Overnight into the 2nd many areas saw some falls of precipitation - although in E Britain amounts were slight. Across Scotland falls of snow occurred - especially over high ground = and snow showers were reported before dawn in both Dublin and Cork. Parts of E Scotland had a slight air frost. A sunny day followed in Cent and E England - W Scotland had a cloudy day but in other districts there were sunny intervals and showers. The showers fell as snow as far S as the Pennines. Sleet, snow and high winds caused problems on roads in parts of Scotland with Highlands, central Highlands and parts of NE Scotland being worst affected. Conditions were bad on the higher parts of the A9 and the snow gates were closed on the A82 south of Glencoe and on the A93. Northern Constabulary said many routes across the Highlands were affected by snow. At 2100GMT Aviemore reported 7cm of lying snow. During the evening frontal cloud ahead of a deep low pushed warm air and rain across Ireland; MSL pressure fell to 978.4mb at Belmullet by 2400GMT. (St Catherines Point 9.7C, Aviemore 0.9C maximum, Kinbrace -1.1C minimum, Tyndrum 32.0mm, Wattisham 6.8h.)
On the 3rd wind speeds increased everywhere by dawn with severe gale/storm force winds and heavy snowfalls affecting Scotland causing disruption to travel. Bridges were closed across the UK and Ireland to some or all traffic; gusts included 105mph at Malin Head; 102mph at Edinburgh, Blackford Hill; 97mph at Salsburgh and Islay; 92mph at Macrihanish; 92mph at Drumalbin and 91mph at Glasgow, Bishopton Airport. As far S as Cent S England winds had brought down trees by 0900GMT. Wind and cloud helped to keep temperatures above freezing in most places with rain accompanying the wind across the British Isles away from Cent and N Scotland. Trains and flights were cancelled due to the winds - caused by an area of low pressure that tracked across Scotland during the day. In S parts gusts included 84mph at Portland Bill and 78mph at St Bees Head. MSL pressure fell to 963.2mb at Lusa at 0600GMT, 957.7mb at Aviemore at 0900GMT, 958.8mb at Rosehearty at 1200GMT and 969.4mb at Lerwick at 1500GMT. Temperatures rose early in the day to the S of the low as warm fronts came through, then fell sharply with some heavy rain and hail as the cold front followed. Part of the roof of the grandstand at Epsom racecourse in Surrey was blown off and a bus driver in the county suffered serious injuries when a tree fell on to his vehicle. The Port of Dover in Kent was closed and homes were evacuated in Gwynedd, Wales, because of arcing power lines. Power was lost to homes in many areas. Around the UK trees fell onto railway tracks and power lines, lorries blew over on busy roads and heavy rains led to flood warnings. Heavy rainfall led to flood alerts for rivers across SW England and Wales. A man in his 50s was killed in Kent when a tree collapsed on his van, and a crewman died after being injured on board a tanker in the English Channel. As the deprsssion moved away later in the day the wqinds started to die down, slowly. Showers followed the cold front in W areas - and these fell as snow across Scotland. At approximately 0540GMT Malin head recorded a 10-minute mean windspeed of 68kn. This provisionally exceeds the previous record for Malin Head of 67kn, recorded on 26 December 1998. The Irish Republic national 10-minute mean wind speed record is 71kn and was recorded at Foynes, Co. Limerick on 18 January 1945. (Santon Downham 13.2C, Kinbrace 2.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 0.0C minimum, Tyndrum 52.6mm, Boulmer 3.4h.)
Across N parts of the British Isles there was a breezy start to the 4th. Some snow fell across parts of Scotland although showers across Scotland and N parts of England and Ireland tended to die down overnight. There was a slight air frost in a few sheltered parts of E Scotland and a ground frost here led to some icy surfaces. By midday a warm front was bringing rain from the W across Ireland and this then moved rapidly E'wards across the British Isles by midnight followed by further frontal systems that were introducing a NW'ly flow across Scotland, N Ireland and N England by midnight. This led to widespread falls of rain - although in E England many places remained dry until the evening and falls were generally slight; parts of W and N Scotland, however, had some heavy falls. Cloud cover was extensive during the day and sunshine amounts consequently low. As wind speeds increased from the N in the evening the Met Office said 112mph gusts were recorded between 10pm and 11pm at Great Dun Fell. (Portglenone 10.7C, Lerwick 4.9C maximum, Leuchars -0.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 58.8mm, Brize Norton 0.6h.)
A brisk NW'ly flow dominated the weather on the 5th with gales in places and gusty conditions everywhere. At 1200GMT MSL pressure ranged from 1020mb in SW Ireland to 987mb on N Shetland - although the winds gradually eased during the day as MSl pressure rose to 1028.7mb at Valentia by 2400GMT. Strong winds overnight tended to prevent air frosts and across S parts of the British Isles minimum temperatures were in the range 7-9C. E'wards moving fronts gave some falls of rain overnight in most places and these were followed by showers and a strengthening in the wind. Early gusts included Great Dun Fell 98mph, Capel Curig 88mph, Leeds-Bradford 77mph, Loftus 74mph, Lake Vyrnwy 71mph and St Bees Head 70mph. Showers continued during the day - but these rarely reached into E areas of England although they did fall as snow in N and Cent Scotland. Wales, S England and S Ireland had maximum temperatures in the range 10-12C (for many this occured shortly after dawn) - further N it was a much cooler day. In between the showers there were sunny periods, particularly in E areas of the British Isles. Two rail passengers were injured after a train hit a tree on a line in Scotland, just north of Dunkeld, in Perthshire. Network Rail said it had mounted an "unprecedented" operation to clear thousands of fallen trees from lines. When combined with the result of conditions two days earlier, the damage to the railways led Network Rail to comment "The extent of damage across the whole network, in terms of trees, overhead cable damage, damage along sea walls and so forth, we've not seen that for many, many years." Scottish Power reported about 3,000 extra faults overnight. The stormy weather also saw damage to buildings, while roads were blocked, bridges closed and flights and ferries cancelled. And there were icy conditions in central Scotland and snow on higher stretches of the A9. Trees were brought down in manyt areas across roads and railways, with power lines also being downed in places.(Swanage 12.3C, Dalwhinnie 2.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.0C minimum, Okehampton 25.4mm, Glasgow 5.5h.)
Although high pressure persisted in S parts throughout the 6th, a warm front made progress E'wards across the British isles during the day, to be followed by a cold front that moved SE'wards through W and N areas. Ahead of the first front it was a cool night in E areas - and with a widespread inladn ground frost across the British Isles. There was a little rain in W Ireland and a few showers in Scotland before dawn - although the warm front was a weak feature and during the day frontal rain was mostly confined to Ireland, Wales and W Scotland. Cent and E England had a sunny day and there were a few sunny periods ahead of the frontal cloud in SE Scotland; elsewhere it was a dull day, but a mild one across Ireland. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 12.0C, Inverbervie 5.7C maximum, Tyndrum -2.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 15.6mm, Manston 6.3h.)
An overnight cold front cleared SE England shortly after dawn on the 7th although it gave very little rain across most of Cent and E England. Overnight cloud kept minimum temperatures above average with minima of 9-10C in parts of S Wales, SW Ireland and SE England. After overnight rain and showers in W districts, during the day showers were mainly confined to W and N Scotland with lesser falls in parts of N England and N Ireland. Temperatures reached 11C in parts of S Wales and S England; it was here and in parts of E Scotland that the best of the sunshine was to be seen. High pressure dominated the weather in the S with MSL pressure as high as 1030.2mb at Sherkin Island at 2400GMT. (Cardiff Bute Park 11.6C, Dalwhinnie 5.1C maximum, Resallach 2.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 17.2mm, Yeovilton 5.2h.)
During the 8th warm fronts spread a little rain across the British Isles and resulted in a mainly mild and cloudy day. Minimum temperatures remained relatively high overnight and there was a little rain in parts of the N Scotland and the Northern Isles. Most places were sunless - with the exception of the SW Midlands. However, rainfall was mainly confined to N and W Scotland - with many E aress of England receiveing only a few spots of rain from the fronts. MSL pressure remained high in the S - at 2400GMT 1032.4mb was reported on Scilly. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 13.6C, Wych Cross 7.7C maximum, Topcliffe 3.2C minimum, Kirkwall 18.4mm, Yeovilton 2.8h.)
The 9th began with the British Isles lying under a warm sector, but by midday the following cold front had crossed Ireland and Scotland. It then made slower progress S'wards across much of England and Wales by midnight. Overnight there was rainfall across Scotland and Ireland with some moderately-heavy falls in places - this rain area then moved S across England and wales but falls were slight here, and in many places consisted of just some light drizzle. Behind the front there were showers across Scotland with a thunderstorm on Fair Isle before noon. After a mild night everywhere the day was a warm one across England, Wales and the extreme S of Ireland - while the best of the sunshine was to be found across Scotland and Ireland. Further frontal reain fell across parts of N Scotland into the evening. (Shoreham 13.1C, Lentran 5.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 2.6C minimum, Kinlochewe 29.2mm, Leuchars) 5.6h.)
Overnight into the 10th there was a ground frost in N England and N Ireland and in parts of the Midlands and E Scotland. N and NW Scotland experienced some frontal rain, heavy in places while S areas of Ireland and Wales had ligfhter rain. In S England there were falls of light drizzle from a weak cold front. MSL pressure remained high in the S; at 0900GMT 1036.6mb was reported at Guernsey Airport. During the day the frontal system across S parts of the British Isles became re-invigorated in the E as it moved slowly N'wards - while another system persieted across N areas. The former gave some rain and drizzle across Ireland with lighter falls across S parts of England and Wales - while the latter system produced rainfall across N and W Scotland with some heavy falls in places. It was a mild afternoon across Ireland, Wales and much of England - but colder in N Scotland - with areas outside the Midlands and E England having a rather cloudy day. (Hawarden 12.7C, Dalwhinnie 7.3C maximum, Topcliffe -1.5C minimum, Aultbea 53.2mm, Leconfield 3.8h.)
Parts of E Scotland and SW England had a touch of ground frost into the 11th while across SW Ireland grass minimum temperatures remained around 10C. Wales and NW England, together with much of Ireland and N-NW Scotland had rainfall overnight from a eries of slow-moving fronts. While high pressure remained centred close to the Channel Islands during the day (MSL pressure 1036.8mb at Jersey Airport at 1200GMT) the evening brought a strengthening of the pressure gradient and increased wind speeds to N Scotland ahead of a cold front. Daytime precipoitation was mainly rain, in W Ireland, N and NW Scotland and in Wales and surrounding counties - with very slight falls in a few other places in England and Ireland. There was a little sunshine in E England and SE Scotland (and rather more in parts of S England) but in most areas it was a cloudy day - albeit a warm one with 10C being attained as far N as NW Scotland. However, the cold front did make for a cooler day on Shetland. By 2400GMT Bealach No Ba was reporting a 55kn mean wind speed. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow. 13.4C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 8.0C maximum, Aboyne -2.7C minimum, Kinlochewe 30.8mm, Camborne 6.5h.)
The 12th began on a windy note across Scotland with a cool start in N Scotland. By contrast at Valentia the minimum temperature was a high 10.1C. A cold front brought overnight rain, heavy in places, to much of Scotland and to parts of W Ireland and there was a separate area of light rain in and around Wales. Gusts reported at 060GMT included 49kn at Sule Skerry. As the cold front edged S'wards it gave falls of rain in parts of Ireland, Wales and the Midlands during the day - but very little rain elsewhere; the main effect in most areas was the change to a colder, N'ly flow. Clearer air and sunny spells followed the front - the highest temperatures were to be found across England and Wales, ahead of the front. N Scotland had showers during the day, which included falls of snow in places, leading to a dutsing on the ground at Lerwick. (Usk No.2 13.7C, Lerwick 3.3C maximum, Exeter Airport -0.8C minimum, Cluanie Inn 45.4mm, Morecambe 5.5h.)
High pressure dominated the weather on the 13th with a centre of 1034mb at 2400GMT over the Midlands. There was a widespread inland ground frost and almost no overnight precipitation. Sheltered areas had a slight air frost and most places remained dry during the day. The exception to this were parts of W Ireland where 3mm of rain fell at Sherkin Island in the 12 hours ending 1800GMT. While W parts of Ireland and Scotland, and also N Scotland, had a rather cloudy day, many other areas had 5-6h of sunshine.although only in a few areas in SW Ireland and SW England dir the temperature rise above 10C. (Isles Of Scilly 10.4C, Carterhouse 1.0C maximum, Benson-5.1C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 1.0mm, Aberporth 6.6h.)
