British Isles weather diary

January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
(Note: figures in parentheses give an indication, from first reports, of the spread of daily max and min temperatures, min daytime temperatures (occasionally), rainfall and sunshine in the 24 hours ending 2100 GMT.)

British Isles weather, January 2009

The S'ward movement of a front across Scotland on the 1st signalled a weakening of the influence of the high pressure area. Overnight, most places remained dry, though the front gave a few rain showers over NE Scotland. Mist and haze were again widespread by dawn and there was a widespread inland air frost - except over Cent and S Ireland. The day was rather a dull onbe, except across Wales and S Scotland with light precipitation in N and E Scotland. Wintry showers affected N Scotland and later fell as far S as E parts of Yorkshire. Snow grains fell in mist and fog in Sennybridge during the day and it remained below freezing during the day over E Wales and the W Midlands. (Valentia 9.5C, Sennybridge -2.7C maximum, Altnaharra -8.4C minimum, Rosehearty 3.6mm, Aberdaron 6.9h.)

The cold front pushed S on the 2nd and weakened and high pressure then re-built to the N of it. My midnight MSL pressure had risen to 1036mb over Cent Scotland. There was another widespread inland air frost by dawn, but S Ireland and low-lying parts of SW England remained frost-free. There was again some mist and fog by dawn with hazy conditions persisting for much of the day in places. Much of England and W Ireland had a sunny day, as did parts of N Scotland. Parts of Cent Scotland remained below freezing during the day with snow in Aviemore and light falls of snow in parts of S Scotland and NW England. Snow was also reported at Hereford and Lyneham. In addition the front gave some light rain to E areas of Britain in the early hours. (St Mary's Scilly 8.2C, Aviemore -2.1C maximum, Shap -9.0C minimum, Edinburgh Gogarbank 5.6mm, Belmullet 6.2h.)

With high pressure centred across Britain the 3rd was mainly dry and cold. S of a line Anglesey - Norwich there was a sharp inland air frost, with similar conditions in Cent and N mainland Scotland. There was overnight frontal rain in Shetland and SW England; the former spread S into NE Scotland uring the day while the latter area faded away as the high moved slowly S into S Wales. Early fog in the Midlands soon cleared (except around Shrewsbury) and much of S and Cent England had a sunny day, as did E Scotland. The warmest conditions during ther day were to be found over SW Ireland and on Shetland. (Valentia 8.7C, Shawbury -2.6C maximum, Braemar -10.7C minimum, Baltasound 8.6mm, Liscombe 7.8h.)

A cold front moved S across N and Cent Scotland on the 4th giving outbreaks of rain and snow as it did so. The cloud on this front kept temperatures slightly above freezing overnight across N Scotland; W Ireland also had little frost while across England and Wales the air frost was extensive and severe in places. By midnight the front was giving falls of rain and snow across parts of NE England and into Norfolk. There were also some light falls of snow in parts of Wales, SW England and S Ireland in the evening caused by separate bands of thickening cloud. The day was a mainly dull one, except in parts of Ireland and S Scotland. (Valentia 8.5C, Leek -1.3C maximum, Benson -9.0C minimum, Aultbea 10.4mm, Aldergrove 4.4h.)

The frontal sleet and snow over N England early on the 5th moved S'wards into S England before dawn giving small amounts of snow on the ground in places by 0600GMT. Most inland places, away from S Ireland, had an air frost but another area of frontal cloud gave falls of rain (and snow over high ground) across S Ireland and in SW England. During the day further light snow showers affected E and Cent S parts of England with snow showers reported in the Channel Islands in the evening. Away from these intermittent snow showers most places had a sunny day - and a high pressure centre re-formed behind the front to reach 1031mb over Cumbria by 2400GMT. Roads and schools were affected by th cold and snow, and some flights were hit at Birmingham and Luton airports. Flights were suspended for 90 minutes at Birmingham International Airport early in the day. Snow meant the runway had to be closed at Luton Airport for a similar length of time, leading to some flights being diverted. In Wales, a number of roads and schools were affected and the drop in temperatures saw a rise in the number of people treated in hospitals for falls on ice. The start of the new term was delayed for some pupils in Gloucestershire where 15 schools were closed. Some schools in Kent were also shut. In Lincolnshire a 30-year-old woman was killed when her car ended up in the path of a train at a level crossing during the icy conditions. (Valentia 8.6C, Braemar -1.6C maximum, Altnaharra -8.2C minimum, Manston 4.8mm, Belmullet 7.0h.)

There was a widespread air frost overnight into the 6th, except in a few coastal areas and across extreme N and W areas of Scotland; frontal cloud in these areas resulted in rain that spread E'wards across N Scotland during the early hours, before turning to sleet and snow in the E to give ice on untreated roads. Grass minimum temperatures included -15C at Aboyne, -14C at Eskdalemuir and Kenley while, according to the Met Office, in some parts of England, Wales and E Scotland the temperature fell below -10C. There were a few snow showers before dawn in the Channel Islands. Across Scotland it was a mainly cloudy day but elsewhere there were long sunny spells; maximum temperatures remained below 0C in parts of Cent England and over high ground in SW England, in particluar. Over Scotland the frontal cloud spread rain, sleet and snow S - with some wintry weather in N England later in the day. Temperatures fell sharply in the evening in S England ahead of the front. The RAC reported road blackspots in the West Midlands and northern and south-eastern England. There were school closures in several areas, including 20 schools across Wales. Water from burst pipes flooded a classroom and caused the collapse of the staff room ceiling at Bourton-on-the-Water Primary, in Gloucestershire. Meanwhile, police in south-west England urged drivers to delay journeys because of ice after seven crashes, including two multi-car collisions on the A38 at Harcombe Bends, Devon, and at Tideford, Cornwall. (Stornoway 8.7C, Okehampton -2.0C maximum, Aboyne -10.9C minimum, South Uist 11.8mm, Shobdon 7.8h.)

The 7th dawned frosty across much of England, Wales and Ireland while frontal cloud over Scotland te4nded to keep minimum temperatures a little higher here. Temperatures of -10C and below were reported in parts of Cent S England, while on Scilly the overnight minimum was 0.0C at St Mary's. Larkhill reported a grass minimum temperature of -16C while -6.1C at Penzance was the lowest in the area since 1987. The frontal cloud brought rain and snow - the latter as far S as Sussex - and resulted in the temperatures rising a little before dawn in the SE. Spadeadam reported a snow depth of 8cm at 0600GMT with MSL pressure up to 1028mb in S Ireland at this time. With frontal cloud persisting across England and Scotland during the day it was dull here; SW England , W Wales and S Ireland had long sunny spells, however. Further light rain, sleet and snow continued to move S across England and E Wales with falls giving a light covering over high ground in N England. Snow showers also fell across N Scotland. The water supply to about 6,000 homes in the Rhondda valley, south Wales, continues to be affected after pipes feeding a treatment works froze. About 30 schools were closed in Cumbria because of snow and 15 remain shut in parts of Wales. The Department for Work and Pensions said cold weather payments had now been triggered at 52 weather stations around the UK since the start of this winter. The payment goes to people in receipt of certain benefits. (South Uist 8.6C, High Wycombe 0.1C maximum, Benson -11.8C minimum, Carlisle 8.6mm, Camborne 6.9h.)

Mist and fog were widespread by dawn on the 8th across S Scotland and England. Ground frost was widespread away from W and N Scotland although an air frost was largely confined to Ireland, S Wales and SW England. There was a little rain overnight across N and W Scotland with Guernsey reporting a snow shower just before 0300GMT. Most places remained rather cloudy during the day with the best of the sunshine being in the relatively clear ares of SE Ireland. Parts of E England and East Anglia remained foggy all day - with daytime temperatures low here as a result; the fog thickened again in the evening, becoming freezing in parts of E and Cent S England by midnight. (Baltasound 9.3C, Shoeburyness 0.1C maximum, Pembrey Sands -6.2C minimum, Warcop 4.6mm, Charterhall and Casement Aerodrome 7.2h.)

There was little precipitation in the early hours of the 9th although some light snow was reported to the W of London. Cent S and SE England had a sharp frost and there was widespread mist and fog at dawn across S, Cent and E England. Parts of E England, E Scotland and N Ireland also had an air frost - the day was also cold across England with temperatures remaining below 0C in parts of East Anglia and S England - with falls of snow grains in places here as freezing fog persisted in parts. Most other places were dry during the day - although some precipitation fell in E Scotland. The fog and low cloud then became more widespread during the evening and temperatures fell low enough to give a severe frost over some inland parts of Cent S England by midnight. The evening saw pressure falling across NW Scotland as milder SW'lies intensified here. (Dyce 8.4C, Little Rissington -3.0C maximum, Yeovilton -8.7C minimum, Baltasound 0.8mm, Thorney Island 7.7h.)

The 10th saw pressure continue to fall from the NW across the British Isles as an Atlantic depression spread fronts across Scotland and Ireland. Ahead of the fronts there was a widespread air frost across England with the Met Office reporting that Larkhill recorded their lowest January minimum tremperature since 1979 of -9.7C. Freezing fog occurred over much of East Anglia, Cent S and SE England. MSLp pressure fell to 986.9mb at North Rona by 0900GMT and rain, heavy in places, then spread across Scotland and N and W areas of Ireland during the day. Ahead of the rain there were also light snow showers from NE England to London - as cloud cover in the E thickened during the day. most places SE of a line Humberside-Hampshire remained below 0C during the day. London had its coldest January day since 1 January 1997. In the W of the British Isles there were gales with North Rona reporting a gust of 92kn at 0600GMT and 94kn at 1200GMT. Very little sunshine was reported away from S England and frozne ground caused the cancellation of many sporting fixtures across Britain. Skaters flocked to the Cambridgeshire Fenlands after freezing conditions provided a rare opportunity to take part in a traditional sport; low temperatures have made skating possible each day this week for the first time in more than a decade. Although not yet cold enough for the British and Fenland Skating Championships, about 60 skaters were out on the ice in the morning. The ice is thought to be an inch thick but not strong enough for competitions. All weekend ferry sailings between the Isle of Man and Lancashire were cancelled because of bad weather. (Kinlochewe 10.1C, Marham -2.3C maximum, Kenley -10.0C minimum, Tyndrum 39.2mm, Manston 4.2h.)

An air frost lingered across E England into the 11th as temperatures continued to rise from the W. Minimum temperatures were widely in the range 6-9C across Scotland, Ireland and Wales. During the day temperatures continued to rise in the E while across Scotland and Ireland maximum temperatures were in the range 10-13C. It was windy and wet overnight across Scotland and Ireland with gusts over 60kn over high ground in Wales also. Eight rescuers were hurt as they helped two injured climbers down from near the summit of Snowdon in a dramatic night time operation just after midnight. There was some sunshine in the morning across SE England and East Anglia but elsewhere the day was cloudy with some heavy falls of rain over Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Gusts reached 71kn at north Rona at 2000GMT as MSL pressure fell to 977.1mb at North Rona by 2100GMT. Gusts over 50kn were widely reported across W Scotland and also occurred in parts of N England. (Machrihanish 13.8C, Langdon Bay 5.9C maximum, East Malling -5.2C minimum, Shap 83.6mm, Manston 4.9h.)

Frontal cloud and windy conditions meant a generally mild start to the 12th. There was overnight rain over Scotland, Ireland, Wales and much of W England and this spread E and S during the day to give a wert day over Wales, and S and Cent England. Elsewhere, there were showers in the W across Scotland and Ireland with E areas of these countries remaining mostly dry by day. Valentia reported thunder in the afternoon. Winds slowly eased during the day as the low centre to the NW of Scotland filled and pressure rose from the W. The sunniest areas were over N Ireland, and S and E Scotland. (Hawarden 11.7C, Dalwhinnie 5.4C maximum, Kinbrace 3.8C minimum, Capel Curig 61.1mm, Connaught Airport 6.4h.)

Except over high ground in Scotland there was little air frost into the 13th although many areas of N Britain had a ground frost. Areas of rain affected NW Scotland, S Ireland, Wales and parts of the Midlands overnight as troughs brought organised falls here. Extreme E parts of England also had some light falls from a lingering front - and there were some further falls here during the day. Many parts of Wales and England had showers or more prolonged rain during the day - and away from E England most places had sunny periods for at least part of the day. There were also reports of light sleet or snow in Cumbria in the evening. (Charlwood 10.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 3.4C maximum, Fyvie Castle -2.0C minimum, Capel Curig 20.0mm, Inverbervie 7.2h.)

Early on the 14th there were some showers over S parts of England, but in many parts of the British Isles skies were clear enough for a widespread, but mainly light, air frost. Wintry showers fell across the Northern Isles overnight while freezing fog formed over many parts of Cent and S England. There was also some mist and fog in parts of NE and E England. By midday the next area of frontal rain was falling across much of Ireland and this spread into W Wales later in the morning. Pressure then fell rapidly in the W and by the evening rain was falling over W areas of Scotland and England. In the evening the rain reached E Scotland and N England with some snow over parts of S and Cent Scotland. Wales, Ireland and W Britain had a mainly dull day and by 2400GMT MSL pressure had fallen to 988mb at Belmullet - with gales over NW Scotland and gusty conditions over the W half of the British Isles by this time. 32mm of rain fell at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. (Valentia 11.8C, Dalwhinnie 1.5C maximum, Braemar -6.1C minimum, Port Ellen 29.6mm, Holbeach 7.1h.)

There was a short-lived air frost into the 15th in East Anglia, ahead of the advancing frontal cloud - although even here the temperature had risen to about 3C by dawn. Most of the overnight rain fell over Scotland and Ireland, with smaller amounts in Wales and W parts of England. During the day the rain was mainly confined to S and E Scotland, E Ireland, Wales and SW England. There were gales over W parts of the British Isles although pressure slowly rose here as the low centre W of Ireland moved N. Daytime temperatures were widely above 6C, although it was colder in E England - and there was little sunshine anywhere. (Aultbea 12.1C, Wattisham 4.0C maximum, Norwich Airport -0.3C minimum, Tyndrum 33.2mm, Malin Head 1.6h.)

Rain affected most parts of England overnight into the 16th with falls also across Wales and parts of Scotland and Ireland. Showers followed the rain and these became organised and heavy as further troughs/frontal areas crossed E'wards during the day. Most places consequently had a rather cloudy day, although there were sunny intervals in places. (Yeovilton 11.7C, Dalwhinnie 5.4C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 2.1C minimum, Tyndrum 26.0mm, Charterhall 3.0h.)

During the early hours of the 17th squally bands of rain moved E across the British Isles; the Met Office reported a gust of 56mph at Pembury Sands. The rain was followed by a drier interlude although by midday a deepening low pressure centre to the W of Ireland (1200GMT MSL pressure of 978.6mb at Belmullet) was driving rain and showers across Ireland from the SW. During the afternoon and evening this low centre moved NE'wards (MSL pressure 950.3mb at North Rona at 2400GMT) with a gust of 107mph at Belmullet at 1600GMT. According to the Met Office there was a 2m tidal surge in W Scotland. Heavy rain swept across the British Isles during the afternoon and evening with hail in places and thunder reported in Cornwall and parts of Ireland in the evening as showery weather followed the main areas. Exposed parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales saw the worst of the conditions into the evening. In Downpatrick, a motorist died when a tree fell on her car while Northern Ireland Electricity says 15,000 homes are without power. A surfer had to be rescued after drifting a mile out to sea off the Kintyre coast at Machrihanish. In Scotland's Western Isles, people were told not to travel because of severe gales in the Outer Hebrides. In Devon and Cornwall, winds brought down power lines, telegraph poles, trees and scaffolding in parts of Cornwall and Devon, causing some road closures. (Isles Of Scilly 11.3C, Dalwhinnie 3.8C maximum, Lough Fea 0.9C minimum, Tyndrum 27.4mm, Kinloss 5.3h.)

Once frontal rain had cleared SE England early on the 18th a mainly showery day followed. It remained generally windy due to low pressure close to N Scotland - although this centre was replaced by another close to W Ireland (MSL pressure at Belmullet down to 974.7mb by 2400GMT) which pushed a warm sector N across S Ireland and SW England in the evening. Showers of rain and hail, with sleet and hill snow affected W areas of the British Isles during the day before the warm sector brought more rain from the SW. Thunder was reported over Ireland and Cornwall in the morning - with further thunder in the afternoon across Ireland and some hail on Jersey later. Snow showers were widespread across Ireland and in parts of Scotland. (Isles Of Scilly 9.1C, Dalwhinnie 1.1C maximum, Dalwhinnie -1.3C minimum, Lusa 24.4mm, Church Lawford 7.0h.)

Overnight and into the morning of the 19th rain spread N and E affecting most areas. Pressure was low across the entire British Isles, falling to 960.4mb at South Uist at 0900GMT. Over hills in N Britain the rain fell as snow, and was followed by showery weather from the S. The Met Office reported some significant accumulation of snow over high ground in N England and Scotland. The following showers were also wintry in places. Heavy snowfalls have caused lengthy tailbacks on the A74(M) motorway in southern Scotland. Passengers encountered delays at Edinburgh Airport after heavy snow forced the runway to close for almost two hours. Hail showers were reported in the afternoon in parts of Ireland, on Guernsey and in a few areas of England. Thunder was heard at Belmullet and Northolt. In Cornwall Falmouth Coastguard MRCC was hit by lightning; this knocked out all radio and telephone communications. (Herstmonceux 9.5C, Salsburgh 0.5C maximum, Fyvie Castle -1.0C minimum, Dundrennan 23.8mm, Shobdon 3.8h.)

There was a widespread air frost across Scotland on the 20th with temperatures close to freezing elsewhere. Showers affected Scotland and Ireland overnight with lesser falls in parts of England and Wales. The showers fell as snow over N and Cent Scotland and over some high ground in N England. Troughs brought further showers from the W during the day with snow across Ireland and Scotland and hail on Guernsey. In Northern Ireland falls were heavy with 13cm of lying snow at 1200GMT at Lough Fea. While Ireland and W Scotland had a rather cloudy day there were sunny spells in England and Wales - although the SE corner of England was also rather dull. Schools were closed and bus services cancelled in Londonderry after heavy overnight snowfalls. Snow made driving conditions difficult in Counties Tyrone, Fermanagh, Donegal and north Antrim. (London and Malin Head 7.6C, Lough Fea 1.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch-8.3C minimum, Tyndrum 22.2mm, Holbeach 6.9h.)

While E parts of the British Isles had and air frost in places into the 21st - there was also a widespread air frost in S England, showers in the W meant cloudier skies and less frost, although some of the showers continued to fall as snow. Clearing skies gave some icy conditions across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset around the dawn period. The showers died out during the day and E Britain saw little precipitation during the day. By midday, however, a warm front had spread further rain across W Ireland and the front then moved E to clear parts of E Britain by midnight - with some rain in most areas and some further heavy spells of rain in SW England and Ireland as further fronts followed through. Much of England and E Scotland had a sunny day. (Valentia 11.2C,Dalwhinnie 1.2C maximum, Northolt -4.4C minimum, Culdrose 24.4mm, Norwich Airport 6.5h.)

Rainfall was widespread overnight into the 22nd with all areas seeing some precipitation and falls being heavy over in the W. With deepening low pressure to the NW of Scotland it was a windy day in most places with further widespread falls during the day - albeit lesser amounts. MSL pressure fell to 962.3mb at 1500GMT at North Rona - and in the evening another deepening low centred reached the N coast of Cornwall (centre 970mb). During the afternoon, further rain spread NE'wards into Wales and SW England ahead of this centre - and then across many other parts of England in the evening. Wintry showers fell across Scotland in the evening. (London 10.9C, Dalwhinnie 3.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.7C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 32.4mm, Dublin Airport 4.9h.)

There was widespread rain across England into the 23rd as a deepening area of low pressure pushed E across S England to reach the Netherlands by midday. At Manston MSL pressure was down to 964.9mb at 0600GMT. However, with continuing low pressure over N Scotland the winds from this low were not as strong as they might have been, except on the S flank. Across Scotland and N Ireland there were showers early in the day with an area of more general rain following later. By dawn the rain across England was confined to E areas with some snow over high ground over the Midlands - with later wintry falls in East Anglia. There was also some wintry weather across the hills of N England and S Scotland. The rain across Scotland, with some snow over higher ground cleared E Scotland later in the evening. (Isles Of Scilly 8.7C, Dalwhinnie 2.0C maximum, Katesbridge -2.1C minimum, Manston 26.8mm, Aberdaron 7.8h.)

There was little rain overnight into the 24th except over W areas of Scotland and Ireland where a few showers came inland. Elsewhere, there was a widespread inland air frost. Most places remained dry during the day with sunny periods, except for SW England, W Ireland and W Scotland where scattered showers continued to fall. In the evening frontal cloud spread rain across Ireland as MSL pressure fell to 966.3mb at Valentia ahead of the next low centre. Near Glencoe there was an avalanche that caused the deaths of three climbers. (Isles Of Scilly 10.2C, Eskdalemuir 2.2C maximum, Aboyne -5.6C minimum, Culdrose 17.4mm, Inverbervie 7.0h.)

Low pressure centres close to, or over, the British Isles on the 25th made for rather unsettled weather. Overnight wet and windy conditions spread from SW Ireland to N Scotland with falls of snow reported over high ground in N England and Scotland and also in parts of Ireland. Rain was heavy in parts of SW England and Wales before dawn and there were gales in some SW coastal areas. The rain cleared to the NE during the day but in SE England it remained wet as a wave developed on the clearing front. Snow fell for a while in N Ireland, settling over high ground. A front curved around from NW Ireland to N of Shetland and down E England by 2400GMT, so these coastal areas remained damp. There were reports of a small tornado early in the day at Port Navas on the Helford Estuary near Falmouth. A witness, Malcolm Hooper said there was a solid wall of hail with electrical discharges; there was some damage caused to trees and outbuildings. (Chivenor 9.8C, Dalwhinnie 3.1C maximum, Tain Range -4.3C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 28.0mm, Charterhall 5.7h.)

Troughs associated with an area of low pressure centred over SW England gave some heavy showers early on the 26th. Frontal rain in E England became light and soon faded. By dawn mist was widespread over E England with a few fog patches. During the day most places were then mainly dry but the evening saw further frontal rain spreading E across Ireland while mist returned to many areas of England. Some snow was reported in Belfast before dawn and snow grains fell in fog at High Wycombe. Hail fell during showers on Guernsey in the morning. (Valentia 11.1C, Redesdale Camp 3.5C maximum, Aboyne -5.2C minimum, Aberporth 6.6mm, Tain Range 7.6h.)

In the early hours of the 27th light rain spread E into W Scotland and W England while in E England mist and fog were widespread. The mist and fog cleared to give a mainly sunny day in the E while frontal cloud persisted in the W with further rain and drizzle and mist and fog over high ground. Heavier rain affected W England in the evening - this also fell over Wales as a wave developed on a slow-moving front to the S of Cornwall. (Isles Of Scilly 10.7C, Durham 4.2C maximum, Benson -4.3C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 14.8mm, East Malling 6.7h.)

Scotland and Ireland had a widespread ground frost into the 28th although an air frost was mostly confined to N and Cent Scotland. Heavy rain affected Wales and much of England in the early hours - this soon moved E towards E England where it was a dull and damp day as a result. E Scotland, Wales and Ireland had sunny spells during the day while W Scotland was rather dull. In the evening the damp and misty weather in SE England spread N and W to affect many parts of England and Wales, giving fog in places. (Trawsgoed 11.2C,Langdon Bay 3.2C maximum, Aboyne -5.1C minimum, Hawarden 14.2mm, Shannon Airport 7.0h)

The 29th was a rather cloudy day except in E England as frontal bands made their presence felt. There was widespread mist and few fog patches over E and Cent England by dawn with an air frost in E Scotland overnight with other parts of N Britain having an air frost. W parts of Ireland and Scotland had the highest temperatures during the day and rain was mainly confined to W Ireland during the day after a mostly dry night - although rain did spread a little E later in the evening. Temperatures in SE England reflected the arrival of colder air from the near continent in a SE'ly airflow. (Valentia 12.5C, Little Rissington 3.4C maximum, Leuchars -4.0C minimum, Isle of Scilly 5.3mm, Manston 6.4h.)

The 30th was another mainly cloudy day away from E England. Rain spread E overnight into W areas of England and Scotland with minimum temperatures in W parts being kept high by the present of cloud and a S'ly airflow. There was little by way of an air frost but a widespread ground frost occurred in E Britain. During the day the rain spread E into E Scotland but made only little further progress E in England. There was again a pronounced W-E temperature gradient during the day with much of Ireland reporting temperatures above 10C. With low pressure close to Ireland it was windy in W parts of the British Isles and gales across the Northern Isles. (Kinlochewe 14.0C, Bingley 3.5C maximum, Emley Moor -1.9C minimum, Tyndrum 33.8mm, Manston 6.9h.)

During the early hours of the 31st rain in the W began to push W into Ireland leaving much of Wales and SW England dry; parts of Scotland and Ireland had some heavy falls overnight, however. E parts of England had a ground frost but rather cloudy skies meant little air frost. During the day there was further rain over Ireland and little rain in W Scotland while brightening skies in the E led to some sunny spells close to the E coast of England. (Lusa 12.5C, Langdon Bay 2.8C maximum, Emley Moor -1.5C minimum, Killowen 44.0mm, Holbeach 7.8h.)

British Isles weather, February 2009

Temperatures early on the 1st were low enough for an air frost in places, although the extreme W edges of Scotland and Ireland were relatively mild. There was a little rain overnight in W Ireland while E'ly winds gave a cold feel to the morning in E England. Overall the day was a rather cloudy one except in W Wales and NW Scotland. Snow showers spread E'wards across E and Cent parts of England during the day - mainly slight falls until the evening when places in Lincolnshire and East Anglia, in particular, began to report accumulations on the ground. As falls became heavier in SE England a few centimetres of snow were reported lying even in the London area with 3cm at Charlwood by midnight. (Valentia 8.4C, Okehampton -1.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -3.9C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 0.4mm, Valley 7.3h.)

An E'ly flow brought troughs across many areas of the 2nd, with a low centre over France pushing into Wales by midnight. Frequent snow showers affected most parts of the UK, especially E areas where 20-30cm fell in the London area, and in other parts of SE England where widespread transport disruption was reported. As the troughs pushed N later in the day there were some heavy fall over the Pennines. Precipitation amounts during the day remained greatest in E Britain as the snowfall moved N in the afternoon and evening - although the Met Office reported the first snow on the Isles of Scilly for 22 years. This wqas reported to be the most widespread snowfall across the UK as a whole since February 1991 and temperatures in many areas of Cent and S England stayed below freezing all day. Ireland had a sunny day and there were sunny intervals across Scotland and Wales - with the warmest air being found in W parts of the British Isles. Guernsey had its heaviest snowfall overnight since 1987. At 0900GMT at Rocquaine there was a snow depth of 12.5cm; all schools on the island closed and flights aat the airport were suspended. In Cornwall some very heavy and frequent snow showers along the north Penwith coast gave up to 5cm of lying snow in places. Thunder was reported in Dublin with Fylingdales reporting a heavy thunderstorm at 2400GMT. All London buses were withdrawn from service in the morning because of adverse weather and dangerous driving conditions. Rail and air services were also disrupted. Courts including the Old Bailey, Southwark Crown Court and Isleworth Crown Court did not sit. The Department for Children, Schools and Families said the "vast majority" of schools in London had shut. Harrow Council said it had used up 25% of its annual allocation of gritting salt - some 250 tonnes - in 24 hours. London Ambulance Service said it was under "severe pressure", had been taking more calls than usual and was dealing with only life-threatening emergencies. Flights from Luton in Bedfordshire were suspended. First Capital Connect said trains into London from Peterborough, King's Lynn, Cambridge and Stevenage were disrupted. Suffolk County Council closed 180 schools for the day, in Essex 475 were shut, while 131 closed in Norfolk and 180 across Buckinghamshire. At Southampton Airport, in Hampshire, in-bound and out-bound flights were cancelled in the morning, although the runway reopened shortly before 1200GMT. Across south-eastern England, more than 1,500 schools closed. Hampshire police had recorded 163 road traffic collisions in the first 12 hours of Monday. The M25 was closed clockwise between Reigate and Leatherhead, junctions 8 and 9, and there were reports of several vehicles becoming stuck in the snow. Wilts & Dorset Bus Company took most of its buses off the road before 1900GMT. First Great Western services between London Paddington and Reading, Berkshire, and the West Country were disrupted because of "adverse weather conditions". Lewes and Brighton & Hove courts were closed while most libraries in Surrey are shut. Schools were also shut across the counties of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire. Rescue teams from RAF Valley on Anglesey had to winch two men to safety from Snowdon. Hours earlier, two bodies had been found on the mountain by rescuers searching for two brothers who had gone missing in freezing conditions. Accidents were reported in the Builth Wells, Llandrindod Wells and Rhayader areas after several inches of snow fell on parts of the A483 and the A470 within a few hours on Monday evening. Cardiff City's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Arsenal was put back until 16 February. Snow caused traffic delays across Greater Manchester, with two major Pennine roads shut due to heavy falls and ice. Earlier, police said several lorries became stranded on the A69 near Cumbria after failing to negotiate Greenhead Bank. Northern Gas Networks said engineers were being hampered by heavy snow on roads as they tried to restore gas supplies to more than 2,000 homes in Rothbury, Northumberland, after an equipment failure. More than 200 schools closed across Cumbria and the north-east of England. Edinburgh Airport closed for an hour at around 1730GMT because of heavy snow. BAA Scotland said bad weather south of the border had forced the cancellation of 158 flights to and from its three Scottish airports - Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen - throughout Monday. Blizzard conditions caused major disruption to some ferry services. A paramedic crew had a lucky escape in Perthshire, when their ambulance overturned in atrocious conditions as they responded to a call in Kinross. (Belmullet 5.6C, Okehampton -3.0C maximum, Okehampton -5.8C minimum, Durham 12.2mm, Connaught Airport 8.1h.) Note, larger rainfall totals are known to have occurred south of London - automatic gauges have problems in such snowy conditions.

Overnight into the 3rd snow fell mainly in E areas of England and Scotland although some falls were reported in Ireland, SW England, the Channel islands and other places. To the S of the snow most places in England and Wales had an air frost - with Cent and E England then having a cold day. During the day there were further falls of sleet and snow in N and E Scotland resulting from fronts circulating around a low pressure area centred over S Ireland (MSL pressure down to 985mb). There were also some snow showers over Ireland, Wales and SW England that gave some heavu falls in places. The Met Office also reported some thundery, wintry showers in S countiews of England which died out as they moved N. Wintry weather continued in N and E Scotland, Ireland, S Wales and SW England. Travel disruption and school closures continued today. Around London most bus routes were operating but two remain suspended and some are being diverted around dangerous areas. London's airports were open but with flights subject to delays. Services were again badly affected on Southeastern, Southern and South West Trains into and out of the capital, with suspensions or reduced timetables on most routes. An accident on the clockwise M25, between junction 9 at Leatherhead and junction 10 at Kingston, closed three lanes on Tuesday afternoon and led to half-hour delays. In central London, ice closed the westbound side of the Piccadilly underpass for much of Tuesday. Two military rescue helicopters assisted ambulance services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. The A39 between Camelford and Bude was also virtually impassable and four vehicles were stuck in the snow at Polyphant near Launceston. Heavy snow brought delays and disruption to road users across much of Wales and about 500 schools closed. Up to 15cm fell in some areas overnight, with south, west and mid Wales worst affected. Snow caused problems in Sennybridge, on the Heads of the Valleys Road around Merthyr Tydfil, Builth Wells, Swansea and in Flintshire. First Buses, which serves south and west Wales, took all its vehicles off the road, while Veolia Transport Cymru also cancelled most services. Police in Gwent reported the number of calls to the force had risen by 50% in the past 24 hours, largely because of the number of people complaining about youngsters throwing snowballs. Trains on the East Coast Main Line were disrupted, with several services between London and Leeds cancelled. The A635 Holmfirth Road between Greenfield and Holmfirth was closed due to snow as well as the A672 Ripponden Road between Denshaw and the M62 motorway at J22. The Highways Agency said the A66 between Brough in Cumbria and the A1 in County Durham were closed. About 30 schools in North Yorkshire remained closed. Schools in West Yorkshire also had a further day of closures after a second night of heavy snow in places. Radio problems caused delays on all Northern Ireland train services, whilst the snow meant delays to flights from England. All 74 schools in the Borders region of Scotland remained closed because of heavy snow there on Monday. In East Anglia revised train timetables were operating. Schools in Surrey remained shut and more than 420 schools in Sussex, 370 in Kent and 250 in Berkshire also closed. Snow and icy conditions continued to cause problems for large parts of Hampshire, Berkshire and Dorset. Southampton Airport had to close its runway twice on Tuesday because of snow storms. It reopened in the afternoon but at least eight flights were cancelled. Bournemouth Airport's runway reopened shortly before 1500 GMT after the weather had forced its closure. The southbound carriageway of the M5 was closed between junctions 12 and 13, the exits for Gloucester and Stroud, after an accident involving a truck. It was cleared during the evening. All 428 schools in Birmingham remained closed, along with those in Dudley and Solihull. Meanwhile, police received more than 80 complaints about snowballs being thrown at buses, cars and homes in north Worcestershire. (Dunstaffnage 6.8C, Emley Moor -0.8C maximum, Odiham -9.6C minimum, Albemarle 24.4mm, Holbeach 8.7h.)

