts of W Ireland and W Scotland saw rainfall totals of 25 mm or more during the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. (Chivenor 16.0C, Pennerley 10.0C maximum, Shobdon -0.5C minimum, South Uist 32.6 mm, Camborne 8.2 h.)
Pressure remained low close to NW Scotland on the 24th with widespread fronts elsewhere. There was fog and low cloud over many parts of Cent and E England during the morning. Various areas of rain affected the country overnight and during the day; the heaviest and lengthiest moved N'wards over much of SE England, East Anglia and Lincolnshire during the late morning and afternoon; it remained rather dull here throughout the day. It became drier and brighter from the N and W during the day as pressure rose here. (Cardiff Bute Park 16.4C, Harris Quidnish 8.7C maximum, Shawbury 3.6C minimum, Achnagart 23.8 mm, Dyce 6.4 h.)
Rain moved NE'wards on the 25th across most of Ireland, Wales and England, also falling in S Scotland for a time. There was only a little rain, and a few brighter intervals, in southeast England. Cent and N Scotland were bright with some showers elsewhere the day was dull. After local frost, Cent and N regions were cold, locally very cold, especially in the wetter areas; N Scotland was windy, with gusts of up to 65 mph on Shetland, due to a low pressure centre to the N of Scotland. Southern districts became mild and windy. (Guernsey Airport 17.5C, Lough Fea 4.9C maximum, Katesbridge -3.6C minimum, Libanus 52.4 mm, Kinloss 8.2 h.)
The 26th was mild in SE England, albeit windy, and mostly dry with a few bright intervals for some time, whilst the rain continued for many hours further to the west and north; the rain area moved slowly SE'wards during the afternoon, to clear SE England in the evening. It was cold to the N of this advancing cold front, and temperatures fell 7-10 degC in two hours in places as it passed. Area in the cold air over Scotland and Ireland were sunny and showery, with maximum temperatures generally below 10C compared to maxima of 17-18C in parts of SE England. Two-day rainfall totals by the end of the day amounted to 80-120 mm in parts of E Wales and the West Midlands. Flooding affected roads and events across the East Midlands as heavy rains hit the region. Events including the Matlock Bath Illuminations and a Nottingham Forest football match had to be called off and some rivers burst their banks. Several roads, including the A617 near Chesterfield, the same road near Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, the A52 in Ashbourne, Derbyshire and Slash Lane, Mountsorrel Lane and Barrow Road in Sileby, Leicestershire, are all flooded. Trains between Derby and Crewe were suspended because of flooding on the track and the rain also caused problems in the West Midlands and Wales. A mother and child had to be rescued from a trapped car by firefighters, after it became stuck in flood water at Garthmyl near Montgomery in Powys. There were more than 120 flood warnings in place in Wales and across England. In Nottinghamshire, three people were rescued by the fire and rescue service from a flooded car at Rufford Ford. Residents in 25 homes were evacuated from Skenfrith, Monmouthshire, as well as from Monmouth Caravan Park, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said. Rail services, including the Cambrian and Heart of Wales lines, were among those hit; Transport for Wales advised rail travellers to check journeys before travelling. Flooding led to numerous line closures, including between Shrewsbury and Welshpool, Crewe and Hereford. Bus replacement services were being organised but flooding on roads meant this was not possible between Shrewsbury and Newport either. Services were also hit between Chester and both Liverpool and Manchester. (Frittenden 19.2C, Fylingdales 4.6C maximum, Balmoral -2.6C minimum, Libanus 70.0 mm, Kinloss 7.9 h.)
On the 27th most places were sunny and rather cold, after a widespread ground frost over Ireland, England and Wales. There was widespread sunshine, but with widespread showers over Scotland and N areas of England and Ireland, and to a lesser extent in SE England. People were rescued from their homes by boat after parts of the Midlands were flooded. In Hereford at least 20 homes were flooded and residents at a care home had to be rescued. The Environment Agency said in one part of the city - Greyfriars - "the only way in or out" was by boat. Dozens of roads in Shropshire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire continued to be shut because of flooding. In Stafford parts of the town centre were shut off because of flooding. The River Wye in Hereford reached its highest level for 20 years. Rail services have also been affected across the region and part of a track at Pontrilas, Herefordshire, was washed away by flash floods. (Milford Haven 13.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.4C maximum, Katesbridge -1.7C minimum, Cassley 37.0 mm, Leconfield, Shawbury and Waddington 8.9 h.)
On the 28th there was a widespread but slight frost in many places at first (in many places the first air frost of the autumn), with fog patches over Cent areas of England and Ireland. This was the result of high pressure vert e British Isles. Many Cent and N districts were quite sunny, but there were some showers near N and E coasts. Fronts to the S of the UK led to cloudy skies in S England and rain over the Channel Islands, Devon and Cornwall. It was mostly rather cold. (Langdon Bay 14.2C, Pennerley 6.0C maximum, Katesbridge -4.4C minimum, Fyvie Castle 9.4 mm, Morecambe 9.2 h.)
The weather on the 29th was dominated by high pressure, although fronts to the S of the UK led to cloudy skies across S England, Wales and Ireland with some rain in the extreme SW. After an early air frost across Scotland and N areas of England, Wales and Ireland it was a mainly sunny day here. Many places were rather cold. (Santon Downham 13.4C, Lentran 5.8C maximum, Kinbrace -5.0C minimum, Isles of Scilly 20.2 mm, Valley 9.0 h.)
High pressure led to an air frost in parts of Scotland and N England in to the 30th, with some overnight showers in E Scotland and E England and rain in S England. The rain continued in the S during the day, moving NE'wards and also N'wards in Ireland. Away from the rain area there were sunny spells, except ion Shetland. It was generally a cold day and 25 mm or more of rain was reported across the Channel Islands. (Kew Gardens 13.2C, Aviemore 4.5C maximum, Resallach -5.6C minimum, Culdrose 19.4 mm, Prestwick 8.4 h.)