During the 14th a SE'ly or S'ly flow became established in most places as the anticylone moved slowly E'wards. Away from cloudier skies in W parts of Scotland and Ireland there was a widespread inland air frost - while the cloud gave a few spots of rain in these western parts. There was widespread mist and fog patches before dawn in NE England, the Midlands and parts of East Anglia. Parts of W Ireland had a little rainfall during the day - generally under 1mm - elsewhere it was a dry day with long sunny spells. The Central belt of Scotland remained sunless and parts of SW England also saw little sunshine. It was a warm day in the cloudy, W parts of Ireland - but in some areas close to E Wales temperatures remained below 0C; at Hereford freezing fog persisted for much of the day. (Valentia 10.4C, Hereford -0.5C maximum, Benson -7.4C minimum, Nettlecombe Birds Hill 0.4mm, Woodford 7.2h.)
Ireland, and much of SW England remained free of ground frost into the 15th while in parts of E Scotland and NE England grass minimum temperatures dipped below -10C. E and Cent Britain also had a widespread air frost with cloudier skies further W. In SW Ireland Valentia reported 5mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT due to an approaching front. Rain continued to fall in SW Ireland during the day, with 10mm at Valentia in the next 12 hours. Cloud moving E'wards over the E coast of England meant a rather cloudy day from the Thames Estuary to the Scottish Borders here, but W and Cent parts of England, Wales and E Scotland had another sunny day. E and NE England also had a rather misty day. W Ireland was again the warmest area while in a few places in Cent and N Scotland it remained below 0C all day. (Sherkin Island 9.2C, Cassley -1.0C maximum, Aboyne -9.4C minimum, Capel Curig 0.4mm, Woodford 7.1h.)
England, Wales and Scotland had a widespread inland air frost on the 16th although on Scilly and in SW Ireland temperatures remained above 7-8C. While high pressure dominated E areas - this gave some mist and fog patches for a while in parts of Cent Scotland and England - in the W frontal cloud gave some light overnight rain in SW Ireland with 2mm at Cork Airport in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT. At 0600GMT Altnaharra was reporting a temperature of -7.4C and recent freezing rain. The day was a mainly dry one but with cloudy skies across much of Ireland and in W Scotland; only in SW Ireland did temperatures reach 10C. (Valentia and Sherkin Island 11.2C, Cassley -2.8C maximum, Aboyne -10.5C minimum, Liscombe 0.4mm, Aberporth 7.7h.)
Ireland, W and SW Scotland and Sw England generally escaped an air frost on the 17th - elsewhere away from coasts there was a cold start to the day with grass minimum temperatuyres below -11C in parts of Scotland, E Wales and the Midlands. Cloud in the W brought widespread to W Ireland before dawn with 8mm falling at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 0600GMT; there were also slight falls in some W and N areas of Scotland around dawn. During the day temperatures rose to 8-12C across Ireland, but failed to reach 3C in parts of NE and E England; there was further rain in SW Ireland during the day (10mm fell at Valentia in the 12 hours to 1800GMT) with the best of the sunshine to be found in E parts of Ireland and Britain. (Valentia 11.7mm, Dishforth 0.5C maximum, South Newington -8.1C minimum, Tyndrum 2.2mm, Wattisham 3.8h.)
Ground frost on the 18th was mainly confined to England (away from W coastal areas) and E Wales - as frontal cloud encroached from the W. Overnight rain fell across much of W and Cent Scotland, Ireland and in some W areas of England and Wales before dawn. The rain brought a brief spell of mild weather as it moved E'wards during the day - although falls in E Britain tended to be slight - but a following cold front brought a return to colder weather from the NE. During the day there were falls of snow and snow showers in N Scotland in this colder air. E Scotland tended to be the sunniest area in what was a rather cloudy day across the British Isles. (Exeter Airport 13.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 4.3C maximum, Santon Downham -4.2C minimum, Kinlochewe 26.6mm, Dyce 3.5h.)
A cold front eventually moved S'wards away from S England during the 19th with a NW'ly flow resulting across the British Isles. Parst fo N England and E Scotland had an overight ground frost with rainfall across many areas and with snow across N and E Scotland. There were further showery falls during the day in most areas with snowfall across Scotland and, at times, in parts of N England. Away from S England where it was a mild day (following overnight minimum temperatures close to 10C in some places here) it was a cool day from many - albeit with sunny spells in many areas. (Exeter Airport 12.5C, Aviemore 1.6C maximum, Fyvie Castle -0.2C minimum, Cassley 22mm, Leconfield 5.3h.)
Central Scotland had a widespread ground frost on the 20th but most places avoided an air frost due to cloud. This was the result of a warm front that gave overnight in N Ireland and W parts of Britain - the rain later spread E'wards although by the evening much of S England was still dry. This led to a mild day across much of Ireland, Wales and S England - and after midday there was little in the way of snow at low levels in Scotland or N England. It was a cloudy day almost everywhere. (Exeter Airport 11.5C maximum, Braemar 3.5C maximum, Leuchars -1.0C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 26.0mm, Cork Airport 2.7h.)
The 21st began with a warm sector in E areas and after this cleared away another warm sector spread across Ireland by midnight. The result was a cloudy day for many areas - the best of the sunshine being found in E Britain, with spells of rain across Scotland, N England and parts of Ireland. Daytime temperatures reached 10C across S and cent parts of England, Wales and Ireland - but it was cooler on Shetland where some snow showers fell at times. (Otterbourne Water Works 13.5C, Braemar 4.3C maximum, Aviemore 1.2C maximum, Cluanie Inn 30.2mm, Dyce 4.4h.)
Overnight into the 22nd there was widespread rainfall across Scotland as a low pressure centre (994mb) moved E'wards across here during the morning. As the associated warm sector moved E'wards across England during the day there were falls of slight rain in parts of N England and N Ireland with little rainfall of note further S. Most places had sunny spells during the day once the cold front had cleared - while there were a few falls of light snow in parts of N and Cent Scotland. (Swanage 12.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 3.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 30.4mm, Leuchars 6.2h.)
There was almost no air frost on the 23rd but a few parts of Scotland and N England experienced a slight ground frost. Troughts gave some overnight rain to N Ireland and W Scotland with further falls in parts of W Britain, N Ireland and W and N Scotland during the day. With a moderate NW'ly surface flow E areas tended to remain dry - while some wintry precipiation fella t times during the day in N Scotland. Away from S areas of Ireland and England where it remained cloudy most places had sunny spells. (Isles Of Scilly 11.6C, Aviemore 3.5C maximum, Leeming -0.8C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 13.4mm, Leconfield 6.6h.)
Away from W Ireland, where cloud led to a mild night and a minimum temperature of 10.0C at Valentia on the 24th, there was a widespread ground frost. Rain fell across Ireland and then spread into W areas of Scotlands, Wales and England. Much of NE Scotland remained dry, and then stayed largely dry during the day as the rain areas spread E'wards to most other places. It remained cloudy across Ireland and it was generally a dull and misty day. Rain was mixed with snow for a while in parts of S Scotland and N England. (Usk No.2 13.5C, Eskdalemuir 1.7C maximum, Braemar -4.1C minimum, Porthmadog 22.6mm, Dyce 1.2h.)
It was a mild night into the 25th under a warm sector across Ireland and much of England (away from the extreme E). Scotland, Wales and N England had some overnight rain - this weakened as it spread E'wards. There was early mist and fog in parts of SE England before dawn with mist and fog in other parts of E England. During the day a cold front spread across Ireland, Wales and Scotland giving some heavy falls of rain, especially across W parts of Ireland aqnd Scotland where falls were heavy. Again it was another widespread cloudy day with some sleet reported later in the afternoon in parts of W Ireland. (Hawarden 12.1C, Okehampton 7.6C maximum, Eskdalemuir 0.7C minimum, Cluanie Inn 39.2mm, Leeming 1.2h.)
The cold front soon cleared E England on the 26th leaving a W'ly flow around an area of low pressure close to/over N Scotland. Behind the colds front there was a widespread ground frost across Ireland, Wales and Scotland - early rain in W areas spread E'wards quickly and skies cleared in the W. By dawn only parts of kent and East Anglia remained dry. Following the cold front, that gave slight falls in all E areas of England as it moved away offshore, there were showers in W parts of Britain and across W and cent Ireland. These showers fell as snow in N England and S Scotland; it was a rather cloudy day here and across N Scotland with sunny periods elsewhere. (Gravesend 9.7C, Cassley 0.8C maximum, Altnaharra -4.0C minimum, Lerwick 18.2mm, Yeovilton 5.6h.)
By the end of the 27th high pressure was beginning to build from the SW into the British Isles. The day began with an air frost in E and Cent Scotland and in a few places in England. Rain and showers fell across W parts of Ireland and Britain overnight, fading a little before becoming re-invigorated and spreading into Cent and some E parts of England - associated with a trough. Parts of Scotland and N England had some falls of snow during the day. E and S England had long sunny spells, there were sunny periods elsewhere except over parts of N England and S Scotland. (Swanage 10.5C, Saughall 1.6C maximum, Kinbrace -7.0C minimum, Stonyhurst 16.4mm, Wattisham 7.9h.)
A developing ridge of high pressure on the 28th (MSL pressure rose to 1034mb over S Wales by 2400GMT) led to a widespread ground frost by dawn. Across Scotland, N England and N Ireland there was an inland air frost - with a slight air frost in a few other areas. S areas of N England and parts of the Midlands had some slight rainfall overnight - and there were heavier falls on parts of Shetland. Parts of E England had some early mist and fog patches. The rain across England had largely ended by dawn, and most places then had a dry day until fron tal rain edged into W areas of Scotland and Ireland later in the afternoon. It was a sunny day in E England but across Ireland and W Scotland cloud, ahead of the rain, meant a sunless day. 8mm of rain fell at Belmullet during 0600GMT to 1800GMT. (Belmullet 9.3C, Newton Rigg -0.7C maximum, Shap -5.2C minimum, Fair Isle 5.0mm, Nottingham 6.7h.)
Frontal systems across Ireland made only slow progress E'wards on the 29th. Across W Scotland and Ireland it was a cloudy night with overnight rain in Ireland; Belmullet reported 18mm of rain in the 12 hiours ending 0600GMT. E Scotland and much of England had an overnight air frost. Mist and fog patches were widespread in E England and the Midlands by dawn. The rain moved E'wards a liitle during the day into SW England, Wales and SW Scotland - and onshore-blowing showers led to some light falls of rain in E parts of Scotland and England close to the North Sea. These fell as snow grains at Wattisham; and snow and sleet also fell over high ground in Wales, Sw England and in parts of Scotland and N England. The extreme W of Ireland had a mainly dry and mild day - but except in NE England it was a dull day. (Valentia 12.1C, Lake Vyrnwy 0.5C maximum, Aboyne -4.4C minimum, Killowen 37.4mm, Kinloss 7.2h.)
Much of England and Scotland had a ground frost on the 30th with an air frost in places. Further W there was some overnight rain in Ireland, Wales, SW England and W Scotland. Precipitation fell as snow in parts of East Anglia, and also across parts of SE Scotland, S Wales, SW England and oiver high ground in parts of Cent S England. During thr day precipitation was mainly confined to S Wales and SW England with lesser falls in parts of Ireland and close to the E coast of NE England. There were falls of snow in NE England during the morning, with falls for much of the morning and afternoon in S Wales, East Anglia and SW and Cent S parts of England. A few flake also fell on Shetland and in E Scotland. Many palces had another cloudy day - but Cent parts of England and Scotland had sunny spells.Up to 5cm of snow fell in parts of south Wales, with similar amounts in parts of Pembrokeshire and Snowdonia. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said an ambulance crew got into difficulties at about midnight when their vehicle began slipping in snow north of Abergavenny. (Valentia and Isles of Scilly 10.8C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park -0.4C maximum, Shap -6.0C minimum, Cardinham 14.2mm, Kinloss 6.3h.)
