April 2014

April continued the general trend of 2014 towards milder than normal conditions, and this Spring is in marked contrast to the cold weather of last years.  The average temperature in April 2014 came out at above 9.7C, almost exactly 3C milder than last year’s, and there were only two mornings when I recorded a below freezing minimum (-0.5C). These occurred just before the end of the ten day dry spell and with my
low-reading minimum thermometer were not really air frosts at all. The two sub-sero nights contrasted strongly with the total of twelve in 2013.  However, April 2013 did manage a higher absolute maximum temperature than in 2014 when it exceeded by 0.5C this year’s high of
18.3C which arrived on the first day of the month.  April 2014 was also two degrees milder than the soaking April of 2012, but two degrees colder than the record breaking April in 2011.

In the end, last month proved to be a wetter month than average. My total rainfall came out at 95.7mm, falling on seventeen days. There were three significantly high totals, on 6th and 20th, and with 26th giving the greatest fall in one day (1000-1000h) of 18.2mm. The monthly total was rather more than twice last year’s total;  and about half of the 2012 total. Even so, I would guess an ‘average’ April to give us about 70mm. I have already refered to the mid month dry
spell, which was surrounded by two spells of daily totals; exceptions being the 23rd and 24th. which were dry.

Peter at Pottlelake