Saturday 11th April
The temperature continued to drop again on Friday that gave us the coldest day this month with a maximum of only 12.3C logged 14.12, being 2.0C below average. The variable sunshine continued into the afternoon but the warmth was tempered by a very brisk breeze.
Normally, the temperature falls away at night but not last night. The thermometer hovered around 7C until 01.30 then began to rise, reaching a high of 10.1C at 05.00. The surface pressure radar at 06.00 indicated a cold front on our doorstep, that by 06.30 produced light rain, amounting to just 0.4mm. Being a cold front one would expect cooler air behind it, and that is exactly what happened. The temperature began to slowly drop after 06.00, then steeply after 06.45 as the cold front crossed our area with a temperature at that time of 9.8C. Then there was a dramatic drop as the cold air produced a temperature of 8.8C at 07.15 and 6.7C at 07.45. The thermometer read 6.3C at 08.00, having almost stopped falling. A low of 6.1C was logged at 08.09.
Saturday after first light revealed total cloud cover from the weather front. Normally, the wind from the southwest brings mild, moist air off the Atlantic. The difference today is that the air behind the cold front originated near Iceland, then circulated anticlockwise south around the western flank of the deep low pressure that has been heading towards Scotland, and then turned towards the east around the southern flank of the depression, hence arriving as a southwesterly.
The barometric pressure is currently rising rapidly as the deep depression heads northwards, away from the UK. This should see the weather improving today, as the hang back of cloud from the weather front thins, with hopefully, some sunshine arriving later in the morning. However, the cool air now resident will mean another day with the maximum below average.
The future from Sunday is looking likely to bring us variable weather with sunshine and showers and, thankfully, the air warming up from Tuesday onwards. There was an indication that the Azores high might build again with a ridge over the UK but current thinking is that another depression will approach the UK on Tuesday, hence the unsettled forecast.
April showers: Is there any truth to the saying?
Author: Met Office
3 April 2026
“April showers” is one of the most familiar weather sayings in the UK and, unlike some weather folklore, this phrase has a genuine basis in meteorology.
April is a month when showers are generally more likely and understanding why means looking at both large-scale weather patterns and local atmospheric processes.
A month caught between seasons
April sits firmly in the transition from winter to summer. By this point in the year, days are noticeably longer and the sun is higher in the sky, allowing surfaces to warm more readily during daylight hours. However, cold air can still spill southwards from higher latitudes, while milder air increasingly tries to move in from the south.
This contrast between different air masses makes spring one of the most changeable times of year. Rather than long spells of settled weather, April often delivers a mix of sunshine, showers, brisk winds and, on occasion, late-season cold snaps.
The role of the jet stream
One of the key drivers behind April’s showery reputation is the position of the jet stream.
During early spring, the jet stream often shifts northwards compared to its average winter position. At times, it can sit close to or directly over the UK.
When this happens, the UK lies in a favoured zone for Atlantic low-pressure systems and weather fronts. These systems can bring bands of rain, blustery conditions and showers. These systems can bring bands of rain, blustery conditions and showers. While these lows may not be particularly deep or intense, there frequent passage helps to maintain unsettled conditions.
Not all April showers arrive from the Atlantic. Many develop much closer to home through a process known as convection. On days with sunshine, the ground warms quickly, especially after the darker winter months. This warmth is transferred to the air above the surface, causing it to rise.
As this rising air cools, water vapour condenses to form clouds. In spring, these clouds are often cumulus clouds, recognisable by their tall, puffy appearance. Unlike layered cloud associated with frontal rain, cumulus clouds grow vertically. If they grow tall enough and become saturated, they can produce showers.
These showers can form rapidly, sometimes within an hour or two of sunshine developing, which explains why April weather can change so quickly from bright and pleasant to wet and blustery.