Pressure rose from the E during the 31st as a freshening SE/E'ly flow became establihsed by the end of the day in all areas. Over Shetland MSL pressure had risaen to 1036mb by 1200GMT. Britain and N Ireland had a widespread ground frost with an air frost in Cent parts of Scotland and England and in Wales and W England. A few parts of Wales and Sw England remained freezing all day. Parts of SW England and S Ireland had some precipitation overnight and during the day while the E'ly flow brought snow showers onshore to many parts of England and Scotland - although falls were mainly slight. (Valentia 8.9C, Pennerley -1.0C maximum, Pershore -6.2C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 16.8mm, Aviemore 5.2h.)
High pressure presisted during the 2nd - with a centre of 1040mb over NW England at 2400 GMT - although a frontal system affected parts of N Scotland during the day. Most places reported an air frost overnight with grass minimum temperatures down to -12C in places. During the day parts of SW England and Wales remained below 0C despite sunshine. During the morning there were falls of light snow in East Anglia and the Channel Islands - with some rain and sleet across the Northern Isles; some light snow also fell in the afternoon in East Anglia. Away from the Northern Isles and parts of NE and E England, most places had a sunny day. (Valentia 6.8C, Liscombe -1.6C maximum, Shap -9.4C minimum, Baltasound 1.4 mm, Filton 8.5 h.)
Although high pressure continued to dominate the weather on the 3rd (1041 mb over S Wales at 1200 GMT), weak fronts close to E England and W Ireland (the latter crossed Ireland and W Scotland during the day) meant some vaariation in conditions. Away from SW Ireland there was a widespread early ground frost with grass minimum temperatures down to -15C in places. This was accomapnied by a widespread air frost. There was a little overnight rain in the Northern Isles with snow in East Anglia - leading to reported depths of 7 cm in parts of Lincolnshire by 0900 GMT. Although it remained cloudy close to the E coast of England during the day it stayed geneerally dry - while in W Ireland sleet turned to rain as frontal precipitation moved E'wards here. Parts of Scotland saw some freezing rain during the day - while freezing fog affected parts of E England for a time. (Sherkin Island 8.9C, Nettlecombe Birds Hill -0.9C maximum, Sennybridge -11.3C minimum, Valentia 5.0 mm, Yeovilton 8.4 h.)
Ireland and the extreme W of Scotland were air frost-free overnight into the 4th, while in cent S England minimum temperatruyres fell to -10C in places. During the day temperatures remained below 0C in parts of E Kent, Essex, the Midlands and NE England but rose considerably in W Ireland. Rain affected Ireland and parts of W and Cent Scotland overnight - before becoming more widespread over Ireland, Scotland, Wales and W England during the day. After a hazy start E England remained largely dry during the day. NE England and parts of Scotland had some freezing rain as the frontal rain reached the colder air further E; also, places from N Scotland to the Midlands saw some snow ahead of the rain during the morning and afternoon. Later during the afternoon and into the evening the snow became more widespread across E, S and Cent parts of England. Thames Valley Police said as many as 100 vehicles were stationary on the M40 between Junction 4 High Wycombe and Junction 9 Bicester for several hours and snow ploughs were brought in to help clear the roads. Some people were frorced to spend the night in their cars. A 35-year-old woman was taken to hospital with hypothermia after being rescued from a frozen lake in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, in the evening. (Valentia 11.0C, Langdon Bay -1.7C maximum, South Newington -12.4C minimum, Cluanie Inn 29.2 mm, Odiham 4.9 h.)
Snow continued to fall across E England for a time early on the 5th but had largely stopped by mid-morning. 0900 GMT snow depths were as mcuh as 10 cm in parts of S England and 15 cm in NE England, including Church Fenton 15 cm, Wattisham 15 cm, Marham 14 cm. Much of E Britain had a slight air frost and temperatures again remained below 0C in parts of E England and East Anglia. As temperature rose Scotland and Ireland had overnight rain whileover the snow in NE and E England and the Midlands there was some freezing fog. These conditions continued during the day - the fog being only slow to clear in some areas. Three of six transatlantic flights diverted to Shannon Airport on Sunday morning because of snow at Heathrow airport, later resumed their journeys. Half of the 1,300 scheduled flights at Heathrow were cancelled. Aer Lingus and Ryanair were also forced to cancel a number of flights as a result of the adverse weather. Motorists were urged to take extra care in treacherous conditions as snow across much of the UK turned to ice. Delays and cancellations were reported by many train companies. Forecasters warned of widespread ice in Wales as the worst of the weather eased. A 55-year-old man was airlifted to hospital after injuring his spine in a sledging accident in Terrington, North Yorkshire. London Ambulance Service experienced a surge in 999 calls with 2,500 in the 12 hours to midday - up 26% on the same period last Sunday. Key roads in and out of Dover were closed after heavy overnight snow in Kent, while rail operators reported delays and cancellations. In Staffordshire more than 100 vehicles were abandoned on the A50 in Uttoxeter after two lorries jack-knifed, although the road has been re-opened. Away from NE England and parts of the Midlands most places had a rather cloudy day. (Valentia 11.3C, Church Fenton -0.9C maximum, Bramham -9.8C minimum, Thorney Island 15.8 mm, Leconfield 6.5 h.)
Lying snow on the 6th remained confined to Cent and E areas of England at low levels. There was ana air frost in many places in this part of the UK, while in SW Ireland minimum temperatures remained above 9C. There was little snowfall during the day but in the evening snow fell in parts of East Anglia. Mist and fog, freezing in places at times, affected N England and the Midlands in particular during the day while some places further W saw falls of frontal rain and drizzle. A 40km stretch of the A1 (in the UK) was closed following a series of accidents. North Yorkshire Police said they had attended 54 collisions across the county between midnight and 1000GMT but no-one was badly hurt. The fire service said up to 20 lorries had jack-knifed on the A1 between Allerton Park and the Catterick. The closure had caused major traffic queues with many drivers stuck in their vehicles for more than four hours. The snow affected some schools with about 55 closed in Essex. A total of 39 were closed in East Sussex with a further 19 closed in Kent and Medway. A handful of schools were also closed in the East Midlands, Warwickshire, Surrey and Yorkshire. Some rail services continued to suffer following the weekend's big freeze. Away from the fog, Scotland and N England had a sunny day - elsewhere, it remained rather dull. (Sherkin Island 12.1C, Church Fenton 0.1C maximum, Church Fenton -8.5C minimum, Herstmonceux 8.8 mm, Leuchars 7.9 h.)
High pressure persisted on the 7th but with frontal systems to the W of Ireland and across E England. Away from SW England, W Scotland and Ireland there was a widespread overnight air frost with some outbreaks of snow in East Anglia. In N England there was some freezing rain while in the Midlands and adjacent counties fog was an early problem. A few parts of S England had a little rain and snow during the afternoon. By 2400 GMT the MSL pressure had risen to 1046.1 mb at Dishforth. (Valentia 10.6C, Langdon Bay -1.0C maximum, Aboyne -9.7C minimum, Houghton Hall 4.8 mm, Wattisham 8.8 h.)
There was a widespread ground frost on the 8th outside Ireland and NE Scotland - with air minimum temperatures widely falling below -5C across England. In many parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and in parts of SW England temperatures remained below 0C all day. A ridge of high pressure meant a generally dry day across England and wales - elsewhere there was much frontal cloud with rainfall in W Ireland and W Scotland during the day - after some overnight rain in W Ireland. Some sleet and snow fell in parts of East Anglia and SE England, this latter affecting the Channel Islands and Cent S England for a while. Places close to a line from SW England to Aberdeen had a sunny day - elsewhere it was generally cloudy. (Valentia 9.8C, Nettlecombe Birds Hill -1.6c maximum, Church Fenton -11.8C minimum, Tiree 16.4 mm, Camborne 7.4 h.)
The frontal cloud and rain in the W spread E'wards during the 9th. SE Scotland, England and Wales had an overnight sir frost - and these freezing temperatures combined with rain to bring icy surfaces to parts of S Scotland, N England and NE Wales before dawn. Rain fell overnight across W and N Ireland, and through much of Scotland with some snow repoirted in Cumbria and in Suffolk. Emergency services in Cumbria (UK) dealt with 97 crashes caused by freezing rain in less than six hours. The A66 trans-Pennine route was closed for several hours after a number of lorries jackknifed near Stainmore. The M6 also saw a number of crashes. The A66 was also the scene of a multi-vehicle accident near Penrith. There were no serious injuries reported. Some schools have also been closed as a precaution. A Cumbria Police spokesman said all the collisions were reported between 0500GMT and 1100GMT. Elsewhere in the north of England, six vehicles, including a double-decker bus, crashed on the Felling bypass and several vehicles collided on Blaydon Highway flyover, both in Gateshead. Durham Police said they had received reports of a number of minor collisions around County Durham and Darlington. They warned drivers to use "extreme caution". Plunging temperatures and icy conditions also led to a number of road accidents across North Yorkshire. Police said black ice led to problems in Skipton, Otley and Settle and one motorist said the A65 near Giggleswick was "like glass". The rain spread SE'wards during the day into S wales and E Yorkshire by the evening. Snow fell in E England, East Anglia, SE England and later Cent S and parts of SW England. (Valentia 11.8C, High Wycombe -1.2C maximum, Linton-on-Ouse -9.6C minimum, Banagher Caugh Hill 24.4 mm, Camborne 6.4 h.)
Snowfall continued into the 10th in E and S areas of England until late morning in places. The Met Office reported that places had between 1 cm and 8 cm of fresh snow - the highest snowfall being from Lincolnshire through Cambridgeshire to Bedfordshire. The snow turned to rain in some western areas overnight, with ice becoming a hazard on untreated surfaces. Many places had early mist and haze that persistd for much of the day and frontal rain fell across parts of England during the day. In south Wales, the A470 was closed after two vehicles crashed on ice near Nant Ddu between Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil at 0545GMT on Friday. Icy conditions on the roads were being reported in parts of north and south Wales, where temperatures remain close to freezing. Meanwhile, charities were warning that elderly people are among the most vulnerable in the cold weather and urged people to check on their older relatives or neighbours. (Valentia 13.9C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest -1.2C maximum, Houghton Hall -7.9C minimum, Cardinham 16.0mm, Herstmonceux 6.2 h.)
Conditions on the 11th continued with a W-E split; frontal cloud to the W meant little air frost across Scotland and Ireland overnight - with rainfall in Ireland and W Scotland. Elsewhere it was a mainly dry but frosty start to the day with High Wycombe and Sennybridge reporting a little light snow. During the day any rain fell mainly in SW Scotland and SE Ireland. Early in the day fog and mist was widespread in the colder air - with freezing fog in places as a result. Mist and haze persisted for much of the day in England - with E and S England having a mainly sunny day; elsewhere it was rather cloudy. Parts of E England had a very cold day - this followed overnight minima of -15.6C at Holbeach, -15.5C at Cavendish, and -15.3C at Cambridge. (Castlederg 10.5C, Coningsby -5.4C maximum, Holbeach -15.6C minimum, Houghton Hall 16.0 mm, Lyneham 9.0 h.)
Much of Wales and parts of N England escaped an air frost on the 12th, while in Cent S England and East Anglia temperatures fell below -10C in places before dawn under the influence of a ridge of high pressure extending across these areas from the E. Ireland and W Scotland had a mild day but it remained cool in E Britain. A little snow fell early in the morning in parts of SE England but most places had a dry day. Early mist and fog was again a problem - especially in parts of N England and as the day wore on the controlling high pressure became one to the SW of Ireland (1039.5 mb at Valentia at 2400 GMT) thereby allowing a W'ly flow to become established across N Britain. (Valentia 11.3C, Langdon Bay 1.8C maximum, Cavendish -12.7C minimum, Houghton Hall 7.2 mm, Belmullet 7.4h. )
Warmer conditions on the 13th led to a steady melting of lying snow in E England during the day. Parts of E Britain and Cent Ireland had a slight ground frost overnight - but there was little air frost. During the day a front crossed all areas from the NW as a NW'ly flow became established everywhere. However, rainfall from this front was mainly confined to N Scotland with only minor falls elsewhere. The main effect of the front was to give a cloudy day - although some sunny intervals were reported in E Scotland and NE England. (Strathallan 10.9C, Langdon Bay 3.7C maximum, Writtle -2.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 8.4 mm, Boulmer 3.3 h.)
High pressure to the SW of Ireland maintained a brisk NW'ly flow on the 14th across al areas. There was little overnight air frost and only a little precipitation during the day. Pressure remained high in all areas - up to about 1038 mb in SW Ireland - but it was nevertheless a rather cloudy day for most areas. (Sherkin Island 11.7C, Leek 5.6C maximum, Woodford -1.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 8.4 mm, Filton 3.7 h.)