The influence of the anticyclone faded on the 31st but not before there had been further air frost in parts of Scotland and N England. The rain in the SW and W of the British Isles eased overnight, and much of E England and Scotland had a bright day. Cloud thickened elsewhere and further rain spread into the SW, and outbreaks of rain developed over Ireland and (later) W Scotland later. It was mostly rather cold, except in parts of the southwest; one or two of the Scottish valleys were cold and foggy all day. (Camborne 15.3C, Lentran 2.7C maximum, Altnaharra -6.2C minimum, St Athan 18.0 mm, Eskdalemuir 7.7 h.)
On the 1st low pressure to the W of Ireland pushed frontal bands of rain NE'wards across the British Isles. There as a slight air frost in parts of N Scotland ahead of the rain and the day was dull everywhere except in areas of W Scotland. (North Wyke 16.9C, Kielder Castle 7.9C maximum, Altnaharra -2.7C minimum, Killowen 33.6 mm, Stornoway 3.2 h.)
A depression moved from SW Ireland to S Wales (968 mb at 0600 GMT) and E England on the 2nd. Rain fell at times in most areas; it was a dull day in many areas but there was some sunshine in places from S Scotland to the Midlands. It was very windy in parts of N Scotland and S Britain. It was windy in places with gusts of 83 mph at Plymouth and 82 mph at Culdrose. A woman was killed near Verwood (Dorset) by a falling tree which came down on her car amid high winds. All passenger services into and out of Dover were suspended for several hours because of high winds. Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries also cancelled some of their sailings from Portsmouth and Poole while Hovertravel services between Southsea and Ryde were stopped and Wightlink and Red Funnel ferry routes also faced disruption. Cars were damaged in Blandford Forum in Dorset after scaffolding collapsed in strong winds. Castle Road, Bodmin, was cordoned off after banks at the side of the road collapsed earlier. Several roads across Wales have been closed after heavy rain and strong winds affected the area. (Dunstaffnage 16.4C, Leek 7.6C maximum, Lake Vyrnwy 5.3C minimum, Aberdaron 44.0 mm, Dundrennan 4.9 h.)
Overnight into the 3rd there was widespread mist ad patchy fog which was slow to clear in places. Low pressure over the British Isles (centred over Scotland for much of the day) led to spells of rain in many areas but there were sunny periods in many parts of E Ireland Wales, Cent and S England. (Swanage 14.8C, Dalwhinnie 7.5C maximum, Kielder Castle 0.6C minimum, Craibstone 23.6 mm, St Athan 6.4 h.)
The 4th was an unsettled day with a depression centre slowly moving from W Ireland to SW England. Many areas of England, Wales and Ireland had early mist and fog. It was then a rather cloudy day everywhere with spells of rain but some sunny intervals although much of Scotland, N England and S Wales remained rather dull. It was a cool day. (Cardiff Bute Park, Northolt and Yeovilton 13.6C, Dalwhinnie 7.0C maximum, Shobdon 2.2C minimum, Balmoral 32.0 mm, Valley 4.4 h.)
A low pressure area moved SE'wards away from SW England during the 5th, introducing a N'ly flow across most areas. There were patches of mist and fog across parts of Cent and S England and Wales around dawn, and a rather cold and cloudy day followed in most areas. There were areas of rain and showers during the night and day in many places; falls were mainly slight and there were some sunny intervals in parts of SE England, S Scotland and N Ireland in particular. (Cardiff Bute Park 14.4C, Braemar 5.7C maximum, Kinbrace -0.4C minimum, Albemarle 21.6 mm, Loch Glascarnoch 5.6 h.)
There was a widespread ground frost in inland areas into the 6th, with some overnight showers particularly across Ireland and in some W coastal areas. After some early mist across England, the day was mainly cool with showers moving E'wards over many areas. In N Scotland these showers fell as snow over higher ground. Away from Shetland, and some E areas of England, it was a mainly cloudy day. (Plymouth 12.7C, Altnaharra 2.4C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -4.6C minimum, Culdrose 21.4 mm, Lerwick 6.0 h.)
Overnight into the 7th further rain, heavy in places, moved NE'wards across many areas. Much of S Britain then became dry and quite sunny, though there were showers in parts of the S. Much of Scotland also gradually became drier, leaving a band of persistent, and occasionally heavy, rain that settled over N Wales and southern areas of N England, accompanied by quite strong easterly winds and well-below normal temperatures. It was mostly cold in the north and rather cold in the south. The persistent ran led to flooding that brought road and rail disruption across N England. Rail commuters on the Northern network faced disruption across Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, South and West Yorkshire. As a precaution, temporary barriers have been installed in Mytholmroyd in the Calder Valley, which was badly hit by flooding on Boxing Day in 2015, the Environment Agency said. Roads around Barnsley were affected by floodwaters. Heavy rainfall has closed several roads in Leicestershire while homes at Whiston near Rotherham were flooded. The A1 northbound was closed in places and Kiveton Park railway station in Rotherham was closed to all services because of flooding. Flood defences were put in place at Mytholmroyd. There was rail disruption between Chester and Crewe due to flooding on the tracks with some services running through those stations being cancelled. Police and fire service crews were called to the former Berry Hill Quarry, Mansfield, just before 17:00 GMT after reports part of a cliff was giving way. (Gosport Fleetlands 12.2C, Braemar 4.1C maximum, Magilligan -1.0C minimum, Sheffield 72.8 mm, Ross-On-Wye 7.1 h.)