Snow and sleet fell overnight in N Scotland into the 4th. There were also wintry showers from the Midlands to SW England and in parts of S Ireland - with about 25mm of precipitatiuon in 12 hours in the Dublin area. There was a widespread air frost, sharp in places, in E England and S Scotland. During the day there were further wintry falls from S Wales to Cornwall, in N and E Scotland and in the Channel Islands. E England, S Scotland and much of Ireland had a sunny and mainly dry day. During the evening a band of rain moving N turned to snow while moving across SW England by midnight, with accumulations of between 3cm and 6 cm according to the Met Office. Flash weather warnings were issued in expectation of up to 20cm in the Bristol area of the M4 and M5 and surrounding counties. Parts of the UK continued to face more disruption due to snow, as local councils said they were running low on gritting salt. Most of the 6,000 schools closed on Tuesday reopened on Wednesday in the wake of criticism of the scale of the closures. A 16-year-old girl died after a sledging accident near Sheffield on Tuesday. (Isles of Scilly 8.7C, Salsburgh -0.2C maximum, Shap -9.2C minimum, Kinloss 25.8mm, Charterhall 8.7h.)

According to the Met Office locally heavy outbreaks of sleet and snow moved northwards into the Midlands during the night into the 5th with 20cm of snow settling on the Cotswolds at Cirencester and 11cm accumulating at Boscombe Down. There were also falls of rain and sleet across S England, Essex and Suffolk with some snow showers in W Ireland. Other areas of England and Wales and most of Ireland and Scotland had a widespread air frost. During the day precipitation was widepsread over much of the British Isles with the best of any sunshine being consequently in W Ireland. Outbreaks of snow moved N into Yorkshire, while sleet and snow across Scotland and Northern Ireland edged southeastwards into the far north of England. Snow also fell in W Wales, with rain, sleet and snow falling from E Wales to East Anglia. Inthe evening a slow-moving front spread initially rain and then heavy snow across SW England, before the front became stationary. Near Exeter there were reports of 20cm of snow at Telegraph Hill in Devon caused the stranding of around 200 motorists on the A38. Thunder was reported on Guernsey in the evening. In Northamptonshire heavy falls of snow early in the day caused widespread disruption to transport across the county. 15cm of lying snow was recorded at Pitsford Hall at 0900GMT. Travel disruption and school closures returned following a second round of heavy snowfall across the country. The latest disruption has affected Wales, western, central and northern England as well as parts of Scotland. In the Bristol area, snow and ice badly affected roads and public transport. The Bristol Ferry Boat Company said it saw a jump in the number of passengers as commuters decided to take the water to work rather than risk the icy roads and pavements. Police in Gloucestershire received reports of heavy goods vehicles stuck on a number of roads and salt supplies in the county ran so low that only A-roads were gritted. Powys Council closed all of its 120 schools and more than 100 schools closed in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Flights from Cardiff International Airport were suspended for a time because of snow on the runway but have now resumed. More snowfall brought fresh travel disruption and school closures across South Yorkshire. Up to 10cm of snow fell in some parts of Northern Ireland causing disruption to flights. Scotland was hit by heavy snowfalls, bringing major disruption to roads and around 300 school closures. The Met Office later warned of widespread icy roads for much of Scotland as temperatures fell on Thursday night. Traffic was eventually able to move on the A9 between Inverness and Aviemore after heavy snow had closed the route earlier in the day. Other road closures included the A940 between Dava Moor and Forres, the B9102 between Knockando and Grantown, the B974 and the A68 south of Jedburgh. At Luton Airport flights were cancelled earlier and check-in suspended, but it later reopened although the airport said flights remained subject to delays or cancellation. Police are warning drivers of hazardous conditions continuing on the M1, M25, M11, A14, A1, A428 and A505. Up to 12cm of snow over Oxfordshire disrupted travel routes and closed nearly 300 schools. Having seized up earlier in the week, London was largely unscathed on Thursday. London's buses and tube trains were running normally though there were problems with train services to the west. (Shoreham 8.7C, Dalwhinnie -1.5C maximum, Redesdale Camp -8.5C minimum, Rosehearty 13.6mm, Connaught Airport 6.6h.)

Overnight into the 6th heavy snow fell across southern parts of the UK, from the SW and S Wales to Sussex and Surrey. According to the Met Office there were reports of 55cm of snow in Oakhampton with many other areas of Devon, such as Dunkeswell, having 20cm or more. Throughout the day the snow spread E'wards, while easing to become mostly light. In the morning air frosts were mainly confined to Scotland, N England and E Ireland; there were snow showers across N Scotland overnight. During the day there were some heavy falls of snow in N Scotland and these moved slowly S. Wales and N Ireland also had wintry showers with some falls also in the Midlands and E England. There were also some outbreaks of thunder from Hampshire to W London during the day. Most places had a cold day but the extreme W of Ireland and E of Kent were relatively mild. Both road crossings over the Severn were closed earlier in the day when ice began falling from the top of bridge structures onto cars and smashing windscreens. Elsewhere, motorists were warned to make journeys only if necessary following heavy snow, with up to 10cm falling near Brecon in Powys. First Cymru warned of disruption to bus services, particularly in parts of south Wales. The M5 southbound in the Exeter area has reopened after shutting for sometime. In Devon, the A38 at Haldon Hill, near Exeter has reopened after 200 people had to be rescued from their stranded vehicles there on Thursday evening. All schools in Bath and North East Somerset were closed, as well as another 150 in other parts of Somerset. More than 300 schools in Wiltshire, including Swindon, were closed, and more than 200 were closed across Gloucestershire. Luton Borough Council issued an official warning telling people to avoid the town unless absolutely necessary. Reading Buses said it had suspended all its services in Newbury, while Stagecoach buses has suspended all services in the Witney area of Oxfordshire. Herefordshire and Worcestershire had heavy snow, with 42 schools closed across the two counties. The Met Office issued a severe snow warning for the Grampian area, with drifting snow causing renewed problems. Grampian Police said the B974 was closed and several roads were passable with care, including the A93 west of Crathie and the A96 Huntly to Inverurie road. Aberdeen Airport closed its runway on Friday afternoon because of heavy snowfall. ScotRail announced that buses were replacing trains between Elgin and Huntly because of heavy snow. (Manston 8.9C, Liscombe -0.7C maximum, Shap -11.0C minimum, Aultbea 14.8mm, Dublin Airport 8.5h.)

There was a widespread inland air frost into the 7th with some heavy snow overnight across N Scotland. Snow showers also affected areas of N England, W Wales and N Ireland and fell as far S as Jersey. Heavy snow fell across the Cairngorms. In the morning snow across SE England cleared E from Kent. A NW'ly surface flow with embedded troughs brough spells of snow and sleet to E and NE England, and to parts of Wales and SW England. Further heavy snow fell in N Scotland; roads were closed across N Scotland amd the Forestry Commission Scotland has also warned people to stay away from forest areas in the north east due to heavy snow on trees after about 30cm of snow fell in Aviemore overnight, with 6cm in Aberdeen. Many trees in the north east area had already been broken due to the weight of snow and that others had branches bowing heavily and were at risk of snapping. A ski spokeswoman for the Nevis Range, near Fort William, said conditions were "phenomenal, absolutely wonderful"; the main runs at the resort were open and most lifts were operating apart from the summit tow, which was closed due to wind speed. (Isles of Scilly 7.0C, Dalwhinnie -0.3C maximum, Church Lawford -9.5C minimum, Wick Airport 12.2mm, Holbeach 8.6h.)

Sleet and snow continued to fall in N Scotland into the 8th, while before dawn there were some wintry falls in SW Ireland as a weak warm front pushed E here. According to the Met Office at Dalwhinnie the temperature fell to a minimum of -15.3C, the lowest temperature recorded in the UK so far this winter. Away from SW parts of England and Ireland there was a widespread air frost but during the day skies soon clouded over in the W as frontal precipitation moved E - to affect most of W England and W Scotland by the evening. Precipitation along the front was a mixture of rain, sleet and snow due to the low temperatures - although these did rise in Cornwall and W Ireland. A few more centimetres of snow accumulated over high ground in parts of N England and Scotland. (Belmullet 9.3C, Dalwhinnie -4.3C maximum, Dalwhinnie -15.3C minimum, North Wyke 12.2mm, Braemar 7.9h.)

It was a cold night into the 9th across N Scotland with temperatures below -10C being reported in many areas, with -18.4C at Aviemore. Outbreaks of snow across N England and S Scotland died out overnight. Further south, the night was mainly dry with a widespread frost, but towards mooring outbreaks of rain spread into S England. This rain became heavy and prolonged, especially across counties bordering the English Channel; further north it turned to sleet in places, especially over hills in the Midlands. Parts of N Scotland remained below 0C all day and the sunniest conditions were to be found in N England and N Ireland, N'wards. At Stratfield Mortimer (Berkshire) the 24-hour rainfall total beginning at 0900GMT was 26.7mm; this was the wettest February day there since 1933. (In a major blizzard over 24-25 February 1933, 68.0mm fell (36.8mm on the 24th, 31.2mm on the 25th). A Scottish-based sledge company said it has sold 27,000 since last Monday - with most of them ending up in the south of England. Bill Wilson, who runs sledges.co.uk in Glenmore, near Inverness, said his website took 8,700 hits in one minute last week. Sales of sledges were also booming in the Highlands over the weekend. Paul Kelly, store manager at Howdens Garden Centre in Inverness, said they sold 120 in the past week. Council emergency planning teams are on "full alert" for floods, according to the Local Government Association, as the lying snow melts and is combined with the heavy rain in S England. Bristol International Airport closed at 2030 GMT amid deteriorating weather conditions and snowfall. Trains were disrupted by flooded tracks in Somerset and Wiltshire. By 2325GMT the Environment Agency had issued 57 flood warnings affecting homes and businesses near some rivers across southern England. A further 135 areas in the South were on flood watch, meaning low lying land and roads could be affected. There were also problems on the rail network, with flooding causing delays to South West Trains and Cross Country services between London Waterloo and south coast destinations. (Jersey 10.6C, Altnaharra -5.7C maximum, Aviemore -18.4C minimum, Isles of Scilly 62.2mm, Tain Range 8.6h.)

The 10th began with MSL pressure down to 975mb over S Hampshire at 0000GMT. This low pressure centre and its accompanying fronts gave rain, sleet and snow across much of S and cent England overnight. The snow was mainly confined to the higher ground of SW England and S Wales with 10-15cm of snowfall in places, including Bristol. The rain was heavy at times and along with melting snow, led to significant flooding in parts of S Devon, Dorset and also Essex. Some sleet and snow also fell over parts of the Midlands and East Anglia. It was also windy with N'ly gales as the low moved away E. Further N the day began on a mainly dry note with a widespread air frost across Scotland and N Ireland - this frost was sever in parts of N Scotland. During the day shwoers, some wintry, continued over parts of England, in both the W and E; in the evening there was also rain in W Scotland and snow showers in E Scotland. Jersey Airport reported thunder in the afternoon, while many places across the British Isles had a sunny day once early precipitation had cleared. Eleven roads across Oxfordshire were closed by flooding caused by thawing snow. (Isles of Scilly 9.3C, Altnaharra -0.8C maximum, Aviemore -16.4C minimum, East Malling 17.4mm, Shobdon 8.4h.)

The 11th saw high pressure developing from the SW and most places had a mainly dry day as a result. There was an overnight air frost in Cent and E England, and in E and N Scotland; rain fell in SW Ireland later in the night and there were a few snow showers across N and E Scotland. Mist and fog in SW and Cent S England was freezing for a while around dawn in places. During the morning there were some wintry showers across N and E Scotland that spreadinto NE and E England; these tended to turn to rain and sleet as the parent front pushed S. MSL pressure rose to 1022mb in Northern Ireland by 2400GMT and mush of Britain and N Ireland (except N England) had a sunny day. (Milford Haven 9.5C, Spadeadam 0.4C maximum, Altnaharra -14.4C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 6.2mm, Inverbervie 9.0h.)

Despite high pressure over S areas on the 12th, heavy snow returned across Scotland, in particular, today. There was a widespread air frost across Britain but Ireland dawned milder and cloudier with rain across W Ireland and the Western Isles by dawn. There was also snow in N Scotland overnight and by mid-morning this had reached S Scotland. During the morning the snow then moved further S into the N Midlands, reaching East Anglia by midday. Further W, rain pushed across Ireland during the morning and into parts of W Wales by nmidday with the temperature rising as the rain arrived. The snow continued to move S through E England into Kent by the evening, with falls also across parts of Cent S England; meanwhile the rain in the W reached the E Midlands in the evening, with some freezing rain noted in Norfolk as it ran into the colder air. Heavy snow caused major problems for schools and travel across Scotland, including the N, NE and the Borders. All of Shetland's schools and scores more across the rest of the country were closed or partially closed. The runway at Inverness Airport was closed earlier in the day and a severe ice warning was issued for Grampian, Tayside, Fife and Highland. Grampian Police said on the A939 the gates were closed beyond the Lecht on the Aberdeenshire side. In E England accumulations of snow where generally 2-5cm, but locally 5-10cm over higher ground. More than 100 vehicles were stuck in heavy snow in the Yorkshire Wolds, police said. Ahead of the rain and snow areas SE of a line The Wash to Devon had some sunny spells, but elsewhere it was a cloudy day. (Shannon Airport 12.1C, Topcliffe 0.3C maximum, Shap -8.8C minimum, Kinlochewe 12.2mm, Manston 6.0h.)

Light snow in Suffolk cleared by dawn on the 13th. Any overnight air frost was mainly confined to East Anglia and E Scotland with overnight in some areas of N Englnd and S and W Scotland giving some light rain. Precipitation amounts during the day were slight but widespread cloud led to a rather dull day over Wales, W Scotland and Ireland. Further E there were sunny periods although showers fekll close to the E coast of England and Scotland. My midnight MSl pressure had risen to 1028mb over N England with colder air in the E behind a cold front - and milder conditions across Ireland and the Western Isles. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 11.4C, Cassley 0.5C maximum, Kinbrace -14.5C minimum, Bridlington 8.6mm, Church Fenton 7.8h.)

The 14th saw a continuation of the cloudy-clear split with very little sunshine W of a line Hull-Dorset. There was an air frost in E England which was sharp in places with grass minimum temperatures widely below -8C in Cent S England. Small amounts of overnight precipitation were mainly confined to areas bordering the Irish Sea - falling from a front that then pushed E across W England during the day, the skies in the SE then starting to cloud over. However, precipitation amounts during the day were slight. (Shannon Airport 10.9C, Spadeadam 2.1C maximum, Benson -6.9C minimum, Baltasound 6.4mm, Woburn 6.4mm)

Except for S Ireland and parts of SW England and S Ireland, the 15th was rather cloudy day with weak fronts and high pressure resulting in a little precipitation. The cloud meant little air frost except for a few places from Kent to Sussex while N Scotland had some rain. Mist and haze were fairly widespread in the morning for a while. Further patches of rain moved from S Scotland and N Ireland into N England early in the morning - and Eskdalemuir reported some light snow before dawn. During the day there was some light rain in N England and some sunny intervals in SW areas of the British Isles - with light rain in NE Scotland in the evening. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 13.4C, Cottesmore 5.6C maximum, Gravesend -1.5C minimum, Fyvie Castle 9.0mm, Liscombe 5.8h.)

There was little rain overnight into the 16th except in N and W Scotland. Elesehwre, under high pressure, skies were rather cloudy and there was no air frost. By dawn there were mist patches from E England to SW England with fog in a few places. During the day the rain became more widespread in E Scotland and NE England for a while while persisting over N Scotland. Wales, Cent and S England and E Ireland had sunny periods during the day but it was rather cloudy elsewhere. By midnight MSL pressure had risen to 1030.6mb at Cork Airport. (Ashford Co. Wicklow 12.6C, Pershore 0.7C, Cassley 17.8mm, Woburn 5.7h.)

A rather cloudy high pressure area affected all areas on the 17th, although there were sunny periods in E Ireland and parts of E Scotland. The day began following an air frost-free night which was wet at times in the Northern Isles. During the day there was light rain or drizzle in a few area, particluarly in parts of E Britain, but most places remained dry. It was quite warm in parts of NE Scotland, possibly as the result of a foehn wind off the mountains. (Kinloss 14.1C, Weybourne 6.8C maximum, Katesbridge 1.5C minimum, Port Ellen 3.0mm, Ashford, Co. Wicklow 8.0h.)

The 18th dawned following a mild night with some light rain in parts of N Scotland and E Britain. Parts of NE and E England and East Anglia had some overnight fog. Except in a few parts of E Scotland it was another cloudy day with the fog being slow to clear in parts of Yorkshire. W Ireland, E Britain and Cent S England in particluar had some, mainly light, frontal rain and drizzle during the day and visibility in many parts of Cent England remained poor during the day. (Shawbury 12.3C, Langdon Bay 4.7C maximum, Katesbridge 0.8C minimum, Sutton Bonington 4.6mm, Leuchars 3.3h.)

The 19th saw the fronts that had given much of the cloud over recent days finally moving SE across the British Isles, to give a sunny day in manty parts of Scotland and W Ireland. However, overnight cloud made for another mild night in many places - with some frontal rain falling from W Ireland to Shetland and in parts of England and Wales. The precipitation tended to push SE during the day, following early mist and fog in many area of England. (Monks Wood 11.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.2C maximum, Langdon Bay 0.1C minimum, Cassley 4.0mm, Valentia 7.8h.)

High pressure intensified across S areas on the 20th, with MSL pressure rising to 1035mb in S Ireland and SW England by 2400GMT. There was some early rain in parts of East Anglia and SE England with overnight mist and fog in E, Cent and S England and in parts of Wales. Parts of N Ireland and SW Scotland had an air frost for a time. During the day fronts pushed rapidly E across Scotland, giving widespread rain here that also affected N parts of Ireland and England. The rain was heavy at times in NW Scotland. Most of S Ireland, Wales and Cent and S England had a bright day with sunny spells - but it remained misty in places particluarly around the coasts of SW England. (Pembrey Sands 12.5C, Spadeadam 4.1C maximum, Katesbridge -4.4C minimum, Lerwick 9.6mm, Aberporth 7.2h.)

Some rain continued to affect N and W Scotland into the 21st but most other parts of the British Isles had a cloudy and relatively mild start to the day. The day saw further frontal rain across N and W Scotland but as a cold front started to push SE across Scotland in the afternoon it turned brighter here - light rain and drizzle then spread into N parts of England and Cent areas of Ireland as the front continued to push SE. E Scotland and much of E Ireland, Wales and England had sunny spells during the day although N and W areas of Scotland were dull until at least sunset. (Durham 13.7C, Spadeadam 6.2C maximum, Benson and Ashford, Co. Wicklow -1.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 15.0mm, Thorney Island 9.2h.)

For most areas the 22nd was a cloudy day; a weakening cold front cleared S England around midday and this was followed by further weak fronts that spread E across many areas in the afternoon and evening. The resulting falls of rain and drizzle, although widespread, were mostly slight, with the best of any sunshine being in SE Scotland, NE England and in parts of SW England and Wales. (Boscombe Down 13.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.9C maximum, Shobdon 1.9C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 5.6mm, Yeovilton 6.1h.)

Despite continuing high pressure on the 23rd the day was a mostly cloudy one, although there were sunny periods in parts of E Ireland, Wales and SW England. The cloud prevented any air frost at low levels in the British Isles although overnight there were some falls of heavy rain in N Scotland with further falls as far S as N England and East Anglia. During the day rainfall was mainly confined to parts of N Scotland although many areas of E England had some slight drizzle. (Strathallan 14.6C, Okehampton 6.4C maximum, Baltasound 1.8C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 26.0mm, Liscombe 6.8h.)

Mostly cloudy conditions continued into the 24th with the best of any sunshine during the day being found in E Scotland and NE England. Away from W and N Scotland where there was some overnight rain, there was a mainly dry and mild start to the day although low cloud gave some light drizzle in parts of England and mist and fog in parts of inland England. During the day it was, again, mainly dry with further light drizzle in places. Pressure fell from the W in the afternoon and evening as a cold front moved E to reach W areas of Ireland and Scotland by midnight. (Topcliffe 13.2C, St Bees Head 6.7C maximum, Strathallan -1.4C minimum, Kinlochewe 2.6mm, Charterhall 4.8h.)

Overnight into the 25th skies were mainly cloudy with some drizzle in parts of S England. A cold front spread across Ireland and Scotland during the morning giving some rain. An area of low pushed E towards Shetland during the day, giving windy conditions in N Scotland. There were further spells of rain during the day across Scotland - although falls were mainly greatest in the N and W - but rain did affect other areas of Wales and N England by the evening. S parts of England and Wales remained cloud and rather dull - elsewhere there were widespread sunny periods between any rain and showers. Showers fell as snow over hills in Scotland and with sleet in some lower lying areas there. Gusts increased to 55kn at North Rona by 1200GMT with 70kn there at 1800GMT - and a windy evening over Scotland as a result. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 12.3C, Dalwhinnie 5.6C maximum, Cassley 2.5C minimum, Cassley 20.6mm, Guernsey Airport 8.5h.)

A W'ly surface flow and cloudy skies meant no air frost in the early hours of the 26th. There was frontal rain over parts of N Ireland and in W and N areas of Scotland - the falls being heavy and persistent over high ground. These areas of Scotland remained wet for much of the day - and the rain also spread further S into parts of Cent Ireland, N wales and N England. A few showers fell over the Midlands and East Anglia during the day but S areas of the British Isles remained mainly dry. There was generally little sunshine during the day - although parts of E Scotland, including the Northern Isles, and W Wales had sunny peiods. (Leuchars 12.5C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.0C maximum, Shobdon 2.0C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 19.2mm, Braemar 4.5h.)

The 27th saw a warm front push across Ireland and then most other areas, introduing a warm sector and giving a spring-like temperatures across much of Cent and E England and parts of SE Scotland. There as widespread rain across Scotland and N parts of Ireland and England overnight - this spread E during the morning although further S the warm front gave little more than a spell of thick cloud. In the evening outbreaks of drizzle and very light rain affected western areas of Scotland, England and Wales, mainly on high ground, but heavier and more persistent rain moved across Shetland - where it was a cool day. It was a cloudy day across many areas - but there were sunny spells in the SE quarter of England and in parts of W Ireland, with broken sunshine elsewhere. (Charlwood 15.3C, Baltasound 4.4C maximum, Lerwick 1.7C minimum, Stonyhurst 14.8mm, Kenley 10.1h.)

The 28th was a rather cloudy day across W areas of Ireland and in the hebrides as a slow-moving cold front brought some rain here. Despite the warm conditions of the previous day there was an early ground frost in parts of the Channel Islands, Sussex and NE Scotland. Overnight rain in N Scotland was heavy in Shetland at times but it turned drier here during the day. The cold front also led to some drizzle over high gtound as far E as Cumbria. E Scotland had a sunny day as did the Channel Islands; elsewhere it was rather cloudy. (Fyvie Castle 13.2C maximum, Lake Vyrnwy 6.3C maximum, Aboyne 0.0C minimum, Lerwick 19.4mm, Guernsey Airport 6.8h.)

British Isles weather, March 2009

A cold front pushed E across the British Isles on the 1st, giving rain overnight in Ireland and W Scotland although during the daytime falls were mainly confined to W and Cent Scotland and to N Ireland - where the rain turned to showers. England remained mainly dry; although the SE corner of England remained cloudy during the day most other parts of the British Isles had some sunshine either side of ther front. (Pershore 12.5C, Dalwhinnie 5.2C maximum, Hurn -1.0C minimum,Tyndrum 11.0mm, Cork Airport 9.2h.)

Low pressure approaching towards the NW of Scotland during the 2nd led to increasing wind speeds during the day. There was some rain across W Scotland and W Ireland overnight - along with an air frost in parts of E Britain. The rain moved SE during the day as weak fronts crossed the British Isles; behind the fronts there were frequent heavy showers across Scotland, N England and N Ireland. The best of the sunshine was to be found in Cent and E England - with SE England have a very sunny day. A few showers of snow fell over N Scotland in the evening. (Lossiemouth 12.6C, Lake Vyrnwy 6.2C maximum, Benson -4.1C minimum, Tyndrum 14.8mm, Thorney Island 10.1h.)

A succession of fronts crossed the British Isles on the 3rd and by 2400GMT pressure had falled to 969mb near Dundee as low pressure developed south of Ireland and moved over N Wales and N England and then into Scotland. There was little frost overnight but it was cold enough for snow showers before dawn in parts of N Scotland. During the day snow fell over lowe ground in other parts of Scotland as rain spread E to affect all areas; there were some heavy falls in parts of S and Cent England while snow showers fell in parts of Ireland and the Isle of Man. Thunder was reported in Hampshire during the evening and some hail was reported as a cold front swept across England later in the day. The Met Office reported gusts of over 50mph in SW England and S Wales in the evening. In most areas it was a cloudy day with parts of E Scotland and W Ireland having some sunny intervals. (London 11.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 2.1C maximum, Aboyne -2.6C minimum, Tyndrum 33.4mm, Kinloss 3.0h.)

Rain from a cold front cleared S Britain by dawn on the 4th; behind the front many places had an air frost and snow showers fell across Scotland and parts of N England before dawn. The day was unsettled with low pressure centres close to, or over, Scotland and S England. As a result the day brought a mixture of sunny spells and wintry showers; the Met Office reported a funnel cloud being sighted close to Manston. Despite prolonged sunshine in many parts of England and Scotland it was a cold day. (London 8.7C, Tulloch Bridge 1.7C maximum, Katesbridge -3.0C minimum, Cassley 25.6mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 9.4h.)

An area of low pressure close to Sw England for much of the night led to snow in SW England into the 5th with up to 15cm of snow falling. There was a widespread ground frost before dawn, with a sharp ground in E Scotand; away from the coasts, only S Ireland and SW England escaped an air frost. Early snow showers also fell in parts of W Scotland and the Channel Islands, and also fell as far E as Hampshire in the S. Low pressure close to Scotland brought some heavy snow thgat moved E across Scotland. Mist and fog patches were widespread by dawn over areas of E and NE England. During the day the band of heavy snow continued to move slowly E'wards across Cent and E Scotland, turning to rain and sleet later. E Ireland had some snow in the morning but by midday snow had largely stopped falling in S England. Most places had sunny spells during the day. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 9.7C, Spadeadam 1.6C maximum, Braemar -9.6C minimum, Chivenor 22.4mm, Church Fenton 9.0h.)

Overnight into the 6th some light rain fell in W areas of Ireland and Scotland; elsewhere it was a cold night with widespread frost. frontal cloud affected much of Scotland, Ireland, N England and Wales during the day with rain falling in these areas by the evening - after some light snow in Cent Scotland. East Anglia and SE England stayed largely cloud-free during the day with long sunny spells here. (Shannon Airport 11.8C, Dalwhinnie 4.3C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -7.5C minimum, Chivenor 8.4mm, Thorney Island 10.6h.)

There was little rain overnight into the 7th although cloud cover was widespread away from some E areas of England. During the morning frontal rain spread across Ireland and the day became unsettled, with low pressure and strengthening winds across N Scotland. During the day most of Scotland, Wales and ireland had spells of rain - with onlt Cent, S and some E areas of England having a few sunny spells. Heavy rain affected S and W Scotland, N England and N Ireland during the evening, with gales around the coasts. The met Office reported that very squally conditions affected Northern Ireland temporarily in the evening, as a narrow band of more intense rain and hail moved eastwards; there was a gust of 74kn at Orlock Head. (Casement Aerodrome 14.2C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.8C maximum, Norwich Airport -1.2C minimum, Eskdalemuir 20.8mm, Wisley 4.5h.)

Low pressure close to N Scotland continued to affect the weather on the 8th; at 1800GMT MSL pressure was down to 966.3mb at Baltasound. Rain affected E areas of England before dawn as two cold fronts cleared to the E. Elsewhere there was widespread overnight precipitation which fell as snow over parts of Scotland and W Ireland. Widespread shwoers continued throughout the day, with further snow that later fell in N and E parts of England. Between the showers there were sunny intervals, especially in S and E England. Gales were widespread in N areas during the day with gusts over 50kn; the showers tended to die down in the evening. (Heathrow 11.7C, Braemar 2.3C maximum, Dalwhinnie -1.1C minimum, Baltasound 29.6mm, Thorney Island 8.1h.)

Rain overnight into the 9th was confined to a small area of S England and also to N Ireland, Scotland and parts of N England. Low pressure close to N Scotland meant a windy night across N Britain. According to the Met Office N and many W areas had showers overnight and some of these were heavy with hail and quite squally in places. During the day W Ireland these same N areas had further showers - other areas remained mainly dry and most places away from W Ireland had sunny spells, especially in cent S and SE England. During the evening, further rain spread across Ireland, Wales and W England towards the Midlands, while there were further showers in N Scotland. (Heathrow 11.6C, Dalwhinnie 4.6C maximum, Little Rissington 0.0C minimum, Altnaharra 17.0mm, Shobdon 9.4h.)

During the early hours of the 10th and throughout the morning a shallow low pressure system crossed E'wards over N England and brought frontal rain to N Ireland, S Scotland and all areas to the S. Elsewhere over Scotland there was a widespread ground frost and an air frost in E Scotland. There were a few showers and outbreaks of light rain over England, Wales and N Scotland in the afternoon; N Ireland, S Scotland and N England had a sunny day once early rain had cleared - with sunny periods in other areas. While cloud cleared in the evening in E Britain, the next area of frontal cloud and rain spread across much of Ireland. Some mist formed in S England in the evening. (Shoreham and Belmullet 13.6C, Dalwhinnie 6.3C maximum, Dalwhinnie -2.6C minimum, Capel Curig 26.4mm, Glasgow and Malin Head 9.9h.)

Rain over Ireland during the early hours spread E across the British Isles during the 11th, leaving England and Wales in a warm sector by midnight. Ahead of the rain there was a widespread ground frost in Britain with an air frost in many inland areas. Falls of rain away from Ireland and Scoitland were mainly slight - however, increasing amounts of cloud meant that away from Cent and E areas of England (and around Dublin) there was little sunshine. SW England had spells of coast/hill fog and as a cold front started to edge slowly SE'wards there was some heavy rain in Scotland in the evening. Areas to the E of Wales and in E Ireland had a warm afternoon. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 16.7C, St Bees Head 7.1C maximum, Aboyne -4.3C minimum, Lusa 22.8mm, Norwich Airport 9.5h.)

The cold front continued to push S and E during the morning of the 12th, before becoming stationary across S England around midday, and later edging slightly N'wards. Rainfall was mainly confine to W areas with little rain in E England - and after the front passed there were sunny spells. S England and S ireland remained mostly cloudy. A few showers fell in the colder air across N and Cent Scotland. Pressure rose slowly in S Britain, reaching 1024.8mb in the Channel Islands by 2400GMT. The Met Office reported extensive hill fog and a few coastal fog patches in SW England and W Wales. (Coningsby 14.3C, Dalwhinnie 7.3C maximum, Fyvie Castle 3.3c minimum, Tyndrum 19.6mm, Inverbervie 10.2h.)

The 13th was a rather cloudy day except in E Scotland and parts of E England. This was the result of a weak warm front that slowly edged N and then NE during the day. High pressure in the S gave way during the day to an area of low pressure close to W Scotland; MSL pressure fell to 994.2mb at 2400GMt at South Uist Range. There were scattered mist and fog patches around dawn while the front gave mainly light falls of rain and drizzle; a following cold front gave some further falls of rain across Ireland and W Britain later in the day. (London 13.8C, Eskdalemuir 6.8C maximum, Katesbridge -0.4C minimum, Aberdaron 2.6mm, Inverbervie 8.1h.)

The cold front cleared E Britain during the morning of the 14th - but gave little precipitation in the E. An area of low pressure centred to the W of Orkney at 1200GMT, and its associated fronts, gave some heavy rain across N and W Scotland, and also gave gales across this area. W and N Scotland consequently also had a rather dull day, while elsewhere there were widespread sunny spells. Casement Aerodrome reported thunder before dawn. Scattered showers affected other parts of Scotland, Ireland and N England and windy conditions spread across N Ireland, N England and Scotland into the afternoon. (St James Park 14.2C, Lerwick 7.3C maximum, Charlwood 4.4C minimum, Cassley 30.8mm, Camborne 10.3h.)

High pressure built across S Britain on the 15th with 1033.6mb being reported on Scilly at 1200GMT. Frontal cloud gave some rain to N Scotland overnight - and also to W Scotland during the day; elsewhere the day was mainly dry and although most of Scotland and Ireland were cloudy it was very sunny in parts of S England after some early mist had cleared. (St James Park 15.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 8.8C maximum, Hurn -1.2C minimum, Kinlochewe 10.6mm, Liscombe 11.7h.)

The weather on the 16th was the result of a cold front pushing S across Scotland and N Ireland into a developing high pressure area over the British Isles. Parts of S England and S Wales had any early ground frost with some mist and fog patches in the Midlands and S England around dawn. Overnight frontal rain was reported over N ireland and in W and N parts of Scotland - with heavy falls over high ground. During the day the rain eased off but spread SE into N England by the evening; as a result Ireland and Scotland had a rather cloudy day but in Cent and S parts of England there was prolonged sunshine. (London 17.2C, Eskdalemuir 7.4C maximum, Benson -1.7C minimum, Lusa 24.2mm, Bedford 11.3h.)

There was a widespread air frost into the 17th across N and Cent Scotland, with an air frost in a few sheltered pockets in S England. Across S Scotland and N England cloudy skies from a front gave some very light rain. N parts of Shetland had some light rain before dawn, and parts of Cent S England had some mist and fog patches around dawn.Cloud from the fron lingered across the N midlands during the day; elsewhere there were sunny spells with much of Wales and S England have a very sunny day. In the evening fog formed across areas of E England, where it had been a cold day near the coast. (Chivenor 16.6C, Wainfleet 6.7C maximum, Braemar -4.5C minimum, Baltasound 1.4mm, Aberdaron 11.8h.)