A NW'ly flow continued to steer a few frontal bands across the British Isles on the 15th. Overnight rain affected parts of N and W Scotland and N Ireland - with further falls in these districts during the day. A few other places had some slight falls of rain - but most places remained dry if rather cloudy. (Strathallan 12.8C, Okehampton 6.0C maximum, Spadeadam 0.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 13.2, Edinburgh Gogarbank 5.8 h.)
Most places again had a frost-free night into the 16th; overnight frontal cloud brought some rain to N Scotland and this spread slowly S'wards during the day - to affect Cent Ireland and mid-Wales by the evening. There were some heavy falls in NW Scotland. Away from the Northern Isles daytime temperatures were close to, or above, 10C. E areas of Britain remained mostly dry and had the best of the sunshine. (Leuchars 13.5C, Okehampton 6.7C maximum, Topcliffe -0.8C minimum, Resallach 25.6 mm, Leuchars 5.5 h.)
Parts of E Scotland had a slight air frost on the 17th but the night was again air frost-free in most areas. Frontal cloud in S Britain gave some rainfall at its western end - and rain continued to affect parts of Scotland, Ireland and W parts of Britain as the fronts moved N'wards during the day. E England remained largely dry although the front did mean a mostly cloudy day. (Murlough 13.1C, Lerwick 6.5C maximum, Aboyne -1.6C minimum, Kinlochewe 25.2 mm, Leconfield 4.9 h.)
N Scotland had a cool start on the 18th as a cold front cleared the area and introduced air from a N'ly source here by dawn. By dawn ther had been some falls of snow in NW Scotland while a sequence of fronts gace widespread falls of rain overnight to most of Ireland, Scotland and to parts of Wales and N England. This rain was heavy over high ground in Scotland and spread to all remaining areas during the day, to be followed by snowfall across most areas of Scotland and a few places in N Ireland and N England by midnight. Aviemore was reporting 6 cm of lying snow by 2100 GMT. (St James Park 11.7C, Dalwhinnie 1.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 36.2 mm, Leuchars 7.6 h.)
A developing ridge of hight pressure into the 19th led to a widespread overnight ground frost in S areas while across Scotland there were some falls of snow, especially in the N. Across NW Ireland there was some light rain. During the day the snow across Scotland gave way to rain as a frontal system aproached from the W and some light rain also fell in parts of SW England and Wales. Ahead of frontal cloud it was a sunny day in much of E and Cent England. (Sherkin Island 9.9C, Braemar 1.4C maximum, Drumnadrochit -7.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 6.0 mm, Manston 9.3 h.)
Parts of Cent and S England had a sharp ground frost into the 20th while a frontal system gave rainfall overnight in NW Ireland and to W and N Scotland. Scotland, Ireland and N Englamd in particular, hd further rain during the day - heavy across the hills of Scotland. Much of England had a dry day with the SE corner being generally sunny. It became mild in E Scotland due to the foehn effect. (Lossiemouth 14.7C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 5.0C maximum, Hurn -7.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 35.1 mm, Charlwood 6.9 h.)
A SW'ly slow across most areas on the 21st meant little early frost while there was some rain overnight across parts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Dur5ing the day further falls were mainly confined to Scotland. It was again mild in E Scotland but for most places skies were rather cloudy. (Kinloss 14.2C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 6.5C maximum, Rothamsted 1.0C minimum, Cluanie Inn 44.2 mm, Wattisham 6.3 h.)
A mild SW'ly flow continued to prevail on the 22nd; most places saw some rain during the day - initially across Scotland but then from the W as a frontal system pushed across Ireland then further E'wards. There were some heavy outbreaks across Wales with warm conditions in E Scotland. Most places hjad a rather cloudy day. (Aboyne 15.7C, Lerwick 6.5C maximum, Frittenden 4.5C minimum, Capel Curig 53.2 mm, Herstmonceux 1.6 h.)
The 23rd dawned after a mild night evarywhere except in NE Scotland. In parts of the Midlands minimum temperatures remained above 11C under cloudy skies. There was some light rain overnight over and close to Wales and in W Scotland.During the day rain was mainly confined to Scotland and NW Ireland; Cent and SE parts of England had a sunny day and temperatures approached station records for the month in places. The highest temperature recorded was 18.7C at Coleshill, Warwickshire, making this the warmest February day in the UK since 1998. Other highs included 18.3C at Market Bosworth and 18.2C at both Santon Downham and Shoeburyness. Sunshine was largely confined to Cent and SE England. 17.4C at Ashford Co. Wicklow is the highest temperature recorded in February in Republic of Ireland since at least 1942. (Coleshill 18.7C, Mumbles Head 8.8C maximum, Wick Airport 4.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 12.4 mm, Wattisham 8.7 h.)
The 24th saw a cold front slowly edging S'wards across S parts of the british Isles; the night was mild across England and Wales with minimum temperatures of 11C in parts of Yorkshire. Overnight rain affected N Ireland, W Scotland and NW England and spread into S Ireland and Wales during the day - with further fal;ls across W and N Scotland. E areas of the UK remained mainly dry. There was fog during the morning in Sw England and mist in parts of E England; some of th4e fog in the SW lingered all day and the Channel islands were also fog-bound at times. Away from SE Ireland, S wales and SW England it was a sunny day - and a warm one in E England. (Manston 15.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 3.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 9.8 mm, Leuchars 8.7 h.)
Wales, Cent Ireland, the Midlands and N England had some ground frost into the 25th under the influence of high pressure. Some rain fell overnight across parts of N Scotland and W and N Scotland say further frontal rain during the day. Some rain also affected N England - while SW Englanbd was again affected by early fog that was slow to clear in places. SE England has some early mist patches - but away from SW vEngland most places in E and S England had a sunny day once early mist and haze had cleared. (Cardiff Bute Park 13.5C, Spadeadam 5.5C maximum, Santon Downham -2.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 15.6 mm, Lyneham 9.3 h.)
High pressure over S areas into the 26th led to a touch of air frost in a few places here - but further N there was a little more cloud die to frontal systems. Some rain fell across Scotland overnight and there were further falls in W and N Irekand, and in W Scotland during the day. E Ireland had spells of drizzle at times, while E Scotland was mild due to the W'ly flow off the mountains while Cent and SE England had a sunny day after early mist and fog patches had cleared. (Fyvie Castle 14.5C, Spadeadam 6.1C maximum, Benson -2.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 10.6 mm, Lyneham 9.3 h.)
Despite the pressure of high pressure over S areas on the 27th, frontal system meant a rather cloudy day in all areas. There was little overnight air frost, as rain spread slowly E'wards aross Ireland and W parts of the UK before dawn. By the evening many E areas of England had seen some rain although places SE of a line from Exeter to The Wash stayed mainly dry with just slight rain in places. Mist and haze, along with fog patches in places during the hours of darkness, were also a feature of the weather. (Tain Range 15.2C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 8.0C maximum, Shoreham 2.0C minimum, Dunstaffnage 11.0 mm, Leconfield 0.7 h.)
The high pressure area over S areas became more dominant towards the N on the 28th; overnight cloud meant a mild night with minimum temperatures around 8-11C in most areas and with just a few outbreaks of rain and drizzle overnight. Early mist, haze and fog patches were widespread and poor visibility returned to E and Cent England in the evening. There was little rain during the day, except in parts of W Scotland, but there was also little sunshine except in NE England - where it was a mild day. Fog and mist patches delayed flights to and from Jersey Airport. Services were in the morning for a time. (Durham 17.4C, St Bees Head 8.6C maximum, Usk No.2 5.0C minimum, Lusa 6.6 mm, Leconfield 7.7 h.)
The 29th dawned mild and dry - except form some slight rain in W Scotland. During the day the highest MSL pressure persisted arounf 1025-1026 mb over the Channel Islands. During the day rain reamained generally confined to parts of W Scotland - while around Wales and SW England it was a sunnier day than of late. Cent, SE and E England had a misty and foggy start to the day; SW England was hazy in places throughout the day while mist and fog became widespread in the evening across S Wales, East Anglia, the Midlands and S England. (Hereford 16.3C, Eskdalemuir 7.8C maximum, Fyvie Castle 2.7C minimum, South Uist 1.6 mm, St Athan 7.6 h.)
Away from W Scotland and Wales there was a widespread inland ground frost on the 2nd; mist and fog was again a widespread problem until late morning across much of England and Wales; Guernsey Airport resumed flights after heavy fog led to a number of delays and cancellations. The fog descended on the island on Thursday afternoon, leading to the cancellation of some evening flights, and some on Friday morning. The disruption came just a week after fog led to three days of cancelled flights at the airport. Parts of N England and Scotland had some rain during the day - elsewhere it was a dry day and quite sunny across much of Ireland and W Wales although S England was rather cloudy ahead of a werk warm front. (Gogarddan 15.4C, Cavendish 6.7C maximum, Baltasound -2.1C minimum, Levens Hall 6.0 mm, Aberporth 9.4 h.)
The 3rd brought an area of low pressure just to the W of the British Isles with assiated fronts crossing many areas during the day. By dawn rain and drizzle had fallen across Ireland and in W Wales and SW England and this made steady progress E'wards during the day - falls in E England were generally slight and were preceded by some sunshine once some early drizzle had cleared. Mist and fog patches were also widespread in Cent, E and NE England by dawn and fog persisted until late morning in parts of NE England. Across Ireland there were showers during the day. (Northolt 15.3C, Inverbervie 6.4C maximum, Eskdalemuir 1.5C minimum, Tyndrum 6.4 mm, St Athan 8.6 h.)
The 48 hours beginning on the 4th turned out to be the wettest spell of weather in parts of E England since late autumn, following a mainly dry winter. An area of low pressure moved from W of Biscay towards Holland during the day, crossing SE England and bringing frontal rain NE'wards as it did so. Ireland, N England and Sdotland had a widespread ground frost with a slight air frost in NE Scotland and Cent Ireland for a time - but by dawn widespread rain had fallen across much of Ireland, W and S Scotland, Wales and W England as far E as Hampshire. The rain the moved NE'wards giving some heavy falls across much of E and Cent England and lesser falls elsewhere in England and Wales. Most of Scotland also had some rain during the day - but it truned drier across W Scotland and Ireland with prolonged sunny spells. (St James Park 10.2C, Leek 3.3C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -3.1C minimum, Hurn 26.8 mm, Cork Airport 10.0 h.)
While high pressure persisted to the W of the British Isles on the 5th an area of low pressure gave a cloudy day in E areas of England. E Scotland had an early air frost while rain fell through E England overnight; some rain and showers also affected W areas of Scotland and Ireland at times. This pattern of weather continued during the day - although the in the E rain was confined mainly to East Anglia and Kent, where it was a cold day. Elsewhere there were long sunny spells. (Killowen 11.9C, Langdon Bay 4.1C maximum, Braemar -4.9C minimum, Norwich Airport 29.0 mm, Glasgow 10.1 h.)
Away from East Anglia and Kent in the E, and from W Ireland in the W, there was a widespread ground frost on the 6th with many inland areas of England and Scotland having an air frost. This was due to a ridge of high pressure - MSL pressure 1029.7 mb at St. Marys (Scilly) at 0000 GMT - with cloud in the E giving rainfall across East Anglia and Kent overnight. The rain in the E died out in the afternoon while another area of rain spread across Ireland soon after dawn, affecting much of Scotland by evening and spreading through Wales and into W parts of England by midnight. As a result it was cent England that experience the sunniest conditions - with almost unbroken sunshine here once any early cloud had lifted. (Hawarden 11.9C, Kenley 5.4C maximum, Aboyne -6.6C minimum, West Freugh 13.6 mm, Brize Norton 10.2 h.)
Three fronts rapidly crossed the British Isles in an E'ward direction on the 7th, giving spells of rain and drizzle to all areas. Ahead of the cloud an early ground frost was restricted to the extreme SE of England while across Ireland minimum temperatures were abovce 8C in places. The final front was a cold front - this cleared E areas early in the afternoon and meant that across Ireland temperatures hardly rose during the in a W'ly showery airstream. The afternoon and evening also brought snowfall across high ground in Scotland and in parts of Cumbria - light showers also continued into the evening across Ireland while further E skies tended to clear after sunset. (Hurn 12.6C, Dalwhinnie 4.4C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 0.8C minimum, Cluanie Inn 26.4 mm, Leuchars 8.5 h.)
