Thursday 26th March
Wednesday’s weather could be summed up as sunshine and showers. There were many bursts of strong sunshine in between the brief showers driven on by strong winds, however, the Arctic air, pushed on by very gusty winds, meant a very cool day with the maximum of 8.6C a significant 2.2C below average. A peak gust of 34mph was logged at 17.08 as the last, very brief shower, exited to the east. Small hail was observed for a few seconds in a very brief shower at 13.20.
The temperature dropped by almost 3C after 17.00 as the last of the cloud rushed away to the east and clear sky arrived. The minimum of 0.8C was logged at 01.20 early Thursday being 1.8C below average before there was a slight recovery in the early hours.
Thursday arrived with broken sunshine between gaps in the cloud on the eastern horizon, then shining strongly just before 08.00, that had lifted the temperature to 5.8C by 08.00.
As the depression eases away and the Azores high begins to edge towards the UK, the wind will back from northwest to southwest later today. This will herald a recovery in temperatures as the Arctic air will be cut off allowing the airstream to come from mid-Atlantic, around the northern edge of the anticyclone. Friday will be a much cloudier day, thanks to a cold front being driven across the country, that could produce light rain.
Towards the weekend the wind will continue to travel around the northern flank of the high pressure from a westerly quarter, not warm, but thankfully, warmer than recent days.
The images for the next few days were taken at Batsford Arboretum one early Spring day in 2009.
The last part of the Met Office article on Diurnal temperature range (DTR) concludes today.
As we move from winter into spring, the UK begins to experience noticeable changes to DTR. These shifts are driven by the seasonal increase in daylight length, the Sun’s higher position in the sky and gradual warming of the land surface.
In late winter, the days are still relatively short and the ground remains cold after months of limited solar heating. As a result, daytime temperatures struggle to rise, while clear nights can still lead to sharp drops. This often produces a relatively modest temperature range.
By early spring, longer days allow the ground to absorb more energy. With the sun climbing higher in the sky, daytime heating becomes more efficient, and maximum temperatures begin to climb more quickly. Meanwhile, the land is still cool enough to allow for rapid overnight heat loss on clear nights, meaning minimum temperatures can remain low. This combination can temporarily increase diurnal temperature range during the early stages of spring, especially during settled sunny spells with light winds