East Anglia and Cent S and SE England had some mist and fog patches around dawn on the 8th; many areas had a widespread ground frost and there was air frost in much of East Anglia, Cent S and SE England and in Cent Scotland. The overnight rain in N England and N Wales moved slowly SE'wards during the day. Showers, wintry over the hills, affected N and E Scotland and, despite widespread sunshine following any rain, it was cold nearly everywhere. There was continuous serious flooding over S areas of N England and in parts of the North Midlands. A woman swept to her death by a flooded river was Derbyshire's former High Sheriff Annie Hall; her body was pulled from the River Derwent near Matlock as persistent rain caused floods across Yorkshire and the Midlands. Rail services are cancelled on the Matlock-Derby-Nottingham route and diversions are in place between Derby and Chesterfield, adding about 30 minutes to journeys. South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said it had declared a major incident on Friday night, and said it had carried out more than 160 rescues over 24 hours. In Derby city centre, officials considered a city-wide evacuation as authorities saw the River Derwent swell to record levels of 3.35 m. The River Don, which flows through Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster, hit its highest recorded level at just over 6.3 m, higher than it was in 2007 when it also flooded. (Isles of Scilly 11.9C, Aviemore 1.8C maximum, Kinbrace -4.5C minimum, Gringley on The Hill 15.2 mm, Valley 8.1 h.)
A shallow area of low pressure crossed Northern Ireland into NW Wales on the 9th (centre 998 mb over the Irish Sea at 1200 GMT). This gave widespread rain across Ireland before dawn; ahead of the low there was widespread mist and fog in the SE quarter of England by dawn and a widespread air first over the UK. The rain spread across Ireland, Wales and Cent and S England by the evening, with some heavy falls, with milder air following the rain across S Ireland, S Wales and SW England. Further N any places were very cold; snow fell over the Welsh hills, but there were sunny spells in E areas of the UK ahead of the rain, and in W Ireland once the rain had cleared. Snowfall caused travel disruption across parts of north and mid-Wales. In Powys, the A458 was closed, with heavy traffic between the A490 in Welshpool and B4395 in Llangadfan. The A542 Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen was also shut. Snowdonia, Wrexham, and Mold were among areas affected by the snow. An 89-year-old woman had to be rescued from her house in County Down after flooding hit parts of Northern Ireland. All of the 700 or so residents in the small village of Fishlake in South Yorkshire were told to evacuate their homes at around 0100 GMT. (Bude 10.9C, Lake Vyrnwy 1.1C maximum, Braemar -7.0C minimum, Murlough 40.0 mm, Manston 7.0 h.)
There was a widespread ground frost across Ireland, Scotland, N Wales and N England into the 10th along with a widespread air frost in Scotland and N Ireland. There was also mist and fog around dawn across Ireland. The weakening rain area returned SW'wards across England and Wales overnight. Many places then had quite a sunny day although there were a few coastal showers in the N and E. Further rain, with snow on northern hills, moved in the W areas of the UK and across Ireland during the late afternoon and night, with some snow falling on high ground in E Ireland, Wales and Scotland. (Cavendish 12.0C, Balmoral 1.2C maximum, Altnaharra -7.5C minimum, Derrylin Cornahoule 11.6 mm, Shoeburyness 7.7 h.)
Rain moved E'wards overnight into the 11th, and a cold and blustery day (with some snow over High ground) followed as a low centre crossed E'wards over Scotland. S areas of Ireland, Wales and England were largely dry and bright. (Swanage 11.2C, Balmoral 2.4C maximum, Aviemore -0.7C minimum, Threave 33.6 mm, St Athan 6.0 h.)Low pressure moving away from E Scotland introduced a cloudy, cold N'ly flow to all areas on the 12th. Cent and S Ireland remained largely dry, but most other areas had showery outbreaks with some snow over high ground in Scotland. Train services between the Highlands and Glasgow and Edinburgh were disrupted by flooding that affected the railway between Inverness and Carrbridge. (Swanage 10.9C, Dalwhinnie 4.5C maximum, Braemar -2.8C minimum, Capel Curig 31.0 mm, East Malling 5.2 h.)
On the 13th there was widespread frost over Scotland and N England with a widespread ground frost in many other areas. Most places had a dry day with some sunshine (especially in the E and across N Scotland), but there were showers in various coastal districts, and rain moved NE'wards across Ireland and then into Wales and S England during the afternoon and evening. The rain turned to snow in places notably in parts of Ireland coastal showers turned to snow as they moved over higher ground in Scotland. It was mostly rather cold in the south, and cold or very cold in central and northern regions - with isolated persistent freezing fog patches in Scotland. A multi-vehicle accident and snow forced the closure of a 12 mile long stretch of the A470 between Merthyr Tydfil and Libanus in Powys. (Hurn 10.8C, Dalwhinnie -1.6C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -6.7C minimum, Whitechurch 20.2 mm, Kinloss 6.3 h.)
Low pressure over S England overnight into the 14th led to a wet night here, with the rain then pushing N'wards across much of England and Wales during the day. There was fog in parts of S England by dawn across much of Scotland there was an air frost, sharp in places. During the day snow fell in places, leading to a covering for a time in parts of Wales and the West Country. It was sunny during the day across Scotland, and in N and Cent Ireland. It was generally a cold day. Flooding again hit the East Midlands, causing disruption to roads and rail services. A number of routes across the region were been closed and in Nottingham city centre there were delays on the buses and trams. Several Nottinghamshire villages, including Woodborough, Lambley and Burton Joyce, were badly hit, with many roads impassable. Ilkeston in Derbyshire, and Stoney Stanton and Long Whatton in Leicestershire, were also affected. A number of other East Midlands train services were also disrupted, including the Sheffield to London St Pancras and Matlock to Newark Castle lines. Flooding has caused travel disruption, after heavy snow in south and mid-Wales led to some roads becoming impassable.Transport for Wales said flooding on the railway between Gloucester and Lydney was causing disruption to trains between Gloucester and Cardiff Central. (Kew Gardens 10.5C, Liscombe 2.0C maximum, Dalwhinnie -8.1C minimum, Ross-On-Wye 42.8 mm, Glasgow 7.2 h.)
The 15th was mostly cloudy and quite cold and blustery. There were showers in N and E areas of the British Isles, and in SW England. More general rain, heavy affected the SE corner of England. It was a mainly sunny day across Ireland and in much of N and W Scotland. (Walney Island 10.2C, Kinbrace 3.4C maximum, Strathallan -3.0C minimum, Capel Curig 21.6 mm, Cork Airport 8.1 h.)
