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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| The weather in March | The weather in March |
| (4 months later) | |
| It was a remarkably cold March with winds persistently blowing from the easterly quarter. Averaged across the UK it was the coldest March since 1962, and it was colder than any of the winter months. It had more easterly winds, by a large margin, than any other March in a 141-year record, and the only warm interlude was a brief one around 5/6 March. Unsurprisingly given the wind direction, western Scotland was very dry, as was northern Scotland due to the proximity of high pressure to the north, and both regions had near average sunshine. Southeast England and Northern Ireland had more precipitation than normal. | It was a remarkably cold March with winds persistently blowing from the easterly quarter. Averaged across the UK it was the coldest March since 1962, and it was colder than any of the winter months. It had more easterly winds, by a large margin, than any other March in a 141-year record, and the only warm interlude was a brief one around 5/6 March. Unsurprisingly given the wind direction, western Scotland was very dry, as was northern Scotland due to the proximity of high pressure to the north, and both regions had near average sunshine. Southeast England and Northern Ireland had more precipitation than normal. |
| Temperatures | Temperatures |
| The mean maximum temperature in March ranged from 8.3C at St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, to 2.7C at Fylingdales in North Yorkshire. The Central England Temperature (CET) of 3.0C was 3.6 degrees below the average, the lowest in March since 1962 and the second lowest in the last 100 years. The highest temperature was 17.5C at Trawsgoed, Ceredigion, on 5 March. The lowest minimum was -12.9C at both Kinbrace in Sutherland and Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, on the morning of 11 March. | The mean maximum temperature in March ranged from 8.3C at St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, to 2.7C at Fylingdales in North Yorkshire. The Central England Temperature (CET) of 3.0C was 3.6 degrees below the average, the lowest in March since 1962 and the second lowest in the last 100 years. The highest temperature was 17.5C at Trawsgoed, Ceredigion, on 5 March. The lowest minimum was -12.9C at both Kinbrace in Sutherland and Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, on the morning of 11 March. |
| Rainfall | Rainfall |
| England and Wales had near-normal rainfall, with 73mm, or 102% of the climate mean, but that made it the wettest March since 2008. Scotland was dry, with 62% of its normal rainfall at 39mm, while Northern Ireland had 88mm, which is 115% of its mean. The wettest place was Killowen, County Down, which had 182mm of precipitation, 83mm of which came in 48 hours across 21 and 22 March. Fair Isle in the Northern Isles was driest with only 12mm. The largest daily fall was 58mm at Plymouth, Devon, on 21 March. | England and Wales had near-normal rainfall, with 73mm, or 102% of the climate mean, but that made it the wettest March since 2008. Scotland was dry, with 62% of its normal rainfall at 39mm, while Northern Ireland had 88mm, which is 115% of its mean. The wettest place was Killowen, County Down, which had 182mm of precipitation, 83mm of which came in 48 hours across 21 and 22 March. Fair Isle in the Northern Isles was driest with only 12mm. The largest daily fall was 58mm at Plymouth, Devon, on 21 March. |
| Sunshine | Sunshine |
| England and Wales had an average 88 hours of sunshine, which is only 76% of the mean and the lowest since 2005. Scotland had 107 hours, exactly its average, and Northern Ireland had 105 hours, or 95% of the average. Tiree, Inner Hebrides, was the UK's sunniest location with 145 hours, while Charlwood in Surrey and Reading in Berkshire shared bottom spot in the sunshine league, both recording just 55 hours. | England and Wales had an average 88 hours of sunshine, which is only 76% of the mean and the lowest since 2005. Scotland had 107 hours, exactly its average, and Northern Ireland had 105 hours, or 95% of the average. Tiree, Inner Hebrides, was the UK's sunniest location with 145 hours, while Charlwood in Surrey and Reading in Berkshire shared bottom spot in the sunshine league, both recording just 55 hours. |
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