Although weak fronts affected parts of Scotland on the 18th, most areas remained under the influence of high pressure. As a result N Scotland had a cloudy day with some light rain - although this precipitation was largely confined to daylight hours. Further s there was a little air frost across parts of the N Midlands and N Wales, with a widespread ground frost, followed by long sunny periods during the day. NE and E England had some early fog with mist being widespread elsewhere across England - this continued as haze during the day across many parts of England. (Valentia 18.9C, Lerwick 7.6C maximum, Capel Curig -2.4C minimum, Stornoway 0.8mm, Aberdaron 11.9h.)

High pressure over and to the E of Britain on the 19th made for another mainly dry and sunny day. The day began with a widespread inland ground frost and mist/haze, with fog and air frost in places. During the day the fog gradually cleared and most places had a sunny day. Notrable exceptions to this were places down the E coast of Britain, where there was widespread low cloud; in E parts of Northern Ireland there was some fog during the day. In the afternoon and evening the areas of low cloud across E England drifted slightly W'wards into Cent England. As this cloud drifted W there was a sudden drop in temperatured reported from some places in SE England; in Essex at 1500GMT, temperatures were around 7-8C, while to the W of London 13-15C was more typical. (Valentia 17.7C, Inverbervie 6.3C maximum, Katesbridge -3.6C minimum, Thorney Island 0.4mm, Dunstaffnage 12.0h.)

High pressure to the E of Britain on the 20th led to a light/moderate N'l surface flow. There was a widespread inland ground frost overnight with widespread mist and haze; fog affected the Central Lowlands in particular. Except for a few coastal places in E or N Scotland the day brought widespread sunny spells and little cloud - with warm conditions in N parts of mainland Scotland. During the evening mist and haze again became widespread with some fog in parts of N Scotland. (Altnaharra 18.5C, Inverbervie 6.2C maximum, Aboyne -4.6C minimum, Manston 0.4mm, Thorney Island 12.1h.)

Clear skies into the 21st led to an early air frost in many inland areas of Britain, a widespread air frost and also widespread mist and haze, with some fog patches. By dawn frontal cloud had brought some light drizzle to the extreme W of Ireland and Scotland. During the day sunny spells were widespread, with the exception of the Manchester area. Some light rain fell in parts of NW Scotland from a decaying cold front, while haze remained widespread across S and Cent parts of England. (Linton On Ouse 16.2C, Leek 7.7C maximum, Kinbrace -4.8C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 2.0mm, North Wyke 12.1h.)

Despite an area of high pressure remaining anchored close to SW Ireland on the 22nd, it was a rather windy and unsettled day across N Scotland. Here, frontal cloud brought spells of rain from time to time, with some heavy falls over the hills. There was a widespread ground frost by dawn except in W areas and around N Scotland - and during the day most places had some sunshine, with long sunny periods in S England. (Lee-on-Solent 16.4C, Lerwick 7.5C maximum, Trawscoed -2.4C minimum, Cassley 19.6mm, North Wyke 11.2h.)

A cold front pushed S'wards across all areas on the 23rd, bringing a NW'ly airflow to all places by the evening - and slightly cooler air. The day dawned wet and windy over N Scotland and after a dry start rain spread S into England, Wales and Ireland. There were sunny periods before and after the rain, with some scattered showers following the front. As it turned colder there were falls of snow over some of the high ground in Scoitland. There were also reports of a few thunderstorms in the afternoon in N Scotland. (Shoreham 14.1C, Braemar 5.2C maximum, Lerwick 1.1C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 32.0mm, Glasgow 8.6h.)

The Met Office reported that heavy showers and thunderstorms continued into the early hours of the 24th, with some hail also falling. Elsewhere the skies cleared and there was a widespread inland ground frost. By dawn further frontal rain was starting to affect W Ireland - and this then spread E into W Scotland and NW England by the evening - later arriving in S and E parts of England. Ireland and W Scotland had a mostly cloudy day, but England and Wales had sunny spells. Precipitation amounts across England in the evening were mainly slight, while another area of organised showers affected W Scotland in the evening. (Lee-on-Solent 13.1C, Lerwick 5.9C maximum, Tyndrum -2.0C minimum, Tyndrum 14.8mm, Thorney Island 10.4h.)

Cloud and rain affected most N and E areas of the British Isles into the 25th as a frontal system moved away to the E. Showers followed the rain in the N and W and these showery conditions then spread to most other places during the day. The showers were heavy in places - especially around Manchester - while in the East Midlands, East Anglia and Lincolnshire areas in the afternoon there was some hail and thunder. By the evening skies had again clouded over in Ireland - heralding the next frontal system that gave rain and drizzle here, and in W Scotland, in the evening. (Durham 14.1C, Leek 7.5C maximum, Altnaharra 1.7C minimum, Rochdale 14.0mm, Camborne 10.6h.)

Low pressure centred close to Scotland throughout the 26th led to the MSL pressure dropping to 970.1mb at Sule Skerry by 1200GMT. As a result it was a windy day in most areas; fronts crossed the British Isles during the day although rainfall amounts were generally greatest in the W. Showers followed the rain as a sequence of cold fronts followed - with lightning in East Anglia. Hail showers were widespread and there weas some snow in the Highlands. Gusts included one of 79mph at Cairnwell, with wet and windy weather continuing into the evening as Fair Isle reported 968.7mb at 2100GMT. (Monks Wood 15.6C, Dalwhinnie 4.6C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 1.1C minimum, Tyndrum 27.4mm, Inverbervie 9.9h.)

The 27th was a blustery day with a low pressure system moving S'wards to the E of Scotland and fronts/troughs giving spells of rain or showers to most places. Overnight precipitation was mainly confined to Scotland, W Ireland and N England - but became widespread during the day. In Scotland snow fell over high ground during the day - with hail and isolated thunder elsewhere. Snow showers also fell in other areas of Scotland and over high ground parts of N England. Most places, except parts of SW England, saw a few hours of sunshine during the day. (Hurn 11.5C, Spadeadam 5.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 0.5C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 31.4mm, Durham 10.0h.)

Low pressure to the E and a ridge building from the W on the 28th led to a cool day with a N'ly flow. Most places had rain and/or hail showers at sometime during the day with a longer spell of rain and hill snow in N Scotland during the early hours. Snow showers were widespread over Scotland and N Ireland during the morning, but as pressure rose they became less common and there were few reports of wintry weather at low levels in the evening. The Met Office reported lightning locally during the afternoon around Peterborough and to the S and W of London. In the evening some sleet was reported in NW England while a front gave some sleet over high ground in W Scotland. (Lee-on-Solent 12.8C, Braemar 1.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -1.3C minimum, Aviemore 11.8mm, Tiree 9.4h.)

High pressure early on the 29th made for a mainly dry night with a widespread ground frost and air frost in many places. However, across N Scotland frontal cloud led to some rain - and to wintry weather over high ground. While high pressure gave a mainly dry day in many S areas, it was breezy over N and Cent Scotland with rain spreading E here; Ireland also had some rain. This cloud and rain spread into N England and Wales in the evening. Many areas of N and cent England had in excess of 10h of bright sunshine - but W araes of Scotland and Ireland were rather dull. (Machrihanish 12.1C, Dalwhinnie 6.0C maximum, Eskdalemuir -7.1C minimum, Lusa 7.6mm, Church Fenton 12.1h.)

Clear skies into the 30th led to an air frost in E England and during the morning there was some sunshine here before frontal cloud arrived from the W; parts of Kent and Sussex remained sunny for much of the day. Elsewhere the night was rather cloudy with some light rain over W parts of the British Isles as far E as wales and Shetland. The cloud persisted during the day and spread slowly E - but the rain became patchy and mainly confined to N Scotland under a slow-moving front. Further S the fronts across England and Wales faded as they ran into high pressure. Shetland had some sleet and hail showers during the morning. (Holbeach 15.1C, Lerwick 6.8C maximum, South Farnborough -3.7C minimum, Tyndrum 5.4mm, Thorney Island 12.1h.)

Rather cloud skies meant little frost on the 31st - with only a groundd frost in parts of E and NE England, and the Channel Islands. Overnight precipitation was mainly confined to N Scotland and this did not cease here until later in the day. Further S, decaying fronts across S parts of England, Wales and ireland meant a dull - but mostly dry - day here. Elsewhere, there were sunny spells away from the cloud over N and W Scotland with warm, foehn conditions in E Scotland. E England also turned warm. By 2400GMT pressure was high over the British Isles, centred at 1025mb near Carlisle. (Dyce 17.7C, Baltasound 6.9C maximum, Katesbridge 0.4C minimum, Lerwick 5.8mm, Guernsey Airport 11.8h.)

British Isles weather, April 2009

The 1st dawned with a slight ground frost in place but with high pressure meaning to a mainly dry night. Parts of E England also had a few fog patches around dawn. A dry and rather cloudy day followed - but with some sunny intervals in most places and with SE England and east Anglia having a mainly sunny day. Despite the cloud, it was a aminly mild day. (Lee-on-Solent 17.4C, Ballypatrick Forest 9.8C maximum, Benson -1.9C minimum, Baltasound 3.4mm, Kenley 12.2h.)

Most places had a cool night into the 2nd although air frost was confined mainly to parts of Wales and N Scotland. Low cloud pushed E across S and Cent England and Wales before dawn and early mist or haze was widespread before dawn. Most places had long sunny spells during the day, although mist and low cloud was persistent around Lincolnshire and in one or two other areas bordering S parts of the North Sea. During the evening more low cloud, mist and fog drifted N'wards along North Sea coasts towards E Scotland. (Edinburgh Gogarbank 19.0C, Donna Nook 6.8C maximum, Kinbrace -2.9C minimum, Isle Of Portland 0.6mm, Aberdaron 12.9h.)

Ground frost was widespread into the 3rd and there were local air frosts in parts of Wales and N Scotland in particular. Frontal cloud spread some rain into W Ireland before dawn and this then spread across remaining areas of Ireland during the day. E and Cent areas of England suffered from low cloud and some mist and fog overnight and this then meant low sunshine amounts here during the day - although in most places this low cloud did finally break up. In the evening haze and mist reformed in many areas and the rain in the W spread into some W areas of Wales and Scotland and into SW England. There ws a report of snow grains falling through thick fog at 0600GMT at Spadeadam. Parts of N Scotland had a warm and very sunny day while some areas close to the E coast of Britain had a very cold day. (Kinlochewe 19.8C, Inverbervie 5.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -2.1C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 7.6mm, Tain Range 13.0h.)

Some E parts of Scotland had a slight air frost into the 4th but further W the night was rather cloudy as frontal cloud gave falls of rain over Ireland and W Britain. During the day an area of low pressure on the front affected Scotland - wher the day was consequently rather dull. The rain made very little progress E into England and during the day was mainly confined to Scotland and Northern Ireland. S and Cent parts of England, Wales and Ireland had a sunny day as high pressure built from the SW during the afternoon. (St James Park 17.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.5C maximum, Kinbrace -3.0C minimum, Aultbea 26.6mm, Aberdaron 10.9h.)

N and W Scotland and the Northern Isles had some rain into the early hours of the 5th; elsewhere there were mainly clear skies with a widespread ground frost and an air frost in parts of England. SW areas of England and the Channel Islands also reported fog before dawn. High pressure over s England made for a dry day in most places - NW and N Scotland had frontal r5ain, however, and it ws cool and cloudy here. Ireland had sunny periods, but elsewhere there were sunny spells for much of the day. (Charlwood 16.9C, Stornoway 8.5C maximum, Topcliffe -3.3C minimum, Stornoway 16.6mm, Manston 11.9h.)

Air frosts into the 6th were generally limited to inland parts of NW Scotland; low pressure, which was to remain close to W Ireland during the day, gave some rain in W Ireland overnight - elsewhere it was a dry and rather cloudy night. S, Cent and E areas of England had mist or fog by dawn and by 0600GMt frontal rain had arrived in SW parts of Cornwall. This rain spread a little further E during the day and by the evening SW England, Wales and SW Scotland had seen moderate falls of rain. The SE corner of England had sunny spells during the day ahead of the cloud - and it was also quite warm here too. In the showery airstream behinnd the fronts there were also sunny intervals in W Ireland. (London 19.0C, Lough Fea 6.4C maximum, Aboyne -2.2C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 11.4mm, Wisley 8.7h.)

Low pressure persisted to the W of the British Isles on the 7th giving a mostly S'ly flow to the British Isles. Overnight rain affected areas from SW England N'wards - as the front moved NE there was little rain in many E areas. Some showers also continued to fall in W parts once the main rain area had cleared. An area of low pressure crossed N Ireland during the evening (982mb MSl pressure close to Belfast at 2400GMT) and this meant a rather cloudy and wet day for most of Ireland although there were sunny spells ahead of the low around Dublin. SW Scotland also had a rather dull day with showers here and over N Scotland - elsewhere there were sunny spells and it was a warm day in E England. The Met Office reported some heavy and thundery showers later in the day over NW Devon and S Wales - these showers later died out but the low over N Ireland brought some strong winds to W parts of the British Isles in the evening; gusts reported at 2400GMT included 50kn at Valley and 54kn at Capel Curig. (Holbeach 15.9C, Tulloch Bridge 7.4C maximum, Glenanne 1.0C minimum, Tyndrum 25.0mm, Thorney Island 10.6h.)

Cloudy skies into the 8th prevented an air frost at low levels and rain was widespread as the low over N Ireland at midnight moved towards NE Scotland by 1200GMT - drawing an occluding front across England and Scotland by that time. During the day rain (heavy in places) was consequently mostly confined to Scotland although showers affected N parts of England and Ireland. Wales, and other areas of England and Ireland had a rather sunny day and it was again warm in E England. (London 16.5C, Lerwick 7.7C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.2C minimum, Machrihanish 33.8mm, Aberdaron 12.6h.)

The 9th turned into a cloudy day in all areas. A weak ridge over E areas led to a widespread ground frost in England, Scotland and Wales (except in S England where the next frontal cloud was pushing N) and a slight air frost in parts of N Scotland. Ireland and S England had some organised frontal rain overnight - and there were some showery falls in Cent and E areas too for a time early in the night. During the day the front in S parts continued to push N as a warm front, and was then followed from the W by a succession of further fronts that gave spells of rain in most places. Falls were slight in E England while 17mm of rain fell at Cork Airport in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. (Weybourne 17.3C, Fair Isle 8.7C maximum, Altnaharra -2.3C minimum, Tyndrum 15.4mm, Lerwick 4.4h.)

The frontal rain area meant a mild night into the 10th with further falls of rain overnight W of a line Edinburgh-Devon. The Midlands and Cent S England also saw some light falls overnight while during the day the rain area made only slow progress E'wards. Places W of a line Wick-Devon saw some sunshine during the day; in some places this was interspersed with showers but in Cornwall and some SW areas of Ireland the sunshine was prolonged. Despite this, the warmest air was to be found in E England and East Anglia with parts of Cork and Valentia faling to reach 10C by 1800GMT. (Weybourne 20.3C, Inverbervie 7.8C maximum, Cork Airport 2.9C, Tulloch Bridge 18.2mm, Shannon Airport 11.2h.)

E England continued to receive frontal rain overnight into the 11th, while another area of rain and showers affected W Scotland and parts of N Ireland. Elsewhere, when the cloud lifted, there was a touch of ground frost in some inland areas. During the day E England remained generally cloudy with some light rain falling from the front that lingered over East Anglia and Kent. Other areas had a mainly sunny day although there were lines of organised showers in W areas of Scotland and Ireland. (Wattisham 16.1C, Donna Nook 9.3C maximum, Katesbridge -2.9C minimum, Lusa 14.0mm, Aberdaron 13.5h.)

Overnight into the 12th ground frost was widespread away from E England; in the latter area frontal cloud continued to give some light rain overnight. Overnight showers affected Northern Ireland and W Scotland. Mist and fog formed in a few places from S Scotland to S England although these soon cleared after dawn. The precipitation distribution by day was similar to that of the preceding night - although in E England the rain edged W into to some Cent areas and East Anglia was mainly dry. Away from the rain and showers it was quite a sunny day, but some localised heavy showers affected Kent in the afternoon; it was cool close to the sea around the Wash and in coastal areas to the N along E Britain. (Langdon Bay 17.7C, Weybourne 9.0C maximum, Shap -3.9C minimum, Leeming 5.6mm, Inverbervie 13.6h.)

Away from Ireland and E England there was a widespread ground frost on the 13th, with a moderate air frost in parts of Scotland. Mist and fog occurred in many parts of E, Cent and S England by dawn - while W Ireland had some heavy overnight rain with 15mm at Valentia in the 12 hours to 0600GMT. This rain area edged E across Ireland and into SW Wales and SW England by the evening; elsewhere the day was mostly dry with sunshine - there were long sunny spells in E Scotland and parts of E Scotland. Close to the North Sea coast in England, however, mist and fog patches made for a dull day. (London 18.4C, Fair Isle 8.6C maximum, Kinbrace -4.7C minimum, Cardinham 14.8mm, Kinbrace 12.8h.)

Due to extensive cloud there was little air frost on the 14th. E and NE England were affected by overnight mist and fog while Ireland, Wales and Sw areas of England and Scotland had falls of frontal rain. The front weakened and during the day rain was mainly confined to W and N Ireland and SW Scotland; the frontal cloud remained, however, to give a rather dull day in parts of W England. Mist amd coastal fog remained for much of the day in NE England where daytime temperatures remained below 9C in many places. In the evening this mist and fog spread inland while the Met Office reported some thundery showers across SE England. (Benson 18.0C, Lerwick 7.9C maximum, Aviemore -3.6C minimum, Portglenone 9.0mm, Tain Range 10.9h.)

The early hours of the 15th brought some heavy and locally thundery showers to S, Cent and W parts of England. Elsewhere the day dawned with misty conditions and with fog patches in NE and E England. During the day E England and N parts of mainland Scotland had sunny spells, but more thundery outbreaks affected the Channel Islands and parts of East Anglia and Cent S England. Showers fell across N and E parts of Ireland and in SW England, where they were heavy and also thundery in places. E Scotland had a rather dull day while in the SE quarter of England it was very warm. In NE England and SE Scotland it was noticeably cool, however. (East Malling 22.1C, Salsburgh 6.4C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.8C minimum, Plymouth 33.4mm, Stornoway 12.2h.)

Low pressure to the S of the British Isles brought a mostly E'ly surface flow to all areas on the 16th. There was no air frost at low levels and most places began with dry conditions; however, across Wales, S and Cent England there were a few falls of rain or drizzle. Mist, haze and a few fog patches affected many areas from S Scotland S'wards. During the day a meandering front brought spells of rain and drizzle to Cent and S England, Wales and S Ireland. As a result it was a rather cloudy day here, but W and N Ireland and W and S Scotland had a day with sunny spells. There were some thundery outbreaks from wales to E England and there was a report of a weak tornado at Newport (Gwent) which damaged the roofs of two houses. (Charlwood 18.6C, Loftus 7.4C maximum, Shap 1.7C minimum, Aberdaron 12.0mm, Dunstaffnage 12.9h.)

Rainfall continued into the 17th across Cent and some S parts of England, in Wales and E Ireland. Elsewhere it was mainly dry, with mist and low cloud in E England. The front producing the rain edged slowly S during the day - giving further rain and drizzle in S and cent England, S Wales and SE Ireland. S Ireland and Cornwall had a sunny day, as did W Scotland. Many E distriocts close to the North Sea had a dull day; elsehwre away from the rain there were sunny intervals. Some isolated thunderstorms occurred with the rain in the S. (Crosby 17.0C, Braemar 6.3C maximum, Okehampton 1.3C minimum, Kenley 14.6mm, Tiree 13.2h.)

The front in S areas finally receded into the continent on the 18th and an area of high pressure developed from N of Scotland. There was some rain overnight in S England but then a mainly dry followed. MSL pressure rose to 1026mb at Baltasound by 2400GMT. E coast areas of N England and Scotland remained rather dull but elsewhere most places had long sunny spells as any early cloud gradually became confined to E coast areas. (Belmullet 17.5C, Loftus 7.2C maximum, Shap -3.1C minimum, Middle Wallop 3.6mm, Dublin Airport 13.0h.)

High pressure led to a widespread ground frost on the 19th across Scotland, Wales and E Ireland, with an air frost being widespread over Cent Scotland. It was dry overnight and also during the day in most places. While parts of Kent and the Shetlands remained cloudy and sunless, other parts of the British Isles had a sunny day. Close to the E coast temperature failed to reach 10C. (Ballykelly 18.1C, Lerwick 6.9C maximum, Kinbrace -5.8C minimum, Isles of Scilly 0.4mm, Aberdaron 14.0h.)

Although pressure remained high across England and Wales on the 20th the influence of the high pressure faded across Ireland as a weak front arrived here from the W. Mist, haze and fog patches were widespread by dawn with a slight air frost in parts of Cent Scotland and N England. During the day there was cloud and some light rain in W ireland - but most other places stayed dry with long sunny spells. However, cloud and some fog patches persisted on land close to The Wash - and it was a cold day here as a result. (Linton-on-Ouse 19.3C, Fair Isle 8.3C maximum, Braemar -2.9C minimum, Isles of Scilly 0.6mm, Shap 13.9h.)

During the early hours of the 21st rain became widespread over the extreme W of Scotland and Ireland. The parent front causing this rain pushed E across much of the British Isles during the day, although the rain was mainly confined to Scotland and Ireland during the day; over England the front brought a spell of cloud. Mist was widespread at dawn but during the day tended to affect only a few coastal parts of S Wales and SW England. E and Cent England had long sunny spells, with sunny periods elsewhere around the falls of rain. (London 20.7C, Lerwick 8.6C maximum, Redesdale Camp -0.7C minimum, Lusa 15.8mm, Thorney Island 12.4h.)

The 22nd dawned with a weak ridge of high pressure giving a widespread ground frost across Britain and an air frost in some sheltered Cent areas of Scotland. Parts of Cent S and SW England had fog at dawn. The high pressure meant generally dry conditions during the day - but frontal cloud brought rain into W Ireland by the evening and this then spread to W Scotland and Cent Ireland by midnight. E areas of England and Scotland had a sunny day, but the encroaching frontal cloud made for a cooler and duller day across Ireland and W Britain. (London 21.1C, Fair Isle 9.5C maximum, Aboyne -3.0C minimum, Tiree 0.4mm, Thorney Island 14.2h.)

With cloud and rain in the W of the British Isles, any ground frost on the 23rd was limited to a few areas of E England. Rain, moved E'wards across Scotland and Ireland and into N England around dawn. During the day the rain tended to fade as it spread further across Scotland; there were some falls in Wales before the front changed direction and pushed back towards Ireland and W Scotland. Parts of N Scotland, together with E and Cent England had a sunny day once early mist and coastal fog had cleared. Around the Channel Islands and in areas of SW England the coastal fog did not clear until the afternoon. (London 21.0C, Dundrennan 9.2C maximum, Hereford 3.1C minimum, Eskdalemuir 15.2mm, East Malling 11.2h.)

There was no low-level air frost on the 24th, despite some clear skies in E England. Further W skies were cloudy and these gave rain across Ireland, W and N Scotland. During the day this rainfall distribution continued - although there was less rain in E Scotland - as a front lingered across Ireland and W Scotland. Rain also spread into SW England later in the day, where it turned thundery with Camborne reporting thunder after 1800GMT. There was also thunder in the Dublin area before midnight. With the best of the sunshine in E England it was a warm day here, while the extreme W of Ireland escaped much of the frontal cloud and was also very sunny. (London 20.1C, Port Ellen 8.6C maximum, Charlwood 5.0C minimum, Isles of Scilly 25.2mm, Norwich Airport 13.5h.)

An area of low pressure persisted close to Cornwall throughout the 25th. A band of rain moved NE'wards across S England and S Wales early in the day. This band brought with it locally torrential rain to parts of Cornwall (especially the Zennor area). There were reports of flash flooding here with in excess of 50mm reported in places, according to the Met Office. Three people died when their car was washed away by floodwaters. There was also overnight rain in Ireland and W Scotland from a slow-moving front, and some ground frost in NE England and E Scotland. There was further rain during the day over SW England and the frontal rain continued to fall around Irish Sea coasts and into Wales and the Midlands; this rain at times turned heavy with quite a lot of thunderstorms over N England and S Scotland during the afternoon and evening. Away from the rain and showers most places had sunny spells during the day, although parts of SW England and SW Ireland were noticeably dull (Prestwick 19.5C, Cardinham 8.7C maximum, Redesdale Camp 0.7C minimum, Isles of Scilly 50.0mm, Thorney Island 11.7h.)

Low pressure and frontal cloud again affected the British Isles on the 26th. There was a widespread ground frost over E Britain early in the day, but Ireland and places bordering the Irish Sea had some rain overnight. E Scotland had some mist and fog around dawn. A band of rain affected western Scotland and Northern Ireland in the early hours of the morning and then extended to affect other areas of Scotland and W and N parts of Ireland during the day. Thunder was reported at Lossiemouth during late morning, while there were also a few showers in SW England for a while. E and Se parts of England remained mainly dry and bright with long sunny spells. (London 18.9C, Dalwhinnie 8.2C maximum, Redesdale Camp -0.9C minimum, Katesbridge 14.8mm, Kenley 12.9h.)

The 27th saw the formation of a complex area of low pressure over the British Isles later in the day. There was a touch of overnight ground frost in E England before dawn while fronts brought an area of widespread rain to Ireland, Wales and the W halves of England and Scotland overnight; this rain continued to move E during the morning, with some heavy falls in places in the W. Showers followed the rain with thunder in places around the Midlands in the afternoon. By the late evening there were distict low pressure centres over S Ireland, the E Midlands and SE Scotland. England and Scotland had a rather cloudy day while W Wales and Ireland had sunny spells in between the showers that followed the main rain area. (Weybourne 15.1C. Tulloch Bridge 7.6C maximum, Castlederg 1.8C minimum, Threave 29.4mm, Malin Head 11.4h.)

An early ground frost was widespread on the 28th with some air frost reported over Wales and Cent S England. There was some rain overnight, with falls mainly across W Ireland, the Midlands and in Cent and S areas of Scotland. During the morning the rain spread into N England and also affected Wales and some S areas of England during the day. Over Ireland falls were widespread but mainly light. Thudnerstorms broke out from late morning onwards - particluarly around Norfolk, Lincolnshire and in S Wales. The Met Office that Coningsby received 11.4mm in one hour. Fire crews spent several hours tackling a blaze at a Leicestershire office building, which was struck by lightning during a storm; they were called to the blaze on Cross Street in Enderby, which broke out at about 1640GMT. The fire service said the roof and top floor of the building were badly damaged by the blaze; lLocal people had reported heavy storms, flash floods, with hail and lightning. At Selly Oak (Birmingham) an intense hailstorm in the evening produced with hailstones of 0.5cm to 1.0cm diameter and a widespread surface accumulation 6cm deep, some of which was still lying first thing next morning. Significant surface flooding occurred. The rain persisted over N England in the evening. The best of ths sunshine during the day was to be found across s areas of England, and from Cornwall to SW Scotland. (Lusa 16.1C, Bingley 8.2C maximum, Sennybridge -2.2C minimum, Leeming 27.0mm, Tiree 12.0h.)

Overnight into the 29th saw the rain in N England moving N into S Scotland. Clear skies led to a ground frost in many Cent, S and E parts of England and in NE Scotland; there were also widespread mist and fog patches in these areas of England while there was also some overnight rain in parts of Wales and E Ireland. These rain areas gradually pushed N'wards during the day - but by midday a set of frontal bands was pushing NE across SW Ireland and giving widespread rain to much of Ireland. By the evening this rain had spread into W parts of Wales and Scotland and SW England. As a result of this frontal activity in the W the sunniest places tended to be in Cent and E parts of England. (London 19.2C, Ballypatrick Forest 9.6C maximum, Benson -1.0C minimum, Aberdaron 23.2mm, Herstmonceux 14.0h.)

Cloudy skies led to Wales and W parts of England having a mild start to the 30th, with frontal rain falling in Ireland, Wales, W Scotland and SW England. Skies were clearer to the E early in the night but soon clouded over as the rain spread E into E Scotland and Cent England. Skies cleared across Ireland to give a sunny day here - especially in the W - and there was some sunshine in E areas of england and Scotland ahead of the cloud. Many E areas of England remained dry, as the rain area stalled in the evening. (London 19.1C maximum, Fair Isle 9.8C maximum, Aboyne 2.3C minimum, Capel Curig 16.4mm, Shannon Airport 13.6h.)

British Isles weather, May 2009

An area of rain affected the Western Isles and W Scotland by dawn on the 1st, while there was an early fround frost in a few sheltered parts of Cornwall and E Scotland; mist and fog patches formed around dawn in parts of SW England and E England, in particular. In the morning there were gales in exposed parts of NW Scotland. During the day the rain-bearing front pushed E, clearing most places by late evening but giving very little rain in Cent and Se England and East Anglia. Across parts of Scotland N England, however, there were some heavy burst of rain for a while. Both before and behind the rainband there were sunny spells, with a few showers also forming behind the front. (Weybourne 21.5C, Fair Isle 10.0C maximum, Altnaharra -0.5C minimum, Lusa 14.0mm, Manston 13.1h.)

There was some light rain at first on the 2nd in SE England with showers falling across NW and N parts of Scotland. Mist and fog patches formed around dawn in parts of S and cent England and in E Scotland and early ground frost was quite widespread. Most places then had quite a sunny day although showers continued to affect NW Scotland - this turned to more general rain later in places here and some frontal rain also fell in W Ireland in the evening. (London 20.0C, South Uist 10.5C maximum, Eskdalemuir 1.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 12.2mm, Inverbervie 14.2h.)

Light to moderate rain spread E into the 3rd across Ireland and Scotland into N England and the West Midlands by daybreak. By then it was generally quite light and as the parent front Cent and E England further falls were only slight. Showers and rising pressure followed the rain with the showers mostly across N areas of Britain and Ireland. Most places had sunny spells during the day - especially around the Irish Sea coasts - but in the evening further frontal rain spread E into W Ireland and the Western Isles. (Lee-on-Solent 17.0C, Dalwhinnie 9.6C maximum, Katesbridge 1.4C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 12.0mm, Aberdaron 13.2h.)

Rainfall early on the 4th affected mostly Scotland and N areas of Ireland, but the daytime was rather cloudy everywhere. A front cleared E Scotland during the afternoon but became slow-moving over Mid-Ireland ans cent parts of England aand Wales; to the south there was only slight rain but to the N showers followed the rain with some heavy falls reported over parts of N England and W Scotland. The widespread cloud kept the temperatures low and fairly uniform across the British Isles during the day. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 16.3C, Lerwick 9.2C maximum, Benson -1.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 16.4mm, Guernsey Airport 5.3h.)

Frontal rain continued for much of the 5th across N Ireland in areas of N England and the N Midlands. Further S, under an area of high pressure, the cloud broke to give some sunny periods. To the N of this frontal area an area of low pressure brought further frontal rain across Scotland during the day, although there was some sunshine in N Scotland during the day - especially on the Northern Isles. Showers followed the passage of the rain across Scotland, with hail reported at lerwick later in the day. (St James Park 20.3C, Lusa 9.0C maximum, Kinbrace 4.3C minimum, Eskdalemuir 26.8mm, Lerwick 7.9h.)

Overnight rain affected N parts of England and Ireland, S Scotland and parts of N Scotland into the 6th. Parts of N Scotland also had a slight ground frost. During the day an area of low pressure headed towards NW Scotland with MSL pressure falling to 989mb at Baltasound by 24090GMT. This low pushed a warm sector across the British Isles during the day, the trailing cold front lying from NE England to SW Wales by midnight. Rainfall was heaviest across Scotland and W Ireland; W parts of the British Isles were dull and windy, with the best of the sunshine tending to be across SE England and NE Scotland. Showers followed the cold front to affect W districts later. (Heathrow 21.2C, Dalwhinnie 9.8C maximum, Aboyne 1.4C minimum, Tyndrum 33.4mm, Herstmonceux 10.5h.)

frontal rain over N England and Wales pushed SE into the 7th, gradually becoming lighter and more scattered. Showers and windy conditions affected Scotland overnight, which turned wintry across high ground according to the Met Office. During the day showers continued over W Ireland and W Scotland; these wre thundery and contained hail in N and W Ireland. Slow-moving frontal cloud made for a cloudy day over S England, although rainfall amounts were small, while E Scotland and NE England had long sunny spells. MSL pressure fell. by 2400GMT, to 980mb at Stornoway as the low pressure centre persisted close to NW Scotland. (Holbeach 18.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 8.1C maximum, Braemar 2.0C minimum, Tyndrum 30.2mm, Kinloss 12.8h.)

Overnight rain and showers affected all areas, except E England, into the 8th; some hail and thunder was reported in N Ireland and Scotland. During the day rain and showers were again widespread, this time also extending into E England. It felt cool in a brisk SW'ly surface flow, and there was further hail and thunder reported in N England and Scotland. Sunny spells occurred everywhere between the showers. (Heathrow 16.4C, Dalwhinnie 8.7C maximum, Dalwhinnie 0.5C minimum, Tyndrum 30.6mm, Aberporth 11.9h.)