Low pressure to the S of the British Isles drew a showery NE'ly flow across most areas on the 16th. Parts of Scotland and Ireland had an early air frost while most areas of England and Wales had some overnight rain. During the day it was mostly cloudy and cold, with showery outbreaks over S Scotland, N England, Wales and SW England. (Bude 10.7C, Dalwhinnie 1.5C maximum, Altnaharra -5.4C minimum, Chillingham Barns 15.0 mm, Jersey Airport 4.8 h.)
Pressure rose from the W on the 17th - rising to about 1022 mb in W Ireland by early evening. Away from Scotland there was widespread mist and fog patches by dawn, while parts of Scotland and Ireland had an early air frost. During the day it was quite cold and fairly cloudy with light rain in places the rain was long-lasting over NW England and N Wales at first. There were some sunnier intervals, especially over S and W Scotland. (Scolton Country Park 11.0C, Braemar 3.5C maximum, Braemar -4.7C minimum, Rhyl 23.4 mm, Prestwick 6.1 h.)
On the 18th there was a widespread frost over Scotland and in N and Cent Ireland that was sharp in places. Light rain soon cleared from East Anglia and SE England and a mainly dry followed in all areas. Isolated freezing fog patches affected parts of Cumbria and Northern Ireland, whilst there were a few coastal showers in the east. Temperatures were close to normal during the day in S Ireland, S Wales and SW England but it was cool elsewhere. (Milford Haven 11.3C, Newton Rigg -0.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -8.6C minimum, Baltasound 5.4 mm, Morecambe 7.8 h.)
A flow from the N affected E areas of the UK at first on the 19th while a frontal system gradually brought rain and a S'ly flow from the W during the day. Away from Ireland, there was a widespread frost at first with a few freezing fog patches, chiefly over the Midlands. There was some sunshine in E England and N Scotland, but most places had a cloudy day until the rain cleared from the W which allowed some late sunshine over Ireland. It stayed frosty in parts of Scotland, but the more S'ly and W'ly regions of the British Isles became milder. (Armagh 11.4C, Balmoral -1.7C maximum, Braemar -9.9C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 11.4 mm, Weybourne 6.3 h.)
The was an air frost into the 20th in parts of N and E Scotland, with cloudy skies elsewhere. Frontal rain was slow-moving overnight in parts of Ireland and in some W areas of the UK and made little further progress E'wards during the day. Westernmost regions had further outbreaks of rain during the day and temperatures were not far from normal in many of th wet areas, with northern regions generally much milder than of late. It remained rather cool in E England, however. (Isles of Scilly 11.9C, Dalwhinnie 3.6C maximum, Redesdale Camp -4.1C minimum, Cardinham 27.4 mm, East Malling 4.8 h.)
The 21st was a cloudy day in most areas, although some E areas of Scotland and England had an early air frost. There was widespread mist or haze throughout the day over much of England, while an area of rain over Ireland and SW England overnight made only slight progress N into Wales during the day. Some showers fell in parts of N and E Scotland and the mild conditions were mainly confined to SW England and S Ireland. Parts of E England were, again, quite cool for the time of year. (Isles of Scilly 12.0C, Lake Vyrnwy 2.3C maximum, Ravensworth -2.8C minimum, Plymouth 22.0 mm, Dundrennan 3.8 h.)
Overnight into the 22nd rain and showers affected many S and Cent areas of Ireland, Wales and England with further falls here and in E and N Scotland during the day. It was cloudy and misty in many areas, but slightly warmer than in recent days over S parts of Ireland, Wales and England. The best of any sunshine tended to occur in W Scotland. Following several days of rain in SW England, flooding caused problems in parts of Dorset following further heavy rain. There was some isolated thunder in Cent S England in the morning. A woman had to be rescued when her car became stuck in a ford in Ansty near Dorchester. Great Western Railway trains were also suspended between Weymouth and Yeovil due to flooding on the railway. (Swanage 12.0C, Balmoral 5.3C maximum, Drumnadrochit -0.3C minimum, Dunkeswell 24.6 mm, Tiree 2.4 h.)
Low pressure to the S on the 23rd (centred at 1200 GMT at 989 mb just S off Devon) drew an E'ly flow across the British Isles. Frontal bands of rain moved NW'wards across most areas particularly over Wales and E Ireland. However, falls were slight in W Ireland; indeed, W Ireland was about the only area to see more than 1-2 h of sunshine anywhere. Cloudy skies mean a lack of air frost at low levels and daytime temperatures were close to normal everywhere. (Plymouth 12.8C, Dalwhinnie 6.5C maximum, Drumnadrochit 1.3C minimum, Exeter Airport 28.2 mm, Connaught Airport 2.3 h.)
The 24th was a widespread dull day across the British Isles, with no sunshine in most areas away from a few places close to London. Cloudy skies meant an absence of air frost with overnight rain in the UK that moved N'wards during the morning. Further rain edged into W Ireland and into SW England later during the day. Temperatures were close to normal everywhere, but the main feature was widespread mist and fog throughout the day, almost everywhere except in W Scotland. (Thorney Island 12.6C, Fylingdales 7.3C maximum, Santon Downham 1.1C minimum, Lerwick 20.2 mm, East Malling 0.9h.)
The 25th was another almost sunless day everywhere, except in NE Scotland. Low pressure centred to the W of Ireland pushed bands of frontal rain NE'wards across most places during the night and day although in many areas amounts were slight especially in much of N Scotland. It was a mild day everywhere with temperatures rising to 12C in parts of S England and Cent Ireland. (Hurn 13.8C, Lentran 6.1C maximum, Altnaharra 0.5C minimum, Aberdaron 19.6 mm, Kinloss 3.1 h.)
