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| March 2000 Monthly Assessment issued
3/4/2000 |
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Monthly summaries available for: England
and Wales | Scotland | Northern
Ireland
Homogenous time series based upon selected station data:
CET | England and Wales
rainfall
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| Very dry, rather sunny and mild
overall especially in south-east England and East Anglia.
Exceptionally mild second week. Some overnight frost first
and third weeks. Unsettled later with some rain or showers,
rather cold finish to the month. |
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Diary of highlights
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1st – 5th A changeable period with
temperatures mostly near normal. It was unsettled at first
with periods of rain or showers heavy at times especially
in the north and west, where they became wintry over the
hills. Thunder accompanied some of the showers at times.
As usual the south and east had the best of the sunny periods,
although clear skies allowed widespread frost at night.
Redhill recorded -5.8 °C on 5th.
6th – 13th Dry and spring-like especially later with
very mild even exceptionally mild weather prevailing as
high pressure settled close to the south-west. It was mainly
cloudy at first with a little patchy light rain or drizzle
in the north and west. There was also some hill and coastal
fog initially, however from the 9th to 12th long sunny periods
prevailed in many places. At Torquay (Devon) the temperature
climbed to 19.7 °C on the 13th in the lee of Dartmoor.
14th – 22nd An almost rainless period with mostly
light winds as high pressure positioned itself over the
region. Cloud cover was variable allowing some days to be
sunny while others were rather dull. It was generally mild
by day but chilly at night with fairly widespread frost.
At Topcliffe (North Yorkshire) -6.0 °C was registered on
the morning of the 19th.
23rd – 26th A low pressure system transferring from
the south of Iceland to the southern North Sea brought unsettled
conditions. There were periods of rain or showers, heavy
and thundery at times especially in the north and west.
Temperatures were near or above normal and after a cloudy
start, long sunny periods developed in many places, particularly
on the 25th and 26th.
27th – 31st With an anticyclone centred over Scotland
rather cold or cold NE winds prevailed for much of the time.
Dull wet conditions affected south-east England and East
Anglia on the 28th/29th, further to the north and west there
was more in the way of sunny periods. Showers affected some
parts during the 31st and Gravesend (Kent) reported thunder
in the morning.
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| Statistical details (using best available
data/estimates): updated 2003 |
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England & Wales Mean Temperature Series ( series
began in 1961 ). The value for the month was 7.0 °C, which
is 1.8 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well
above average category.
England & Wales Rainfall Series ( series began
in 1961 ). The total for the month was 38.0 mm, which is
52 % of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well below
average category.
England & Wales Sunshine Series ( series began
in 1961 ). The total for the month was 118.2 hours, which
is 113 % of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the above
average category.
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| Scotland |
| Diary of Highlights |
A prolonged mild spell from the 5th to the 21st ensured
that temperatures during March were well above average.
Much of this period experienced cloudy conditions as a
warm and humid westerly airstream blowing around an anticyclone
to the south of Ireland covered Scotland. There were occasional
incursions of colder, clearer weather which brought the
odd sunny day. The east was always brighter, and temperatures
exceeded 16 °C at Aberdeen on the 19th and 20th.
The mild spell was sandwiched between unsettled interludes
which brought cold northerly winds, rain and snow, and
sun. There was an extensive snow cover on the hills on
the 4th before it was rapidly removed by the influx of
warm air.
The final few days were anticyclonic, but after a couple
of bright days in the west, the cloudy theme returned.
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Statistical details (using
best available data/estimates): updated 2003
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Scotland Mean Temperature Series (
series began in 1961 ). The value for the month was 5.5
°C, which is 2.0 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is
in the exceptionally above average category.
Scotland Rainfall Series ( series began in 1961
). The total for the month was 122.5 mm, which is 96 % of
the 1961-1990 average, which is in the close to average
category.
Scotland Sunshine Series ( series began in 1961
). The total for the month was 84.3 hours, which is 91 %
of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the close to average
category.
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| Northern
Ireland |
| A dry, mild and quiet but dull month. Unsettled
first week, then largely dry and settled but rather dull through
the second and third weeks. |
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Diary of Highlights
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1st – 5th Very changeable. Cool, dry
and sunny on the 1st, then dull and wet on the 2nd. Friday
the 3rd was again dry and very sunny, but wintry showers
affected most areas overnight, giving slight accumulations
of snow by the morning of the 4th.
6th – 22nd High pressure centred over North Biscay
extended a broad ridge of high pressure across Ireland.
Weak fronts edging around the high brought occasional rain
and drizzle across northern areas in particular, but the
anticyclone drifted further north and intensified to give
settled but predominantly cloudy weather across Northern
Ireland.
23rd – 26th Low pressure drifting north from Iberia
pushed areas of rain and showers across Northern Ireland
on the 23rd. Friday 24th was a largely dry and sunny day,
but persistent rain spread to all areas late on Saturday
and early on Sunday.
27th – 31st High pressure became re-established later
on the 26th to give a fine late afternoon and evening. The
27th, 28th and 29th were fine spring days with a good deal
of sunshine, but the last two days of the month were cloudy
although predominantly dry.
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Statistical details (using
best available data/estimates): updated 2003
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Northern Ireland Mean Temperature Series ( series
began in 1961 ). The value for the month was 7.0°C, which
is 1.9 °C above the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well
above average category.
Northern Ireland Rainfall Series ( series began
in 1961 ). The total for the month was 57.1 mm, which is
63 % of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the below average
category.
Northern Ireland Sunshine Series ( series began
in 1961 ). The total for the month was 73.6 hours, which
is 76 % of the 1961-1990 average, which is in the well below
average category.
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Homogeneous series based upon selected station data: updated
2003 |
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Central England Temperature (series begins in 1659).
The mean value for the month was 7.6 °C which is 1.9 °C
above the 1961-90 normal of 5.7 °C and is in the well above
average category. Others: 1999/7.4, 1998/7.9, 1997/8.4 °C.
England and Wales Rainfall (series begins in 1766).
The total for the month was 32.7 mm, which is 44 % of the
1961-90 average and is in the well below average category.
Others:- 1999/70.6, 1998/89.2, 1997/26.6 mm.
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| Note: Diary values are provisional based
on data available at the time. |