Overnight into the 9th showers continued to affect much of Scotland and W Ireland. Showers continued during the day, particularly across Scotland, and N parts of Enbgland and Ireland. Eskdalemuir reported thunder early in the afternoon. During the morning and into the afternoon the showers became organised along a front and this led to longer periods of rain in S Scotland, N and Wales. Elsewhere, cloud amounts were variable but there were sunny spells. (Gravesend 18.0C, Salsburgh 8.1C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.2C minimum, Kinlochewe 25.0mm, St Athan 11.5h.)

The 10th saw high pressure becoming established over the British Isles with MSL pressure up to 1028mb across E Scotland by 2400GMT. A trough brought some rain to N Scotland overnight and there was also some rain in W Wales and SE Ireland. There were a few scattered showers over N Britain during the day while a weakening front gave rather cloudy skies from NE England to S Wales. Either side of the front there were long sunny spells. (Wisley 19.9C, Lerwick 7.8C maximum, Aboyne -0.8C minimum, Warcop 8.4mm, Prestwick 14.6h.)

The high pressure centre persisted over Scotland on the 11th with a generally dry resulting. The E'ly wind meant that E areas were cooler than W ones during the day, following a night that had seen widespread ground frost under clear skies in Scotland and parts of N England and N Ireland. Once early mist or low cloud had lifted in E Britain there were widespread and long sunny spells. It became windy in S England in the evening with 45mph gusts recorded at Culdrose - as a front edged N into Brittany. (Lee-on-Solent 19.0C, Inverbervie 10.4C maximum, Kinbrace -4.7C minimum, Scampton 0.2mm, Tain Range 16.2h.)

Inland parts of Scotland had a widespread ground frost into the 12th as high pressure continued to control the weather. Frontal cloud brought rain and showers to the Channel Islands before dawn with up to 3mm falling in parts of the Channel Islands during the day as this cloud edged slowly N. Eleswhere there was almost no rainfall until some fell in coastal areas of S England in the evening. Long sunny spells were again widespread - although S England had rather more in the way of cloud. (Kinlochewe 19.3C, Inverbervie 10.0C maximum, Aboyne -4.6C minimum, Woburn 0.6mm, Tain Range 16.3h.)

Inland areas of N and Cent Scotland had an air frost before dawn on the 13th with ground frost occurring as far S as parts of Midlands. Light rain fell in parts of S England overnight and then spread N through the Midlands during the day. S and cent areas of England, Wales and Ireland consequently had a rather cloudy day - with a shallow depression moving NE towards S Ireland later in the day. Across Scotland it was another sunny day with the highest temperatures occurring in W Scotland as a result. (Lusa 20.3C, Lake Vyrnwy 9.4C maximum, Braemar -2.2C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 6.4mm, Altnaharra 16.3h.)

While clear skies across N Scotland led to a touch of air frost in places on the 14th, in S Britain and S Ireland cloud kept overnight temperatures above 10C in many areas. Frontal rain fell overnight across N England, the N Midlands and parts of Wales and Ireland. N and Cent Scotland had another sunny day but elsewhere it was rather cloudy. A shallow low pressure system edged E across S England later in the day and as a result there were spells of heavy and, in places, thundery rain here and in parts of the Midlands. Scotland again had the highest temperatures during the day. (Lusa 20.2C, Lough Fea 9.8C maximum, Braemar -3.2C minimum, Dunkeswell 18.0mm, Inverbervie 16.2h.)

The 15th dawned after an unsettled night of weather across Ireland, Wales, Cent and S England. Rain and showers moved N during the day, with thunderstorms across East Anglia and E England from late morning until late afternoon. Later in the day the rain affected E Scotland although W areas of Scotland remained mainly dry. It turned windy later in SW districts; except on Shetland it was a rather cloudy day with little sunshine. (Weybourne 18.1C Braemar 7.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie 1.9C minimum, Winterbourne 35.2mm, Lerwick 14.7h.)

Low pressure became settled to the W of Ireland on the16th, introducing a S'ly flow to all areas. There was a blustery start to the day almost everywhere and the wind made it feel chilly during the day. Spells of rain or showers were widespread during the day although falls were mainly slight in the SE corner of England after dawn. Gusts in excess of 45mph affected parts of Wales and Ireland, while in the evening there was a report of tornado damage between Belper and Ashbourne. (Weybourne 17.6C, Inverbervie 8.1C maximum, Trawsgoed 3.3C minimum, Dyce 22.2mm, Lerwick 12.2h.)

A low pressure centre remained close to W Ireland during the 17th. Rain continued to affect Scotland and parts of Ireland with a band of heavy frontal rain moving across SW parts of England and Wales during the early hours. This rain then moved NE during the day, slowly weakening. Early sunshine led to rapid convective cloud development and showers then became widespread - there were reported of heavy rain in Dorset and Hampshire with localised flooding in Southampton. (Kinloss 17.0C, Lerwick 9.5C maximum, Shap 2.1C minimum, Okehampton 20.6mm, Stornoway 13.6h.)

With low pressure persisting to the W of the British Isles, the 18th was another showery day, with some of the showers becoming organised into bands of more continuous rain - particularly across Ireland and Scotland. The Met Office reported a few thunderstorms developing in the afternoon in E Scotland. Satellite imagery suggested that some of the shower bands developed from coastal convergence zones in SW England - as the showers moved along the bands, which themselves were slow-moving - many places saw frequent showers. In between the showers most places had sunny periods. (Weybourne 17.7C, Lerwick 9.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 0.8C minimum, Shap 22.8mm, Stornoway 10.2h.)

The 19th was another day of sunny periods and showers although SE England and East Anglia had only a few, light showers. Elsewhere the showers were heavy in places with thunderstorms - particularly in and around Lincolnshire and as far N as Kinloss. Again, the showers became organised into bands of more continuous rain. Around the coasts it felt cool with SW'ly gusts to 30kn in places. Before dawn there was a slight ground frost in parts of NW Scotland. (Gravesend 18.7C, Lake Vyrnwy 10.5C maximum, South Uist 4.9C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 26.0mm, Belmullet 13.1h.)

Clearing skies overnight led to grass minimum temperatures dropping close to 0C by dawn on the 20th in many areas, although some showers did continue across parts of Ireland, Scotland and N parts of England and Wales. There were also a few fog patches in Cent S/SW England around dawn. During the day there were widespread showers in most areas, although places in N Scotland and SE England did miss them totally. Lincolnshire had some thunderstorms later in the evening. Away from the showers there were increasing amounts of cloud as the morning developed - but all areas had some sunny periods. (London 20.3C, Lake Vyrnwy 11.7C maximum, Altnaharra 1.1C minimum, Glenanne 17.0mm, Belmullet 12.5h.)

Many places from NE England to SW Wales had some showers into the 21st, with showers also in parts of Ireland and Scotland. These reduced in number during the night but pepped up in the morning. Cent S England and adjacent areas had some mist and fog payches around dawn. During the day much of the Midlands, S England and East Anglia remained dry with showers falling elsewhere; by midday there were thunderstorms in NE England that later spread to S Scotland and Lincolnshire. There were long sunny spells in the S and sunny periods elsewhere. Parts of Ireland, particularly in the W, has some more general rain in the evening. (Shoeburyness 20.1C, Tulloch Bridge 10.8C maximum, Braemar -0.8C minimum, Dunstaffnage 17.8mm, Herstmonceux 13.2h.)

Overnight into the 22nd frontal rain spread E across Ireland. Showers and rain affected W Scotland overnight. During the day Cent areas of Britain were cloudy with some rain; this was heavy in parts of Wales. Rain also affected E Scotland and N England - but further S the day was mainly dry. There were long sunny spells in S Scotland and S England. (Heathrow 20.0C, Lake Vyrnwy 10.3C maximum, Eskdalemuir 2.1C minimum, Capel Curig 15.0mm, Thorney Island 14.9h.)

S of a line from Shannon to the The Wash the 23rd was quite a sunny day. Cent and W Scotland was rather dull, with sunny intervals elsewhere. This was the result of frontal cloud that spread slowly across Ireland and W Britain during the morning, before breaking up from the S later in the day - with SE Ireland and most of England and Wales having little rainfall. By midnight precipitation was mainly confined to the Northern Isles. (London 23.3C, Fair Isle 10.6C maximum, Altnaharra 0.6C minimum, Lusa 23.6mm, Bedford 13.0h.)

The 24th brought a weak ridge of high pressure to much of England and SE Ireland - where it was a very sunny day after any early mist in S Wales and SW England had cleared. Elsewhere there was widespread cloud from a slow-moving front that lingered across Ireland and W Scotland - although rainfall amounts were low and mostly confined to W Scotland. (London 25.9C, Dalwhinnie 12.0C maximum, Aboyne -0.4C minimum, Lusa 4.8mm, Norwich Airport 16.0h.)

Into the 25th rainfall was largely confined to N Ireland and W/NW Scotland. However, frontal cloud persisted across Ireland and Scotland, and another area of frontal cloud moved NE across SE England in the morning - and eventually giving extensive cloud cover to all but the extreme N of England. A few showers spread N across S England towards NE England - with thunderstorms reported in the Channel Islands before dawn. Further thunderstorms affected Kent and Sussex in the late afternoon and evening. Rain and showers continued to affect W and N areas of Scotland and Ireland during the day, while by midnight rain was quite widespread in E England. (London 24.8C, Fair Isle 10.6C maximum, Eskdalemuir 2.3C minimum, Dunstaffnage 12.2mm, Shap 12.6h.)

There was widespread rain overnight into the 26th - but as the parent frontal system moved E so did the rain. However, it was a wet morning in East Anglia - the Met Office reported a fall of 25.8mm at Wainfleet in the 12 hours ending 1200GMT. The rain had cleared E England by midday, and was followed from the W by sunshine and showers - and by a weak ridge of high pressure from the SW. Further frontal cloud and rain reached W Ireland in the evening. (Rhyl 18.5C, Fair Isle 11.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 1.5C minimum, Wainfleet 25.8mm, Aberporth 13.4h.)

By dawn on the 27th rain across Ireland had spread E to Cent Scotland, Cumbria, Wales and SW England. By the evening most places had seen falls of rain as a warm front pushed E. Across Scotland there were sunny spells later in the day - but elsewhere it remained rather cloudy - with a second front straddling N England and SW Scotland at 2400GMT. (Hawarden 19.8C, Fair Isle 10.7C maximum, Fyvie Castle 3.5C minimum, Capel Curig 21.0mm, Kirkwall 7.1h.)

The 28th brought the development of an anticyclone across the British Isles, with MSL pressure reaching 1033mb over East Anglia by midnight. S Scotland places further S had a rather cloudy night with mist in places and some light frontal rain across N England and into SW and W areas of Scotland. This weakening front moved NE across Scotland later in the day - but giving little more than cloud in some places. Further S the cloud broke up to give some sunny periods, and SW parts of England and Wales and S ireland remained cloudy with some coastal fog - that also affected the Channel Islands in the evening. (Coventry 22.9C, Fair Isle 11.4C maximum, Aboyne 3.8C minimum, Stonyhurst 5.8mm, Shannon Airport 12.2h.)

As the high pressure centre migrated NE on the 29th an E'ly onshore wind developed across much of E England. Overnight there was some light rain on Shetland while during the day it was mostly dry. Some mist and fog affected E England, the Midlands at first, and there was also early fog close to Irish Sea coasts. Some convective cloud developed in many areas during the day, and then cleared in the evening. (Cassley 26.5C, Fair Isle 13.4C maximum, Aboyne 3.1C maximum, Baltasound 1.0mm, Tain Range 17.1h.)

High pressure led to a dry day 30th and although a weak front approached W Ireland it gave no more than low cloud and mist or fog. An E'ly to SE'ly breeze was noticeable inland and the sunshine did generate some convective cloud. However, away from W parts of Scotland and Ireland many places saw over 15h of bright sunshine. (Cassley 26.4C, Fair Isle 12.0C maximum, Topcliffe 4.1C minimum, no measurable rainfall, Inverbervie 16.8h.)

With continuing high pressure the 31st was another widely sunny day - the exception being the Western Isles where partial cloud cover resulted from a nearby front. It was again a dry day and felt cool in S Britain due to an onshore E'ly flow. MSL pressure reached 1033.4mb at Baltasound at 2100GMT and most areas had in excess of 14h of bright sunshine. (Lee-on-Solent 26.9C, Stornoway 12.8C maximum, Shap 1.6C minimum, no measurable rain, Inverbervie 16.8h.)

British Isles weather, June 2009

High pressure on the 1st meant a continuation of the generally sunny weather across the British Isles. However, the Northern Isles had only a little sunshine and rather misty conditions. There was very little precipitation, although a few showers broke of during the afternoon in Hampshire and a thunderstorm with hail was reported near Portsmouth according to the Met Office. Temperatures during the day reached 24C as far N as NW Scotland. (Lee-on-Solent 27.2C, Lerwick 12.7C maximum, Kinbrace 3.7C minimum, Liscombe 0.8mm, Sutton Bonington 16.5h.)

There was further widespread sunshine on the 2nd although Orkney and and NE parts of mainland Scotland were rather cloudy at times as a weak front sliped slowly S across Scotland during the day. However, high pressure (1032.5mb at Foula at 0000GMT) prevented any more than a trace of rain for most places. Early in the day there was some mist and fog in parts of Scotland, while later temperatures of 25C and above were widespread across Ireland and England. (Shannon Airport and Lee-on-Solent 26.9C, Fair Isle 11.9C maximum, Katesbridge 4.5C minimum, Woburn 0.2mm, Aberdaron 16.3h.)

The S'ward moving cold front tended to fade away as it moved S across England, Wales and Ireland on the 3rd - although extensive cloud cover gave a rather sunless day across Cent parts of England. Sheltered parts of Cent Scotland had a slight ground frost around dawn while during the day temperatures of 20C were mostly confined to inland areas of Ireland and S parts of England and Wales as a light N'ly surface flow became established almost everywhere. (Chivenor 25.4C, Fair Isle 10.0C maximum, Altnaharra 1.2C minimum, Fyvie Castle 0.4mm, Tiree 16.2h.)

There was a touch of ground frost in a few places early on the 4th, as far S as the S Midlands. There was some early cloud in S wales and SW England - the remnants of a front - but this soon gave way sunny conditions here. It was also sunny across Ireland, SW Scotland and in S England. Elsewhere, skies were rather cloudy and a few light showers fell over NE areas of Scotland and in NE England. (Shannon Airport 21.6C, Fair Isle 9.6C maximum, Katesbridge 1.3C minimum, Rosehearty 2.6mm, Tiree 16.2h.)

Parts of N Scotland had a ground frost on the 5th as the N'ly surface flow continued to make itself felt here. N and E Scotland had widespread showers overnight as troughs pushed S'wards - these continued during the day and spread into N England with some thundery outbreaks around the Moray Firth in particular, in the evening. Further heavy showers, including isolated thunderstorms, developed across the Midlands, and from N Wales to Cheshire in the afternoon. Showers also fell in places from Essex to S Wales - while in E Ireland there was some light precipitation fallking from cloudy skies. As a result the best of the sunshine was to be found in W Ireland and SW Scotland. (Plymouth 19.9C, Warcop 7.2C maximum, Altnaharra 0.0C minimum, Loftus 15.4mm, Tiree 15.6h.)

During the 6th an area of low pressure became established across S England and the English Channel. A band of heavy rain became established across SE Wales, the S Midlands and across to N England overnight. During the morning thunderstorms and torrential rain broke out over the Exeter area, with 27.2mm recorded in one hour (at the 0900h observation) according to the Met Office. Heavy and thundery rain then developed across parts of S Wales and the SW Midlands, with 93mm falling at Exeter between 0700h and 2000h. Flooding and power cuts resulted from the storms with heavy falls later in the day in parts of N England, E Ireland and much of Wales. 29mm of rain fell at Casement Aerodrome in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT with 16mm falling in the next 12 hours. There were sunny intervals in East Anglia and W Ireland; parts of E Scotland were also rather cloudy while elsewhere in Scotland and Ireland there were sunny spells. A few showers also affected E Scotland at times and a brisk E wind made it feel generally cool for the time of year. Up to 100 homes were evacuated after flooding in Rhondda Cynon Taf in the evening. South Wales Fire and Rescue were also called to flooding incidents in Caerphilly, Pontypridd and Roath, Rhiwbina and Whitchurch in Cardiff. The annual, 22-mile Welsh 1,000m Peaks Race involving 245 competitors that had been due to finish on the summit of Snowdon was later; mountain rescue teams and the RAF were involved in the search in the Carneddau mountains, near Bethesda, from about 1400GMT. (Hurn 17.3C, Lake Vyrnwy 7.7C maximum, Redesdale Camp 0.3C minimum, Liscombe 42.6mm, Belmullet 14.1h.)

An area of low pressure persisted over SW England for much of the 7th. Heavy and thundery rain spread E overnight from Somerset and S Wales, reachingSE England and the London area by dawn. Heavy rain affected London for two hours on in the early morning, a period during which a lightning strike damaged the roof of a low-rise block of flats in Wembley. The band of heavy rain then moved slowly N during the day, and by the end of the afternoon the heaviest rain was affecting N Wales, the N Midlands and Lincolnshire. The Met Office noted various reports of funnel cloud formations and a tornado was reported near Hadleigh, Suffolk. Brighter conditions followed the storms from the SW, while there was very little rain in N England, Scotland or Ireland. NW Ireland and W Scotland had the best of the sunshine; the Midlands remained rather cloudy and it again felt cool here. A blaze swept through a Dorset campsite overnight after lightning struck an electrical pole and set fire to caravans and other buildings; more than 40 firefighters were called to Norden Farm near Corfe Castle shortly after midnight. A Dorset fire service spokesman said the fire spread to several caravans, the trees above them and other buildings, which were destroyed. (London 18.7C maximum, Lake Vyrnwy 9.1C maximum, Kinbrace -2.7C minimum, St Athan 39.2mm, Belmullet 15.0h.)

Low pressure to the S resulted in an E'ly flow in most areas on the 8th. There was some light rain in parts of Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia early in the day - after which much of England and Wales was rather cloudy. There were outbreaks on rain in the Channel Islands and SW England in the afternoon and these then spread into S Ireland, Wales and the Midlands. E Scotland was cloudy during the day with some light rain - but in most other areas (away from the rain) there were long sunny spells. (London 19.4C, Okehampton 10.4C maximum, Kinbrace -1.0C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 8.8mm, Stornoway 14.6h.)

Except across parts of N Ireland, W wales and Cent Scotland the 9th was a rather cloudy day. Many inland areas of Scotland had an early gtoudnfrost whilethe rain in S Wales and the Midlands mostly died out overnight. However, more persistent rain spread N'wards into SE England by dawn - later spreading N into parts of NE England. A few showers affected NE and SW Scotland and some more general rain fell during the day in SW Ireland - where it was a sunless day for some. (Chivenor 18.1C, Lerwick 9.6C maximum, Kinbrace -2.2C minimum, East Malling 14.2mm, Dunstaffnage 15.1h.)

Into the 10th showers continued across the Midlands and in parts of N Scotland. Further showers affected parts of S England early in the morning. Low pressure and the presence of several troughs led to a showery day - away from the extreme W of Scotland and Ireland there was extemsive cloud. There were some heavy showers in England and Wales and in N Scotland during the day. During the afternoon flash flooding was reported in parts of mid- and west Wales following heavy thundery downpours. Later in the afternoon, more showers developed over parts of Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. Further very heavy showers affected the Sheffield area into the evening - with thunder also heard in the evening in Dublin. The floods in N England left schools closed, roads blocked and people needing to be rescued. Eleven factory workers were rescued in Dronfield, north Derbyshire, when floodwaters cut their building off. Sheffield's transport system was disrupted and parts of the supertram service were suspended. There was also flash flooding in parts of north and mid Wales. In North Derbyshire, areas affected included Crich, Ashover and Chesterfield and the county's fire service said they were inundated with calls. At Sheffield (Norwood) 48.6mm of rain fell in the 24 hours beginning 0500GMT. (Chivenor 18.8C, Rosehearty 10.2C maximum, Katesbridge -0.4C minimum, Hawarden 29.2mm, Malin Head 15.0h.)

Heavy showers continued into the early hours of the 11th in E parts of England and Scotland, and there were also some shoers in Sussex by dawn. Showers then developed widely during the day in E England and E Scotland, and across the Midlands, with showers close to the S coast of England. Some showers also fell in E Ireland and NW England with lesser falls in parts of Wales. The shwoers were thundery close to the Hampshire and Sussex coast during the afternoon and in East Anglia at about the same time. There were reports of a funnel cloud and tornado near Hull and near Brockenhurst. Across Scotland there were sunny periods with rather a lot of cloud, but elsewhere there were long sunny spells in between the showers. In the evening some frontal cloud pushed NE into S Ireland and SW England. (Heathrow 21.2C, Lerwick 10.8C maximum, Altnaharra -1.5C minimum, Weybourne 33.0mm, Filton 14.6h.)

Frontal cloud and rain spread NE on the 12th to give falls by 0600GMT from S Cornwall to Belmullet - although the parent fronts then moved to a line Kent-Tiree by 2400GMT, the rainfall tended to die out quite soon and most preciupitation was confined to S Wales and S Ireland during the day. Ahead of the rain there was a widespread ground frost across N Ireland and from the Midlands to N Scotland. Ahead of the front there were long sunny spells in E England and E Scotland with increasing amounts of cloud (and less sunshine) elsewhere. (Shannon Airport 21.6C, Lerwick 12.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -1.3C minimum, Pembrey Sands 35.4mm, Norwich Airport 15.9h.)

Overnight frontal rainfall into the 13th was mainly confined to parts of N Ireland and N England, with much of England, Wales and S Ireland having a warm night under a warm sector. During the day troughs continued to give further rain across N and W Ireland and in many areas of Scotland. According to the Met Office Altnahinch in Northern Ireland reported 46.4mm with 13.2 mm falling in one hour in the afternoon. Lightning storms cut off electricity to more than 12,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland, and thunder was also reported from Leuchars in the afternoon. To the S of these main rain areas most places had a warm day with broken cloud and sunny periods. (London 25.6C, Fair Isle 11.3C maximum, Kirkwall 4.2C minimum, Portglenone 19.0mm, Leeming, Shannon Airport and Dublin Airport 11.1h.)

The evening precipitation tended to clear into the 14th although a trough gave some rain in SE England before dawn. Fog patches affected some coastal areas of SW Britain and E Scotland - while during the day there was further showery activity across N Ireland and in S and cent Scotland. Thunder was reported from Malin Head to Leuchars and hail fell in places. Stornoway had a sunny day, as did E and S parts of England. Elsewhere there was broken cloud and sunny periods. (St James Park 24.2C, Wick Airport 10.6C maximum, Redesdale Camp 3.2C minimum, Tyndrum 20.4mm, Stornoway 15.4h.)

Into the 15th there were some heavy showers across parts of SW and N ireland, N England and S Scotland. As the temperature rose during the day there was widespread shower development. These became heavy and thundery in places, from S Scotland S'wards. Some of the storms produced short-lived accumulations of hail. Very high hourly totals were recorded locally, according to the Met Office, with Heacham in Norfolk capturing two very intense storms. At 1400h 20.2 mm was recorded at the Heacham rain-gauge, with a further 23 mm in an hour recorded at 1600h. There were also various reports of funnel clouds during the day, including one in Cambridgeshire and another in Lancashire. Heavy showers continued into the evening; in the early evening there was a thunderstorm over Cent London, with reports of lightning strikes and hailstones. A torrential downpour in Bocking, Essex dropped 23.8mm in an hour. W parts of Ireland and Scotland had a sunny day, while E Scotland was sunless in many places. Elsewhere there were sunny periods, mainly before the onset of showers. Parts of County Durham were hit by flash floods with Bishop Auckland being one of the worst hit areas after sewers failed to cope with the deluge. A house in Sheffield was badly damaged after being struck by lightning during a storm. Lightning strikes caused disruption to trains in West Yorkshire in the afternoon, with services on some routes delayed by nearly an hour. Flash flooding hit homes and delayed drivers in Devon and Cornwall. Homes in Par, St Blazey, Carlyon Bay, St Austell and Exeter were affected, with flooding up to 50cm deep in some areas and hailstones "like marbles" in size. Cornwall Fire Brigade was called out to several incidents in St Austell at about 1400GMT. Torrential downpours led to the closure of roads in St Helens in the afternoon and thunderstorms caused "serious" flash flooding in parts of Norfolk. (Heathrow 24.6C, Dalwhinnie 11.3C maximum, Baltasound 4.5C minimum, Coleshill 20.0mm, Stornoway 15.7h.)

A weak ridge of high pressure affected the British Isles for a while on the 16th. Overnight showers affected some parts of NE England in particluar and there were also mist and fog patches in places from NE England to SW England by dawn. After a cloudy start a few showers fell in E Scotland and NE England but otherwise most places had a sunny day. However, in the evening frontal rain spread E'wards to W Scotland and much of Ireland, as pressure fell everywhere. (London 25.2C, Fair Isle 11.4C maximum, Altnaharra 2.1C minimum, Bridlington 7.8mm, Hurn 15.3h.)

The frontal cloud and rain spread slowly E across most of the British Isles on ther 17th - affecting Ireland and Scotland by dawn but only reaching parts of SE England in the evening. The rain was heavy and accompanied by misty conditions along some coasts and over hills. Showers followed the rain from the W, blown along in a brisk W'ly wind, and these persisted into the evening in parts of Scotland and Ireland. The best of the sunshine was in Kent, ahead of the rain, and in W parts of Ireland - in between the showers. (Heathrow 23.7C, Fair Isle 11.3C maximum, Charlwood 6.9C minimum, St Bees Head 40.8mm, Manston 8.7h.)

Widespread rain and showers affected N parts of Ireland, and much of W Scotland, into the 18th. During the day these showers spread E across much of Scotland and also fell over parts of N England and most other areas of Ireland. There were also a few isolated thunderstorms over W Scotland and NW England into the evening. Although most other areas of England remained dry, it was quite cloudy here. (Heathrow 19.8C, Dalwhinnie 11.7C maximum, Redesdale Camp 4.6C minimum, Tyndrum 27.6mm, Lerwick 10.2h.)

Low pressure close to Orkney at 0000GMT on the 19th helped to produce some showers across N Ireland and Scotland before dawn, and these then moved SE to give falls across N England and N Wales during the day. There were reports of thunder in the afternoon in E Scotland and NE England. There were a few isolated and light showers across Cent and S England during the day - but these areas also had sunny periods. In the evening frontal cloud spread SE across Ireland and W Scotland bringing some light rain to these places. (Shoeburyness 20.5C, Loch Glascarnoch 11.9C maximum, Baltasound 6.3C minimum, Tulloch Bridge 22.2mm, Camborne 12.6h.)

Despite the presence of high pressure on the 20th, a series of minor fronts and troughs brough some precipitation during the day. Overnight rain fell from N Ireland to NE England and in parts of Wales, the midlands and S England. Except in SW Ireland it was a rather cloudy day with sunny intervals in most areas. However, further rain and showers fell across N Ireland, N England and S Scotland and there was little sunshine here. By 2400GMT MSl pressure at Shannon Airport was 1028.8mb - but a weak front had brought some light rain to SW Ireland and there was also a little light rain in parts of W Scotland. (Hurn 20.5C, Ballypatrick Forest 12.6C maximum, Wick Airport 5.5C minimum, Leconfield 14.2mm, Cork Airport 12.7h.)

Cloud spreading from the W gave some early rain on the 21st in Ireland and W Scotland - this pushed S to affect parts of the Midlands later in the morning. However, falls were mainly light after dawn. Cloud was, however, persistent from NW Scotland to Cent Ireland and the Midlands throughout the day, although precipitation amounts were slight in the afternoon and confined mainly to parts of W Scotland. E Britain had sunny spells, as did areas of SW England and S Ireland - although East Anglia and much of Wales were also cloudy with some showers in East Anglia. (Johnstown Castle 23.0C, Fair Isle 13.2C maximum, Altnaharra 4.0C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 7.6mm, Camborne 11.7h.)

High pressure persisted across the British Isles on the 22nd - although it was a cloudy system with weak fronts to the N of Scotland and down the spine of Britain. Overnight there was widespread rain from Shetland to SW Scotland and it remained rather cloud with rain and drizzle across n Scotland during the day. During the day showers developed as the temperature rose with thunder over the Pennines around 1800GMT - later moving SE. Elsewhere it was a generally dry day but with only a few sunny periods. (Leuchars 24.2C, Fair Isle 13.3C maximum, Benson 5.9C minimum, Dyce 13.4mm, Manston 11.9h.)

High pressure persisted on the 23rd and most places had a dry day as a result. Kirkwall had some drizzle before dawn and there were patches of fog in places from Scotland to the Midlands. Some showers developed in the afternoon in NE England - these spread into NW England with some thunder and heavy rain. Except over N England, the Midlands and the Northern Isles the day was very sunny. (Glasgow 26.3C, Lerwick 14.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 6.5C minimum, Stonyhurst 22.8mm, Kinloss 15.6h.)

There was fog around dawn from E Scotland to NE England on the 24th but the night was a mainly dry one. With a ridge of high pressure giving an E'ly flow across much of the British Isles daytime weather was also mostly dry. Cloud and mist continued to affect E and cent Scotland during the day and it was rather dull here in places as a result. In most other areas there was little cloud and long sunny spells - wth high temperatures in NW Scotland. (Kinlochewe 26.9C, Fair Isle 13.0C maximum, Woburn 6.3C minimum, Aldergrove 0.4mm, Stornoway 16.2h.)

High pressure continued to give most places another dry day on the 25th. However, S and Cent England, E Scotland and W Ireland saw quite a lot of cloud during the day, with temperatures along the E coast of Scotland remaining quite low as onshire winds brought low cloud here in the afternoon. A line of rain and thunderstorms affected SW England and S Wales in the later afternoon and evening, giving locally heavy falls of rain. In the Home Counties and Cent S England it was a warm afternoon. (Heathrow 28.0C, Fair Isle 13.8C maximum, Castlederg 6.2C minimum, Liscombe 14.4mm, Kinloss 14.3h.)

Early on the 26th a narrow band of thundery rain moved N across S parts of England, Wales and Ireland. It was a warm night in these areas with minimum temperatures widely above 15C in Cent S England. Elsewhere, the night was mainly dry. This area of precipitation continued to make progress N - with locally heavy falls of thundery rain as far N as parts of N Wales. Further showers developed to the S of this line - but Scotland had a mainly dry, as did parts of N England, while the sunniest conditions were to be found in N Scotland. Two Dorset homes were damaged after being struck by lightning during the overnight storms. Dorset Fire Service was called to a "spate of lightning related incidents" due to severe weather. It said the most serious call-outs were to a property hit by lightning in Willow Way, Christchurch, and another in Marnhull, near Sturminster Newton. Fire crews were called to seven flood related incidents in Northamptonshire after a burst of heavy rain. Homes, businesses and a school were hit and a manhole cover was swept away causing a hazard to traffic on a main road through Kettering. (Crosby 26.7C, Loftus 15.6C maximum, Braemar 3.9C minimum, Winterbourne 32.6mm, Stornoway 14.9h.)

Overnight into the 27th there were some falls of rain around the Dee Estuary, in E Scotland and in Devon in particular. Early mist, fog and low low cloud affected some E and Cent parts of Britain with further thundery outbreaks occurring in parts of England during the day. A teenager struck by lightning while sheltering under a tree during a storm later died in hospital. The 17-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and serious burns in Small Heath Park in Birmingham. Another boy suffered convulsions consistent with an electric shock. Many places remained dry although cloudy skies affected much of E and Cent England, N England and S Scotland throughout the day; elsewhere there was patchy cloud and sunny intervals. Parts of London were affected by a heavy thunderstorm in the evening. (London 27.8C, Loftus 14.8C maximum, Sennybridge 8.1C minimum, Winterbourne 37.6mm, Lerwick 15.0h.)

NE, E and Cent England again had mist and fog patches early on the 28th and showers died down in most places overnight. Most places were again dry during the day, but there was widespread cloud that kept sunshine amounts generally low. Temperatures rose to 26C in parts of SE and Cent S England and the heat again triggered some thunderstorms. In the evening some frontal cloud brought rain to S Ireland and there were also light falls in parts of SW England. (Heathrow 27.6C, Salsburgh 16.1C maximum, Aviemore 6.1C minimum, Carlisle 17.2mm, Stornoway 16.1h.)

The 29th dawned following a warm night almost everywhere - with the minimum temperature around London being generally 16-18C. Light rain in Ireland spread to parts of Wales in the early hours and a few showers affected SW England. E Scotland and E England were affected by mist and fog around dawn. The showers in the SW turned thundery (Yeovilton reported thunder at 0600GMT) as they moved NE. Most places saw sunny spells during the day but mist and low cloud persisted in places along the coasts of NE England and SE Scotland. In S England it was a warm and sunny day with 30C beging reached in the SE. Thudnery showers developed from London to N Wales in the afternoon giving locally heavy falls of rain. A 56-year-old man was taken to hospital after lightning struck his house in Staffordshire. The man was standing by a washing machine in the kitchen in Hednesford, when lightning struck during a downpour in the evening. Thudnerstorms broke out over the Channel Islands in the evening. (Wisley 31.3C, Donna Nook 14.8C maximum, Shap 9.4C minimum, Winterbourne 11.6mm, East Malling 14.5h.)

Overnight into the 30th it was again warm with the minimum temperature across much of S England being above 15C. A few showers fell overnight in SW England, parts of the Midlands, N England and S Scotland; there was again fog around dawn in NE and E England while frontal rain gave 11mm in 12 hours ending 0600GMT at Valentia. E and SE England then had a mainly dry day with temperatures again reaching 27C in many places here - away from the coasts where an E'ly breeze kept the temperature lower. Parts of Wales and NE England had thunderstorms in the afterboon and evening - and there were also thunderstorms around the Moray Firth. Shetland and parts of East Anglia had a very sunny day with little cloud - elsewhere cloud amounts were quite variable with many places having an almost sunless day. (Wisley 31.8C, Inverbervie 15.1C maximum, Kinbrace 7.1C minimum, Charterhall 20.0mm, Lerwick 16.2h.)