Away from parts of S Wales and SW England, the 26th was another dull day. In many areas the total sunshine over the past seven days now amounts to less than 30 minutes. Low pressure over SW Wales (970 mb centre at 1200 GMT) led to cloudy skies and areas of frontal rain that spiralled N'wards over the British Isles, around the low. It was a mild day everywhere, with daytime temperatures above 13C over much of Cent and S England and Wales. (Pershore College 14.6C, Lerwick 7.4C maximum, Aviemore 4.3C minimum, Craibstone 22.6 mm, Bude 3.0 h.)
Low pressure over S Ireland moved into SW England by midday on the 27th, and later across to the North Sea close to Lincolnshire. By dawn there was mist and fog across N England with overnight rain having fallen in many areas of the British Isles especially across England and Wales. During the day there was further rain across N Scotland, while the rain over England tended to move N'wards into N England by the evening. A few places in S England and around SW Scotland had some sunshine, but in most places it was another dull day. (St. James Park 12.7C, Drumalbin 6.5C maximum, Drumalbin 0.7C minimum, Charsfield 23.4 mm, Dundrennan 5.7 h.)
Low pressure over the North Sea led to widespread rain overnight across S Scotland into the 28th, N and E England before dawn, with other areas of rain across parts of N Scotland and SW England. During the day an area of frontal rain over N England slowly moved S'wards while some showers fell in other areas of Ireland, Wales and England. Much of Scotland was drier and it was generally a bright day in S Scotland. Temperatures were widely above 10C in S England during the afternoon, but it was a cooler day over N and Cent Scotland in the N'ly airflow. (Guernsey Airport and Swanage 12.4C, Balmoral 3.5C maximum, Kinbrace 1.1C minimum, Chillingham Barns 23.0 mm, Tiree 5.0 h.)
High pressure built from the NW during the 29th, with a weak centre at 1800 GMT of 1023 mb over Cent Scotland. Some outbreaks of rain across S areas of the British Isles slowly moved S'wards overnight and during the morning, with precipitation during the day mainly consisting of a few showers along the coasts in NE England, E Scotland and N Scotland. In N Scotland these fell as snow in places. Cornwall, the Channel Islands and the extreme S of Ireland had a mild night; N Ireland, S Scotland, NW England and parts of the Midlands had an air frost. SW Ireland, Cornwall and the Channel Island had daytime temperatures slight above normal elsewhere it was a cool day despite the long sunny spells in many areas from S Scotland S'wards. (Isles of Scilly 12.0C, Bala 0.7C maximum, Tyndrum -6.0C minimum, Fylingdales 7.6 mm, East Malling 7.5 h.)
A ridge of high pressure lying W-E across Cent areas of the British Isles on the 30th led to a foggy start to the day in places here, and also to a widespread air frost away from NE Scotland, S Wales, SW England and W areas of Ireland. Thse Cent areas were generally sunny during the day, except where the mist and fog was slow to clear. SW England, S Ireland and NE Scotland were cloudy with some rain caused by frontal cloud. Temperatures in SW England and S Ireland were slightly above normal during the day; elsewhere, away from S England and W Ireland, the day was quite cool in places. (Valentia 11.8C, Balmoral -3.3C maximum, Tyndrum -9.7C minimum, Isles of Scilly 11.6 mm, Morecambe 7.1 h.)
High pressure on the 1st gave a mainly dry day in many areas. Away from S and W Ireland and S England there was a widespread air frost with mist and thin fog in a few places across the British Isles from S Scotland S'wards. Away from N and W Scotland it was a sunny day in most places. There were some coastal showers, and an area of developing showers moved SW over SE England in the mid- to late afternoon. It was a generally cool day. (Isles of Scilly 9.2C, Warcop -1.7C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -10.3C minimum, Resallach 12.2 mm, Morecambe 6.9 h.)
High pressure remained centred to the SW of Ireland on the 2nd. There was a widespread inland air frost away from N and Cent Scotland where there were some spells of rain or showers overnight in places. Further rain spread across N and Cent areas with rain across Scotland. The rain signalled the arrival of milder air - it was cooler during the day in S areas; the sunniest areas were in E and S England and in S Ireland. (Kinlochewe 10.9C, Llysdinam 0.9C maximum, Shap -7.3C minimum, Resallach 27.6 mm, East Malling 7.2 h.)
Overnight into the 3rd there were a few showers in E Scotland and scattered pockets of air frost across S and Cent England and Wales ahead of developing cloud. A mainly dry day ensued across the British Isles with sunny spells (except in W and N Scotland). (Mumbles Head 11.1C, Altnahinch Filters 4.2C maximum, Hurn -2.2C minimum, Lerwick 3.8 mm, East Malling 7.6 h.)
Many parts of England and Wales had mist and fog patches by dawn on the 4th with a slight air frost in many places. Cloudy skies across Ireland and W Scotland spread E'wards as a cold front spread ran across Ireland and Scotland and parts of Wales and N England during the day. Much of E and S England had a sunny day with further mist and fog here in the evening; despite the sunshine it was a cool day here. (Milford Haven 11.9C, Shobdon 0.6C maximum, Benson -4.4C minimum, Achnagart 23.6 mm, Manston and Shoeburyness 7.1 h.)
The 5th was a cloudy day in all areas of the British Isles. There was an air frost overnight in S and Cent England, East Anglia and S Wales. Outbreaks of frontal rain spread slowly across all areas bringing milder, but also windy, conditions as pressure fell across N and W areas in particular. The rain was heavy across W Scotland. (Murlough 14.2C, Little Rissington 7.3C maximum, South Farnborough -5.7C minimum, Achnagart 64.0 mm, East Malling 2.0 h.)
Areas of frontal rain moved SE'wards across all areas on the 6th, followed by showery but brighter conditions from the W. After a mild night (except across the Northern Isles) many places had a cloudy day. The best of the sunshine was to be found across W Ireland with temperature across much of England and Wales reaching 12C and above. (Rhyl 13.9C, Lerwick 5.3C maximum, Lerwick 3.9C minimum, Sennybridge 28.8 mm, Cork Airport 3.2 h.)
