Tuesday 24th March
After a sunny start to Monday cloud built up around 14.00, which is why the maximum for the day, of 14.4C, was logged at 13.50. However, it was dry, the wind very light with a maximum gust of just 10mph, whilst the UV level was almost into the ‘Moderate’ level with a peak reading of 2.9. Thanks to the overnight cloud cover the minimum of 8.0C made it the warmest night this month being 5.4C above average.
Tuesday arrived with total cloud cover due to the run of mild, moist air from the Atlantic. There is little likelihood of any sunshine today as later in the day a cold front will cross our area bringing behind it a stream of much colder air combined with the wind strengthening considerably.
By Wednesday the wind will have veered into the west-northwest and be very strong, that will stream the Arctic air across the country making it a very cold day. There will also be a wind chill factor that will make it feel even colder outside than that indicated on a shielded thermometer. The significant drop in temperature will be a shock to the system after many warm days recently. The maximum on Wednesday will be back to a single digit followed by a very cold night.
Looking ahead there appears to be a modest recovery in temperatures as we approach the weekend.
From time to time I comment on the diurnal temperature range. The Met Office have recently posted an article on the subject. Earlier in the month, 8th/9th, there was a diurnal range of just 3C whilst the diurnal range for the 22nd/23rd was 12.1C.
What is diurnal temperature range and why it changes as we move into spring
Author: Met Office
5 March 2026
Understanding how temperatures rise and fall through the day is an important part of how we describe and forecast weather.
One useful measure of this daily rhythm is known as the diurnal temperature range (DTR), the difference between the day’s highest and lowest temperatures. As the seasons change, so too does the pattern of daytime heating and overnight cooling, making DTR an especially helpful tool for understanding the transition from winter to spring in the UK.
What we mean by diurnal temperature range
Diurnal temperature range is simply the difference between the daily maximum and minimum temperatures. In most cases, the warmest part of the day occurs during the afternoon, when the Sun’s energy has had time to warm the Earth’s surface. The coolest temperatures are usually recorded just before dawn, after the land has been losing heat throughout the night.
This daily cycle is influenced by thermal inertia, the way the land and air absorb and release heat at different rates, and by atmospheric factors such as humidity, wind and cloud cover.
These processes underpin how sharply temperatures rise during the day and how much they fall again overnight.
Part 2 tomorrow