The influence of high pressure on the 8th led to an early ground frost in many E and Cent areas of England and Scotland while fronts gave overnight rain in N Ireland, W and later Cent areas of Scotland, and in parts of N England. During the day there were small anounts of light rain and drizzle across Scotland and one or two scattered showers in parts of England. East Anglia and parts of SE England had a sunny day; elsewhere there were varying amounts of cloud and it was rather dull in W areas of Ireland and Scotland. (Shannon Airport 13.0C, Eskdalemuir 7.1C maximum, Santon Downham -2.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 20.6 mm, Manston 10.0 h.)
During the 9th high pressure gradually becamee established to the SW or Ireland - MSL pressure reaching 1036.5 mb at Valentia by 2400 GMT. The day dawned after a mild night nearly everywhere with minimum temperatures above 10C in parts of N Scotland. Overnight there was a little rain and drizzle in parts of Ireland, Scotland and N England with rather cloudy skies elsewhere - this rain and drizzle fell in parts of England and Wales during the day with further falls across W Scotland in particular. As a result the day was generally cloudy although E Scotland experienced some sunny periods with temperatures reaching 16C here in places. (Aboyne 16.4C, Resallach 7.7C maximum, Frittenden -0.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 36.8 mm, Leuchars 6.2 h.)
High pressure on the 10th led to a mainly dry day; there was some light rain and drizzle in N and W Scotland, Ireland and N England overnight - while across S and E England and in S Wales there was widespread mist and fog by dawn. In the N the rain gradually faded - although most of Ireland and Scotland remained rather cloudy - while across England and Wales the mist cleared to give sunny periods in most areas with temperatures reaching 15C in Cent and E parts of England. In the evening mist and fog began to return in SW England. (Usk No.2 17.7C, Dalwhinnie 7.6C maximum, Craibstone 3.9C minimum, Resallach 6.6 mm, Leconfield 9.3 h.)
Mist and fog patches were widespread by dawn on the 11th across W Scotland, much of Ireland, and in many parts of England and Wales - with thick fog in SW England in particular. Ahead of the fog there was a little ground frost in parts of E Scotland and E England while some light rain affected N Scotland overnight. Most of the rfog cleared by late morning to give a sunny day in E parts of England and Scotland, where it was also warm. Some light rain or drizzle continued to affect areas of Scotland and W Ireland - and W parts of the British Isles had a mainly dull and cloudy day. (Nottingham 18.6C, St Bees Head 8.2C maximum, Topcliffe -2.2C minimum, Dunstaffnage 1.8 mm, Boulmer 10.7 h.)
High pressure persisted across the British Isles on the 12th with a centre of 1038 mb off S Ireland at 0000 GMT. Overnight there was widespread fog, mist and haze across England and Wales with mist in W Scotland and N Ireland. Low cloud gave some light drizzle in parts of Ireland and Wales before dawn with light rain in parts of Scotland. There was some ground frost in E Britain and S England. These scattered outbreaks continued during the day - with mist and haze being rather persistent and reluctant to clear. In the evening some thick fog formed in SW England and later affected S Wales. Many places remained dull and cloudy by day and it was places in E Britain that had the best of any sunshine. (Herstmonceux 18.1C, Waddington 6.6C maximum, Aboyne -2.6C minimum, Tiree 2.2 mm, Leeming 10.2 h.)
W Scotland had a little overnight rain and there were a few reports of drizzle before dawn on the 13th elsewhere. But continuing high pressure made for a mostly dry night and day - although by dawn fog was widespread across Cent and S areas of Wales and England with mist in S Ireland and N England. While grass minimum temperatures stayed around 8C in W Ireland there was a slight ground frost in some Cent parts of England and Scotland. The mist and haze was again slow to clear and coastal fog lingered for much of the day around parts of Wales and SW England. Scotland had a little more light rain during the day while visibility deteriorated in the evening across England and Wales. Most places remained sunless during the day. (Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 15.3C, Spadeadam 6.9C maximum, Ravensworth 0.7C minimum, Baltasound 2.0 mm, Valentia 5.1 h.)
High pressure drifted away to the E a little on the 14th allowing a frontal system to affect W Scotland and the Northern Isles later. The day dawned with widespread mist and haze across England, Wales and Ireland - with some fog patches and rather cloudier skies across N Scotland. Scotland and Ireland had a mainly mild night (except for some E parts of Ireland) but yet again the mist and haze remained throughout the day with visibilities only improving slightly as the day progressed. In the evening fog patches formed in parts of SW England and the Midlands. There was little sunshine to be had during the day except in S and Cent areas of England and Wales. (Wisley 14.0C, Eskdalemuir 6.0C maximum, Okehampton 1.6C minimum, Shobdon 0.4 mm, Bala 7.7 h.)
There was widespread thick fog across S and Cent parts of England by dawn on the 15th - with fog also in Wales, mist across Ireland and hazy conditions in S Scotland. Parts of NW Ireland and W and N areas of Scotland had some light frontal rain overnight - ahead of the fog formation across England there was a sharp ground frost in places. Many areas of E England had sunny spells during the day once the early fog had cleared and this allowed temperatures to rise to above 17C in parts of SE England, However, it remained misty and hazy across England and Wales generally - Scotland and Ireland had a rather cloudy day with frontal rain pushing slowly E/SE here. (Gravesend 19.0C, Leek 5.1C maximum, Ravensworth -4.2C minimum, Harris Quidnish 4.4 mm, Manston 9.3 h.)
The 16th dawned after a hazy night across England and Wales; by this time frontal rain and drizzle had reached into N England and NW Wales. This was falling from a cold front - although as the frontal cloud reached Cent and E England during the early afternoon it prevented an afternoon rise in temperature - meaning that in the sunnier, but fresher air across Ireland behind the front, daytime maximum temperatures were higher than in Cent England. Much of Cent and SE England remained dry throughout the day - although Ireland and Scotland saw rain in most places at varying times during the day. W Ireland, N and W Scotland and parts of NE England had sunny spells - elsewhere it was a dull day. (Fyvie Castle 15.6C, High Wycombe 7.4C maximum, Topcliffe -1.1C minimum, Tyndrum 25.2 mm, Belmullet 5.4 h.)
A cold front made slow E'ward progression across England during the 17th - leaving areas of low pressure and troughs across the British Isles in its wake. Parts of N Ireland had an overnight air frost - while frontal rain moved away from Scotland and E'wards into N and Cent England by dawn. The rain made only slow progress E through England during the day while further W there were outbreaks of rain and showers from time to time. To the W of the front there were sunny periods - although many places remained rather dull. (Hereford 13.4C, Baltasound 7.0C maximum, Aboyne -3.9C minimum, Okehampton 16.6 mm, Leuchars 10.3 h.)
On the 18th pressure gradually rose from the SW - giving MSL pressure of about 1031 mb in SW Ireland by 2400 GMT. Away from E England there was a widespread ground frost overnight (much of Scotland had an air frost) - across S and Cent England fog patches formed once the rain had cleared. SW and Cent England had some further rain in the morning and N Scotland had some rain and showers later in the day. Many places in Ireland and Scotland had long sunny spells. (Herstmonceux 12.8C, Cromer 6.6C maximum, Braemar -8.5C minimum, Gringley-on-the-hill 27.4 mm, Morecambe 10.7 h.)
High pressure across S parts of the British Isles led to a widespread inland ground frost before dawn on the 19th - except in N Scotland where some frontal rain fell overnight. Cent parts of England had a widespread air frost. Mist patches in Cent and E England soon cleared to give sunny day here. Across Scotland the rain gradually moved SE'wards with falls also across Ireland and later in NW England. Rainfall amounts were generally small except in parts of W Scotland. (Killowen 14.6C, Carterhouse 7.4C maximum, Benson -4.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 31.0 mm, Filton 11.1 h.)
MSL pressure rose to 1037 mb in SW Cornwall by 2400 GMT on the 20th and the day was a mainly settled one as a result. Across N Scotland it was a mild night with minimum temperatures above 10C in places; Cent S England and parts of the Midlands and East Anglia had a ground frost before dawn. Rain fell overnight across Scotland, particularly in W and Cent districts, and in N Ireland. During the day falls were much lighter here - although parts of N England also had a little rain or drizzle. Cent and E England, away from the coast, had a sunny day. (Donna Nook 16.9C, Okehampton 8.0C maximum, Hurn -1.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 26.6 mm, Leconfield 10.2h.)
During the 21st the high pressure centre migrated towards the North Sea, introducing an onshore E'ly flow across E England by the end of the day. There was a slight ground frost in parts of E England by dawn and some light rain and drizzle in NW and N Scotland overnight. This precipitation tended to clear during the day; most E areas of Britain then had a sunny day although Ireland and W Scotland remained rather cloudy. Across E Scotland a foehn effect led to a warm day in Aberdeenshire. (Dyce 18.2C, Lake Vyrnwy 8.8C maximum, South Newington 0.0C minimum, Lusa 9.6 mm, Manston 11.4 h.)
High pressure on the 22nd drew a SE'ly onshore flow across E England while a weak frontal system edged N across SW England, Wales and Ireland later. There was a widespread inland ground frost before dawn with an air frost in parts of NE England and E Scotland. England and Wales began the day with widespread mist and haze and with fog patches in places. Visibility improved during the morning and most places had a dry day. An exception to this were places in SW England and S Wales where a little light rain or drizzle fell later in the day. Away from these areas of rain it was a sunny day - in Lincolnshire and Norfolk the onshore breeze kept daytime temperatures below 10C. (Otterbourne Water Works 20.1C, Inverbervie 9.3C maximum, Ravensworth -4.2C minimum, Cardinham 4.2 mm, Leuchars 11.1 h.)
With high pressure to the E of Scotland and weak frontal systems moving N'wards across Ireland, the 23rd was dominated by a generally S'ly flow. Cent and N Scotland had an early sharp air frost in places while SW England, S Wales and Ireland had some overnight rain and drizzle. England had widespread mist and fog by dawn - thick in parts of Cent S England; early mist was widespread in Scotland. During the morning the mist and fog cleared to give a hazy afternoon. The rain in the W petered out during the day giving just a few light falls across Ireland. S and E England had a sunny day - elsewhere skies were cloudier while along much of the E coast of England and Scotland an onshore flow made for a cool day. (Charlwood 21.3C, Lerwick 6.3C maximum, Braemar -5.3C minimum, Scolton Country Park 4.0 mm, Yeovilton 11.3 h.)
The 24th saw high pressure persisting close to E Britain with MSL pressure close to 1032 mb across much of NE England at 2400 GMT. Parts of N Scotland, Wales, Cent S England and the Midlands had an early ground frost while most of Britain had widespread mist, fog and haze by dawn - this fog was thick in many places. Visibility soon improved in most places and the day was then generally dry and fine everywhere - although in parts of W Ireland and W Scotland it was a rather cloudy day. In a few places along the E coast of Britain temperatures remained below 9C while inland temperatures reached 20C in parts of Wales and England. (Porthmadog 22.2C, Fair Isle 6.9C maximum, Exeter Airport -0.6C minimum, Salsburgh 0.4 mm, Aberporth 11.0 h.)
The area of high pressure intensified on the 25th - MSL pressure at 2400 GMT was close to 1038 mb in Lincolnshire. England and E Scotland had a widespread ground frost with either mist, haze or fog (thick in places) here. Visibility soon improved and the day was a warm and sunny one in most places. Close to the E coast of England temperatures failed to reach 7C in places in a cool onshore breeze - while a new Scottish March temperature record of 22.8C was set at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire. (Fyvie Castle 22.8C, Manston 6.3C maximum, Cranwell -1.3C minimum, Inverbervie 0.4 mm, Nottingham 11.6 h.)
High pressure (centre about 1038 mb) remained centred close to E England on the 26th. Light winds led to widespread mist and haze across the British Isles by dawn - with fog in parts of E England and E Scotland. There was also a widespread ground frost away from W areas of Scotland and Ireland, and a slight air frost in Cent England and S Scotland. Once the mist and fog cleared all regions had a warm and sunny day with most places seeing over 10 h of sunshine, Temperatures rose above 22C in E Scotland and above 20C in parts of S Scotland and NE England; at Carlton-in-Cleveland, near Stokesley, North Yorkshire, 20.4C was the highest March temperature in a 29-year record. Cromdale in Moray reached 23.2C, breaking the record set the day before for the warmest March day in Scotland. Along some stretches of the coast of E England temperatures remained below 13C, (Cromdale 23.2C, Weybourne 10.1C maximum, Ravensworth -3.3C minimum, Manston 0.2 mm, Morecambe 12.1 h.)