The 7th was another mainly mild but dull day - although Shetland remained rather cool. A brisk SW/W'ly flow covered all areas, with frontal rain affecting Scotland and Ireland as the day developed. By late evening this rain had also spread into parts of N England and Wales. (Achnagart 13.3C, Baltasound 4.8C maximum, Aboyne -0.8C minimum, Achnagart 54.4 mm, Wittering 3.6 h.)
There were areas of low pressure to the N of Scotland on the 8th - one of them, storm Atiyah, was centred at 970 mb just W of Scotland by 1800 GMT. After overnight rain, it was a blustery day with sunny spells and frequent showers, especially in W and N areas of the British Isles; it turned gradually colder from the W. Snow fell over high ground in Scotland while the best of the sunshine occurred over E England. Some of the showers turned thundery. There were gusts of up to 80mph over Ireland and SW areas of Britain. late in the day, and after a mild start it turned colder. Early in the day a "status red" wind warning was issued by Met Éireann for County Kerry. ESB Networks said its crews had dealt with several thousand power cuts across the Republic of Ireland. In Kerry a tree fell on a car near Mountcoal Cross on the N69. Several flights from Cork Airport were cancelled while there was also disruption at Shannon Airport. Trains in Cork and Kerry were forced to travel at reduced speeds. (Hurn 11.7C, Killylane 4.0C maximum, Braemar 1.5C minimum, Cassley 48.6 mm, Boulmer 5.4 h.)
The low centre crossed N Scotland on the 9th and moved away to the E; pressure then rose, and a ridge covered the British Isles by the afternoon. The strong overnight winds and rain soon gave way to scattered showers and sunshine. It was quite cold in the north and fairly mild in the south. There were some snow shower in Scotland over high ground and in the N. More than 1,300 homes were left without power overnight after Storm Atiyah hit Wales. Gusts of 77 mph hit Aberdaron and 74 mph was recorded in Aberporth. Power supplies were hit in Caerphilly, Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Swansea. Western Power Distribution said it had restored power to about half those hit by power cuts overnight - with just under 700 homes without power by dawn. A fallen tree blocked Heart of Wales rail line at Llandovery, Carmarthenshire. The A476 in Carmarthenshire from Ffairfach to Carmel, the B4312 between Johnstown and Llangain and the A484 at Henllan were all closed by fallen trees, as was the A4086 at the Plas y Brenin outdoors centre in Capel Curig, Conwy county. People were warned to stay indoors and not take to the roads unless necessary after gusts of over 70 mph affected SW England overnight; Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service issued the advice and a similar warning was issued on Jersey. In Bude, Crooklets Road was closed after part of a Sainsbury's supermarket roof came off on Sunday night. (Swanage 11.4C, Lerwick 2.7C maximum, Tyndrum 0.3C minimum, Capel Curig 20.0 mm, Wellesbourne 6.6 h.)
The 10th was an unusually dull day across the British Isles. The E half of England and Scotland had a widespread air frost, but fronts associated with a deep area of low pressure close to Iceland spread wet and windy weather across the British Isles. In the late afternoon and evening clearer skies spread into W Ireland and parts of W Scotland. The fronts brought a spell of very mild weather to all areas for a while during the day with most areas seeing temperatures reaching at least 10C - except in the Northern Isles. Heavy rain and strong winds affected Scotland, causing disruption on the roads, railways and ferries. The A1 was closed after two lorries were blown over in East Lothian, while ferries were cancelled in other parts of the country. Tourist attractions in Edinburgh, including the castle and Christmas market, were closed due to the severe weather. (Bude 14.2C, Lerwick 8.8C maximum, Topcliffe -4.3C minimum, Tyndrum 69.0 mm, East Malling 0.3 h.)
A brisk SW'ly flow affected all areas of the 11th due to low pressure to the N of Scotland. There was a slight ground over S and Cent areas of England. During the day there was some sunshine, especially in the E of the UK and Ireland, but it was windy and very showery over Scotland and Ireland with isolated thunder, and snow in places - especially over hills. An area of showery rain also crossed E'wards over England and Wales due to the passage of an occlusion. (St Catherine's Point 9.7C, Aviemore 2.3C maximum, Alice Holt Lodge -0.7C minimum, Aviemore 30.0 mm, Weybourne 5.8 h.)
Outbreaks of frontal rain, heavy in some areas, moved NE'wards on the 12th across most of the British Isles. Ahead of the associated cloud there was air frost in many E and Cent areas of England. Falls across Scotland were generally slight where it was a cold day; some of the rain here fell as snow. There was also some sleet and snow in parts of N England - while it was a mild day in S areas of England, Wales and Ireland. It was a dull day in all areas except in parts of E Scotland and S Ireland. (Isles of Scilly 11.3C, Resallach 2.0C maximum, Frittenden -2.7C minimum, Port Ellen 26.2 mm, Kirkwall 3.3 h.)
An area of low pressure (central pressure close to 967 mb close to SE Scotland at midday) on the 13th was associated with bands of rain that affected the British Isles during the day. There was an air frost across N Scotland overnight while any places had a few sunny periods during the day. It was mild in S Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands but cooler further N where the rain fell as sleet or snow over high ground. (Isles of Scilly 12.1C, Dalwhinnie 4.5C maximum, Aviemore -2.9C minimum, Capel Curig 31.2 mm, Hurn 5.5 h.)
Low pressure centred close to W Scotland, with another centre close to W Ireland later on the 14th, made for an unsettled day. The day was showery with blustery winds - and with widespread sunny intervals. The showers were prolonged and heavy in places with some thunder in S and W areas of England. It was cold in Scotland (with a slight air frost in just a few places here) with some showers here and in parts of N England and N Ireland. (Swanage 11.1C, Dalwhinnie 2.2C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -3.5C minimum, Glasgow 22.6 mm, Brize Norton and Hurn 4.4 h.)