British Isles weather, July 2009

Overnight into the 1st rainfall as mainly confined to Cent and E Ireland and a few places in wales and N England. It was a warm night with minimum temperatures above 17C in places from Cumbria to Cornwall. The Met Office reported that thunderstorms affected parts of Wales and moved over the Lancashire Coast before clearing further N. It was a warm or hot day across the UK with 30C being recorded in parts of S England - although on the S coast 20C was about the highest recorded. Ireland had a rather cloudy day with some rain, while thunderstorms formed across parts of N England and Scotland, especially in the afternoon. Flooding was reported in parts of NE England. At Copley (Durham) rainfall amounts included 1400-1440GMT 53.0mm, 1440-1630GMT 22.2mm, 1630-1800GMT 10.5mm and 1800-1930GMT 2.2mm; the total fall for the 24 hours beginning at 0900GMT was 87.9mm with constant thunder and lightning throughout the period. In the evening thunderstorms occurred over the Channel Islands and in SW England. (Heathrow 30.9C, Bridlington 15.3C maximum, Tain Range 11.1C minimum, Albemarle 37.4mm, East Malling 15.0h.)

Fronts and troughs straddled much of the western half of the British Isles on the 2nd, giving falls of rain - some heavy - here. It was a warm night everywhere with thunderstroms affecting Cornwall, the Channel Islands and Ireland overnight. These then moved N into SW Scotland with outbreaks later over the Moray Firth. Cent and E parts of Britain remained mainly dry during the day with temperatures widely reaching 27C here. Further thunder was heard in Ireland and W Scotland during the day and also in Avon, as heavy rain fell in parts of SW England in the evening; there was also some heavy rain in W Scotland in the afternoon. Rainfall totalling 38mm fell in the 12 hours to 0600GMT at Dublin Airport, and there was traffic chaos in Dublin as a result. Fifteen days of rain fell in one hour at Dublin Airport in a series of thunderstorms. Many roads in the city - particularly along the coast - were flooded, as was the DART rail line. A roof collapsed in the Mater Hospital in north Dublin, but there were no injuries. Patients at its accident and emergency department had to be moved because of flooding. Torrential summer rain also brought flash flooding to parts of Glasgow and the west of Scotland. (Wisley 30.7C, Fair Isle 17.2C maximum, Andrewsfield 11.0C minimum, Dalwhinnie 41.4mm, Holbeach 15.0h.)

Frontal cloud continued to give cloudy and wet conditions across Ireland and W Britain into the 3rd. Parts of S and E England also had some heavy falls of rain and thunderstorms as the fronts pushed E here later in early morning. After another warm and humid night in most places there was then widespread heavy rain from the N Midlands and Cent Ireland to Cent Scotland; as the rain moved E there were scattered thunderstorms with the rain turning torrential in places. The best of the sunshine was to be found in Ireland and parts of S England once the fronts had cleared - and it was a warm day across Britain with 25C as far N as Kinloss. (Weybourne 26.7C, Tiree 16.7C maximum, Redesdale Camp 8.3C minimum, Glasgow 28.2mm, Casement Aerodrome 11.1h.)

Low pressure centred to the W of Ireland on the 4th continued to push showers and longer outbteaks of rain E during the day. The heaviest falls generally occurred in the W, across Ireland and in Cornwall - with Connaught Airport reporting thunder during the late morning. E Britain had a sunny day - although it was very dull on Shetland; further W there were sunny periods between the showers, which also turned thundery across Wales. (Coningsby 27.0C, Lerwick 16.7C maximum, Dalwhinnie 8.2C minimum, Camborne 16.0mm, Holbeach 14.0h.)

Low pressure to the W of Ireland continued to give unsettled weather to the British Isles on the 5th. Showers continued in the W overnight and by mid-morning they had also affected N England and S Scotland. During ther day scattered showers affected Ireland, Wales and SW England in particular with falls also across SW Scotland and a few places in N England and the Midlands. According to the Met Office a funnel cloud was also reported near Oxford as some of these showers turned thundery. In the late afternoon and evening thunder was reported over Wales and parts of W England. Cent and NW Scotland had a sunny day, but elsewhere broken cloud reduced the sunshine duration. (Coningsby 25.9C, Baltasound 16.2C maximum, Katesbridge 7.5C minimum, Charterhall 18.8mm, Stornoway 12.6h.)

The low pressure area moved NE across the British Isles on the 6th, giving spells of rain and showers, gusty winds (30-40kn), and introducing a N'ly flow from the W. The night was generally mild with overnight precipitation mainly across Ireland, Wales, W England and S Scotland before dawn. During the day the areas of precipitation extended N'wards across Scotland and into E and SE England. In places the rain caused flooding with thunder reported from Cent S England to East Anglia in particular in the afternoon. The Northern Isles, NE Ireland and SW Scotland had a rather dull day but elsewhere there were sunny periods. (Heathrow 22.8C, Lake Vyrnwy 14.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 6.7C minimum, Church Fenton 31.6mm, Cork Airport 11.6h.)

The British Isles lay under an unsettled N'ly surface flow on the 7th. Overnight rain and showers, thundery in places, affected many areas. In S England some heavy rain caused flooding during the morning, particluarly in Sussex. The showers continued to affect much of England and Wales during the day, although Ireland and Scotland were mostly dry - and S Ireland was quite sunny. The showers were heavy and thundery in many places. Several roads in an East Sussex town were left under water after heavy rain fell in the early hours; emergency services said they responded to a number of calls in the Hollington area of Hastings and St Leonards. Reports spoke of 91-115mm of rain falling here in 24 hours. Crews from East and West Sussex were called to help with 14 floods in Brighton, during 1600-1920GMT, as heavy bursts of rain continued to pour down. In Cuckfield, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service was called to a house which caught fire after it was struck by lightning. A number of London Underground stations were closed on Tuesday evening after a series of thunderstorms led to floods. Victoria, Paddington and Hyde Park Corner Tube stations were shut at about 1630GMT after torrential rain hit central London with hail and lightning. There were a number of flood warnings at rivers and tributaries in south-east London including River Ravensbourne. (Shoeburyness 22.0C, Emley Moor 13.1C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 8.8C minimum, Herstmonceux 42.2mm, Cork Airport 13.0h.)

Rainfall into the 8th was mainly confined to the N Midlands, and parts of N England, East Anglia and SE England. During the day showers continued to fall across parts of N Wales and N and E parts of England, while in the Midlands and SE England showers were heavy at times. affected northern and eastern parts of the country. The Midlands and south-east England experienced heavy rain at times. Rsing pressure kept things drier in Ireland - with Valentia reporting 1021.7mb at 2400GMT. E parts of Britain remained rather cloudy throughout the day. (Lee-on-Solent 21.7C, Braemar 12.6C maximum, Eskdalemuir 7.4C minimum, Woodford 16.8mm, Shannon Airport 14.6h.)

High pressure in the W meant a mainly dry day on the 9th for most areas. However, overnight there were showers in E England and parts of E Scotland - these became slightly more widespread across E England during the day and turned thundery (with some hail) in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. There were also a few light showers in some W areas - notably Northern Ireland. Even where it remained dry it was rather cloudy. (Lee-on-Solent 21.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 12.9C maximum, Tyndrum 4.4C minimum, Holbeach 9.8mm, Manston 12.5h.)

A weak ridge of high pressure gave much of Britain a dry day on the 10th. There were clear skies in many areas with a slight ground frost in parts of Cent Scotland. A few showers continued to affect E England overnight while by dawn Valentia had reported light frontal rain as frontal cloud spread across parts of Ireland from the SW. During the day there were isolated light showers in SW England and NE Scotland while light rain spread across S and W parts of Ireland and into SW Wales and SW Cornwall later in the afternoon. 13mm of rain fell at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. (Shoeburyness 21.9C, Kinbrace 13.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 1.0C minimum, Cardinham 5.6mm, Dunstaffnage 16.2h.)

During the 11th frontal rain in SW areas spread slowly E and N, affecting much of Ireland, Wales and Cent and S England by the evening. It was mainly light for many places and accompanied by hill and coastal fog; Valentia reported a thunderstomr in the afternoon. Scotland and N England were mainly dry until the evening, with rain reaching Scotland in the late evening. The Northern Isles were rather dull, but elsewhere Scotland had a sunny day. As the associated low centre deepened off W Ireland, it turned windy with 40kn around many coasts. 37mm of rain fell at both Valentia and Cork Airport in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. (Crosby 23.6C, Lerwick 12.8C maximum, Shap 1.6C minimum, Isles of Scilly 44.4mm, Stornoway 16.3h.)

Overnight into the 12th most places, except for the extreme N of Scotland, were affected by the frontal rain as it continued to push N'wards. By dawn much of Ireland. Wales and England was turning dry and during the daylight hours precipitation was mainly confined to Scotland. Showers developed to the S of the main rain area - particularly across Ireland with some thundery showers reported over Northern Ireland and S Scotland late in the afternoon and early evening. South of a line Tiree-Dundee most places has sunny spells. In the evening thunderstorms in S and E Belfast led to some flooding. (Heathrow 24.6C, Wick Airport 12.6C maximum, Aviemore 8.0C minimum, Eskdalemuir 25.0mm, Connaught Airport 11.9h.)

Rainfall and showers on the 13th were widespread across the British Isles, with a brisk SW'ly airflow caused by low pressure to the SW of Ireland. MSL pressure fell to 1000mb at Valentia in late evening. Although E England, along with W and N Scotland, tended to miss the showers, they turned heavy and thundery in many parts of Wales, W England and N Ireland. The Northern Isles had a rather dull day, as did parts of NW Ireland; elsewhere there were sunny periods between the showers. 18mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT at Johnstown Castle. Fire crews were called out in the afternoon to deal with flooding in the Aboyne area of Deeside, which was also affected by flooding last week; crews also helped to pump out a business premises in Echt. (Shoeburyness 23.9C, Baltasound 13.1c maximum, Dalwhinnie 4.1C minimum, Eskdalemuir 21.0mm, Tiree 14.6h.)

Low pressure over the British Isles led to an unsettled day on the 14th. Overnight there was widespread rain across Scotland and Northern Ireland with lesser falls from Cornwall to Hull. Showers and longer outbreaks of rain became more widespread during the day - with thundery outbreaks in parts of Wales, Ireland and many S and Cent parts of England. Parts of NW Scotland had a sunny day but elsewhere the sunshine was intermittent - between the showers. As pressure fell in SW Britain in the evening the wind picked up and gusts to 40kn were recorded around the coasts here. (London 24.1C, Fair Isle 14.3C maximum, Katesbridge 6.5C minimum, Ballykelly 20.2mm, Stornoway 11.6h.)

Overnight into the 15th rain and showers continued across England and Wales, with lesser falls also in Ireland and Scotland. Further falls continued during the day, although S and cent parts of England and S Ireland were dry in places. However a line of showers from Cornwall to London did give some heavy falls later in the afternoon and evening. Showers across Scotland produced some thunder in the afternoon and evening. (Norwich Airport 24.6C, Wick Airport 15.1C maximum, Braemar 7.5C minimum, Shap 18.0mm, Cork Airport 11.6h.)

It was largely dry overnight into the 16th, although during the early hours cloud spread into SW England and this in turn brought rain which spread to much of Wales, SW England and parts of the Midlands by late afternoon. Falls were heavy in places with 46mm in 12 hours ending 1800GMT at Scilly (St. Mary's). Other places saw a few showers during the day with some thundery falls over parts of N Scotland. Further thundery outbreaks affected Cent Scotland in the evening - when there were also thunderstorms reported in the Channel Islands, Cent S England and East Anglia. by 2400GMT a low pressure center of 1006mb was located close to Portland Bill. It was a relatively cool day in parts of SW England in the wet conditions. Both main roads into Cornwall were closed later in the evening after flooding and a crash. The crash, involving seven vehicles, blocked the A30 at Temple and flooding and a landslip closed the A38 near Bodmin. Heavy rain had also caused flooding around Lostwithiel. (Gravesend 25.6C, Camborne 13.8C maximum, Altnaharra 6.5C minimum, Cardinham 66.8mm, Cork Airport 14.1h.)

A low pressure centre crossed the UK on the 17th to give a cool and wet day across Britain. Overnight rain affected much of England, Wales, S and E Scotland with falls also in E Ireland. Thunder in parts of Cent S England around dawn later affected East Anglia as the heaviest rain moved N and E. By the evening rain was falling across much of E Scotland and S'wards to the N Midlands. At Leeming 48mm fell in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. W Scotland and Ireland had some showers during the day and there gales around some coasts of Ireland, S and W England and Wales. Homes in Llanelli were hit by flooding while a house in Caswell, Gower, was said to have been flooded with water up to 1m deep. A 250-year-old tree fell down in Picton Castle's grounds after stormy weather in Pembrokeshire. Rail services between Swansea and Llanelli were suspended due to flooding near Llandeilo Junction. (Bridlington 21.2C, Spadeadam 12.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 7.1C minimum, Loftus 66.8mm, Stornoway 13.7h.)

Low pressure and frontal cloud gave another unsettled day on the 18th. Overnight an area oif persistent rain affected NE England and E Scotland. Homes have been evacuated and streets flooded after north-east England suffered heavy downpours. Part of Durham city centre was left under water after the River Wear burst its banks. Morpeth and Rothbury in Northumberland, were also affected, with a number of homes evacuated. And on Teesside, the 19th annual Middlesbrough Mela was cancelled after the event site became waterlogged. Other events cancelled included the Music in the Park Festival in Ponteland, and a classical music concert at Gibside, near Gateshead. In Durham City the river level was about 4m above normal, with a large part of the administrative quarter under water; buildings affected included the Passport Office, the National Savings and Investment Offices, and the Radisson Hotel. Service on the Tyne and Wear Metro was suspended between Benton and Shiremoor, after floodwater washed soil and other waste onto the tracks. The Environment Agency issued 58 flood warnings around the North East, with a severe flood warning for the Millburngate area of Durham City. The Cumberland Show was also cancelled due to flooding; the annual agricultural show has been held at the Rickerby Park site, near the River Eden, since 1991. During the morning the rain eased away from NE England and became more showery, and across Scotland the rain moved W. Scattered heavy showers and a few thunderstorms then affected S Scotland and NE England, mainly during the afternoon. Other places had a few showers after a dry start to the day, with low pressure centres close to NE Scotland and SW Ireland by 2400GMT. (Manston 22.5C, Loch Glascarnoch 12.4C maximum, Katesbridge 7.0C minimum, Fyvie Castle 25.6mm, Malin Head 9.7h.)

Rain and showers into the 19th affected many areas during the day but grdaually moved away to the E across S and Cent areas of Britain. Along the English Channel there were gusty conditions while Coningsby reported thunder in the late afternoon. Rain was rather more persistent during the day across Scotland with low pressure and cloud tending to linger here - although N England had a mainly dry day in many places. W Ireland had the best of the sunshine, with much of England seeing little sunshine. (Gravesend 21.9C, Stornoway 14.2C maximum, Katesbridge 4.3C minimum, Hawarden 23.8mm, Belmullet 11.2h.)

Overnight into the 20th rainfall was mainly confined to W Scotland and NW Ireland although scattered showers affected a few other aress of the British Isles - particularly parts of East Anmglia and the East Midlands for a while. The rain continued to affect W Scotland during the day, becoming confined to NW parts of frontal systems moved slowly N. E Scotland and many other areas had a sunny day although S England was relatively cloudy, and an area of cloud and rain affacted S parts of England in the evening. (Heathrow 22.4C, Kinlochewe 13.9C maximum, Katesbridge 4.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 19mm, Valley 13.0h.)

By dawn on the 21st frontal cloud and rain had spread N to affect all of Wales, SE Ireland, SW and Cent S England - and by the evening only the extreme N of Scotland remained dry. In places the rain was heavy and there were thunderstorms in places - developing in bands behind the main rain areas. While most of England remained cloud after the rain had cleared, there were a few sunny spells across Ireland and in W Wales. The extreme SE of England had the highest temperatures with a warm sector affecting this area for a while. Pressure fell to around 990mb at Belmullet by 2400GMT as low pressure persisted close to W Ireland during the afternoon and evening. (Manston 26.7C, Port Ellen 15.3C maximum, Fyvie Castle 5.7C minimum, Shap 29.0mm, Kirkwall 12.4h.)

Parts of Scotland and N and E Ireland were wet overnight into the 22nd with widespread showers and falls of heavy rain. This was the result of a low pressure area located close to W Scotland throughout the day. There was also overnight rain in other areas, although W Ireland, the Midlands and East Anglia were mostly dry. During the day the showers became widespread, although NE Scotland, SE England, east Anglia and parts of SW Ireland were mostly dry. Leuchars reported thunder in the afternoon. Most areas, even where it remained dry, were rather cloudy. (Norwich Airport 23.7C, Baltasound 14.9C maximum, Redesdale Camp 6.3C minimum, Lossiemouth 21.8mm,Tiree 10.0h.)

The low pressure centre moved only slowly NE'wards, close to NW Scotland, on the 23rd. Showers continued to affect many areas overnight and these then became more widespread and heavier during the day. N parts of Scotland and Ireland were affected by thunderstorms, with thunder reported in parts of E England and later Guernsey in the evening. More general frontal rain affected parts of W Ireland during the day. It was a rather cloudy day across much of Scotland and in parts of Ireland - and in most places cloud cover reduced the sunshine duration even when dry. (Marham 23.7C, Fair Isle 14.9C maximum, Braemar 7.0C minimum, Portglenone 24.8mm, Filton 12.1h.)

Low pressure to the NE of Scotland gave way on the 24th to a weak ridge that spread from the NW. Overnight rain and showers affected mainly Wales and S England, W and N Ireland, W and S Scotland - although one or two heavy falls were also reported from East Anglia. Heavy showers developed over S England and other areas during the morning, and these led to thundery outbreaks from the Midlands and Cent S England to East Anglia as they moved E during the morning and afternoon; thunder was heard in the Duvblin area later in the afternoon. E Scotland was also affected later by thundery showers while some flooding was reported around Didcot. As the ridge took hold in the W, MSL pressure rose to 1021.4mb on Scilly by 2400GMT, and showers in the W died down. (Norwich Airport 22.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 13.9C maximum, Topcliffe 8.5C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 21.6mm, Camborne 11.9h.)

The influence of the ridge was short-lived and by midday on the 25th another area of low pressure to the W of Ireland was pushing frontal rain E'wards across Ireland. Most places were dry overnight although NW Scotland had a few showers. Clear skies led to some ground frost for a time in parts of N Scotland. The day was mainly dry - except for some showers in S England and parts of Wales - but by the evening rain was falling in W Ireland and this precipitation had reached the Dublin area by midnight. However, ahead of the frontal cloud much of Britain had a sunny day. (Heathrow 24.6C, Fair Isle 13.5C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.1C minimum, Trawsgoed 3.4mm, Valley 13.5h.)

Low pressure lay to the W of Scotland for much of the 26th - and drove frontal systems E'wards across the British Isles. E areas were dry overnight (and in some places in E Scotland quite cool) but by 0600GMT frontal rain was affecting Wales and W Britain from Cornwall to Skye. The rain intensity weakened as it moved E and was soon followed by showers in the W - these turned heavy in some W parts - although more general rain lingered along a line from A Wales to East Anglia into the evening. Most of England and S Scotland had a rather dull day. (Gravesend 23.6C, Fair Isle 13.0C maximum, Braemar 3.2C minimum, Chivenor 20.8mm, Lerwick 7.5h.)

Rain or showers were fairly widespread overnight and throughout the 27th. Rain in SE England cleared by mid-afternoon although showers pushed E'wards during the day - turning thudnery in parts of E England and E Scotland in the afternoon. Most places had sunny periods between the showers - which became more scattered towards the end of the afternoon. (Heathrow 22.4C, Spadeadam 15.4C maximum, Liscombe 9.3C minimum, Eskdalemuir 18.4mm, Aberporth 11.1h.)

Frontal cloud early on the 28th spread rain to Ireland, SW Scotland, Wales and other parts of W Britain by dawn. E Britain remained mainly dry overnight before precipitation became widespread N of a line Exeter to Hull. Across Wales and N parts of England there were some heavy falls during the day - although SE England remained mostly dry and sunny. According to the Met Office a tornado was reported at Harwood near Bolton in the afternoon. W parts of Ireland aand Scotland saw spells of sunshine later after the rain had cleared but areas bordering the Irish Sea had a very dull day. Stornoway coastguard said a tornado hit the town shortly after 2100GMT after coming across the harbour, but no one was reported injured; a number of cars were reportedly damaged and one car was flipped upside down by the storm, narrowly missing the fuel depot near the ferry terminal. Rainfall at Cwmavon amounted to 50mm in the 24 hours starting at 0900GMT, with the result that the local River Afan is running quite high. (Coningsby 23.0C, Lake Vyrnwy 14.2C maximum, Braemar 5.7C minimum, Capel Curig 46.8mm, Manston 11.6h.)

E parts of Ireland, Wales, W England and much of mainland Scotland was wet overnight into the 29th. This frontal rain spread E during the day, giving many places over England and Wales some heavy falls by early evening. 52mm of rain fell in 12 hours to 1800GMT at Liscombe; as the rain moved E it was followed by showers and associated cloud reportedly produced a waterspout off the coast in the Vale of Glamorgan overlooking the Bristol Channel. Cloudy skies affected much of England and Wales during the day while Scotland and Ireland had sunny spells and showers - especially over Ireland. A thunderstorm was reported at Cork in the late afternoon. Two campsites in the Keswick and Bassenthwaite areas were evacuated early in the day amid fears of rising river levels. Most campers returned to their original pitches or found alternatives later in the day. (Shoeburyness 23.4C, Lake Vyrnwy 14.1C maximum, Katesbridge 8.3C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 61.4mm, Malin Head 12.8h.)

Rainfall overnight into the 30th was widespread across England, Wales and much of Ireland - but N and Cent Scotland was mainly dry with low minimum temperatures in the north. During the day the British Isles were covered by a mainly W'ly surface flow and a weak ridge slowly developed. Bands of showers moved E'wards and affected many areas, and these turned thundery during the late morning and afternoon around Lincolnshire and East Anglia, in particular. Daytime temperatures failed to reach 20C except in a few locations in and around London - although except for the Northern Isles it was generally a sunny day. Organisers of the one-day Brecon County Show were forced to cancel it for the first time in 254 years because of the weather; due to be staged on Saturday 1 August it has been cancelled over concerns of waterlogged fields and possible traffic problems after several days of wet weather. (Manston 21.2C, Lerwick 13.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 3.4C minimum, Coningsby 16.0mm, Leuchars 11.9h.)

High pressure to the E of the UK on the 31st and an approaching low in the W meant that the driest weather was to be found in the E. Much of Scotland, England and Wales had a dry start to the day. Rain was falling across W Ireland at 0000GMT and this steadily moved E during the day, reaching Cent Scotland and W parts of England by 1800GMT. Winds increased in the W as MSL pressure fell to 999.1mb at Belmullet by 2400GMT. W Scotland and Ireland had a rather dull day, but in E England it was sunny for most of the day. 31mm of rain fell at Valentia during 0600-1800GMT. (London 23.8C, Lough Fea 13.2C maximum, Braemar 4.2C minimum, Machrihanish 11.4mm, Wattisham 10.7h.)

British Isles weather, August 2009

An area of low pressure close to W Scotland throughout the 1st led to an unsettled day with rather windy conditions in the W. A rather cloudy night mean a mild start to the day - and rain rapidly advanced E to affect all but parts of East Anglia and a few areas of SE England by 0600GMT. Further rain and showers affected most places during the day with some of the heaviest falls during the day being across Cent parts of England. Showers and brighter conditions followed in the W behind this main area of rain and the best of the sunshine was consequently to be found across W Wales and Ireland. It was a warm day in East Anglia although thunder was reported in Lincolnshire in the afternoon. (Norwich Airport 25.9C, Fair Isle 14.1C maximum, Eskdalemuir 10.5C minimum, Capel Curig 23.8mm, Aberporth 9.4h.)

The frontal rain finally cleared East Anglia overnight into the 2nd, while another area of rain affected W and N Scotland. Further rain fell in NW Scotland during the day - this tended to die out as the day developed - elsewhere, under a weak ridge of high pressure it was a mainly dry day. Some showers fell over N Ireland and SW England for a while, but later in the day an area of frontal rain spread NE into W Ireland giving 13mm in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT at Valentia. Away from W Ireland and NW Scotland most places say sunny spells at times during the day. During the evening parts of W Wales reported some light rain. (Andrewsfield 22.3C, Lake Vyrnwy 15.6C, Benson 6.5C, Cassley 16.4mm, Leuchars 13.5h.)

Overnight into the 3rd rain affected most parts of Ireland and a few parts of W Wales and SW England. However, this rain and frontal cloud spread into W Scotland and parts of W England during the day. However, although persistent in places, the falls were mainly slight and E areas of England and Scotland had sunny spells for much of the day. An exception was in parts of W Ireland where there were some heavy falls - 15mm of rain fell at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. (London 23.7C, Fair Isle 15.0C maximum, Braemar 3.3C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 8.4mm, Dyce 12.6h.)

Widespread frontal cloud occurring into the 4th meant a warm night in all areas - with overnight temperatures remaining above 17C in some parts of S England. The cloud brought some heavy falls of rain in parts of Ireland, Wales, SW Scotland and W England and by dawn there was rain falling in some Cent and E areas of England. This rain made little progress further E during the day, which was warm almost everywhere - and rather humid. Much of Ireland had a dry day with sunny spells, although there were some showers here and in W Britain. (Manston 25.0C, Inverbervie 15.1C maximum, Baltasound 12.8C minimum, Shap 21.2mm, Lerwick 8.1h.)

The 5th dawned after another mild night with overnight minimum temperatures as high as 17C as far N as Lincolnshire. A line of rain, heavy in places, affected places from E Yorkshire to Dorset and although this eased off in the S made only slow progress E at the N end (where a 'kink' formed on the front). During the day rain also fell across W areas of Ireland and Scotland. Away from the rain area England had sunny intervals, but E Ireland and much of Scotland had a very sunny day. In the warm air to the E of the rain across England it was a very warm day. (Gravesend 28.9C, Fair Isle 15.8C maximum, Altnaharra 8.8C minimum, Lyneham 22.4mm, Casement Aerodrome 13.9h.)

Rain continued to fall from Lincolnshire to the Isle of Wight into the 6th, with troughs continuing to bring rain and showers to W areas of Scotland and Ireland. East Anglia and the extreme SE of England had a warm night. Rain and showers in England continued during the morning with an organised band of rain moving into Dorset and Wiltshire, which continued for most of the day producing some very high rainfall accumulations. The showers turned thundery and spread NE; according to the Met Office Holbeach recorded 46.2mm in 12 hours up to 2100GMT and 47.4mm fell at Boscombe Down. Larkhill received 34.6mm in the 12 hours ending 2100GMT. In the evening the thundery rain then spread E across other parts of SE England. Much of Scotland and places bordering the Irish Sea had long sunny spells during the day - with sunny periods elsewhere away from the thundery rain; it was hot in parts of SE England. (East Malling 29.2C, Fair Isle 16.0C maximum, Redesdale Camp 5.3C minimum, Boscombe Down 47.6mm, Aviemore 13.0h.)

By 0600GMT on the 7th overnight heavy rain had cleared E England to the E. Elsewhere the night was mostly dry although mist and fog formed in parts of S Wales and SW England by dawn. The fog soon cleared and, apart from some rain and showers in N parts of Scotland and Ireland, the day was mostly dry with sunny spells. In the afternoon and evening frontal cloud reached W Ireland from the W with some light rain falling here in the evening. (Thorney Island 23.9C, Lerwick 15.9C maximum, Kinbrace 4.9C minimum, Church Fenton 23.8mm, Yeovilton 13.3h.)

Overnight into the 8th there were a few showers in N Scotland with frontal rain in the Western Isles and W Ireland. Fog formed in some parts of East Anglia and E Scotland but soon cleared after dawn. During the day these areas of frontal cloud and rain pushed slowly E but weakened as a weak ridge persisted over much of England. Much of England had a sunny day although it did cloud over a little in the W as the frontal cloud approach. A few showers did affect England in places later in the day. (London 23.6C, Fair Isle 14.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie 3.8C minimum, Katesbridge 5.2mm, Filton 13.4h.)

There were a few mist and fog patches early on the 9th from Wales through the Midlands to SE England and East Anglia, while parts of S Ireland and E Scotland had some overnight rain. E Scotland, Wales and England then had a mainly warm day away from the coasts but there were a few showers during the day in parts of Wales and Scotland. W of a line Devon-E Wales-Cleveland it was a mainly cloudy day, and in Ireland frontal cloud and rain invaded from the W during the day - extending to most areas of the country by 2400GMT as an area of low pressure headed fro NW Ireland. (London 27.2C, Fair Isle 15.8C maximum, Sennybridge 4.8C minimum, Salsburgh 27.2mm, St Athan 12.7h.)

By dawn on the 10th an area of low pressure had reached N Ireland and rain had fallen everywhere, apart from in East Anglia, Cent and S parts of England. The low centre crossed into S Scotland and the rain reached SE England during the day, but falls here were generally light as a weak ridge built across the British Isles from the SW during the day. Much of England, Wales and SE Ireland had a rather cloudy day but it was quite sunny in parts of SW Scotland the N of Ireland, with much of W Scotland remaining mainly dry. Drier weather followed from the W and by 2400GMT the MSL pressure had risen to 1022.9mb at Valentia - although much of Ireland remained cloudy in the evening. (Manston 25.1C, Baltasound 13.9C maximum, Baltasound 9.2C minimum, Eskdalemuir 30.8mm, Tiree 11.9h.)

Most parts of the British Isles remained dry overnight into the 11th. It was a warm and humid night in S England while some mist and fog patches formed in other areas. During the morning frontal rain spread E into W Scotland and Ireland; across Ireland, where a warm sector soon enveloped the country, falls were mainly slight. Across Scotland there were some heavy falls as the rain spread E during the day. Some rain fell over N England but Cent and S England remained largely dry - and it was very sunny in places here. (Pershore 25.8C, Fair Isle 14.4C maximum, Tyndrum 5.8C minimum, Port Ellen 10.6mm, Shawbury 14.6h.)

A cold front edged slowly S through Cent Ireland, N Wales and N England early on the 12th, bringing falls of rain, heavy in places. Across Scotland there was rain in the N while scattered showers affected other parts of the British Isles. During the day the rain over England and Wales edged slowly S, while over Scotland the rain tended to give way to showers - which were thundery in places. Some rain and showers affected S Ireland. The best of the sunshine was to be found in parts of N England and S Scotland; elsewhere, it was a rather cloudy day. (Wainfleet 23.2C, Baltasound 14.9C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 10.6C minimum, Trawscoed 17.2mm, Leuchars 10.6h.)

There was some, mainly slight, frontal rain in S Ireland, S England and S Wales before 0600GMT on the 13th - but as this cleared much of the UK then had a dry day with sunny periods in between the clouds. This was the result of a ridge of high pressure, MSL pressure centred over SE Ireland at 1022mb at 1200GMT. Some light showers developed across Scotland during the day, while in the afternoon and evening thickening cloud brought some light rain and drizzle to SW Ireland. (St James Park 24.1C, Baltasound 14.7C maximum, Eskdalemuir 5.1C minimum, St Catherines Point 5.8mm, Shawbury 14.8h.)

Most places saw the 14th dawning with dry conditions, although there were a few mist and fog patches in Cent S England. There was some light rain in W parts of Scotland and Ireland - and during the day this spread into N Ireland and across much of Scotland giving heavy and persistent falls in places. Parts of SW England and S Wales had low cloud, mist and drizzle although other areas of England remained dry. E and Cent S England had some sunny spells - elsewhere the day was cloudy with little or no sunshine. 22mm of rain fell at Valentia in the 12 hours beginning 1800GMT. (Norwich Airport 25.3C, Cassley 13.1C maximum, Sennybridge 6.1C minimum, Glasgow 27.8mm, Manston 9.9h.)

Low pressure centred close to W Scotland on the 15th and associated fronts lying across Scotland made for a mainly wet spell of weather across Scotland overnight. The rain in the north continued during the morning, affecting Wales and the Midlands by midday. It stayed showery in Scotland and Ireland during the afternoon and it was also very windy as the low centre deepened as it approached the Western Isles. S parts of the UK stayed generally dry throughout the day with sunny spells. Sule Skerry reported MSL pressure down to 991.9mb at 2100GMT. (Wainfleet 25.3C, Lerwick 14.7C maximum, Tain Range 10.1C minimum, Shap 36.2mm, Belmullet 9.8h.)

Into the 16th there were showers across Scotland and rain across Ireland - the latter due to a frontal system that spread from the W. An area of showers affected N Ireland in the morning, while the rain across Ireland tended to move NE and reached many parts of Scotland by the evening - N Scotland had already been affected by a separate rain area. E parts of England and Scotland had sunny spells - elsewhere it was rather a cloudy day although at Belmullet the skies did brighten up once the rain had cleared. (Manston 25.7C, Baltasound 14.8C maximum, Shawbury 9.5C minimum, Lerwick 11.4mm, Wattisham 11.8h.)