The anticyclone had moved slowly into S Scotland by 0000 GMT on the 27th; by dawn there were some mist and fog patches, mainly in E England. There was also a widespread inland air frost throughout the British Isles with an air frost in parts of England, E and N Scotland. Another dry and sunny day followed once early mist and fog had cleared - most areas had 10-12 h of sunshine with temperatures above 20C in many areas. Again, some coastal areas of E England were much cooler in an onshore breeze. 21.0C at Carlton-in-Cleveland was another March station record, while 23.6C at Aboyne was a new all-time March record for Scotland. (Aboyne 23.6C, Harris Quidnish 11.5C maximum, Altnaharra -3.6C minimum, Tyndrum 0.4 mm, Aberporth 12.2 h.)
Little cloud into the 28th led to another widespread ground frost with an air frost in parts of S and Cent England, N Ireland and S Scotland. N Scotland had a mild night under cloudy skies and there was some light rain in the Northern Isles during the morning. During the day the anticyclone centre moved to the W of the British Isles and a weak cold front began to affect N Scotland later. But most areas had another mild and very sunny day with 20-21 C in many E and Cent areas of England and E Scotland. Behind the cold front maximum temperatures were around 10C in the Northern Isles and there was more cloud. The maximum temperature recorded today in Dorchester (south Dorset) was 21.5C. This was the highest registered in March in records back to 1962 and breaks the previous record of 20.5C that has stood since 1965.(St James Park 22.8C, Resallach 9.4C maximum, Katesbridge -3.0C minimum, Baltasound 0.4 mm, Aberporth 12.1h.)
Pressure remained high during the 29th (in the range 1024-1034 mb across mainland britain and Ireland) with a centre to the W of Ireland anabling a N/NW'ly surface flow. Overnight cloud gave some light rain or drizzle in parts of N and W Scotland and these areas remained cloudy during the day with further light precipitation, especially on the Northern Isles. Early mist and haze across England and S Ireland soon cleared and after a touch of ground frost in these areas the day was again a warm one with 20C being reached in parts of England and Cent Wales. However, wind-facing coastal places were cooler than this - particularly some W-facing coasts of the Irish Sea. With wind coming down the spine of Cornwall (the warmest Spring early summer direction for Penzance) 18.9C was the highest March temperature there, beating the old March temperature record of 18.1C set in 1999. (Lee-on-Solent 22.0C, Ballypatrick Forest 8.2C maximum, Katesbridge -1.5C minimum, Resallach 2.2 mm, Filton 11.7 h.)
England and Wales, and a few areas of Ireland, had widespread mist and hzae by dawn on the 30th. There was an air frost in places close to the English-Scottish border and some overnight rain in the Northern Isles. Visibilty soon improved and most places then had a dry day - with the exception of N Scotland (where fronts moved S'wards later in the day) and parts of N Ireland. S and E Scotland, and much of S and E England, had a sunny day - as did SW Ireland. But in many W areas cloud spreading from the NW around the Atlantic high kept the sunshine totals rather low. (Durham 19.7C, Fair Isle 8.1C maximum, Eskdalemuir -1.9C minimum, Resallach 1.8 mm, Leuchars 12.0 h.)
Encroaching cloud from the NW across much of Ireland and W britain, and cold fronts spreading some light rain through Scotland and parts of N Ireland and N England on the 31st, meant a cloudy start to the day in many areas. Lerwick reported snow showers before dawn. There was a slight ground frost in places but despite breaks in the cloud behind the fronts a much cooler day than of late followed in all areas. Rainfall amounts were generally light with only a few spots of rain falling as far S as Cent England. (Helens Bay 14.3C, Fair Isle 5.3C maximum, Shap -1.2C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 1.6 mm, Stornoway 10.4 h.)
A cold front edged slowly S'wards through Cent Scotland on the 2nd with a shallow wave depression forming on the front by midnight. There was rain overnight across Scotland with mist patches forming over England, Ireland and Wales by dawn. SW England had some early fog patches and rain and drizzloe spread into N England during the morning. Wales and parts of S England had a touch of air frost overnight - daytime temperatures in parts of S England reached 14C, some 10 degC warmer than in N Scotland. Only in S England was there much sunshine. (Charlwood 16.1C, Lerwick 2.1C maximum, Exeter Airport -4.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 17.2 mm, Herstmonceux 11.0 h.)
Low pressure centred over the British Isles led to a rather unsettled day on the 3rd. Precipitation was widespread overnight across N and Cent Ireland, Scotland and N parts of England and Wales. Cent and N Scotland had an early air frost in places and the precipitation falling overnight here fell as sleet and snow. The snowfall lessened a little across Scotland during the day and spread into N England - with rainfall affecting most other areas of the British Isles during the day. W areas of Scotland and Ireland had the best of the sunshie during the day. Tens of thousands of homes in N England were without electricity after gales and ice brought down power lines. A Northern Powergrid spokeswoman said engineers were dealing with thousands of properties without electricity in North Yorkshire and County Durham. The wintry weather also caused problems for motorists, with drivers warned to take care as up to 20 cm of snow fell on high ground causing treacherous conditions. (Charlwood 15.6C. Carterhouse 0.3C maximum, Altnaharra -3.1C minimum, Leuchars 29.6 mm, Belmullet 10.3 h.)
By dawn on the 4th sleet and snow had fallen as far S as the N Midlands with reports of snowfalls also in parts of SE Ireland and S Wales. Low pressure moved slowly S through S England during the day with widespread rain in England and Wales as a result - and with some further snowfall in Wales. Scotland, NW Ireland and parts of N England had a slight air frost and E and Cent parts of England in particluar had some heavy rain during the day. Ireland and Scotland both had a sunny day although NE Scotland was rather dull at times; thunder was reported at Benson in the evening. Thousands of residents in parts of north Wales suffered power cuts following heavy snow and bad weather. ScottishPower said the problems mostly affected Caernarfon, Anglesey, and the North Wales coast. Areas from Gwynedd to Wrexham and N Powys were among those worst affected by the heavy snowfall. Yorkshire reportedly experienced its heaviest April snowfall in more than 30 years. A section of the M62 later reopened in Greater Manchester after snow and sleet caused disruption for drivers between Milnrow and Rushworth Moor at about 0850 GMT, after several vehicles became stuck. The snowfall also led to the closure of the A537 Cat and Fiddle road in Macclesfield and the A57 Snake Pass. Forecasters said between 15 and 20 cm of snow fell in high parts of the Peak District, Pennines and Cumbria overnight. Northern Derbyshire has seen the most snowfall in the region. (Charlwood 12.7C, Pennerley 0.3C maximum, Aboyne -4.5C minimum, Cranwell 44.6 mm, Magilligan 12.2 h.)
Except in Cent and S areas of England there was a widespread ground frost on the 5th; areas of Cent Scotland had a sharp air frost. Some sleet and snow fell across parts of Scotland - with ain in the N and also across many areas of England. Rainfall slowly cleared from S England during the day - but another area of frontal rain spread S'wards through Scotland and into N Ireland. It was a sunny day across much of S and Cent Ireland, and also in N Wales and N England. (Leuchars 12.3C, Okehampton 5.1C maximum, Braemar -8.2C minimum, Pennerley 21.6 mm, Morecambe 12.7 h.)
The 6th saw fronts pushing S'wards across the British Isles in a NW'ly flow. Overnight rain was mainly confined to Scotland and N parts of England and Ireland - elsewhere there was a widespread ground frost with much of England having an air frost by dawn. Early mist across England soon cleared and during the day rain slowly spread S'wards, although SW England remained mainly dry during the afternoon and evening. SE England had the best of the sunshine ahead of the frontal rain - much of N Ireland and Cent and E areas of Scotland remained rather dull. (Lee-on-Solent 15.0C, Baltasound 4.5C maximum, Santon Downham -6.0C minimum, Blencathra 9.8 mm, Herstmonceux 10.2 h.)
Frontal systems made for another unsettled day on the 7th. Widespread overnight cloud meant that most places escaped any air frost with overnight rain in E Scotland and N England in particular. Later there were outbreaks of rain and drizzle further S although falls were generally slight during the day. Most places were rather cloudy all day - although around the Irish Sea there were some sunny periods. (Plymouth 14.9C, Baltasound 4.0C maximum, Baltasound -0.6C minimum, Lerwick 6.8 mm, Casement Aerodrome 3.4 h.)
Frontal systems in a mainly Wly flow on the 8th meant another rather cloudy day. Most places saw some rain during the day, especially W and N areas of both Scotland and Ireland during the daylight period. Elsewhere, falls were mainly light, often of drizzle and accompanied by misty conditions. Few places had in excess of one hour of bright sunshine. (Cardiff Bute Park 15.7C, Lerwick 7.9C maximum, Norwich Airport -1.3C minimum, Cluanie Inn 10.8 mm, Tiree 3.5 h.)
Low pressure was centred close to, or over Scotland, during the 9th with MSL pressure down to 977 mb over SW Scotland by 2400 GMT. Cloudy skies prevented an air frost, except at higher elevations in parts of Scotland, and there were some heavy falls of rain across parts of Ireland and Wales before dawn. During the day rain or showers affected many areas - with further heavy falls across Wales and SW England. England and Wales had a rather dull day - elsewhere there were some bright periods. (Fyvie Castle 12.9C, Blencathra 6.7C maximum, Dalwhinnie 2.1C minimum, Liscombe 42.4 mm, Tiree 5.7 h.)
Cyclonic conditions during the 10th were the result of low pressure over or close to Scotland throughout the day. Parts of N and E Scotland had a slight air frost overnight - with most other areas seeing widespread rain. The rain gave way to showers during the day - these fell as hail in places with thunder in parts of Cent S England later, according to SYNOP reports. N Ireland and S Scotland had the heaviest rain during the day; elsewhere in Ireland, W Scotland and across much of England and Wales there were long periods of sunshine between the showers. (Kew Gardens 14.9C, Spadeadam 5.9C maximum, Kinbrace -1.3C minimum, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens 34.4 mm, Tiree 10.6 h.)
Many areas had a touch of ground frost into the 11th as the early hours brought a mixture of clear skies and showers. Similar conditions continued during the day with some of ther showers falling as hail in places. Thunderstorms were also reported in places from E Scotland to Cent S England. However, the showers were sufficiently scattered - many being the result of troughs circulating around a North Sea low - to allow sunny spells in most areas. There were some reports of sleet falling in showers in Yorkshire. A 41-year-old man from Lancashire has died after being struck by lightning on a building site in Cheshire. Justin Feber, from Haslingden, was working at Wychwood Village in Crewe, when he was struck just before 1230 GMT. (Kew Gardens 14.6C, Lerwick 6.6C maximum, Katesbridge -2.2C minimum, Woodford 15.2 mm, St Athan 11.5h.)
The 12th dawned after another night with a widespead touch of ground frost; there were some spells of rain and showers in places, particul;arly in E Scotland and the day began with misty conditions in many parts of E and S England. Widespread outbreaks of rain and showers followed during the day , notably in E areas of Scotland and England. Odiham reported thudner in the afternoon. A building in Ryde was badly damaged after it was struck by lightning; Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue were called to Aldermoor Farm to reports a building had partially collapsed after it was struck by lightning. In between the showers there were sunny periods in all areas but it felt cool in a prevailing N'ly wind. There were also unconfirmed reports of a funnel cloud being sighted near Southampton. (Hurn 14.8C, Dalwhinnie 6.8C maximum, Drumnadrochit -1.9C minimum, Goudhurst 11.6 mm, Ronaldsway 11.7 h.)
The 13th was another unsettled day. There were widespread early mist and fog patches across much of Cent and S England before dawn with a sharp ground frost in places here too. Much of Scotland, Wales and N and W parts of Ireland also had a ground frost and there was some overnight in many areas, especially Scotland and N England. The mist and fog soon cleared and most areas of the British Isles then had some light rain or showers. There were unconfirmed reports of a funnel cloud at Denton, Cambridgeshire. In between the showers there were sunny intervals in most areas. (Charlwood 14.7C, Dalwhinnie 5.9C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -5.0C minimum, Liscombe 11.4 mm, Tiree 11.8 h.)