Low pressure centres remained close to Scotland and Ireland, leading to another unsettled day with widespread blustery showers on the 15th. Parts of Scotland and N and Cent Ireland had an overnight air frost. There were few showers in E areas of Britain with the best of any sunny spells being in E Britain and parts of S England. There was local thunder in S England, some snow in Scotland and N England, and several reports of heavy hail. (Isles of Scilly 10.7C, Altnahinch Filters 0.9C maximum, Kinbrace -3.6C minimum, Stonyhurst 27.0 mm, Weybourne 5.6 h.)
Parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland had an air frost on the 16th with overnight rain and showers across Scotland and Ireland falling as snow in a few areas of Cent Scotland. Away from Ireland and SW Scotland the day was rather cloudy. After overnight rain in SE England there were a few coastal showers during the day over England and Wales, before rain edged NNW'wards across SE England during the afternoon and evening. It was very showery over much of Cent Scotland, and there was snow in the mountains, but N Scotland and most other areas of England were mainly dry. In a few of the Highland valleys air frost persisted all day. (Isles of Scilly 10.6C, Altnaharra -3.1C maximum, Altnaharra -5.8C minimum, Tyndrum 22.2 mm, Cork Airport 7.3 h.)
An area of low pressure crossed Scotland on the 17th, giving showers that fell as snow over high ground in places. Frontal rain affected the SE corner of England for much of the day, clearing E'wards from East Anglia in the evening. Wales, N England, N and E Scotland and parts of Ireland had an air frost at first - which persisted all day in some Scottish valleys. Wales and W areas of Ireland, Scotland and Scotland had some sunny spells while areas of NE England remained rather dull and cool; patchy, locally freezing, fog was slow to clear from parts of the Midlands and E England. (Isles of Scilly 10.2C, Altnaharra -1.2C maximum, Altnaharra -6.4C minimum, Machrihanish 16.2 mm, Connaught Airport 6.1 h.)
Low pressure to the SW Ireland pulled warm air across S and W Ireland and into SW England during the afternoon of the 18th. Many inland areas away from W and S Ireland and some W areas of the UK had a widespread air frost. Some coastal regions in the S and W had showers overnight. Elsewhere, there were areas of freezing fog over Cent and E England and E Wales. A few fog patches lingered into the afternoon, especially over NE England. Sunshine was mainly confined to SE England and to NE and E Scotland before cloudy spread from the W. Rain spread over Ireland and into W parts of Britain during the morning, and across the rest of the country during the afternoon and evening; it brought mild air with it, but there was snow for a time on northern hills. It became windy in the west. (Bude 13.3C, Cassley 2.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -7.2C minimum, Banagher Caugh Hill 34.8 mm, East Malling 3.6 h.)
The 19th was a mild day with a blustery S'ly surface flow. Rain cleared to the N and E during the morning, to leave many northern districts dry and fairly bright. Further rain moved N'wards over England and Wales during the day, and later into Ireland and across much of Scotland. S England became more showery in the afternoon, and there was local thunder. Further general rain moved into SE England in the late evening. (Teddington Bushy Park 13.8C, Dalwhinnie 6.5C maximum, Lentran 1.9C minimum, Libanus 43.0 mm, Altnaharra 2.6 h)
Overnight into the 20th rain in N districts turned more showery, with some brighter intervals. Another area of rain moved north across much of England, except the NW, and Wales overnight and during the morning. A slightly brighter interval, though still with showers, followed in SE England, whilst the rain area slowly pushed back E'wards during the day, with rather brighter skies developing in the W. The rain moved out into the North Sea in the evening, but also then affected parts of NE Scotland. Flooding caused disruption to travel across SE England after heavy rain overnight. The M23 was closed between junctions 10 and 11 in both directions in West Sussex. On the railways, Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express passengers were advised not to travel, with disruption to services on the Brighton mainline. Southeastern said there were no trains between Strood and Maidstone West. The best of the sunshine was to be found across Ireland. (Manston 11.1C, Lake Vyrnwy 5.1C maximum, Cassley 2.4C minimum, Wych Cross 28.4 mm, Casement Aerodrome 5.9 h.)
On the 21st there was an air frost in parts of the Midlands and E Ireland. Cent and N areas were fairly bright with some showers. Although there was a little sunshine in the south, dry intervals were short-lived here, with heavy, showery outbreaks from time to time, and more general rain during the late afternoon and evening as a depression moved towards Scilly by 1800 GMT. The extreme S of England had quite a mild day. A tornado hit Surrey and more than 90 flood warnings remained in place across S and E England, the Midlands and Yorkshire; the tornado damaged homes and cars in the Chertsey area at about 1030 GMT. A mother and her three sons had to be rescued after their car got stuck in floodwater in Edgcott, Buckinghamshire in the evening. (Swanage 11.6C, Dalwhinnie 3.9C maximum, Magilligan -1.0C minimum, Wiggonholt 23.4 mm, Kinloss 5.3 h.)
An area of low pressure moved from the Midlands across East Anglia during the morning of the 22nd. There was a sharp air frost overnight in parts of N Scotland with rain across the Midlands and S England, heavy in places around the London area. There was lighter rain in some other areas, with early mist and fog patches in parts of E Scotland and NE England. The main rain area in the E cleared away towards the North Sea in the morning with showers spreading E'wards across W areas of the British Isles. It was a mildwith temperatures remaining below 0C in parts of N and Cent Scotland; in most areas there were a few sunny intervals in a rather cloudy day. Dozens of homes were flooded and villages left under water after parts of England were again deluged by rain; the Environment Agency had issued 79 flood warnings for the South, Midlands, East and Yorkshire. Rivers including the Medway in Kent, Cuckmere in East Sussex and Loddon in Berkshire burst their banks. (Hurn 11.4C, Cassley -0.9C maximum, Altnaharra -6.6C minimum, Herstmonceux 13.0 mm, Aberdaron 5.2 h.)
