Weather and Climate summaries

Overview of weather across the UK for previous months, seasons and years

Those interested in climate change and predictions of future climates should also visit the Climate Change pages.

UK last month

April 2025

April started in a similar vein to March, with high pressure bringing settled conditions to the UK. The first two weeks saw very little rain over the UK, with some showers in the southwest on the 3^rd but otherwise dry conditions. Temperatures were above average for the first week, before cooler air from the east moved in from the 6^th to the 10^th, leading to temperatures slightly below average for much of the UK, particularly in the south east. The 12^th saw the high pressure shift and low pressure moved in, bringing frontal rain across the UK, with heavy rain on the 14^th and 15^th. Unsettled weather persisted, with rain across Scotland on the 16^th and western parts of the UK, especially Northern Ireland, on the 18^th. Further frontal systems brought heavy rain to Northern Ireland, southwest England and Wales on the 22^nd, before more settled conditions returned. Some frontal systems brought rain on the 26^th, but the last week of the month saw high pressure bring continued settled weather and above average temperatures.

April was warmer than average across the UK, with a mean temperature of 9.6°C, 1.7°C above the long-term average. Maximum temperatures in particular were above average (for the UK, 2.8°C above average), but minimum temperatures were overall closer to average. It was the UK’s third warmest April on record, and the third warmest for all four nations as well. It was also a very dry month, although not record breaking, with the UK recording just over half of the normal April rainfall. Northern Ireland was the only nation to see above average rainfall, with 84.8 mm of rain (114% of the average). Durham, Banffshire and Tyne and Wear all recorded their second driest April on record. This was the sunniest April on record for the UK with 228.9 hours of sunshine recorded, 147% of the long-term average. England also saw its sunniest April, while Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all recorded their second sunniest April, after 2021.

The UK monthly extremes were as follows: A maximum temperature of 26.7°C was recorded at Wisley (Surrey) on the 30^th. A minimum temperature of -5.8°C was recorded at Braemar (Aberdeenshire) on the 4^th. In the 24 hours ending at 0900 UTC on the 16^th, 83.2mm of rain fell at Otterham Station (Cornwall). A wind gust of 70 knots (81 mph) was recorded at Needles (Wight) on the 16^th.

Regional values for April 2025