Wednesday 18th March
The sunshine during the afternoon of Tuesday pushed the temperature to a peak of 13.8C at 15.02, which made it the warmest day since the 5th March and 3C above average. However, the wind was brisk that made it feel a little cooler outside than that indicated on the thermometer. Under clear skies overnight the temperature slowly drifted downward to reach a low of 3.4C at 06.21. This low was 0.8C above average.
The welcome sunshine to the start of Wednesday raised the temperature upwards again with a reading of 7.8C at 08.00. The barometric pressure is now rising rapidly that will result in a fine, sunny and warm day ahead with lighter breezes.
With the high pressure continuing to build over the next few days we will be able to enjoy spring like weather with dry days, much sunshine and the thermometer rising well above the March average. The downside under clear skies will be cool nights.
The temperature will begin to drop away as we approach the weekend and into next week with maxima by Monday returning to near normal as the anticyclone drifts away.
More from the recent Met Office article
Strongest March winds
March can often see frequent deep Atlantic low-pressure systems, which bring with them the potential for strong winds. The strongest UK March gust recorded is 112mph (97 knots) at the Forth Road Bridge, Scotland on 20 March 1986.
England’s windiest March day brought 108mph (94 knots) at Langdon Bay, Kent, in 2008, while Wales recorded 98mph (85 knots) at Rhoose (27 March 1987). Northern Ireland’s strongest March gust reached 90 mph (78 knots) at the Foyle Bridge on 24 March 1988.
Recent examples include 71mph at Lerwick in 2025, demonstrating that strong gales in March remain a familiar feature of the season.
Snowiest March days
Although snow becomes less frequent as spring approaches, March can still produce significant accumulations. The deepest March snow depth on record in the UK is 76 cm, measured at Bellingham, Northumberland, on 1 March 1963, the closing stages of the notably severe winter of 1962-63.
Scotland has recorded similarly deep snow with 74 cm at Whitchester (1 March 1963). More recent years have seen smaller, but still impactful, snowfalls. In 2023, Buxton reached 32 cm, while sites in Northern Ireland such as Ballypatrick have observed depths over 35 cm in the past decade.