Low pressure close to Shetland on the 23rd helped to generate a W'ly flow across the British Isles. There were spells of rain and showers across Ireland and W Britain overnight with lesser falls further E; NE and Cent Scotland had a sharp air frost in places. During the day frontal rain was mainly confined to W Scotland while in the evening further frontal rain spread NE'wards into SW England, S Wales and S Ireland. The best of the sunshine during the day was to be found in East Anglia. By the evening, the Environment Agency said river levels appear to be falling in the Midlands, after days of rain, but rivers remained high. It had flood warnings and flood alerts in place for parts of the River Severn in Worcestershire and flood alerts for rivers in Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire. (Isles of Scilly 11.5C, Fyvie Castle 0.1C maximum, Kinbrace -7.5C minimum, Dunstaffnage 20.0 mm, Shoeburyness 6.2 h.)
The 24th was a mainly cloudy day in many areas with air frost confined to NE and N Scotland. Overnight rain across Ireland, Wales, the Midlands and Cent S England spread into East Anglia, S Scotland and N England by dawn. This main rain area weakened during the afternoon as the associated fronts became slow-moving; across Scotland there were showers that fell as snow in places and freezing conditions all day in some N sites. It was a mild day across S Ireland and over much of England and Wales. (Exeter Airport 12.6C, Altnaharra -1.2C maximum, Kinbrace -7.5C minimum, Libanus 25.4 mm, East Malling 5.8 h.)
A ridge of high pressure developed over the British Isles on the 25th, weakening a front across Scotland and pushing ones over SE England into the continent. N and Cent Scotland, and Cent Ireland, had an overnight air frost in places with some showers in W Scotland before dawn. There was little rain during the day - a few showers in N England and W Scotland - but an approaching frontal system towards the SW brought rain to Ireland in the afternoon and evening. In the evening it turned misty with some fog patches in parts of E England. It was a sunny day in many areas - some snow was reported at Spadeadam at about 0300 GMT - but for most places it was not a White Christmas with parts of S England having a mild afternoon. (Gosport Fleetlands 12.2C, Kinbrace 1.1C maximum, Kinbrace -8.1C minimum, Resallach 6.4 mm, East Malling 7.2 h.)
High pressure in the E at first on the 26th soon gave way to low pressure centres across England and Wales. E areas of the UK had an air frost in places overnight while there was rain across Ireland overnight (19 mm at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT) which spread into W Scotland, Wales and SW and Cent S England. Scotland was largely dry but elsewhere there were spells of rain or showers. The day was dull almost everywhere, but mild in Ireland, SW and S England and S Wales. (Exeter Airport 12.6C, Lentran 3.2C maximum, Altnaharra -3.4C minimum, Liscombe 25.6 mm, Casement Aerodrome 0.8 h.)
There was a slight air frost in Cent Scotland and close to the English-Welsh border on the 27th while in SW Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands the night was unusually mild. At Valentia the minimum temperature overnight was 11.3C. To the E of these warm areas there was overnight (warm) frontal rain from NW Ireland through S Wales into Cent S England. There was also some rain in E areas of the UK. There was further light rain and showers away from the E half of England, but the day was dull everywhere. It was a warm day everywhere - except in parts of E England - for the time of year, especially in Ireland, Wales and W Scotland. (Achnagart and Magilligan 13.0C, Fylingdales 5.1C maximum, Hereford -0.6C minimum, Achnagart 16.6 mm, Herstmonceux 1.3 h.)
The 28th dawned after a mild night in many areas with the minimum temperature exceeding 10C in parts of Ireland, W Scotland and SW England. Pressure was high (close to1038 mb in E Kent at 1200 GMT) but it was a dull day everywhere. There was rain across Scotland overnight and across W Scotland, N and W Ireland during the day. Parts of Scotland and Ireland had a remarkably mild day. A new maximum temperature for December was set with 18.7C being reached at Achfary, in the Highlands; the previous record 18.3C was set in Achnashellach on 2 December 1948. (Achfary 18.7C, Fylingdales 6.9C, Writtle 1.7C minimum, Achnagart 36.2 mm, Morecambe 0.8 h.)
Into the 29th a long track of tropical maritime air led to a foehn effect in the NW Highlands with the temperature reaching 16.8C in northern Scotland overnight at Cassley. Ireland, N Wales and NE England were also unseasonably warm overnight. A mild SW'ly flow covered the British Isles at 0000 GMT (MSL pressure was about 1036 mb in E Kent at this time). There was some rain across Scotland and Ireland overnight, but the day was largely dry except in W and N Scotland. There was early mist and fog across Cent England around dawn - following a mild night across the British Isles. The day was generally dull - with sunshine largely confined to parts of E Scotland and some S parts of Wales and England; it was widely a very mild day, although temperatures were closer to normal by day in E parts of England. (Achnagart 13.4C (by day); Cassley 16.8C (overnight), Leek 6.3C maximum, Levens Hall 2.2C minimum, Harris Quidnish 15.2 mm, St Athan 5.2 h.)
Pressure remained generally high on the 30th but a cold front pushed slowly S across Scotland and Ireland, giving outbreaks of rain and showers here, and leading to cooler conditions after the rain. Under cloudy skies parts of Cent Scotland and W Ireland had minimum temperatures above 10C - while there was a touch of air frost in parts of Cent S England as skies cleared for a time overnight. By dawn much of S Ireland, Cent, E and S England had mist and fog by dawn. Much of England and Wales, away from the SW, had a sunny day ahead of the front, and mist and fog returned here in the evening. (Bude 12.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.8C maximum, Santon Downham -2.3C minimum, Resallach 17.8 mm, Shoeburyness 7.1 h.)
Pressure remained high on the 31st but a cold front straddled Cent areas of England, Wales and Ireland. Many parts of Scotland, N Ireland and N England had an overnight air frost - most other areas of England had widespread mist or fog by dawn. The cold front largely dissipated during the day, but managed to give some light drizzle in parts of Cent S England. Wales, S and Cent areas of England had a dull day, misty in places, but there were sunny spells further N. Some light rain affected SW England and the Channel Islands in the late afternoon and into the evening. (Valentia 10.8C, Kielder Castle 1.9C maximum, Shap -4.5C minimum, West Freugh 1.6 mm, Eskdalemuir 6.0 h.)