Author: Eric Gilbert

Monday proved to be a pleasant spring day with almost 6 hours of sunshine and the highest UV level since early October. However, the next weather front showed its hand after 13.30 as approaching clod began to blot out the sun.

The thermometer rose to a maximum of 12.0C, been 1.5C above the average for March. Due to the increasing cloud cover it was a warm night when the temperature did not drop below 4.6C, which was 2C above average.

After midnight the first of the light rain showers arrived and by 08.00 today another 4.1mm had been collected bringing the March total to 97.3mm making it the wettest March since 2008.

Sunday gave us one hour of sunshine and very light winds with a maximum gust of just 11mph. As a result the thermometer rose to its highest for ten days with a maximum of 11.2C, just above the March average.

It was only the fourth completely dry day in March with the total for the month of 93.2mm, being 162% of the 34-year March average.

With a clear sky and no wind to stir up the air, the thermometer fell steadily in the evening to reach a minimum of -1.0C at 07.31.

Monday morning dawned with a continuing clear sky, the sunshine was such that by 08.00 it had triggered the sunshine recorder into action that needs 100w/sq.m as a minimum to start recording.

Saturday started with low cloud and drizzle and continued in that manner throughout the day. There was very little brightness as the very slow moving weather front became almost stationary over the south of England. The strongest gust of wind only reached 11mph and for much of the day and night saw movement of just 5 or 6mph.

There was little substantial rainfall, just 0.7mm in the past twenty-four hours.

Sunday has arrived with 100% cloud cover but is a little higher and thinner than on Saturday. As on Saturday, there is very little wind movement.

Not surprisingly, the temperatures were down on the past four days with a maximum of 8.4C, being 2C below the March average and a minimum of 5.2C due to the lack of sunshine and also that the wind had moved into the north east.

Sunday update at 21.15: thermometer falling rapidly, currently reading 4.5C, having fallen almost 7C since maximum of 11.2C at 15.45. Northerly breeze fallen completely away.

Friday was a pleasant spring day, being dry with 1.5 hours of sunshine that lifted the temperature to a maximum 11.0C, the first above average day for a week.

Overnight another rain band crossed the area bringing 6.4mm of rainfall that has raised the total for March to 92.5mm, which is 35mm above the 34-year average.

Saturday morning still suffers from the hang back of cloud and rain associated with the slow moving weather front. Light rain is still falling from the heavy cloud and dull conditions.

There was the very briefest of sunshine on Thursday morning that triggered the sunshine recorder for a minute followed by a cloudy day. It was a dry day but a cool day as the thermometer refused to get above 8.3C, some 2.2C below the March average.

A rain band moved across the region overnight bringing 2.2mm of rainfall, starting just after 1am, with the strongest winds of the past day at 02.34 with a gust of 25mph whereas the daylight hours were relatively calm with wind speeds up to just 15mph.

The total precipitation for March now stands at 86.1mm being nearly 30mm over the 34-year average.

Friday began with a hang back of cloud from the weather front but just before 08.00 the cloud began to break and strong bursts of sun broke through. The thermometer at 08.00 had recovered to 7.2C.