Rain affected Scotland N parts of England and Ireland into the 17th, with mainly dry conditions further S. Rain and showers continued to affect these areas during the day - and in the evening another area of frontal rain pushed NE into SW Ireland. A weak ridge of high pressure across SE England formed later in the day and most of England and Wales had a dry day as a result. Most places say sunny periods during the day - the notable exception being the extreme SW of Ireland. (Shoeburyness 24.6C, Fair Isle 14.4C maximum, Baltasound 7.7C minimum, Wick Airport 19.2mm, Malin Head 9.8h.)

Frontal rain affected W Ireland early on the 18th and spread into N Ireland by 0600GMT. Thereafter it continued to spread NE and affected S and W Scotland, and some Cent and E areas of Scotland, by the evening. There was some mist in the Midlands and Cent S England before dawn but away from Ireland most places had a dry night. As the day progressed it turned drier across Ireland although there was a brisk wind here and in W Scotland later in the day. S and cent England remained dry all day although it was rather cloudy here - only in East Anglia and Kent was there prolonged sunshine; Scotland and Ireland also had a dull day even when the rain stopped. (Norwich Airport 26.2C,Fair Isle 13.6C maximum, Braemar 6.0C minimum, Eskdalemuir 15.0mm, Manston 13.2h.)

The 19th saw fronts bringing frontal rain early in the day to Ireland and W areas of Britain. During the day the fronts made little further progress E'wards, so that most of England (except Cumbria) remained largely dry while places in Scotland and Ireland had some persistent rain. Cent, E and S parts of England had a sunny day; elsewhere it was cloudy even where the rain held off. In the evening, the rain started to push slowly into W Wales and other parts of N England. In E parts of England it was a very warm day in places. (Gravesend 30.3C, Fair Isle 14.8C maximum, Charlwood 9.3C minimum, Eskdalemuir 42.8mm, Manston 13.8h.)

Cloud and a S'ly airflow meant that the 20th began with mild conditions everywhere. In Wales and NW England the overnight minimum temperature at sea level was generally 17-19C. There was widespread rain overnight W of a line Northumberland-Devon; the rain was heavy in places - while in parts of Se England there was fog around dawn. During the morning heavy rain affected parts of W Scotland, Wales, SW England and Ireland and this spread E - albeit turning lighter as it did so. Showers followed the rain in the W, particularly across Ireland as a W/SW'ly became established everywhere. Ronaldsway reported thunder in the afternoon as some of these showers turned thundery. (Norwich Airport 27.5C, Tulloch Loch Glascarnoch 10.7C minimum, Eskdalemuir 47.2mm, Belmullet 9.9h.)

A W/SW'ly surface flow on the 21st brought showery troughs to many parts of the British Isles. Overnight showers were mainly confined to Scotland, Ireland and Wales with rainfall also in parts of SW England. The showers turned heavy in places with thunder in W Wales overnight - during the day showers occurred in all areas with isolated thunder reported from SW Ireland to Lincolnshire. In the evening there was some heavy rain in Cent Scotland although for many the showers tended to die down around this time. Ireland, in particular, had quite a sunny day. (Manston 22.6C, Dalwhinnie 14.0C maximum, Castlederg 7.8C minimum, Tyndrum 28.0mm, Cork Airport 11.7h.)

Overnight into the 22nd showers continued across W areas of the British Isles - in E areas, as the skies cleared it turned chilly in places. A weak frontal system led to a cloudy day in SW England - elsewhere during the day there was a W-E cloudy-clear split. In E Scotland, England and for much of Wales it was a dry day, but by midday much of Ireland was cloudy and further frontal rain had started to fall at Valentia. During the afternoon this rain spread across much of Ireland and into W Scotland with falls in part of E Scotland in the evening. In the evening the rain gave way to drizzle in parts of S Ireland - and a warm sector here led to some mist and fog. In contrast, on the Channel Islands at 2400GMT visibility was reported to be around 50-55km. (Gravesend 23.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 14.6C maximum, Aboyne 4.3C minimum, Spadeadam 9.2mm, Waddington 11.8h.)

Rain affected much of Ireland, Scotland, N Wales and NW England into the 23rd - and during the day spread slowly E into NE England and parts of the Midlands. During the afternoon it turned drier with a few showers over Ireland; however as the rain moved E it weakened and for much of East Anglia, Cent S and SE England it was a dry day with varying amounts of cloud and sunny periods. The rain was heavy at times; in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT 33mm fell at both Eskdalemuir and Valentia. (Weybourne 28.4C, Fair Isle 14.0C maximum, Baltasound 8.8C minimum, Tiree 44.2mm, East Malling 12.8h.)

The 24th saw one frontal system finally clearing E England while another later affected Ireland and W Scotland. Overnight, a band of rain affected W England and Wales and also E areas of Scotland and there were some fog patched in parts of Cent S England. Showers followed the rain in Ireland and SW England and as the frontal rain pushed E there were light falls in E England. Showery conditions in the W spread into the Midlands and NE England during the day. During the evening further rain reached W Scotland and a mixture of rain and showers occurred over Ireland. Ahead of the arrival of the rainband (a cold front) in E England it was a warm day in places. (Norwich Airport 28.2C, Lerwick 15.1C maximum, Katesbridge 4.2C minimum, Carlisle 20.6mm, Stornoway 11.3h.)

During the early hours of the 25th the E of the UK had a mainly dry night, while across W areas and over Ireland cloud (associated with a low to the W of Ireland) brought showery conditions. These showers spread E during the morning into the Midlands and Cent S England - as the showers moved further E they were heavy in place although some E areas missed them entirely. Thunder was also reported in places close to the Midlands. As the low moved rapidly N towards NW Scotland (filling and weakening as it did so), another low pushed rapidly E towards SW Ireland and introdfuced rain to W Ireland by the early evening. By midnight rain was affecting many areas of Ireland and Cornwall, while Valentia was reporting MSL pressure down to 993.1mb. (Heathrow 22.5C, Tulloch Bridge 13.7C maximum, Redesdale Camp 4.5C minimum, Mumbles Head 15.2mm, Dublin Airport 10.5h.)

By dawn on the 26th the rain had spread into some E areas of England and to W parts of Scotland. This movement of the rain towards the NE and E continued throughout the day, although the parent front weakened in the S and some parts of SE England had very little precipitation. In parts of Scotland and Ireland, however, the rain was heavy in places and with MSL pressure down to 993.8mb at Tiree at 1200GMT it was windy in some W areas. During the afternoon and evening it turned brighter across Ireland and into W Britain - although the rain and low cloud brought misty conditions in some W and Cent areas of Britain. Parts of Ireland had a sunny end to the day as pressure rose here. (Weybourne 24.9C, Fair Isle 13.7C maximum, Aboyne 3.9C minimum, Shap 32.0mm, Connaught Airport 9.9h.)

The 27th saw another area of low pressure deepening as it headed towards W Scotland by 2400GMT; Tulloch Bridge was reporting MSL pressure doen to 989.6mb by this time. Rain in Cent and E areas of Britain had cleared to the E by mid-morning but by midday much of W and Cent Ireland was receiving the rain from the next low. Thickening cloud brought light rain and drizzle to western England and Wales by late afternoon, followed by a further rain during the evening. The rain waS mainly light in the S, while across Scotland there were some prolonged spells of heavy rain away from the E. Showers followed the rain across Ireland in the afternoon and evening - here is was also windy with 60mph gusts at Malin Head. (Norwich Airport 24.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 12.6C maximum, Katesbridge 6.7C minimum, Tiree 15.2mm, Leconfield 8.2h.)

Rain and showers affected Scotland and W parts of Ireland and Britain overnight into the 28th - with falls also across N England and in a few places in the Midlands. The low centre moved away from N Scotland in the morning and a showery day followed for most areas - interspersed with sunny periods. NE Scotland, however, remained rather dull due to lingering frontal cloud - and some heavy rain. The showers in the W'ly flow across England and Wales turned heavy and thundery in places during late morning and in to the afternoon, while N Scotland had a blustery day. (Heathrow 21.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 13.2C maximum, Braemar 8.3C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 27.6mm, East Malling 9.7h.)

Showers were widespread across Scotland before dawn on the 29th although most other places had a mainly dry start to the day. In the Midlands clear skies led to grass mninimum temperatures only just above 0C in places. Showers continued to affect Scotland during the day and a front brought an area of more general rain to parts of N Scotland later in the day. A few showers also developed later across W parts of England and Wales, and in parts of Ireland. S and E England remained dry and it was quite a suynny day here; however, most places saw period of sunshine - even between ther showers in the W. Shortly before midnight an area of light rain and drizzle began to affect SW Ireland. (Manston 21.7C, Dalwhinnie 12.9C maximum, Little Rissington 6.0C minimum, Cassley 33.6mm, Filton 11.3h.)

By dawn on the 30th frontal rain had pushed NE into much of S Ireland and into Cornwall, with some light drizzle further N of these areas. Some light rain also affected parts of W and N Scotland but elsewhere the day began with dry conditions. During the day cloud and rain spread N and E, introducing a humid, warm sector to much of the British Isles by midnight, but giving only light falls of precipitation in many E and SE areas - and in NE Scotland. The best of the sunshine tended to be in S England and in E Scotland. (Norwich Airport 22.5C, Dalwhinnie 13.6C maximum, Katesbridge 3.3C minimum, Capel Curig 24.8mm, Manston 8.2h.)

Overnight into the 31st skies were generally cloudy everywhere - wiuth some heavy falls of rain at times from N Wales N'wards. S and Cent England had a mainly dry night, as did parts of E England. During the day rain affected much of Ireland, Wales and W parts of England and W and Cent Scotland. Scotland had a generally dull day and even in some E areas of England the cloud did not break until early afternoon - whereupon the temperature rose with much of E and SE England, and East Anglia, having a warm afternoon. Further bands of rain spread across ireland in the afternoon and evening - with further heavy falls in some E parts and also in N Wales. (Weybourne 26.7C, Tiree 13.4C maximum, Baltasound 9.9C minimum, Shap 62.6mm, Manston 9.1h.)

British Isles weather, September 2009

A W'ly flow brought spells of unsettled weather to the British Isles on the 1st. By dawn rain had fallen in most areas W of a line Hull-Exeter - with some heavy falls over high ground in S Wales and S Scotland. As a weak cold front cleared E Britain it turned drier in the E later. During the day showers were widespread as troughs pushed E'wards; these showers became heavy with hail and thunder in places - particularly in Lincolnshire and parts of Cent S England. Rainfall amounts in E and NE Scotland and in parts of E England were small, while it was breezy everywhere; most places had sunny spells between the showers. (Norwich Airport 23.1C, Dalwhinnie 13.5C maximum, Kinbrace 6.7C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 20.8mm, Odiham and Belmullet 9.2h.)

Overnight into the 2nd there were falls of rain in many areas - although many places also remained dry. By dawn frontal rain was falling in SW Ireland as an area of low pressure headed towards Valentia. This low then spread NE towards Lancashire by the end of the day with widespread rain falling across most of England, Wales and Ireland. Rain also fell during the day across parts of W and S Scotland with Crosby reporting MSL pressure down to 988.2mb by 2400GMT. There was some torrential rain in parts of S and W England, while 27mm of rain fell at Johnstown Castle in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. Parts of E Scotland had a sunny day, but elsewhere there was extensive frontal cloud. (Gravesend 20.5C, Sennybridge 13.7C maximum, Aboyne 3.2C minimum, Isles of Scilly 38.0mm, Lerwick 9.8h.)

As the low centre pushed NE through N England early on the 3rd it gave a wet night to most places. Exceptions to this were parts of SW England and S Ireland, and the extreme N of Scotland. The heavy rain reduced visibility and led to mist and fog patches in places by dawn, particularly across N England. During the day the rain area continued to move generally N'wards with some heavy falls across N and Cent Scotland. Scotland had a rather dull day, but further S there were widespread sunny periods, with scattered showers. Heavy rain caused major disruption on services between Edinburgh and London King's Cross. National Express and CrossCountry services were suspended for a time between Berwick-Upon-Tweed and Edinburgh due to flooding near Dunbar. (Shoeburyness 20.1C, Dalwhinnie 10.1C maximum, Kinbrace 4.7C minimum, Dyce 59.0mm, Casement Aerodrome 9.6h.)

Heavy rain continued to fall overnight into the 4th in parts of N and E Scotland and the rain spread S into NE England by dawn. Showers affected some S parts of England and S Wales in the early hours and parts of W and N Ireland also saw some early rain. During the day rain continued to fall across much of Scotland and in parts of N Ireland and N England (as far S as Norfolk) - with mostly dry conditions further S. W parts of Ireland and W Britain did, however, experience a few showers in a surface W'ly flow. River levels in areas of N and E Scotland affected by floods peaked during the day. More than 500 homes in Moray were evacuated around the rivers Lossie and Spey and Aberdeen had its wettest September day in decades, according to news reports. Flooding also hit Aberdeenshire, with the Deveron overflowing on the Dufftown Road side of Huntly. About 76.4mm of rain fell in Lossiemouth in the 24-hour period to 0900GMT; the town's monthly average is 61.8mm. In Tayside, parts of the villages of Letham and Bridgefoot in Angus were badly affected, with several properties flooded with water a foot deep in places. (Manston 19.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 11.7C maximum, Castlederg 7.1C minimum, Lossiemouth 38.8mm, Camborne 10.2h.)

While high pressure influenced the weather in S England on the 5th there was some further frontal rain across N areas of Scotland. Showers continued overnight in N Ireland and W Scotland, with more persistent rain arriving later in the night and continuing through the morning, especially over W Scotland. There were also some early showers over parts of N Wales. During the day some frontal rain continued to fall across N and W Scotland - and this was heavy in places. N Ireland also had some showers during the day but most other places remained largely dry. MSL pressure rose to 1027.2mb on the Channel Islands by 2100GMT although for most places it was a rather cloudy day. (Shoeburyness 20.8C, Salsburgh 11.6C maximum, Altnaharra 4.4C minimum, Tyndrum 25.0mm, Manston 10.3h.)

Rainfall overnight into the 6th was largely confined to N and NW Scotland - from a lingering front. However, by dawn further frontal rain and drizzle had just started at Valentia as another low centre pushed E towards W Ireland and later to the Western Isles. The rain in SW Ireland soon pushed NE across Ireland and by the evening had spread into Wales, N England and S Scotland. Further S it remained mainly dry - but most places away from S England and East Anglia remained cloudy; ahead of the rain in N Scotland there were some sunny spells. 17mm of rain fell at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT and low cloud, hill fog and mist affected W parts of the UK. (Gravesend 20.8C, Salsburgh 12.3C maximum, Topcliffe 6.6C minimum, Lusa 15.0mm, Guernsey Airport 9.1h.)

Overnight into the 7th there was some frontal rain in W areas that was short-lived as the fronts moved rapidly NE. E parts of Britain, away from NE Scotland had little rain overnight. During the day it was mostly dry apart for a few showers across Scotland during the morning. The extreme SE corner of SE England was very sunny during the day but an area from Norfolk to Cornwall remained rather dull. Elsewhere, there were widespread sunny periods. However, much of Ireland clouded over by midday and during the afternoon and evening a warm sector brought some rain to most parts of Ireland. (Manston 25.1C, Lerwick 14.6C maximum, Charlwood 9.7C minimum, Lerwick 12.0mm, Manston 11.0h.)

The warm sector rapidly spread across all areas on the 8th, followed by a cold front that finally cleared SE England by midnight. Overnight rain was mainly confined to Ireland and Scotland with the warm sector bringing low cloud, mist and fog to many areas - but very little rain to England. During the day most of Scotland and Ireland were cloudy and very windy - as a deepening low approached the Faeroes - with further outbreaks of rain. This rain was very heavy across the SW Highlands and in the Trossachs, with localised flooding reported in the Aberfoyle area. It was windy in N areas with the Met Office reporting gusts of 73mph at Stornoway and 69mph at Lerwick. Rain affected Wales, W and N England during the day with other parts of England staying mainly dry. MSL pressure dropped to about 991mb at Stornoway at 1200GMT, while in some E areas of England it was unusually mild. (Gravesend 28.7C, South Uist 15.1C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 9.1C minimum, Tyndrum 62.6mm, Manston 12.0h.)

The 9th brought an area of high pressure to the British Isles - building from the SW and with MSL pressure reaching 1037.7mb at Shannon Airport by 2400GMT. There were a few showers overnight - mostly across Scotland and around Wales, while a weak front gave some light rain in parts of N Scotland during the day. Elsewhere it was dry - but cloudy over parts of SE England. Most of Ireland and N and Cent England had long sunny spells, while Scotland had varying amounts of cloud. (Gravesend 20.7C, Lerwick 14.2C maximum, Katesbridge 3.1C minimum, Tyndrum 4.4mm, Valley 12.1h.)

High pressure persisted throughout the 10th, reaching 1041mb over NW Ireland during the afternoon. A few showers affected N Scotland overnight - with further falls on Shetland during the day. Parts of England and Wales had mist and fog around dawn but these soon cleared to give a very sunny day across much of England, Wales and Ireland. Places in E England close to the coast saw rather more cloud - as did N Scotland. (Lee-on-Solent 22.3C, Baltasound 14.2C maximum, Katesbridge 0.6C minimum, Keswick 2.4mm, Filton 12.3h.)

The high pressure area persisted on the 11th but weakened slightly. Clear skies led to some mist and fog formation before dawn, especially across parts of Ireland and cent England. A few sheltered place sin these areas also had a touch of ground frost. The mist and fog soon cleared and it was a very sunny day across much of Wales, Ireland and W England. Elsewhere there was some cloud - notably along the E coast of England and Scotland. By midnight central pressure in the anticyclone was around 1037mb over NW Ireland. (Lee-on-Solent 22.3C, Lerwick 13.1C maximum, Katesbridge -0.3C minimum, Keswick 1.4mm (suspect), North Wyke 12.3h.)

Although the anticyclone persisted throughout the 12th, a weak cold front edged SW towards E Scotland and NE England during the second half of the day. It also brought cloudy skies to NE Scotland with light rain in the Northern Isles. Mist and fog again formed in Cent parts of England overnight with a touch of ground frost in a few places. Away from N and Cent Scotland it was then a very sunny day. (Lee-on-Solent 24.0C, Kirkwall 13.7C maximum, Katesbridge 0.4C minimum, Kirkwall 0.6mm, Glasgow 12.2h.)

Clear skies in many areas into the 13th led to a cool night - except across N Scotland and around the English Channel. There were mist and fog patches in a few parts of Cent England although these soon cleared. There was some light rain and drizzle in NE Scotland overnight due to frontal cloud and lesser amounts here during the day. Across Ireland and most W areas of Britain the day was sunny, but in E and Cent areas of Britain there was low frontal cloud that made for a sunless day in some places. (Glasgow and Shannon Airport 21.9C, Lerwick 12.7C maximum, Capel Curig 1.6C minimum, Wick Airport 2.4mm, Aldergrove 12.0h.)

Cloud spread westwards to affect most of the UK overnight into the 14th. A decaying front gave some scattered showers overnight across Scotland and as the cloud elsewhere continued to spread W it was only the extreme W of Ireland that saw much sunshine during the day. With high pressure persisting, however, it did remain largely dry during the day - although some rain spread NW into Kent later in the evening. (Lee-on-Solent 22.0C, Inverbervie 11.8C maximum, Shap 3.0C minimum, Lossiemouth 1.8mm, Valentia 11.0h.)

The 15th dawned mainly dry apart from an area of rain from Suffolk to Sussex and a few showers across NW Scotland. During the day the showers continued over N Scotland and also affected parts of N Ireland. In SE England the rain extended W into Dorset and there was a narrow line of very heavy rain that affected a small area of SE England from London to Hampshire. This heavy rain caused some localised flooding and SE England had a mostly dull day. Elsewhere, there were sunny periods and fairly extensive cloud in most places. (Crosby 19.7C, Fair Isle 13.1C maximum, Katesbridge 1.7C minimum, South Farnborough 57.4mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 9.9h.)

The rain in SE England died out into the 16th and the British Isles remained under a weakening area of high pressure. NE England had some showers in the morning and from N England to SE Wales it was a rather cloudy day. Elsewhere there were sunny spells with some scattered precipitation. (Lee-on-Solent 21.1C. Spadeadam 11.9C maximum, Braemar 1.4C minimum, Northolt 4.2mm, Dunstaffnage 10.4h.)

Grass minimum temperatures varied widely into the 17th - with a slight ground frost in parts of S Scotland, W Scotland and Cent S England, but with values of 10-11c from East Yorkshire to the Isle of Wight. This was a result of the cloud distribution - it remained cloudy in much of Cent and E England during the day (along with E Wales) but elsewhere there were sunny periods. NW Scotland saw some light rain during the day. (St Catherines Point 20.3C, Lake Vyrnwy 11.2C maximum, Shap -0.6C minimum, Baltasound 1.2mm, North Wyke 11.0h.)

Variable cloud amounts again led to varying grass minimum temperatures on the 18th. Parts of the Highlands and S Scotland had some early mist or fog. The day was mostly dry although some frontal cloud gave the odd shower in parts of S England later in the afternoon. Most places had a cloudy day - although there were exceptions, notably parts of NE Scotland. (Herstmonceux 21.1C, Salsburgh 11.7C maximum, Aboyne 1.3C minimum, Herstmonceux 1.2mm, Kinloss 10.2h.)

The 19th saw a cold front pushing E across most W and Cent parts of the British Isles - although not as far as E England. There was some mist and fog in NE and Cent England - this soon cleared but during the morning some light rain spread E across Ireland and into W Scotland. The rain lessened in intensity as it spread E and across E Scotland and England falls were non-existent in many places. Showers and sunshine followed the cold front, while the Met Office reported some thundery showers in SE England in the afternoon and evening. Ahead of the front E England had a warm day. (St James Park 24.2C, Salsburgh 13.6C maximum, Kinbrace -1.2C minimum, Dunstaffnage 4.4mm, Manston 9.8h.)

There were some heavy showers in the early hours of the 20th from Sussex to Norfolk - the result of a trough ahead of the decaying cold front; these moved away E. Showers also affected W Scotland early in the day and there was further rain here during the day as a frontal system pushed E across much of Scotland and Ireland before midnight. Falls were mostly light, however. Except for the extreme W of Scotland and Ireland, and from Kent to Hampshire, sunny spells were widespread during the day. (St James Park 20.9C, Dalwhinnie 12.5C maximum, Katesbridge -1.2C minimum, Lusa 6.0mm, Aberporth 10.1h.)

Early mist and fog occurred around dawn in SE England on the 21st while across NW Ireland, W and N Scotland there was some light overnight rain and drizzle. This precipitation spread E during the day, reaching E Scotland and NE England later in the afternoon. Further rain affected W Scotland and N parts of Ireland and away from S England it was a mainly cloudy day - even where it remained dry. Only in S England, and at Shannon Airport, were there sunny spells. NE parts of the Scottish mainland had a warm day. (Gravesend 21.9C, Eskdalemuir 13.0C maximum, Sennybridge 4.8C minimum, Lusa 50.4mm, Herstmonceux 7.5h.)

During the 22nd a cold front spread steadily S'wards through Britain and SE Ireland; a tight pressure gradient meant gales around N coasts with gusts over 80mph over high ground in Scotland. Most places had a mild night and there was overnight rain across Scotland - with lesser falls over Ireland, and in parts of N Wales and N England. As the front pushed S the rain tended to die out. There was some further rain and showers in parts of NW and W Scotland. The best of the sunshine (and warmth) was in the extreme E of England ahead of the front - behind the front there were sunny spells and a few showers. (Holbeach 23.6C, Dalwhinnie 12.2C maximum, Charlwood 9.2C minimum, Lusa 21.2mm, Manston 11.0h.)

A brisk SW/W'ly flow blew across the British Isles on the 23rd, although by 2400GMT MSL pressure had risen to 1028mb in SW Ireland. The cold front lingered over S England during the day giving a warm night with some rain and drizzle at times during the day. W and N Scotland N parts of Ireland had some overnight rain that continued during the day. England had a rather cloudy day - even where it remained dry - and the best of any sunshine was across Ireland and E Scotland. (Shoeburyness 20.2C, Dalwhinnie 11.9C maximum, Aboyne 7.1C minimum, Cassley 18.0mm, Edinburgh Gogarbank 6.0h.)

The cold front finally cleared S England during the morning of the 24th and high pressure then spread in from the W. Across England it was a cool night under clear skies and there were a few fog patches in places by dawn. Scotland had a milder and cloudier night with some light rain in the W and N. It remained cloudy during the day across much of Scotland with some further light rain in the W and on the Shetland Isles. The extreme S of England had a sunny day - elsewhere it was a day of sunny intervals over England, Wales and Ireland. (Lee-on-Solent 21.0C, Spadeadam 11.3C maximum, Shobdon 4.1C minimum, Tyndrum 5.2mm, Manston 10.7h.)

High pressure dominated the weather on the 25th and most places had a dry day as a result. Overnight there was some light rain and drizzle in W and NW Scotland while in S England, under clear skies, there were a few fog patches and ground frost in places. There was some further, light, rain in W Scotland during the day - and it was windy here later. Elsewhere it was generally dry although there was some widespread cloud. (Gravesend 20.7C, Spadeadam 12.6C maximum, Hurn 2.5C minimum, Tyndrum 2.8mm, Odiham 11.0h.)

High pressure remained anchored to the SW of Ireland during the 26th. Frontal cloud brought some light rain to N and NW parts of Scotland overnight; in S England there was some mist, fog or ground frost in places and ground frost also occurred in parts of E Scotland. During the day it was sunny in parts of E Scotland (it was also warm here) and in areas of N England. Much of Ireland had a dull day - as did W Scotland. Elsewhere, there were sunny intervals. (Fyvie Castle 21.3C, Baltasound 13.9C maximum, Aboyne 0.3C minimum, Lusa 2.0mm, Church Fenton 11.0h.)

Despite the continuing pressure of high pressure centred just to the W of Ireland on the 27th there was rain across N Scotland from a slow-moving cold front. In S and E areas of England fog patches formed in places before dawn and there were also a few occurrences of ground frosts here. The best of the sunshine was to be found in S and E parts of England, while W and N Scotland had further rain during the day. In between, it was quite cloudy in places ahead of the front. (Heathrow 21.9C, Lerwick 10.5C maximum, Sennybridge 2.2C minimum, Cassley 26.8mm, Manston 10.5h.)

The cold front over N Scotland made little progress S during the 28th. There were outbreaks of rain here overnight and this continued during the day. Elsewhere it was dry with MSL pressure close to 1030mb in SW Ireland. However, ahead of the front there were cloudy skies which extended down to N England and Cent Ireland. Further S there were early mist and fog patches in S and E England - which cleared to give sunny periods. (Bridlington 21.8C, Kirkwall 10.3C maximum, Hurn 5.8C minimum, Cassley 22.2mm, Leconfield 5.6h.)

Despite high pressure persisting over S parts of Britain and Ireland on the 29th, a cold front (with a wave depression on it) edged slowly S during the day to lie from SW Scotland-Yorkshire by midnight. This gave some moderately heavy falls of rain across N Scotland overnight with lighter falls over S Scotland - and during the day this rain edged S into N England and N Ireland. Under the cloud band it was a mild night - but it was cooler in S England and the Northern Isles. S England also had some early mist and fog patches. Away from this frontal rain it was mostly dry - but apart from Shetland and Cent S England it was a rather cloudy day. (Gravesend 22.1C, Lerwick 9.4C maximum, Lerwick 5.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 12.8mm, Herstmonceux 9.5h.)

The cold front reached S England and SW Ireland by the end of the 30th but precipitation amounts were small. There was a change to a cooler, N'ly flow behind the front - although under the cloud in S districts it remained relatively mild. Only in N Scotland was there a widespread ground frost by dawn. Overnight there was some light rain across Ireland, Wales, N England and the Midlands - this spread into S England after dawn but for many areas only light drizzle fell. During the day a line of showers affected parts of Scotland once the cold front had moved away - but there were also sunny periods here and in p[arts of N England and Ireland. (Holbeach 21.0C, Baltasound 10.3C maximum, Altnaharra 0.2C minimum, Tyndrum 7.4mm, Dyce 9.1h.)

British Isles weather, October 2009

A N'ly flow on the E flank of an anticyclone resulted in a rather cloudy day on the 1st in most places, although parts of S and E Scotland had sunny spells. A decaying cold front gave some light rain and drizzle across Cent and S England, and S Ireland, in the morning. Scotland had a touch of ground frost in many places followed by some rain in places as troughs spread S in N parts. Elsewhere, including S districts once the front had passed, were largely dry. MSL pressure rose to 1025mb during late morning in parts of W Ireland. (Lee-on-Solent 19.7C, Lerwick 7.9C maximum, Tyndrum 0.6C minimum, Fyvie Castle 7.2mm, Charlwood 8.8h.)

A deepening depression heading towards the Faeroes during the 2nd brought cloud and rain to N Scotland, with an increase in wind speeds as the pressure fell. By 2400GMT MSL pressure at Baltasound had fallen to 984mb. Overnight rain affected much of Scotland, except the SE, and also parts of N Ireland and NW England. During the day this rain spread further E in Scotland and also affected N England more generally. Elsewhere the day was mostly dry - under partly clear skies in SE England there was some early ground frost followed by sunny spells. (Heathrow 18.0C, Lerwick: 7.9C maximum, Kinbrace 0.3C minimum, Cassley: 27.6mm, Herstmonceux 7.9h.)

The 3rd was a windy day in N areas with the effects of low pressure being felt in S districts also. According to the Met Office gusts included 75mph in High Bradfield and 50-60mph across N Britain. MSL pressure at 1200GMT at Baltasound was 971.9mb. Rain was widespread across W and N Ireland, and across Scotland overnight - with lesser falls in N England. During the day this frontal rain spread SE into Wales and W England by early evening. Behind the front there were blustery showers and sunny periods, but with rather cool air for the time of year. (Marham 19.1C, Dalwhinnie 8.3C maximum, Dalwhinnie 6.0C minimum, Cassley 63.4mm, Leuchars 9.9h.)

A few places in N Ireland and Scotland had a ground frost early on the 4th, but in N Scotland heavy showers continued to fall. Showers also affected a few other areas, while across S and Cent England there was some light rain from a S'ward-clearing cold front. As pressure rose the winds eased. Parts of S England remained cloudy as the cold front stalled and showers continued to affect areas of Scotland and N Ireland. Most places, however, saw several hours of bright sunshine away from the cold front. (Gravesend 17.5C, Lerwick 8.1C maximum, Katesbridge -0.3C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 19.2mm, Leconfield 9.2h.)

Early on the 5th there was some rain in W Scotland and NW England, and also across SW England - this latter rain area spreading across coastal counties of S England by dawn. Ground frost was widespread across E and Cent Scotland and in parts of N England. Rain in the S spread into East Anglia during the morning and, although it cleared from SE areas later in the afternoon, further falls continued to affect SW England. Rain continued across parts of N Scotland during the day although the Northern Isles had a sunny day, as did E Ireland and parts of N England. (Plymouth 18.8C, Dalwhinnie 8.7C maximum, Aboyne -3.3C minimum, Wisley 12.4mm, Lerwick 7.2h.)

The 6th was a generally unsettled day with the British Isles being affected by several fronts and two centres of low pressure. Rainfall overnight was widespread - although E England and parts of N Ireland and S Scotland remained largely dry. In W Scotland the rain was heavy in places. During the day Scotland turned drier as the rain here moved away to the SE - but S Ireland and much of England and Wales had a wet day. Falls were especially heavy from SW Ireland to Yorkshire. There were some thundery downpours in parts of Yorkshire and around the Humber. After a mild night in S England most of Wales and S and Cent England had a warm day - although it remained rather cloudy here. 37mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT at Johnstown Castle. (Coningsby 21.2C, Dalwhinnie 9.9C maximum, Redesdale Camp 0.8C minimum, Capel Curig 48.8mm, Tiree 6.8h.)

A small low centred off SW Ireland at 0000GMT on the 7th was the remains of tropical storm Grace, and this brought winds and periods of heavy rain across Wales, Cent and S England during the day. However, after dawn this rain was mostly confined to S counties of England. E Scotland, N England and many parts of Ireland had an early ground frost. Further N there were showery spells across W Scotland and the Northern Isles - and there were sunny spells away from Cent and S England. Thunder was reported from Jersey in the evening. (Herstmonceux 17.5C, Sennybridge 8.8C maximum, Katesbridge -3.1C minimum, Plymouth 30.0mm, Dyce 9.5h.)

Early on the 8th the heavy rain in the S became confined to the extreme SE of England and cleared away southwards during the night - as a weak ridge developed NE from S Ireland. Showers continued overnight in N and W parts of Scotland - while a ground frost was widespread in NE England and Wales. A few showers continued in NW Scotland during the day and on the Northern Isles these turned wintry in places. In the evening light frontal rain was affecting some parts of W Scotland as frontal cloud pushed E. The Midlands and Wales had a cloudy day in places but elsewhere many areas saw long sunny periods. (Lee-on-Solent 17.8C, Baltasound 7.3C maximum, Katesbridge -2.2C minimum, Baltasound 8.6mm, Odiham 10.4h.)

There was a ground frost overnight into the 9th across E Scotland, N and Cent England - before cloud advancing from the W lifted temperatures. W Scotland had a little rain before dawn - but during the day the rain spread rapidly E giving falls in most places by sunset. A separate area of rain moved NE across SE England and into East Anglia later in the day - and this rain also gave poor visibility Across Ireland it brightened up in the afternoon although some showers fell here following the clearance of the frontal rain. Elsewhere it was mostly sunless day. (Shannon Airport 16.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 7.2C maximum, Aboyne -2.3C minimum, Helens Bay 19.6mm, Shannon Airport 3.9h.)