By the end of the 14th a N'ly flow had been introduced to all areas. There were some mist and fog patches for a while before dawn across E and cent areas of England with a widespread ground frost in E and N England, N and Cent Ireland and across Scotland. Wales was rather cloudier overnight with some rain and drizzle and there was early rain across Scotland. The rain spread to many other areas during the day as fronts moved S'wards and Jersey Airport reported a thunderstom in the afternoon. Most areas saw sunny periods during the day - with some longer outbreaks in Ireland and across SW Scotland. (Plymouth 12.7C, Baltasound 4.3C maximum, Saughall -4.3C minimum, Cardinham 11.2 mm, Magilligan 12.5 h.)
A weak ridge of high pressure over Ireland during the 15th, MSL pressure 1027 mb in NW Ireland at 1200 GMT, led to a generally dry day. There was a widespread early ground frost by dawn with grass minimum temperatures widely below -5C. Cent and N areas of Britain and Ireland also had a widespread air frost. A little rain fell overnight in SW England and a few other places but amounts were small. During the day falls were mainly confined to places close to the E coast of NE Scotland and E England. The Northern Isles reported falls of hail during the day and there was some light snow over parts of the Highlands. However, with little cloud cover in many ares it was a sunny day across large areas of the British Isles. (Killowen 12.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 4.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -5.6C minimum, Fyvie Castle 4.0 mm, Camborne 12.0 h.)
Pressure soon began falling from W and frontal systems made there way across Ireland and into W Britain by nightfall on the 16th. Away from W Ireland, where there was early cloud, the day began with a widespread ground frost and frost in most inland areas of the UK - by dawn some rain had started to fall in W Ireland and this moved steadily E'wards into Wales and W parts of Scotland by late evening. E areas of Britain had a mainly sunny day - but advancing cloud meant less sunshine further W. (Cardiff Bute Park 13.0C, Lerwick 4.7C maximum, Benson -5.9C minimum, Killowen 7.8 mm, Manston 11.7 h.)
Fronts brought rain to most areas on the 17th and by 2400 GMT a low pressure centre, down to 976 mb, was located over SE Ireland. Cloud meant that an early ground frost was confined to just one or two locations in E England and NE Scotland. By dawn rain had fallen in all but parts of East Anglia and SE England while as the rain cleared in the W it was followed by showers. These turned thundery in places with some hail. (St James Park 15.3C, Lerwick 5.6C maximum, Baltasound -2.7C minimum, Machrihanish 28.2 mm, Casement Aerodrome 9.4 h.)
During the 18th an area of low pressure (centre 975-978 mb) moved from SE Ireland to East Anglia. N areas of Britain had an overnight ground frost with an air frost in parts of NE Scotland. Elsewhere it was a rather cloudy start to the day with widespread rian across Ireland and Wales in particular - this moved E during the day. Many areas had showery spells as fronts circulated around the low pressure centre with thunder reported in the Dublin area. Scotland and Ireland (the W in particular) had a sunny day - but closer to the low it was mainly cloudy and dull and in N England in an E'ly flow temperatures struggled to reach 8C. (Auchincruive 13.0C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 5.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -2.7C minimum, Sheffield 22.6 mm, Stornoway 13.6 h.)
A low pressure centre remained close to Norfolk throughout the 19th with the central pressure 978-987 mb. N Ireland and W and N areas of Scotland had a ground frost at first with a slight air frost in parts of W Scotland. E Scotland and much of England had widespread overnight rain and this distribution was repeated during the day with some showers furthewr to the W. The rainfall slowly died out in W parts of England - but some thundery outbreaks occurred to the W of London in the evening. Ireland and W Scotland had quite a sunny day but in NE England and E Scotland temperature failed to reach 10C during the day in many places. Shops and homes in Pocklington town centre (Yorkshire) were reported to be under 30 cm of water after the town's beck burst its banks following some heavy rain. (Threave 14.0C, Braemar 6.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -2.8C minimum, Newport, Shropshire 22.0 mm, Tiree 12.8 h.)
An area of low pressure remained close to NE England throughout the 20th. This led to overnight rain in some E araes of the UK - mainly in E Scotland with a touch of ground frost further W. Widespread mist and a few fog patches formed across England by dawn - these soon cleared as rain, heavy in places, became widespread across E England and E Scotland during the day. Elsewhere there were showers from time to time - some of the rain turned thundery in the afternoon from London to Lincolnshire. (Shoeburyness 14.3C, Lerwick 6.7C maximum, Katesbridge -2.8C minimum, Hawarden 20.8 mm, Ronaldsway 12.6 h.)
Low pressure centred close to E Scotland throughout the 21st and several associated fronts and troughs led to an unsettled day across the British Isles. Wales, W England and N Ireland had a widespread ground frost overnight once early rain had cleared here. Rainfall continued overnight in E Scotland and N England while Cent England had widespread mist by dawn. Outbreaks of rain were widespread during the day with thunderstorms reported in several areas. In between these outbreaks there were sunny intervals - especially across S Ireland where the sunshine was more prolonged. ((Heathrow 14.8C, Fair Isle 6.2C maximum, Bala -2.2C minimum, Waddington 36.8 mm, Casement Aerodrome 11.7 h.)
Areas of low pressure continued to give unsettled weather across the British Isles on the 22nd. Overnight rainfall was mostly confined to Ireland, Scotland, N and SW England and N Wales with a few showers elsewhere and clearer skies leading to a sligth ground frost in E wales and parts of Cent S England. During the day the rainfall became more widespread, although much of Scotlad remained dry - and there were thunderstorms in places. Most places had some sunny intervals, although some places in NE England and E Scotland were rather dull. (St James Park 15.9C, Okehampton 8.1C maximum, Katesbridge -1.0C minimum, Altnahinch Filters 19.6 mm, Stornoway 11.6 h.)
An area of low pressure moved from off SW Ireland towards Scilly and into France, with a central pressure down to 984 mb at 1200 GMT to the S of Cornwall, on the 23rd. A few places in Scotland had a slight air frost while in S Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales there were outbreaks of rain overnight in places. However, S Ireland and SW England saw some heavy falls by dawn (20 mm fell in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT at Sherkin Island) and this rain then spread across S England and S wales into East Anglia by the evening, with lesser falls in the Midlands. Parts of N and E Scotland also saw areas of rain during the day and the rain was followed by some showers in W areas. Much of the N half of Ireland had a sunny day. (Gogerddan 14.4C, Okehampton 5.4C maximum, Altnaharra -1.0C minimum, Plymouth 23.8 mm, Connaught Airport 11.6 h.)
Overnight rainfall into the 24th was mainly confined to East Anglia, SE England and E Scotland with clearer skies giving a slight ground frost in other districts. There were a few other outbreaks of rain and showers, particularly in SW Ireland - rainfall became more widespread across Ireland and Cent and E areas of Scotland during the day; some rainfall also lingered in E parts of East Anglia. 17 mm fell at Cork Airport between 0600 GMT and 1800 GMT and by midnight there was some more general rain in S Ireland ahead of another approaching area of low pressure to the S. It was a sunny day in SW Scotland and NW Ireland - while thunderstorms were reported in the afternoon in some S parts of Ireland. In Fintown, Donegal, there were reports of a funnel cloud being sighted. (Kew Gardens 14.4C, Dalwhinnie 6.7C maximum, Ravensworth -1.0C minimum, Aboyne 15.8 mm, Tiree 13.3 h.)
An area of low pressure moved NE'wards to W Wales (centre 979 mb) by 2400 GMT on the 25th. After an early ground frost under clear skies in N Ireland and N England, cloud and later rain sonn began to spread NE across the British Isles. Separate frontal systems also gave overnight rainfall to NE Scotland. Mist in many areas of E England soon gave way to this rain - which was fairly widespread by mid-afternoon, with some reports of thunder on the Channel Islands and in Suffolk and the London area. This widespread rain continued throughout the evening - although parts of NW Ireland and W Scotland managed to remain generally dry. There was almsot no sunshine except in these dry areas. Residents in Rugby in Warwickshire said a tornado had "ripped a path" through properties toppling a chimney stack and knocking down fences. A reported tonado also saw farm buildings blown down killing 20 chickens near Halstead in Essex. Heavy rain caused some flooding in St Davids in Pembrokeshire. Coastguards were checking the moorings of vessels at Dale in Pembrokeshire after a 30 ft yacht broke free in rough conditions, while the Environment Agency had five flood warnings in place in south-west England, a region currently in drought. Unconfirmed funnel clouds were sighted at Newport, S Wales and at Totnes. (Goudhurst 14.1C, Dalwhinnie 5.6C maximum, Castlederg -1.5C minimum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 41.0mm, Belmullet 6.5h.)
Pressure remained low over wales and Cent/N areas of England throughout the 26th; associated fronts gave widespread rain overnight (except in W areas of Scotland and Ireland) and this continued during the day across England, Wales and E Scotland - with lesser falls further to the W. NW and N Scotland, and Se England, had the best of any sunshine. Residents of Stamford Bridge were affected after the River Derwent burst its banks following heavy rainfall; the Environment Agency (EA) issued a flood warning on Thursday night after 40mm of rain fell in the area. Heavy snowfalls were also been reported over the hills and mountains in the Highlands. CairnGorm Mountain ski resort said it had been snowing heavily for 36 hours and snow was also drifting. (Gravesend 15.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 5.0C maximum, Dalwhinnie 3.1C minimum, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 37.8 mm, Tiree 11.6 h.)
High pressure built E'wards into Scotland (MSL pressure at 1024.6 mb at South Uist range at 2400 GMT) as frontal systems moved S'wards across England and Wales on the 27th. As a result parts of Scotland had an early ground frost while rainfall was widespread overnight across Wales, N and Sw England and the Midlands - with lesser falls elsewhere. During the day Wales, the Midlands and East Anglia bore the brunt of the rain before it moved further SE'wards. (Gravesend 16.6C, Pennerley 5.1C maximum, Saughall -1.7C minimum, Pennerley 22.8 mm, Tiree 11.7 h.)
There was a widespread air frost across N and Cent Scotland on the 28th, with a sharp ground frost vin many places here. S parts of England and Wales had overnight rain - this continued during the day, also spreading into East Anglia. Across Scotland and Ireland it was a very sunny day in places - with little cloud cover under high pressure. But in all areas it was a cool day, while thunderstorms were reported i=on the Isle of Man. Later in the day wind speeds increased in the S - with gusts in excess of 40 kn here by midnight. (Culdrose 13.2C, Liscombe 5.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -7.2C minimum, Manston 16.4 mm, Kinloss 14.0 h.)
During the 29th an area of low pressure pushed NW'wards towards SW England (centre 988 mb off Devon by 2400 GMT) and drove a widespread area of heavy frontal rain NW'wards to affect most areas of England (with some sleet in Cumbria) and parts of wales and Scotland by nightfall. Clear skies gave another frosty start to the day across Scotland and N Ireland - and it was a sunny day here too, especially in W and N Scotland and NW Ireland. The Met Office reported that winds gusted up to about 70mph in the most exposed locations, with many parts of the England and Wales seeing gusts of 40-50mph. Mumbles Head had a guist of 71 mph with Berry Head reporting 70 mph. Around 1,200 homes were still without power by the evening in Swansea, Cardiff and east Wales following stormy weather. Several roads were blocked by fallen trees as driving rain and strong winds, with speeds of up to 60mph, caused problems across Wales. (Gravesend 16.9C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 4.9C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -6.4C minimum, Liscombe 51.4 mm, Kinloss 15.0 h.)
Low pressure to the S of the British Isles on the 30th gave a spll of unsettled weather during the day. While N Scotland had an eacrly air and ground frost, cloudy skies elsewhere meant a mider start to the day with widespread rain, although parts of E England remained dry before dawn. During the day the bulk of the rain fell across E and cent Scotland, Sw England, S wales and SE Ireland. E England had, in the main, quite a sunny day and the highest temperatures of the month, although for many the main feature was the threat of river flooding. A 52-year-old man has died after his car became submerged at a ford in Hampshire. The Badminton Horse Trials, in Gloucestershire, were cancelled for the second time in their history because of a waterlogged course. More than 1,000 people were forced to leave their homes at a caravan park near Northampton due to the flood risk. In Somerset, the Environment Agency has issued flood alerts for every river. At one time there were 153 flood alerts - which mean flooding is possible - across the country, with 41 in the South West, 37 in the Midlands, 43 in the South East and 19 in the Anglian region. In Devon, the Living Coasts wildlife park near Haldon Pier, in Torquay, was closed due to large waves making parts of the site unsafe for visitors. (Kew Gardens 19.7C, Salsburgh 6.6C maximum, Kinbrace -4.7C minimum, Dunkeswell 33.2 mm, Stornoway 13.3 h.)
