This was a good example of how the timing of just one weather system can make a big difference to monthly rainfall statistics. On 30 April parts of Devon had around 60% of the rainfall expected for the whole month, pushing the statistics closer to the monthly average overall. If that rain had arrived just one day later the statistics would be rather different.

The UK as a whole has seen just 47% of the average April rainfall (6% up on the figure on 26 April). Scotland has been the wettest area with 65mm (up from 62.5mm record to the 26 April) and southern England the driest area with 16mm (up from 8.1mm record to the 26 April).

Middlesex, Mid Lothian and Fife were the driest historical counties this month with just 12% of the rainfall expected in April.  In comparison Sutherland was the wettest with rainfall 36% above average.

The lowest rainfall totals of anywhere in the UK last month were in Edinburgh (Gogarbank at only 3.2 mm and Botanic Gardens with 4 mm – 7% and 10% of average respectively), closely followed by London (Hampton at  3.8 mm and St James park at 4.2mm, both 9% of average).

It was a mild month overall with a notable warm spell early in the month, but some cold nights later in the month pulled the night time temperatures closer to average. The coldest night reaching -6.2°C (Cromdale, Moray 18 April 2017), April has been a warmer than average month. On 9 April 25.5°C was recorded at Cambridge, the warmest day of the year so far.

Overall the UK mean temperature has so far been 0.6°C higher than average for April, and the daytime temperature for England and Wales was 1°C above the monthly average.

It was a sunny month, but not exceptional, for most of the UK with 161 hours of sunshine, 9% above average. England had 19% more hours of sunshine than average and Wales 10% more.  However Northern Ireland saw 29% less sunshine than we would expect for the month.

“Did you know?”

5 of the 10 sunniest Aprils and springs for the UK have occurred since 2003. The sunniest April on record was in 2015 (in data going back to1929), and in the last decade only two years have had below average spring sunshine, so this year is continuing that spring trend (March was sunnier than average too).

 

April 2017 Mean Temp   Sunshine hours   Precipitation  
  Actual Diff from Average Actual hours Diff from Average Actual % of Average
UK 8.0 °C 0.6 °C 162 109%

34.7 mm

 48%
England 8.8 °C 0.6 °C 185.2 119% 19 mm 32%
Wales 8.1 °C 0.5 °C 169.2 110% 27.1 mm 30%
Scotland 6.7 °C 0.6 °C 132 98% 63.9 mm 70%
N. Ireland 8.3 °C 0.7 °C 104.6 71% 28.6 mm 38%

Full details of the weather for April are available in our climate summary.  You can also find information on previous, months, season and years.

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