Early on the 10th there was a continuation of the frontal rainfall across N and E areas of Britain, particularly from the N Midlands N'wards. At Ronaldsway 26mm of rain was reported falling in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT. By dawn much of this rain had cleared to the E with a few mist and fog patches lingering, along with near-gale conditions in N Scotland (Foula reporting a mean wind speed of 30kn at 0600GMT). Further light rain fell across N Scotland during the day with some light showers W and SW Scotland and NW England. S parts of England and Ireland had a sunny day, as did parts of E England - although S Ireland clouded over in the evening as light rain spread in from the S. (St. James Park 19.4C, Lerwick 10.2C maximum, Katesbridge 2.0C minimum, Baltasound 13.6mm, Filton 9.3h.)

Rainfall before dawn on the 11th was generally confined to Ireland and Scotland - albeit with some light falls across parts of Wales and SW England. These falls were the result of separate systems and a shallow low to the NW of Scotland that moved SE during the morning. During the day the rain across Scotland transferred to the E and there were varying amounts across England and Wales as a frontal system pushed E'wards here. S parts of England and Wales had a rather dull day - there were sunny intervals elsewhere. (Hurn 18.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.1C maximum, Aboyne 2.8C minimum, Kinlochewe 12.8mm, Glasgow 8.1h.)

The 12th began with a N'ly flow across E Britain that gradually gave way to high pressure that built from the W. MSL Pressure by 2400GMT was up to 1033mb over S Wales. The N'ly flow gave a few showers down the E coast of Britain - these became confined to NE Scotland during the day. Many districts had an early ground frost and under rising pressure a sunny day followed - although N Scotland, W Ireland and some E coast districts were an exception to this. The cloud across Scotland was due to fronts that pushed NE'wards here, giving outbreaks of rain in N Scotland. (Lee-on-Solent 17.7C, Lerwick 9.5C maximum, Katesbridge -1.2C minimum, Kinbrace 7.0mm, Filton 10.2h.)

With high pressure dominating conditions across the British Isles, the 13th dawned after a mainly dry night - except across N Scotland. Cent and S England, in particular, had a widespread ground frost under clear skies. There were also some early mist and fog patches in N Ireland, the Midlands and Cent S England. During the day the rain continued across N Scotland with cloudy conditions further S. Mist and light rain/drizzle affected Ireland but elsewhere the day was largely dry. MSL pressure at 1200GMT was close to 1032mb in Devon. E and S England had a mainly sunny day - elsewhere it remained rather cloudy. (Plymouth 17.4C, Baltasound 10.6C maximum, Benson -0.4C minimum, Cassley 21.4mm, Odiham 9.1h.)

Weak fronts embedded in an area of high pressure on the 14th resulted in a rather cloudy day. This cloud meant a warm night with some rainfall overnight across N Scotland and down the coast of E Britain. Mist and fog also formed by dawn in E and NE England. During the day the rainfall intensity lessened everywhere but the rain did affect Ireland - although W Ireland remained mostly sunny. (Leuchars 18.1C, Wattisham 11.1C maximum, Okehampton 4.3C minimum, Rosehearty 6.2mm, Shannon Airport Shannon Airport 9.7h.)

The extreme SE of England had a cool start to the 15th under largely clear skies; elsewhere the day dawned with more cloud with minimum temperatures across Scotland generally in the range 11-13C. Overnight rain was mostly confined to NE England, N Ireland and SW Scotland. Mist and fog patches also developed across northeast England. During the day there was light rain and drizzle in many areas - the result of weak but slow-moving fronts - and very little cloud except in parts of East Anglia, SW Scotland and W Ireland. MSL pressure rose to 1039.3mb at Loch Glascarnoch by 2400GMT. Across poarts of Cent S England daytime temperatures remained below 12C. (Strathallan 18.0C, Lyneham 9.2C maximum, East Malling 2.2C minimum, Machrihanish 12.4mm, Charlwood 8.7h.)

High pressure persisted throughout the 16th with a cold front making slow progress S'wards through England, Wales and Ireland. To the N of the front, in Cent and S Scotland, there was a widespread early ground frost - but grass minimum temperatures were 10C higher in S districts. The front gave some light rain as it pushed S, with mist and hill fog as well. The clearer conditions behind the front spread S during the day. There were some light showers in E Britain during the day, the result of the N'ly flow, but across Scotland MSL pressure MSL pressure remained close to 1038mb in the afternoon. (Milford Haven 16.7C, Lerwick 10.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -1.6C minimum, Dunkeswell 3.0mm, Glasgow 9.7h.)

Although high pressure persisted in S districts during the 17th, in the evening weak frontal systems arrived across W parts of Scotland and Ireland. Clear skies meant a cold start in most places, however. With a widespread ground frost and a slight air frost in places from SW England to N Scotland. E areas had some patchy cloud and a few showers affected NE England. Away from this patchy cloud it was a sunny day but cloud thickened from the W later. (Valentia 15.7C, Okehampton 9.6C maximum, Tyndrum -4.0C minimum, Manston 0.8mm, Kinloss 8.9h.)

Although high pressure continued to persist over the British Isles on the 18th a pair of weak fronts did cross most areas during the day - lying across N England, Wales and Ireland by midnight. There was a ground frost overnight in NW Scotland but by mid-morning rain had reached this area - and the rain then spread into N Ireland and N England by the evening. Ahead of the fronts there were sunny periods - and showers and sunshine followed the fronts across Scotland. (Shannon Airport 15.3C, Bingley 8.6C maximum, Aboyne -3.7C minimum, Lusa 9.8mm, Manston 8.0h.)

Early on the 19th there were some clear skies across N Scotland that led to a slight air frost in places, but a front across N parts of England and Ireland then began to push N'wards, giving falls of rain across Ireland, N parts of England and Wales, and S Scotland. Wales, S Ire;and and SW England had a mild night and by late afternoon most of the British Isles lay under a mild S'ly airflow as the front pushed N, giving further falls of (mainly slight) rain across Scotland during the day. In the evening another set of fronts produced rain across SW Ireland, the MSL pressure having fallen to 983.2mb at Valentia by 2400GMT. Parts of E England and the N Midlands had some sunny intervals during the day - elsewhere the day was rather a dull one. (Crosby 14.9C, Braemar 7.7C maximum, Kinbrace -0.5C minimum, Dundrennan 20.8mm, Woodford 5.8h.)

Low pressure to the W of Scotland throughout the 20th pushed bands of rain across Ireland and W and Cent parts of Britain. Winds increased overnight and rain fell across much of Ireland and in SW England by dawn. Another front gave some rain to Shetland overnight. During the day there was heavy rain in SW England and over high ground in Wales. There was some further rain on Shetland but elsewhere much of N and Cent Scotland was dry for moct of the day. East Anglia was also mostly dry until the evening. By midday the main rain areas had cleared much of Ireland and it was in SW Ireland that the best of the sunshine was to be found. SW England also had a sunny afternoon and these sunny areas also had a few showers. Before the rain stopped there were reports of localised flooding in Cornwall, Devon and parts of S Wales. (Wisley 16.0C, Emley Moor 8.0C maximum, Emley Moor 3.5C minimum, Chivenor 36.8mm, Shannon Airport 7.6h.)

The 21st dawned following a night that had seen widespread rain across the British Isles - the exceptions being N Scotland and parts of NW Ireland where falls were scattered. The front that produced this rain then stalled close to E Britain, giving further falls of rain to E coast areas of Britain during the day. Meanwhile, a low centred SW of Ireland (MSL pressure 979.4mb at Valentia at 1200GMT) pushed troughs across Ireland parts of W England and Wales - giving some heavy showers here. Away from the rain in the E there were widespread sunny periods - although SW Ireland was rather cloudy throughout the day. (Plymouth 16.3C, Lerwick 10.3C maximum, Trawscoed 5.2C minimum, Aboyne 36.4mm, Valley 8.2h.)

Frontal cloud persisted for much of the day across NE Scotland on the 22nd. There was heavy rain in NE Scotland overnight from this front - with falls also extending down the E coast of Britain. Troughs also brough rain overnight to many parts of Ireland and also to SW England and S Wales. Further rain fell in NE Scotland during the day and there were showers and heavy rain over Ireland much of W and Cent England. N Scotland and E Britain remained cloudy with sunshine elsewhere in between the showers. (London 17.1C, Braemar 9.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 6.1C minimum, Dyce 52.2mm, Cork Airport 6.8h.)

Overnight into the 23rd there was some very heavy rain in N Ireland and with lesser showery falls in E Scotland, SE England and Wales. Elsewhere there were some misty patches by dawn. Showers continued during the day across Scotland and in N England with some showers also occurring in Wales. In the afternoon an area of frontal rain spread NE into S ireland and SW England. The best of any sunshine was to be found from NW Ireland to Cent S England and in parts of East Anglia. The rain in SW disricts later was accompanied by hill mist and fog. (London 18.1C, Lerwick 10.2C maximum, Charlwood 3.7C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 48.2mm, Wattisham 7.4h.)

The 24th dawned after a mild night across S parts of Ireland, Wales and England with overnight minimum temperatures of over 14C in Cornwall. These temperatures were the result of a warm sector that pushed NE during the early hours - spreading rain into much of England, Wales and Ireland. During the day fdurther fronts meant that rain became widespread by the evening - with onlt Shetland remaining mostly dry. The rain was heavy in parts of Wales and N Ireland. Brighter conditions followed the main rain areas in the afternoon with a few showers across SW England and S Ireland. As pressure fell to the W of Ireland wind speeds increased across N areas of Britain; by 2400GMT MSL pressure was down to 982mb over W Scotland. (Yeovilton 18.7C, Lerwick 10.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 1.5C minimum, Capel Curig 35.6mm, Cork Airport 4.6h.)

The low centre lying over W Scotland at 0000GMT on the 25th moved E across N Scotland during the first half of the day, and as a result there were heavy falls of rain overnight across Cent and W Scotland with some lighter falls further E. Overnight showers affected Ireland, Wales and some W areas of England. It was a mild night everywhere. During the day rain continued to falls across Scotland and N England as a front wrapped around the low centre made only slow progress E'wards. Showers fell further S in a brisk W'ly surface flow. Although the low filled as the day went on, it was still a windy one over Scotland and N England with 30-50kn gusts here. (Heathrow 18.0C, Lerwick 9.8C maximum, Lerwick 7.7C minimum, Tyndrum 43.2mm, Manston 8.9h.)

Widespread cloud into the 26th meant a generally mild night; there was some rain in E Scotland and N England before dawn which then spread further S during the day. Later in the morning frontal rain spread into SW Ireland and SW England and then spread further NE into Cent Wales and Cent S England by late evening, accompanied by mist and fog patches. An area from W Ireland to London saw some sunshine ahead of the rain, but most places had a cloudy day. (St. James Park 17.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 8.7C maximum, Prestwick 4.8C minimum, Plymouth 8.8mm, Heathrow 7.6h.)

The presence of a warm sector early on the 27th over much of the British Isles made for a cloudy and warm night - grass minimum temperatures were as high as 12-13C across S Ireland, S Wales and SW England - but there was also some rain here and in W Scotland before dawn. During the afternoon the rain was mainly confined to Ireland and Scotland where it was persistent in places; it remained cloudy elsewhere, except across S England where there was some sunshine before sunset. It was also quite warm across S parts of the British Isles. In the evening the rain across Ireland pushed E into Wales and SW England. (Gravesend 19.6C, Baltasound 9.1C maximum, Lerwick 3.5C minimum, highest rainfall amount unknown, Highest Sunshine: Herstmonceux 6.0h.)

Mainly cloudy skies overnight into the 28th meant a warm night with air minimum temperatures generally above 10C - except across parts of N Scotland. The cloud was accompanied by rainfall - particularly across N and E parts of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. During the day the rain eased off once several fronts had cleared to the N and E of the British Isles and most of the remaining rain fell across N and W areas of Scotland. In the evening further rain spread N in to SW England and S Ireland and in the humid air mist ands fog patches formed widely across England. It was another mild day everywhere with most places having sunny periods; in a few places it remained dull, however. (Pershore College 19.1C, Baltasound 11.8C maximum, Aboyne 6.1C minimum, Lusa 24.6mm, Nottingham 6.5h.)

The 29th brought a west-east split in terms of cloud, rain and sunshine. Mist and fog was widespread by dawn across England and Wales and at Valentia (located under an arriving warm sector) the overnight air temperature did not drop below 14.5C. Fronts gave a little rain overnight in S Ireland and N Scotland - during the day this rain spread to affect much of Ireland and S Scotland by sunset - later pushing into N Scotland. It remained largely dry across much of England and Wales with some sunny periods here and in E Scotland. However, even in these drier areas some places were generally dull or sunless with widespread mist reforming in the evening in a mild but humid S'ly airflow. (Valley 19.1C, Lerwick 10.7C maximum, Redesdale Camp 2.8C minimum, Dunstaffnage 10.0mm, Kirkwall 6.8h.)

The warm sector over the British Isles on the 30th gave way during the second half of the day as cold fronts spread E to reach E areas by midnight. Rain cleared NE Scotland before dawn but a further rain area moved across Ireland and into W Scotland by daybreak. Valentia reported 31mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT. During the day the rain was widespread and persistent across much of Ireland and W Scotland; across England and Wales early mist or haze was slow to clear but there were sunny spells in the E ahead of the cold fronts. (Kinlochewe 18.3C, Lerwick 11.5C maximum, Leconfield 5.7C minimum, West Freugh 25.8mm, Manston 4.1h.)

The cold fronts across E areas early on the 31st brought bands of rain, some of it heavy, to E Scotland and places further S; the rain finally cleared from E England by midday. Further W troughs brought showers to many areas, with some heavy falls reported across Ireland and W Scotland. In E and Cent England, and in parts of E Scotland, it was mainly dry after the clearance of the cold front with sunny spells becoming widespread later. This sunshine also helped to make it a warm afternoon across much of England and Wales - and even Ireland had a warm afternoon. Belmullet and Casement Aerodrome reported some thunder during showers during the day. (Wisley 18.4C, Lerwick 11.1C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 5.7C minimum, Lerwick 18.8mm, Leuchars 6.0h.)

British Isles weather, November 2009

A deepening area of low pressure pushed N across Scotland later on the 1st. By dawn there had been rainfall across W Scotland, Ireland, Wales and W parts of England - rain then spread to remaining parts of the British Isles with some heavy falls in places, particularly across N England and Scotland. At Valentia 32mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT. As pressure fell - down to 965mb just off NE Scotland by 2400GMT - wind speeds increased across Scotland with gales around some W parts of Britain also. The rain gradually cleared from the SW to give some showers and sunny periods across Ireland and, later, W parts of England and Wales. Gusts of 50-60kn were reported in parts of N England later. (Heathrow 17.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 8.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 5.2C minimum, Boulmer 51.8mm, Belmullet 4.4h)

Overnight into the 2nd rainfall was mainly confined to Scotland and N Ireland, with some light falls, mainly showers, over Wales and some W parts of England. The rain in the N tended to clear by midday, while showers continued to fall in W parts, including W Scotland, for much of the day. Another rae of more general rain spread into S Ireland in the afternoon and made for a dull day here. Whole W parts of the British Isles were mostly cloudy, an absence of showers in many E areas led to a day with sunny spells. In the evening the rain in S Ireland spread N and also E into parts of S England. (Isles of Scilly, Valentia 13.5C, Lough Fea 7.4C maximum, Benson 2.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 30.4mm, Manston 8.2 h.)

A NE'ward moving front brought some rain to most places during the morning of the 3rd - although NE Scotland was not generally affected until the afternoon and evening. This was driven by a low pressure area (MSLP down to 972mb over parts of W Scotland by midday) which then gave a showery W'ly flow to most places once the front had cleared. In places the showers formed into bands that gave heavy falls, and there were reports of tornadoes near Romsey and Petersfield around midday as a squall line intensified and also caused some damage to buildings in West Sussex. Away from N Scotland and the extreme SE corner of England (where frontal rain was also slow to clear) there were a few sunny intervals - particularly in E Ireland. A merchant vessel was rescued after suffering power failure off Cornwall. In Uplyme, fire crews from Devon and Dorset saved a woman trapped by floods. The weather stoped the Torpoint ferry service across the River Tamar between Devon and Cornwall. On the West Sussex coast at Littlehampton the weather has left the shore littered with toy pink hippopotamuses, red turkeys and Christmas decorations after four containers that fell overboard from a ship a few days ago finally washed up. Heavy rain has been blamed for a landside at Crewkerne in Somerset which disrupted train services to London. (Manston 15.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.6C maximum, Aboyne 2.1C minimum, Liscombe 30.4mm,Dublin Airport 6.3h.)

The W'ly flow turned NW'ly on the 4th and with low pressure across Scotland it was an unsettled day. There was an early ground frost in parts of E Scotland and NE England, although across W Britain and much of Ireland showers continued for much of the night and into the morning. During the day the showers then spread a little further E - with the best of the day's sunshine to be found in E England. Some showers turned thundery in the W, according to the Met Office. (Rhyl 13.9C, Braemar 6.7C maximum, Aboyne -1.8C minimum, Port Ellen 25.6mm, Manston (Kent): 8.0h.)

Despite low pressure in N areas on the 5th, clear skies meant a widespread ground frost in N Britain with air frost in N Scotland. Elsewhere there was rain overnight from W Scotland to Cent S England with some heavy falls in N Ireland and N Wales. E and NE Scotland also had overnight rain. During the day there were widespread sunny intervals and showers, but in the evening frontal cloud and some light rain spread NE into W Ireland. In W England and Wales there were some heavy falls from these showers - the showers tended to spread E during the day. (Lee-on-Solent 13.8C, Lerwick 6.5C maximum, Altnaharra -2.8C minimum, Capel Curig 38.6mm, Leconfield 7.3h.)

Frontal cloud and rain spread E on the 6th, to affect most areas and being followed by showers behind the front. Overnight rain was largely confined to W Ireland although there were some showers over Wales and parts of the Midlands - with some light showers in SE England. Scotland and N England had a widespread ground frost with air frost being widespread in inland areas of Scotland. The frost was the result of clear skies - which also led to some fog in N England. Cloud soon spread E and by the evening most places had seen some rainfall, the exception being the extreme E of England. AS the rain passed there were showers and sunny intervals across Ireland; elsewhere it was a rather dull day. (Isles of Scilly 13.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.1C maximum, Altnaharra -3.7C minimum, Kirkwall 19.8mm, Cork Airport 4.0h.)

Low pressure conditions dominated the weather on the 7th; but there was a widespread ground frost in Scotland and in E England by dawn with an air frost in parts of N Scotland. Showers were widespread in W areas overnight but in the E there were few showers before dawn. During the day much of Scotland and E England remained dry and it was fairly sunny in E England; there were widespread showers in Wales and Ireland and in W parts of England. Thunderstorms were reported in the Channel Islands in the morning and later from S Ireland into SW England. Elsewhere in S England and S Wales showers were blustery. (Chivenor 12.6C, Strathallan 6.1C maximum, Kinbrace -4.0C minimum, Shap 27.8mm, Leconfield 7.8h.)

Pressure tended to rise during the 8th. N and E parts of the British Isles had a widespread ground frost and in N Scotland there was a sharp air frost in places. Overnight rain and showers affected N Ireland, Wales and S England and also NE England. Herstmonceux had 36mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT. As the pressure rose the rain and showers tended to die out during the day and many places in Ireland and Scotland had a sunny day; in E and S areas of England the day was rather cloudy. (Coningsby and Belmullet 13.0C, Tulloch Bridge 3.4C maximum, Braemar -7.3C minimum, Herstmonceux 44.6mm, Glasgow 8.0h.)

High pressure brought a widespread ground frost on the 9th with grass minimum temperatures down to -10C in parts of N Scotland - and many places also saw an air frost. Under clear skies there were also fog patched in places - which turned into low cloud and have parts of S England a cloudy day. Frontal rain spread into W Ireland in the morning and by the evening reached E Ireland and parts of W Scotland - later falling in Wales and parts of W England. The low cloud in Cent and E England turned back to fog in the evening. At Belmullet 14.0mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. (Isle of Scilly 12.8C, Strathallan 2.4C maximum, Braemar -8.6C minimum, Lough Fea 12.6mm, Nottingham 8.0h.)

There was a widespread ground frost in E Britain on the 10th with a touch of air frost in places here. Clear skies also allowed some fog to form in E England before dawn. However, in W Britain and Ireland it was a wet night as frontal rain spread E'wards. The rain continued to push E during the day but tended to fade out as it reached E England and falls here were slight or non-existent. Behind the rain skies cleared and Ireland and W Scotland had a sunny day, with clearer skies reaching SW England and the Isle of Man later in the afternoon. Other W areas of England had a damp, misty day although falls were slight. (Camborne and Culdrose 13.1C, Salsburgh 5.4C maximum, Charlwood -1.8C minimum, West Freugh 13.6mm, Shannon Airport 7.8h.)

The 11th began with a widespread ground frost across Scotland and Ireland and also with ground frost in places in Wales and Cent and N England. The E extremities of Scotland had some overnight rain and there were light falls in other areas also. S England had a cloudy day with some light showers but further N In England there were sunny spells. The best of sunshine occurred across NW England, W Scotland and N Ireland, where it remained mainly dry and bright. S Ireland saw thickening cloud as frontal cloud spread N later in the morning, introducing an area of rain that also spread into SW parts of Wales and England by the evening. At Valentia and Cork Airport 17mm of rain fell in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. During the late afternoon, heavy rain spread NE across Cornwall and Devon with moderately heavy falls here. (Isles of Scilly 13.7C, Aviemore 4.2C maximum, Altnaharra -5.7C minimum, Cardinham 10.0mm, Leconfield 6.7h.)

Although there was some ground frost in E Scotland on the 12th, rain affected most areas at some time overnight, although much of NW Scotland remained dry. As the rain pushed NE it introduced a brisk, SW'ly surface flow with showers; some of these showers became organized into spells of heavy rain for a while in places. The Met Office noted a gust of 62mph at Aberdaron in the afternoon. In between the showers it was a rather cloudy day, except for an area from E England to S Ireland where there were some sunny intervals. (Gravesend 15.5C, Dalwhinnie 7.8C maximum, Leconfield 0.9C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 48.0mm, Wattisham 5.9h.)

It was a warm night in S England into the 13th with temperatures remaining above 11C in some coastal areas. Rain was widespread overnight except in SW Scotland and NE Ireland; an area of heavy rain affected SE England during the early hours and continued until midday - the result of a slow-moving front. From S Hampshire to NE Kent the rain continued into the afternoon - with over 25mm falling in places during the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. In Cornwall thunderstorms occurred in the afternoon and rain fell during the day in most parts of England and Wales - with lesser falls in Ireland and Scotland. A deepening area of low pressure (MSL pressure down to 969mb over SW Ireland by 2400GMT) that approached SW Ireland in the afternoon and evening resulted in strengthening winds; gusts reached 55-65kn around SW England and S Wales with the Met Office reporting a gust of 68kn at Pembrey Sands at 1900GMT. S Ireland and much of England and Wales had a dull day. (London 16.0C, Tulloch Bridge 7.5C maximum, Ashford, Co. Wicklow -0.4C minimum, Capel Curig 37.4mm, Malin Head 6.3h.)

Low pressure centres over Ireland at midnight on the 14th moved away NE during the day - over W Wales MSL pressure was down to 978mb at 1200GMT. There was a touch of air frost early in the morning in parts of N Scotland - and overnight rain was widespread with some heavy rain across Scotland NW Ireland and more showery falls elsewhere. Thunder was reported in places during the day from Guernsey to the Isle of Man in a brisk SW'ly flow that gave falls of rain in most places; however, in W Ireland and parts of NE England and SE Scotland falls were only very slight. In South Darenth (Kent) a violent thunderstorm shortly before 0900GMT gave hailstones up to 15mm in diameter, partially covering the ground for a while. In Essex a tornado was reported in the morning - but later in the day once pressure began to rise the showers tended to become less heavy. To the SE of the low centred over Wales at midday it was very windy with gusts approaching 70kn in some coastal areas. Manston and Langdon Bay reported gusts of 69kn in mid-afternoon - but it was a warm day in SE England. In Haywards Heath, West Sussex, people had to be rescued from four units on an industrial estate after being flooded by about 60cm of water. In Wales Pembrokeshire was hardest hit by widespread flooding of its road network, trapping a number of people in their cars. One woman was rescued after being stranded by floodwater at Milford Haven and in Haverfordwest 12 people were rescued from a coach. In west Cornwall, there are reports of water up to 60cm deep making some roads impassable. Water came over the sea wall at West Promenade in Penzance, flooding the street, while in Padstow several properties were reported to have been affected by flash floods. Some SeaFrance crossings from Dover to Calais and LD Lines services to Boulogne suffered delays on Friday. A Port of Dover spokesman warned passengers to expect disruptions. Brittany Ferries cancelled sailings from Plymouth to Roscoff and Poole to Cherbourg, although its services from Portsmouth to the French ports of Caen and St Malo are not affected. In Guernsey, an activity centre for dementia sufferers at Castel Hospital was closed after heavy rain caused a ceiling collapse. (Shoreham, 14.5C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -1.5C minimum, Shap 38.4mm, Belmullet 4.3h.)

Overnight into the 15th a SW'ly flow brought showers to S England and Wales in particular, with falls also in S and W Ireland. The showers fell as hail in places with thunder recorded in Cornwall. In E and N areas, except for N Scotland, it was mainly dry with a ground frost in places. During the day the rain eased off a little although it remained showery across Wales and East Anglia and parts of SE England had some rainfall. A S'ly flow made for a mild day and most places had some sunny periods. In the late afternoon and into the evening cloud spread into SW parts of the British Isles as another depression approached SW Ireland - with some rain here in the evening. (London 15.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 7.4C maximum, Katesbridge -1.1C minimum, London 14.8mm, Yeovilton 6.4h.)

An area of low pressure pushed N across Ireland during the morning of the 16th (MSL pressure 982mb over N Ireland at 1200GMT and in Moray at 2400GMT). By dawn there had been rainfall in places W of a line from NW Scotland to SE England. This rain area spread further NE during the day but it brightened up from the SW as showers and sunny intervals developed. There was some heavy rain in parts of NE Ireland and SW Scotland during the day - while across Wales there was some thunder mixed in with the showers. It was windy in the showery airflow with gusts to 50kn in exposed places - but it was another mild day in S area of Britain. With low pressure close to NE Scotland in the evening the rain continued to falls across N Scotland throughout the evening. (London 14.7C, Eskdalemuir 7.8C maximum, Redesdale Camp 0.7C minimum, Lough Fea 36.0mm, Cork Airport 6.5h.)

Rain continued to affect many areas of N Scotland into the 17th but further S falls were more showery across N Ireland S Scotland. The rain in the N died out in the morning and showers close to W coasts gradually spread E, turning heavy with hail or thunder in some places - notably in parts of Wales and NW England. E and Cent England remained mostly dry and it was here that the best of the sunshine was to be found. Another area of low pressure reached W Ireland in the evening - ahead of it winds increased in speed across England, Wales and S Ireland. The low brought rain across Ireland during the day that then spread into N England and S Scotland. (London 14.2C, Lough Fea 6.9C maximum, Fyvie Castle 0.0C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 35.8mm, Filton 6.7h.)

After a ground frost in E Scotland into the 18th, the day was rather a dull one - with only E Scotland reporting sunny spells. Overnight rain was widespread N of a line from N Devon to The Wash (except in parts of NE Scotland) and continued to affect the same areas during the day - although the S Midlands did become drier. The Met Office reported some heavy falls in a short time - particularly in Cumbria, the Pennines and Snowdonia; Capel Curig, Shap and Keswick recorded very large rainfall totals in a relatively short period of time. As a warm sector had become established across much of the British Isles it was a mild day in most places S of a line York to Malin Head, although a cold front started to edge E across Ireland in the evening giving some heavy rain in W Ireland and later as far E as NW England. (Norwich Airport 15.3C, Braemar 6.5C maximum, Aboyne -2.4C minimum, Capel Curig 78.0mm, Lerwick 5.3h.)

The weather on the 19th was dominated by a brisk SW'ly surface flow and a slow-moving band of heavy rain that developed across Ireland and spread into S Scotland, NW England and parts of NW Wales during the morning. During the day this rainfall continued - generally NW of a line Tenby-Durham with some very heavy falls leading to flooding across Ireland and Cumbria in particular. The rain was associated with a front and the SW'ly winds associated with it drew very warm, moisture laden air northwards from the Azores region. The rain was intensified by the mountainous terrain of Cumbria and southwest Scotland resulting in record rainfall totals. The most widespread impacts were in Cumbria, where more than 1,300 homes were affected by flooding, and many more were left without power and water. A number of bridges were swept away and others were closed pending inspection by structural engineers. There was severe travel disruption on both roads and railways. The worst affected town was Cockermouth where water levels reached 2.5m. The Met Office said rainfall at its Eskdalemuir observatory in the 24-hour period beginning 0900GMT had exceeded the previous highest total, set in 1931; 76.4mm of rain fell. Dozens of businesses on the Whitesands in Dumfries were affected as the tide peaked again at about 1430GMT. There were about 30 roads closed across Dumfries and Galloway, with flood watches and warnings in place on many rivers. The West Coast Main Line from London to Glasgow was closed for a few hours because of a landslip between Carlisle and Penrith. A police officer died after he was swept away after a bridge collapsed into the River Derwent when the A597 bridge was destroyed by floods in Workington; father-of-four Pc Barker had been directing motorists off the bridge when it collapsed. About 200 people have been rescued by emergency services in the flooded town of Cockermouth. The Irish army deployed more than 100 soldiers, two dozen trucks and several flat-bottomed boats to evacuate people trapped by waist-deep floodwaters in cars and homes. A helicopter also winched to safety a County Galway family of five, including the 87-year-old grandmother. The floods caused transport chaos along Ireland's western coast, with many major roads blocked and train services cancelled. The water caused extensive damage to the Lake Hotel on the shores of the Killarney Lakes in County Kerry. About 170 guests at the Victorian period building had to be evacuated by tractor as dozens of staff carried period furniture upstairs. The River Suck burst its banks in County Leitrim near the Northern Ireland border, flooding the town of Ballinasloe and cutting off major roads to Ireland's northwest. About 40 families had to be evacuated by boat. The Irish weather forecasting service, Met Eireann, said parts of southern and western Ireland suffered their most intense and sustained rainfall in 30 years. Further SE there was patchy drizzle; most places were sunless except for an area of S England that had sunny periods. All areas were windy throughout the day. Valentia Observatory had 57.4mm which was exceeded in November in 1984 with a fall of 63.5, while 86.6mm was recorded on 1 November 1980 with a further 70.5mm on the 2nd here. Cork Airport had 51.2mm, its highest daily November fall in 18 years (it recorded 59.3mm in 1991) and its third highest November fall on record. (Donna Nook 15.6C, Okehampton 10.9C maximum, Emley Moor 3.5C minimum, Shap 114.6mm, Hurn 5.6h.)

Overnight into the 20th rainfall affected all areas except for E England, although even here some places a slight falls. The rain, along a cold front, finally cleared Kent by midday and was followed by showers that became organized into longer falls in places. Rainfall totals in a period of 48 hours ending 0600GMT were exceptional in places across N Wales, Ireland, SW Scotland and NW England. According to the Met Office, in Cumbria, 372.4 mm of rain fell at Seathwaite and 361.4 mm of rain at Honister between 0800GMT on the 18th and 0400GMT on the 20th. Provisionally, the 24-hour total at Seathwaite (ending 0045GMT on the20th of 314.4 mm is a UK record for a single location in any given 24-hour period. A weak ridge of high pressure developed across England and Wales later in the day and the showers gradually became confined to NW Scotland in the evening. Away from SE England and NW Scotland most places had sunny spells between the showers, especially in E Ireland. (Yeovilton 15.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 8.5C maximum, Lough Fea 6.8C minimum, Tyndrum 41.2mm, Dublin Airport 7.2h.)

Some inland areas of Britain had a touch of ground frost on the 21st and overnight showers was mainly confined to parts of W Scotland and S England. However, Valentia had 7mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT - this marked the arrival of another area of frontal rain that was then driven E across much of the British Isles by the evening. This was associated with a deep low to the W of Ireland that also resulted in an increase in wind speed from the W with gusts to 50kn in some W coastal areas. Heavy showers followed the rain from the W with thunder reported at Belmullet and Culdrose in the evening. The best of the sunshine was to be found on Shetland and in S Ireland while maximum temperatures reached 16-17C in parts of SE England - very mild for the time of year. (Gravesend 17.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.1C maximum, Redesdale Camp 0.4C maximum, Capel Curig 21.2mm, Lerwick 3.9h.)

There was some rain in most places overnight into the 22nd, with the main rain area clearing E Britain before dawn. Further W, showers continued in a strengthening W'ly flow - with thunder reported in Cornwall. During the day showers continued in most places, apart from coastal NE England. By midday MSL pressure had fallen to 970mb in NW Ireland as a low centred header towards SW Scotland - crossing Cent Scotland in the afternoon and evening with a central pressure of 964-958mb. This brought some rain to Cent and S Scotland and further showers across England, Wales and Ireland; E Britain saw some sunny intervals but elsewhere it remained rather cloudy throughout the day. Gusts approaching 60kn occurred around parts of Ireland and in SW England and Wales during the day. (St Catherine's Point 12.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.0C maximum, Tain Range 2.0C minimum, Capel Curig 37.6mm, Kinloss 3.8h.)

The 23rd was an unsettled day, especially across Scotland. Overnight rain affected Scotland as low pressure here cleared away to the NE, while rain and showers fell across most other areas - with only parts of E Ireland and East Anglia and Kent remaining dry overnight. A slow-moving front gave rain across S and Cent England and was associated with thunder in parts of the Midlands and E England later in the afternoon and evening. According to the Met Office, there were reports of a tornado around Derby and Nottingham within an area of intense rain there. Elsewhere during the day there were spells of rain and showers, across Ireland and W Scotland, in particular, and sunshine was rater limited except in parts of E Scotland and NE England. (London 14.4C, Baltasound 6.6C maximum, Baltasound 1.6C minimum, Eskdalemuir 40.6mm, Kinloss 4.1h.)

On the 24th a warm front swept N across the British Isles by mid-afternoon, but was soon followed by a cold front that spread E across all but the E half of England by midnight. Under clear skies there was a touch of ground frost in NE Scotland while some frontal rain fell across Ireland, Wales and SW parts of Scotland and England before dawn. The rain then spread to the rest of Scotland during the morning but became very patchy further south, mainly confined to high ground. As the cold front arrived the rain became heavy and persistent over SW Scotland and Cumbria during the late afternoon, and later over parts of Wales during the evening. Ahead of, and along the cold front it was windy and squally precipitation resulted; temperatures reached 12-15C in E and S England - but most places had a sunless day. The level of Lough Erne is the highest on record after days of heavy rain caused widespread flooding and disruption in County Fermanagh. (London 15.2C, Tain Range 8.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 1.6C minimum, Shap 52.4mm, North Wyke 1.4h.)

An area of low pressure close to N Scotland on the 25th meant a blustery day across the British Isles. A cold front clearing E'wards overnight was followed by showers and most places saw some overnight precipitation as a result. The rain was heavy across Cent and S parts of England. Another area of frontal rain affected Scotland for most of the day and also caused falls in N England. Gusts to 40kn were widespread with higher speeds around the coasts. Once overnight rain had cleared in the S, showers followed - although E England remained largely dry. Thunder was reported from Malin Head and Jersey during the day, with further thunder and hail in S and W parts of Britain. Close to the depression centre, severe gales affected coastal areas of Scotland while the best of the sunshine was to be found in E and cent parts of England. (Herstmonceux 12.6C, Braemar 5.8C maximum, Cassley 1.4C minimum, Kinlochewe 35.4mm, Wattisham 7.1h.)

Low pressure N of Scotland on the 26th meant a W'ly flow across the British Isles. It was a generally bright and rather windy day with scattered showers and sunny spells. After recent mild days the maximum temperatures across S England were in the range 8-12C. Overnight there was rain across Scotland and some heavy showers over Ireland and in W Britain - these showers continued during the day and were thundery with in the Channel Islands in the morning. Parts of Cent Scotland had some steady rain for a while in the morning and this then spread S and E. E parts of England and E areas of Ireland were relatively dry with sunny spells. A trough brought some heavy rain to counties close to the English Channel in the evening and threw ere similar falls in SW Ireland at about the same time. Several families were forced to leave their homes in the lower Shannon region as a result of rising flood levels. (St Catherine's Point 12.0C, Aviemore 4.3C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.3C minimum, Tyndrum 53.2mm, Wattisham 6.4h.)

While many places had a slight ground frost during the early hours of the 27th, there was some rain in W areas and an area of heavy rain that affected Se England. By dawn there were gales in SW coastal areas of Britain and frequent showers followed in most W areas during the day. It remained drier in the E where there were also sunny periods. By midnight low pressure (991mb) was centred over S Ireland with fronts giving some rain here - while showers continued further N in Ireland. (St Catherine's Point 11.6C, Dalwhinnie 4.5C maximum, Aboyne -0.3C minimum, Liscombe 26.0mm, Coleshill 4.3h.)

Low pressure again dominated the weather on the 28th - with a new centre of 971mb just N of Cornwall by 2400GMT. During the morning an occluding front edged N across Wales and England giving rain and some sleet - with snow reported across N Wales and the Pennines. Near Saddleworth Moor, Lancashire, some 4cm of lying snow was reported. Snow also fell in S Wales. Parts of E Scotland and E Ireland had a touch of air frost and ground frost was widespread in Ireland and Scotland. Further rain fell across England and N Scotland during the day - although there were sunny spells in N areas of Ireland and also in parts of SE England. N Ireland had a very cold day with little rise in temperature. By the evening the next depression was bringing heavy rain in SW and S England, followed by heavy showers. Tiles were ripped off roofs and a wall was flattened by what residents described as a tornado which hit Reading early in the day. A 2.4m tall wall was blown over but nobody was hurt, and other residents reported that their garden furniture had been thrown around and trees were also blown over. Casement Aerodrome reported thunder in the evening. (Isle of Portland 12.3C, St Angelo 1.4C maximum, Braemar -3.2C minimum, Mumbles Head 33.4mm, Dunstaffnage 5.3h.)

With low pressure over S England throughout the 29th it was an unsettled day across the British Isles. Fronts from this low, and others to the N, meant a wet night in many areas of the UK and E Ireland although N Ireland and some inland areas of Scotland did have a ground frost. Over Scotland there were some wintry falls of precipitation while in SW England it was very windy before dawn. There were further falls of rain, heavy in parts of North Yorkshire, during the day, along with some sleet and snow over high ground of N England and N Wales. Wintry showers affected N Scotland. SW Cornwall had a severe gale in the early hours, which only seemed to really effect the Land's End Peninsula, and The Lizard. Gusts included 80mph at Land's End, 78mph at St. Ives, 76mph at Culdrose and 65mph in Penzance. The Penzance observer has only recorded 8 days with higher gusts in Penzance since 1992, and the wind was offshore. The heavy rain caused flooding in towns and villages across North Yorkshire.About a dozen people were rescued by firefighters from three caravan parks on the banks of the River Nidd in Knaresborough on Sunday night. At the height of the flooding, the fire service attended 15 flooding incidents across the county, including several homes in Pateley Bridge. Elsewhere in the Yorkshire Dales, houses were flooded in the Richmond, Reeth, Hawes and Leyburn areas. Northern Rail services between York and Harrogate were affected by flooding on the line. (St Catherines Point 10.3C, Dalwhinnie 1.1C maximum, Altnaharra -1.4C minimum, Leeming 37.8mm, Tiree 4.4h.)

There was a widespread ground frost across Scotland and Ireland into the 30th, under the influence of a cold N'ly surface flow that became established for a while across the British Isles during the day. It continued wet across much of England and Wales overnight, notably in NE England and Wales. Further heavy rain affected SE England and parts of East Anglia in the remainder of the morning, before rising pressure and a building ridge brought drier conditions from the W. Even then, some scattered showers fell in parts of N England, N Scotland and in some W areas of Britain. A river burst its banks in Sussex and flood warnings were issued after heavy rain in the South East. Houses, roads and fields were flooded in the village of Alfriston in East Sussex after the Cuckmere River burst its banks. Four people were rescued from floods by firefighters attending three different incidents in Essex. (Langdon Bay 8.4C maximum, Dalwhinnie 1.6C maximum, Katesbridge -5.2C minimum, Odiham 23.4mm, Glasgow 6.4h.)

British Isles weather, December 2009

A weak ridge of high pressure in E areas on the 1st gave way to fronts that pushed across Ireland during the morning. There was a widespread ground frost and an air frost away from coastal areas. By dawn rain had fallen in the extreme W of Ireland and on the Western Isles - while further E some icy patches were reported on roads. By the evening rain had fallen in places E of a line Devon-NW Scotland; some sleet had fallen at Connaught Airport and at Eskdalemuir. E England had some sunny spells but elsewhere the day was generally cloudy ahead of the fronts. The Met Office reported that snow fell above about 150m across N England and Scotland, with some lying snow above about 200m. Snow also fell in Staffordshire in the evening. (Valentia 11.6C, Dalwhinnie 1.3C maximum, Braemar -8.9C minimum, Machrihanish 27.2mm, Monks Wood 5.7h.)

MSL pressure fell to 986mb over SW Ireland by midday on the 2nd; fronts associated with this low (and another to the W of Scotland) moved across Britain overnight with further snow above 150m over N England and Scotland. A few parts of Scotland and E Ireland had a touch of ground frost by dawn and there were a few fog patches in England. As the low centre moved from S Ireland into Cent S England showers here and in S Wales turned heavy and widespread - Jersey Airport reported thunder in the afternoon. Further N there were showers in W parts of Ireland and Britain, with frontal rain in W Ireland and W Scotland by midnight. (Gravesend 12.3C, Dalwhinnie 3.2C maximum, Cassley -1.6C minimum, Aberporth 20.0mm, Leuchars 3.6h.)

Rain and thundery showers continued across SE England until the early hours of the 3rd. Rain and showers across W Scotland were heavy in places while E Scotland had an early ground frost in places. Wales, Ireland and W England also had some overnight rain, as did E England. The day was unsettled with further rain in many areas - although Cent S England and E Ireland remained largely dry. The best of the sunshine was to be found in E Ireland while the rain over Scotland brought further snow to the mountains. (Shoreham 9.7C, Dalwhinnie 1.8C maximum, Leuchars -1.3C minimum, Rosehearty 17.6mm, Dublin Airport 6.4h.)

There was a widespread ground frost on the 4th - although E Britain had cloud and some rain that was heavy in parts of Norfolk. Cloud soon spread into the clear, frosty areas from the SW and the day turned unsettled as a sequence of fronts pushed NE across most places. E Britain had sunny spells as the rain arrived here late in the day - and was mainly slight. The frontal rain introduced warm air and S Ireland and SW England had a mild afternoon and evening. (Valentia 12.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 2.9C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -6.5C minimum, Weybourne 15.0mm, Durham 6.2h.)

NE Scotland had an air frost overnight but elsewhere it was cloudy as rain spread NE into the 5th; Castlederg reported some sleet before dawn before the temperature rose. The rain was followed by showers that affected W and S coastal areas. An area of low pressure approached W Ireland during the day with MSL pressure down to 976mb in W Ireland by midnight; rain in SW Ireland by midday moved E and NE across most of S Scotland and areas to the S; this heralded a warm sector that lifted maximum temperatures above 10-11C in many areas here - but during the evening a cold front moved across Ireland as windy conditions developed over Ireland and W Scotland. (Yeovilton 12.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.2C maximum, Aboyne -3.5C minimum, Lough Fea 28.8mm, Waddington 5.1h.)

Pressure remained low to the W of the British Isles on the 6th (MSL pressure 972mb on the Western Isles at midday). A mainly cloudy night meant an absence of air frost at low levels but rain, heavy in places, affected most places overnight. This rain cleared E Britain by midday - except for the Northern Isles. Showers and sunny spells followed the rain with a further area of frontal rain affecting S Ireland later in the day. Winds remained strong to gale force around the coasts - particularly over W Scotland. (Gravesend 12.4C, Dalwhinnie 5.5C maximum, Lough Fea 2.8C minimum, Shap 35.8mm, Yeovilton 5.5h.)

There was a touch of ground frost in parts of N Ireland and Scotland into the 7th and rain or showers affected many places in the W half of the British Isles before dawn. During the day a band of rain moved E across S Scotland, England and Wales - but became slow-moving across S Scotland and N England where there were some heavy falls over high ground; the rain was followed by showers with some sleet over the mountains of N Wales. Much of N and cent Scotland had a mostly dry day - but it was rather cloudy everywhere away from W Scotland and W Ireland. Thunder was reported from Jersey in the afternoon. (London 12.1C, Cassley 4.5C maximum, Cassley 1.3C minimum, Shap 38.8mm, Cork Airport 3.6h.)

Parts of N and Cent Scotland had a sharp air frost on the 8th and many inland areas as far S as the Midlands and Wexford had a ground frost. N and E England and parts of Wales had some overnight rain and showers. The morning brought another area of frontal rain to much of Ireland and by the evening this had reached W Scotland, Wales and SW England and during the evening it arrived in E Britain. There were sunny intervals in SW Ireland (where the cloud cleared to showers) and in E Britain. Showers also affected other W areas behind the rain. (Dublin Airport 13.1C, Cassley 4.9C maximum, Braemar -5.3C minimum, Machrihanish 12.8mm, East Malling 4.6h.)

The 9th dawned after a mild night in most places and winds generally eased during the day as pressure rose in S England during the day. Overnight there were spells of rain across Scotland and in E England - during the day precipitation (much of it showery) was largely confined to Scotland and Ireland. In the evening an organised band of showers affected many parts of S Scotland, Wales and England. The mild weather continued throughout the day with sunny periods in most places apart from in S England. (London 13.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.7C maximum, Topcliffe 1.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 17.0mm , Leconfield 4.9h.)

Rain fell overnight 10th in many places although the SE corner of England and an area from SW Ireland to NE Scotland remained mostly dry. As skies cleared some fog developed across N parts of England and Ireland, as well as in S Scotland. There was also a widespread ground frost from SW Ireland to N Scotland. Pressure rose during the day with MSL pressure rising to 1033mb close to the Anglo-Scottish border. A few light showers affected parts of NW Scotland for a while earlier in the day. (Milford Haven 12.7C, Tulloch Bridge 1.9C maximum, Braemar -4.9C minimum, Dunstaffnage 12.8mm, Manston 7.1h.)

High pressure persisted throughout the 11th leading to a mainly dry day. Clear skies led to a widespread ground frost in Britain with widespread mist and fog from Cent Scotland S'wards. It was a warmer start in W Ireland under the influence of a S'ly airflow from SW Europe. The fog led to the fall of snow grains in places, for example Dundrennan, Pershore, Leek and High Wycombe. Valentia reported 14mm of frontal precipitation in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT. Fog was slow to clear in places leading to a cold day in these spots, while parts of E Kent, W Scotland and W Ireland had some showers. MSL pressure rose to 1038.2mb at Baltasound by 2400GMT, by which time mist and fog had reformed in parts of Scotland, N England and the Midlands. (Valentia 11.7C, Strathallan -1.1C maximum, Braemar -7.0C minimum, Manston 1.2mm, Woodford 6.0h.)

High pressure continued to be centred over Scotland for much of the 12th. A trough brought some moderately heavy rain to parts of Kent overnight - elsewhere inland areas had a widespread ground frost and mist and fog formed across E parts of England and Scotland, and also in the Midlands. The fog cleared to give sunny intervals in most places; temperatures remained below freezing in some N and cent parts of Scotland while further rain affected parts of Kent and East Anglia. Fog and mist reformed in the evening in some parts of England and Wales. (Valentia 10.8C, Cassley -1.9C maximum, Braemar -8.9C minimum, Manston 14.0mm, Belmullet 6.7h.)

There was a widespread air frost into the 13th across Scotland and N parts of Ireland and inland area of Wales - some Cent areas of Scotland remained below freezing all day. Freezing fog continued for much of the day in parts of the Central Lowlands. As the high pressure centred moved W'wards, a N'ly flow brought showers and some frontal precipitation to E areas of Britain - particularly from Yorkshire to Kent during the day. Elsewhere it was generally dry with long sunny spells in some places. (Fair Isle 9.0C, Braemar -3.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -9.0C minimum, Manston 5.6mm, Camborne 6.9h.)

There was a widespread ground frost into the 14th with further rain and showers in the E, particularly from the Northern Isle to Lincolnshire. An air frost occurred in many places, including some S parts of Ireland and England. During the day a frontal system pushed S across Scotland and into England giving precipitation in many areas from the Midlands N'wards by the evening; most places had a cloudy day except for the extreme SE corner of England and the extreme SW corner of Ireland. Sleet showers were reported on Guernsey at 0600GMT with some sleet at Pershore in the evening. (Malin Head 10.0C, Okehampton 2.9C maximum, Braemar -7.4C minimum, Loftus 15.6mm, Manston 5.5h.)

Clear skies led to an air frost on the 15th in parts of Kent, Essex and Suffolk but elsewhere temperatures remained above freezing at low levels. Cent and NE England, together with E Scotland and N Ireland had falls of rain overnight as frontal wave cloud pushed S. E and Cent parts of England had a cold day with maximum temperatures slightly higher elsewhere. To the W of this area there were falls of rain and some sleet or snow - particularly in the late afternoon onwards in the Channel Islands and cent S England. Some showers affected E Scotland and parts of Ireland - but much of Wales, N Ireland and W Scotland had a dry day. (Valley 9.8C, High Wycombe 1.0C maximum, East Malling -4.9C minimum, Albemarle 7.0mm, East Malling 7.1h.)

There was a widespread ground frost on the 16th - with a sharp air frost in some parts of East Anglia and SE England. During the night rain affected mainly E Scotland, NE England and some parts of E Ireland and SW England. Wintry precipitation fell in the Channel Islands, parts of S Wales and in parts of Lincolnshire before dawn. A band of rain moved slowly S'wards through Britain and Ireland during the day, bringing outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow. During mid-morning there was snowfall in the Norfolk area and by midday this had reached Essex, London and parts of Hampshire and Wiltshire. Places S of London were affected in the afternoon. During the evening the snow gradually turned to rain and this slowly eased as it continued southwards towards the Channel Islands. Rain showers affected parts of Ireland and W Scotland. E of a line from Dorset to Norfolk it was a cold day. (Malin Head 9.5C, Wattisham 0.9C maximum, Charlwood -7.4C minimum, Loftus 11.0mm, Camborne 4.9h.)

There was a widespread ground frost but little air frost on the 17th. Overnight light rain fell in E and S parts of Britain and in S Ireland with some snow in N England and Cent Scotland. Showers spread Se across E areas of N Britain during the day - falling as snow as far S as the East Midlands and East Anglia in the early afternoon - with the snow later reaching the Channel Islands, Devon and Dublin. Lying snow was reported across many parts of E and Cent England and across hills in N England. (Belmullet 7.8C, Dalwhinnie 0.4C maximum, Benson -2.4C minimum, Charterhall 8.8mm, Camborne 6.5h.)

Into the 18th there was a widespread ground frost with an air frost in most areas away from the coast. Snow continued to fall overnight especially across the Pennines, Yorkshire, E and SE England with significant accumulations and some drifting in places. Snow depths at 0900GMT included 16cm at Copley and Maidenhead, 12cm at Wattisham and Buntingford and 11cm around Cambridge. Travel disruption resulted during the morning rush-hour and continued during the day as the snow only slowly thawed. During the day snow continued to fall in E Britain, across Scotland and in N Ireland. There were even a few light snow showers in W parts of SW England and Wales. Despite sunny periods across S parts of Britain and Ireland the NE'ly wind made it feel cool, blowing as it did over lying snow in the E; some places here only just rose above 0C during the day. (South Uist 6.3C, Salsburgh -2.4C maximum, Drumalbin -6.6C minimum, Weybourne 15.4mm, Cork Airport 7.2h.

There was a widespread air frost on the 19th with temperatures below -5C in many areas where the snow continued to lie overnight. Fronts pushed precipitation SE'wards during the day across most areas. Snow showers fell overnight in E Kent and Norfolk, in other places close to the North Sea and on the Isle of Man and in parts of W Ireland. By 0900GMT snow depths being reported included 13cm at Cottesmore, 11cm at Cambridge and 10cm at Westgate. Snow across Scotland in the morning pushed S'wards to reach the Midlands by the evening, as snow showers continued to affect some E coast parts of Britain. Ahead of the4 snow there were sunny spells in Cent and S England - but daytime temperatures remained below -2C in Marham. Behind the band of snow there were snow showers across N Ireland and Scotland in a brisk N'ly surface flow. (Belmullet 8.4C, Marham -2.2C maximum, Topcliffe -13.8C minimum, Cassley 9.2mm, Odiham 7.2h.)

There was another widespread ground frost on the 20th and most places away from SW parts of England and Ireland had an air frost. Rain, sleet and snow cleared the S of England by dawn while showers affected W areas of the British Isles in a cool N'ly airflow. Low pressure spread to N Britain during the day (MSL pressure down to 981mb over Cent Scotland by midnight) and during the day further wintry precipitation fell across Scotland, N England, N Ireland, N Wales and in some E coast areas of England. Thunder was reported at Lerwick in the early evening. Snow depths at 0900GMT included 17cm at Copley, 13cm at Cottesmore, 12cm at Westgate and 10cm in Cambridge. S and cent parts of Ireland had a sunny day. A man who died after being found with head injuries in a Cumbrian street probably slipped on ice, police said. Brian Metcalf, 21, died in hospital after being found in the Longpool area of Kendal. (South Uist 6.4C, Inverbervie -1.1C maximum, Topcliffe -14.1C minimum, Aultbea 16.8mm, Odiham 7.4h.)

There was another widespread air frost on the 21st leading to icy roads; wintry showers continued to fall across much of Scotland and N England with scattered falls as far S as Sussex and Dublin before dawn. During the day the wintry showers continued across northern and western areas, with a mix of rain and sleet near the coast and snow affecting areas further inland. 0900GMT snow depths included 20cm at Aviemore, 17cm at Copley and 15cm at Aberfeldy. A complex area of low pressure across the British Isles included a small low close to the S coast that was part of a front - this front pushed N across SE England in the afternoon, introducing rain from the S that soon turned to rain over Cent S and SE England and caused traffic chaos. The snow lasted for several hours across Oxfordshire and, as it cleared, some of the precipitation turned to freezing rain in Dorset and Hampshire. During the evening heavy sleet and snow showers continued across W Scotland, N Ireland and parts of Wales and NW England. Daytime temperatures in East Anglia and the Midlands barely rose above 0C. Motorists were warned to take extra care on the roads after snow fell across much of Wales overnight; the M4 was closed eastbound for a number of hours at junction 48 near Llanelli after a six-vehicle crash. The roads in Basingstoke in Hampshire turned icy in the evening rush-hour and became strewn with cars, as thousands of drivers either abandoned their vehicles or slept in their cars after getting stuck in gridlocked traffic. The snow also caused problems at airports in SE England. (Milford Haven 8.5C, Dyce -1.5C maximum, Emley Moor -9.5C minimum, Tain Range 20.2mm, Woodford 6.6h.)

There was another widespread air frost on the 22nd although in the SE corner of England temperatures remained close to 0C. Some heavy snow showers affected NW England, W Scotland and N Ireland overnight while the snow in the SE of England eased off and moved NE. 0900GMT snow depths included 17cm at Aberfeldy, 16cm at Aviemore and Spadeadam, 15cm at Newton Rigg and 12cm at High Wycombe. During the day there was snow in Scotland, N England and N Wales, while heavy wintry showers also affected SW England for a while; there was some thunder here, and also in Belmullet. Maximum temperatures during the day were below 0C in many parts of E Britain, from Lincolnshire N'wards. Much of S Britain, S and E Ireland had a sunny day. Eurostar resumed a limited service, after being closed for three days due to extreme weather in France when snow melted inside the engines. Police said heavy snow was causing "mayhem" on the roads in Aberdeen. Falling ice also affected both Severn bridges, causing tailbacks. The airfield at Aberdeen Airport also closed twice, due to "persistent and heavy snowfalls". The Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading has cancelled all operations and appointments. A spokesman said they would only be treating emergencies. In Orkney, an ambulance crashed on to its roof in what police described as "atrocious" conditions. The vehicle with two people on board left the main Kirkwall to Stromness road. One person was taken to hospital suffering from suspected whiplash. Conditions were hazardous on the A90 at Marykirk, south of Aberdeen. Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary has also warned of dangerous driving conditions across its area. The A75 between Newton Stewart and Stranraer was badly affected by snow and ice overnight but was said to be passable with care. Black ice also caused major problems on the A714 from Newton Stewart to Wigtown. Later in the evening two people were killed after their coach hit a patch of black ice, left the road and hit a tree before ending up on its side near Penzance in Cornwall. The crash takes the number killed in the current cold snap to at least eight. (Isles of Scilly 7.7C, Dalwhinnie -8.4C maximum, Dalwhinnie -15.7C minimum, Ballykelly 12.0mm, Yeovilton 6.2h.)

There was a widespread air frost on the 23rd with temperatures falling below -10C in parts of Scotland. There were falls of snow in E and Cent Scotland with falls also in parts of N England; some snow also fell in parts of Wales while freezing fog in Cent S England produced falls of snow grains in places. There were also falls of rain in SW England towards dawn that fell on to cold ground and produced icy surfaces. Across Scotland the snow tended to die out but in S Britain the rain turned to sleet and snow as it spread into Wales and the Midlands, with falls of snow in N England and some E and S areas of Ireland in the evening. Fog persisted for much of the day in parts of N Ireland the Midlands leading to maximum temperatures below 0C; in the evening further ice formed in SW England as showers fell on cold ground. A Ryanair jet slid off the runway at Prestwick airport in Ayrshire after it hit a patch of ice after landing. Colchester General Hospital said 126 people came to the department during the weekend. It would normally expect about 40 in a 48-hour period. In Dorset, up to 40 vehicles crashed on the A35 because of black ice. Paramedics treated 34 people while two casualties were taken to hospital. The M27 in Hampshire was closed westbound due to the number of incidents while motorists in Devon were warned about treacherous conditions. A runway at Southampton Airport was shut due to the ice and flights from many airports, including Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow, were disrupted. In Bolton, a man has been found dead in a frozen reservoir. Adam Littleford, 43, is thought to have jumped into High Rid reservoir near Lostock to rescue his dog. A grandmother had to deliver her daughter's baby at home because icy roads in Oxfordshire prevented them from travelling to a hospital. (Shoreham 8.6C, Kinlochewe -2.3C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -15.2C minimum, High Wycombe 17.4mm, Durham 6.5h.)

Much of East Anglia, S parts of England and Wales and some parts of SE Ireland avoided an air frost into the 24th. A band of snow pushed N through N England overnight with lesser falls in S Scotland by dawn. There was some heavy rain in Cent S and SE England with wintry precipitation in parts of Cent S England, E Ireland and parts of Wales. N England and Scotland were the worst affected by icy roads by dawn. During the day there were further falls of rain, snow and wintry showers in many areas as a complex area of low pressure lingered across the country; snow affected E Scotland in particular. In parts of N and E England fog lingered for much of the day. The best of the sunshine was to be found across Ireland and in W Scotland. (Isles of Scilly 8.3C, Kinbrace -9.8C maximum, Braemar -16.0C minimum, Hurn 16.4mm, Cork Airport 6.1h.)

Most inland places, away from W Wales, S England and East Anglia and parts of W Ireland, had a frosty start to the 25th. Snow and sleet fell across Cent and NE Scotland with lesser falls of sleet and rain from Lincolnshire to Kent. S Wales and SW England also had a few showers. During the day there was some sleet in NW Ireland as a further frontal system edged across Ireland during the day, affecting Wales and W England later in the afternoon and evening. Rain from this system turned to sleet and snow over high ground and snow also fell in E Scotland and in parts of N England in the evening with showery rain in the Midlands by then. According to the Met Office Edinburgh, Glasgow, Nottingham and Leeds all had an officially 'White Christmas' for the first time for five years. The A93 at the Spittal of Glenshee and the A90 both reopened after being closed because of ice. Much of England and Wales had a sunny Christmas Day. (Isles of Scilly 11.0C, Eskdalemuir -3.7C maximum, Altnaharra -14.8C minimum, Dyce 14mm, Filton 6.8h.)

Rain spread W across most areas overnight into the 26th, turning to sleet and snow over Scotland and on high ground in N England and N Wales. Falls were heavy across Wales and icy surfaces formed in parts of the N Midlands, N parts of England and Ireland and in Scotland due to sub-zero temperatures overnight. Scattered showers affected many areas during the day although Cent England and East Anglia were fairly dry - as was S England away from the S coast. Thunder was heard at Belmullet in the late morning. S and cent Scotland had snow in the second half of the day in particular and thunder was heard on Guernsey in the evening. By midnight MSL pressure had fallen to 988mb over Northern Ireland. Snow and frost affected the Boxing Day sport. The National Hunt Boxing Day meetings at Towcester, Sedgefield, Wetherby and Market Rasen were called off and many football matches in Ireland and Scotland were cancelled - many because travel to and from the venues was too dangerous. (Isles of Scilly 10.4C, Braemar -10.6C maximum, Braemar -13.9C minimum, Sennybridge 21.0mm, Coleshill 5.4h.)

Air frost on the 27th was mostly confined to Scotland and parts of N England - with minimum temperatures as high at 7.1C at Valentia. Rain and showers were widespread overnight from Cent Scotland S'wards; across Scotland and Cumbria these fell as snow. During the day these eased off from the SW with Ireland having a sunny day. An area of snow, sleet and rain was slow-moving during the day in Cent Scotland - this later pushed S into N England and gradually weakened. 35cm of level snow was reported at Cromdale at 0900GMT with 40cm at Aberfeldy. 15-20cm of snow at Dunblane closed to A9 road. Daytime maximum temperatures ranged from close to 9C in S areas of England to below freezing in parts of Scotland. In the evening, however, as skies cleared ice formed from N England and N Ireland N'wards. (Isles of Scilly 9.8C, Altnaharra -4.8C maximum, Braemar -16.2C minimum, Keswick 25.0mm, Cork Airport 6.9h.)

Away from the coasts there was a widespread air frost on the 28th with temperatures falling below -10C in Cent Scotland. Parts of Cent and S Scotland had some fog by dawn while there were snow showers on Shetland and a little rain and drizzle in parts of SW Scotland and NE England. The day was mainly dry except for some coastal area of Scotland; there was some snowfall in these areas while some fog lingered in Merseyside during the day. Many parts of mainland Scotland remained below 0C all day and 24cm of snow lay at Aviemore at 0900GMT. Later in the evening frontal cloud spread rain into S Ireland and SW England. Thousands of householders are experiencing difficulties with water supplies because of freezing conditions across Northern Ireland. The worst affected areas include Omagh, Ballymoney, Claudy, Dungannon, Dungiven and Limavady. The company said extra staff were working to take calls from people who were affected by burst pipes because of the sub-zero temperatures. Icy roads caused travel disruption with parts of the A66 closed after a string of accidents on the route. (Isle of Scilly 9.4C, Braemar -10.5C maximum, Tyndrum -16.7c minimum, Tiree 8.6mm, Eskdalemuir 5.6h.)

Scotland again had a widespread air frost on the 29th, as did parts of Cent England. By dawn rain has spread across much of S Ireland and SW England into S Wales and parts of Cent S England. N Scotland had some light snow overnight and 23cm of snow lay at Aviemore at 0900GMT. As the rain in the S met colder air it turned to sleet and snow, especially over high ground and across Wales and SE Ireland. The rain turned increasingly to snow at lower levels as it spread N - with falls of rain in East Anglia and snow in N England by the evening. Further snow continued to fall at times across Scotland and NE England, on a brisk E'ly wind. The precipitation in the S was associated with a low to the SW of Ireland - MSL pressure falling to 986.5mb at Valentia by 2400GMT. Much of N and Cent Scotland again remained below 0C all day while only Cornwall and W Devon rose above 6C by 1800GMT. Except for a small area of NE Scotland it was sunless day. Around 20cm of snow fell in central Wales although in many parts of Wales the predicted bad weather failed to materialise during the day. (Isles of Scilly and Jersey Airport 12.0C, Braemar -12.2C, Braemar -18.4C, Liscombe 25.0mm, Lerwick 3.9h.)

Away from N and Cent Scotland there was little air or ground frost at low levels on the 30th; in E Scotland and NE England icy surfaces resulted by dawn after overnight showers. Further S cloud produced rain, sleet and snow - the latter generally further N or over higher ground. Wintry showers continued across Scotland and NE England during the day with rain, sleet and snow further S throughout the day. There was heavy snow over high ground in Wales while at Casement Aerodrome the equivalent of 25mm of rainwater fell during the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. A surface E'ly flow made for a cold day almost everywhere, although in Cornwall and S Devon the temperature did rise to 11C. It was a rather cloudy day everywhere. Three people died after three large avalanches on Scottish mountains. Rescuers found the bodies of two of the climbers in Number Three Gully on the north face of Ben Nevis following a large snow slide. It later emerged that a 54-year-old man who had been rescued from Liatach Ridge, Torridon, had also died after being airlifted to hospital. Unusually calm and extremely cold weather has raised the risk of avalanches in Scotland's mountains. Members of the Sportscotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) have been monitoring surface hoar, a phenomenon rarely seen in Scotland. The snow crystals form a slippery layer when buried under snow and are the cause of many avalanches in the Alps and North America. Normally the crystals, which are created by vapour rising up from layers of deposited snow and then freezing on the surface, are destroyed in a thaw or by high winds. The crystals can be quite dangerous if buried by further falls of snow as they form a very, very weak layer. The crystals are a bit like soap flakes and create a very slippery layer, according to Mark Diggins of SAIS. (Isles of Scilly 11.5C, Dalwhinnie -0.8C maximum, Altnaharra -15.9C minimum, Killowen 29.2mm, Lerwick 1.2h.)

The 31st dawned with an air frost across much of Scotland and also in parts of N England and N Ireland. Overnight precipitation was largely confined to S and Cent parts of England, Wales and Ireland, and to E Scotland where it was wintry in nature. During the day snowfalls in E Scotland continued but it turned drier across England and Wales; however in Cornwall there was some heaby rain; the temperature here during the day was much lower than on recent days with maxima around 3-4C. There were some sunny spells across N Ireland, N England and W parts of Scotland. In the evening a few showers continued to affect parts of SE England and they turned to sleet and snow in the E here as temperatures slowly fell. Hogmanay celebrations in Inverness were cancelled as police warned of "treacherous" weather conditions in and around the Highland capital. (Isle of Scilly 7.0C, Drumalbin -1.3C maximum, Strathallan -7.6C minimum, Isle of Scilly 25.6mm, Aldergrove 5.4h.)


Last updated 1 January 2009.