High pressure dominated the weather on the 2nd, although a weakening front gave cloud cover in some S and Cent areas. Overnight rain was mainly confined to Cent Ireland where 2-3 mm in 12 hours was a typical fall. England and Wales had widepraed early mist and fog patches with some associated falls of drizzle from low cloud overnight and into the morning. Into the evening rain became widespread across cent S England as the front moved S'wards - and thunderstorms were reported later in the evening from Suffolk to Oxfordshire. It was a sunny day in W and Cent Scotland, and in S Ireland, and SW areas of England and Wales; away from the coasts it was a warm afternoon in N and Cent Scotland. (Kinlochewe 20.1C, Loftus 7.6C maximum, Dalwhinnie -1.1C minimum, Westonbirt 5.0 mm, Stornoway 14.5 h.)
Fronts pushed S'wards on the 3rd across N and S areas of Britain and Ireland, giving widespread falls of rain overnbight and during the day in S and Cent areas of England, Wales and Ireland - and lesser falls of rain across N Scotland. Ahead of the rain it was a mild day in Cent and S Scotland although in many places in England daytime temperatures failed to reach 9C. Cent Scotland had mist and fog patches around dawn but these soon cleared; Cent and S Scotland had sunny conditions ahead of cloud advancing from the N while across most of England it was a dull day with thunder heard in parts of East Anglia. Several roads in Essex and Suffolk became impassable after heavy rain led to widespread flooding. In Suffolk, passengers in a bus and a car had to be rescued after becoming stuck in water in Debenham. Organisers of the British Asparagus Festival in Worcestershire on Saturday said the "incessant rain and floods" had severely affected the local crop, resulting in the festival being cancelled. The planned venue for the festival - Workman Gardens in Evesham - has also been flooded by the River Avon.A rescue operation was under way to try and save 17 horses, five of them foals, which are trapped by floods in the Vale of Glamorgan. The animals had climbed onto a disused railway embankment Sully Moors, near Barry, to escape the water which is said to be waist deep in places. (Tyndrum 20.9C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 6.6C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -1.7C minimum, Charsfield 32.2 mm, Magilligan 12.8 h.)
The S'ward-moving fronts tended to stall across S England on the 4th as a N'ly flow was introduced in their wake. Overnight there was mist and some light rain or drizzle across much of England and Wales, with some rain and showers in Scotland and snow showers on the Northern Isles. During the day these snow showers continued across the Northern Isles with a few spreading onto mainland Scotland. Rain and drizzle continued to fall further S, although falls were mainly slight. In N Scotland temperatures failed to reach 7C in places, with many places in E England struggling to reach 10C. Scotland and W and N areas of Ireland had sunny periods - elsewhere it was rather dull. (Cardinham 14.5C, Braemar 4.9C maximum, Shap 0.2C minimum, Coningsby 7.4 mm, Tiree 13.9 h.)
A weak N to NE flow continued on the 5th. Snowfall in N Scotland became more widespread across parts of Scotland with falls in parts of N England for a time as fronts edged S'wards through N Scotland early in the day. Away from S and Cent areas of England and Ireland there was a widespread inland griund frost and also a widespread air frost across Scotland and N England around dawn. Cloudy skies gave overnight rain and drizzle to S England. During the day the snow became midxed with falls of rain and hail across N Scotland while it tended to become drier in S England - although Se England did remain rather dull. Many areas failed to reach 10C during the day. (Plymouth 12.1C, Fair Isle 4.5C maximum, Saughall -6.2C minimum, Guernsey Airport 16 mm, Ronaldsway 11.7 h.)
A weak ridge of high pressure on the 6th gave a settled, if rather cool day, to most areas although some weak fronts continued to bring falls of precipitation across parts of Scotland (with some light snow here) and E and SE England. E Ireland, Scotland and N England had a widespread ground frost by dawn with many station in these areas also reporting an air frost. NE Scotland and SE England had a little rainfall overnight - elsewhere it was mainly dry before dawn. During the day rain and showers, remaining sligth, became a little more widespread - particularly into East Anglia and SW Scotland - but away from SE England and East Anglia there were also long sunny periods. By midnight an area of frontal rain had spread into SW Ireland ahead of a low pressure system. (Cardiff Bute Park 13.5C, Wych Cross 5.5C maximum, Kinbrace -5.5C minimum, Baltasound 4.6 mm, Kinloss 14.7 h.)
An area of low pressure moved into W Ireland by midday on the 7th (centre 1003 mb) and then became slow-moving with a double centre (1002 mb) over Ireland by midnight. Rain-bearing fronts crossed most ares during the day as a result, but not before a widespread ground frost had affected NE Ireland, Scotland and much of England and Wales away from the SW. Scotland and NE England also had an air frost in places and by dqawn rain had fallen across S and Cent Ireland, S Wales and SW England. A few overnight showers affected N Scotland and these continued for a while during the day. As the main rain area spread from the SW there were heavy falls in places - followed by showers in some parts of Ireland. A tornado was reported in parts of Oxfordshire during a storm which caused damage to trees and roof tiles. It was spotted in several places, including Bicester, Eynsham, Kidlington and South Leigh, on Monday afternoon. Large hailstones were also reported during the storm, which is thought to have started in Wiltshire and moved to Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Gusts of wind damaged streetlights, roof tiles and trees. Thunderstorms were also reported in parts of Ireland. (Exeter Airport 16.0C, Tyndrum 7.1C maximum, Kinbrace -5.9C minimum, Chivenor 26.4 mm, Cork Airport 11.2 h.)
An area of low pressure pushed NE'wards during the 8th towards the Shetlands. Cloud gave a relatively mild night in S and E England - elsewhere as rain moved E'wards and N'wards there were some clearer skies but with some showery activity. During the day the heaviest rain was confined to E parts of England and to Scotland - particularly N Scotland. However, most places, except for N Scotland, had sunny periods during the day and 18C was reached in parts of E England. (St James Park 18.5C, Fair Isle 5.5C maximum, Katesbridge -0.8C minimum, Lerwick 13.2 mm, Belmullet 11.4 h.)
With light winds overnight into the 9th, E Scotland and much of Ireland had an early ground frost. NW Scotland and the Northern Isles had some overnight rain, while much of S and E England had some overnight rain and drizzle which weaked by dawn - but then intensified as a depression with a complex set of fronts headed towards S Ireland. By the evening this system had given widespread falls of rain across much of England, Wales and S Ireland. As a result of the frontal cloud much of S England, S Wales and S Ireland had a sunless day - in S Ireland temperatures failed to reach 10C in many places during the day. (Manston 17.2C, Baltasound 7.8C maximum, Aboyne -4.0C minimum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 16.8 mm, Prestwick 9.2 h.)
The 10th was an unsettled and cyclonic day as a low pressure moved from SW of Ireland at 0000 GMT to Dublin to SW Norway by 2400 GMT. It was a mild night across Cent and S England and Wales while NE Scotlqand had a ground frost. Rain, heavy in places, affected all but a few parts of N and W Scotland by dawn and was slow to clear from the S. N Scotland had a sunny day - but elsewhere it was mainly sunless; some sleet and snow was reported in S Scotland during the morning while thunder was heard in SW Wales in the afternoon. Temperatures in warm air in the S reached 21C in parts of E England. But there were some sharp contrasts across the leading front of this warm air - maximum temperatures in Yorkshire included 9.7C at Loftus but 20.7C at Bridlington. (Norwich Airport 21.1C, Salsburgh 5.1C maximum, Altnaharra -0.8C minimum, Shap 62.8 mm, Lerwick 11.0 h.)
On the 11th a large area of high pressure spread into W areas, with MSL preessure reaching 1040 mb in SW Ireland by midnight. Cloud meany a mild night across England and Wales but a N'ly wind meant a cool day in all areas. Overnight rain was mainly confined to Scotland,m N parts of England and Wales, and to N and Cent Ireland - these areas had lesser falls during the day as the rain edged slowly way towards the NE. Some light snow showers fell across the Northern Isles during the day and thunder was heard in the Dublin area in the afternoon - along with hail showers. But was pressure rose Ireland had a mainly sunny day. (Frittenden 17.3C, Braemar 5.9C maximum, Dalwhinnie 1.0C minimum, Drumnadrochit 19.8 mm, Belmullet 13.4 h.)
High pressure initially spread to all areas on the 12th - although later in the day pressure gradients increased in NW Scotland ahead of an advancing frontal system. The MSL pressure at Valentia of 1043.0 mb during 0800-1100 GMT, established a new British Isles May pressure record. This record extends back to around 1870; the previous May record was 1042.2 mb at Dublin Airport on 16 May 1943. The highest value at Heathrow, 1038.5 mb, recorded at the 1100 GMT, 1200 GMT and 1300 GMT hourly observations, was a new May record there. There was a widespread inland ground frost by dawn across the British Isles with a slight air frost in places. By dawn rain had almost cleared E parts of the UK and the day was then generally dry; some exceptions to this were some rain showers in the afternoon across Ireland and parts of Scotland - with frontal rainfall in NW Scotland later in the evening. However, everywhere also had long spells of sunshine. (Lee-on-Solent 17.9C, Fair Isle 9.9C maximum, Katesbridge -2.4C minimum, Cluanie Inn 3.8 mm, Camborne 14.6 h.)
The high pressure influence was replaced on the 13th by windy conditions and frontal rain that spread SE'wards to affect most areas by midnight. S and Cent England and S Ireland had ground frost overnight while rain affected W and N Scotland. During the day rain spread S'wards to affect N England and much of Ireland, with some heavy falls in NW Scotland. Lusa reported 77 mm in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. Ahead of the frontal cloud it was a sunny day in S parts of Wales and England. (Northolt 17.8C, Salsburgh 7.7C maximum, South Newington -0.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 96.6 mm, St Athan 13.8 h.)
A mainly W'ly flow on the 14th brought precipitation from fronts and troughs to many areas. Over there was widespread rain and drizzle across Ireland, Wales and much of Scotland - during the day falls largely affected S and E England with further rain and showers across Scotland and N and Cent areas of Ireland. In between the spells of rain most places had sunny spells. (Donna Nook 16.7C maximum, Lerwick 7.8C maximum, Warcop 1.6C minimum, Cluanie Inn 32.0 mm, Dublin Airport and Shannon 11.8 h.)
High pressure built from the SW during the 15th, with MSL pressure reaching 1029 mb in SW Ireland by midnight. Overnight there was a slight ground frost in some inland areas of the British Isles - although many areas saw some spells of light rain or drizzle. Precipitation during the day was mainly confined to England and maximum temperatures here (and elsewhere) were generally below 12C. Showers gave some thunder at Benson in the afternoon, with hail showers reported in parts of the Midlands, and the best of the sunshine was to be found in Ireland and W parts of Britain. (Lee-on-Solent 14.9C, Fair Isle 7.3C maximum, Killylane 0.6C minimum, Blackpool 15.6 mm, Shannon Airport 13.6 h.)
An area of high pressure slipped quickly E'wards across S areas on the 16th giving a mainly dry day. There was a widewspread early ground frost with a touch of air frost as far S as parts of S Wales and the SW Midlands. Parts of W and N Scotland had some light overnight rain - this became a little more widespread across Scotland during the day and also affected W Ireland as a frontal system approached NW areas of the British Isles later on. Daytime temperatures remained below 10C across much of N and W Scotland. S and Cent England and Wales remained mnainly dry but a few rain showers affected N England later in the day. (Usk No.2 16.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.5C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -3.0C minimum, South Uist 9.4 mm, St Athan 14.2 h.)
The presence of several frontal bands over the British Isles on the 17th led to a rather cloudy day. Across many parts of England there was a slight ground frost before dawn while for much of Ireland and Scotland there were spells of rainfall overnight. Aboyne and Aviemore were both reporting recent sleet at 0600 GMT. This had spread across Wales by dawn and then continued to move E'wards to affect many areas of England during ther day -although amounts were slight. It was again another cool day across N Scotland despite this being the sunniest area during the day. (Northolt 15.8C, Lentran 4.6C maximum, Wick Airport 0.0C minimum, Lusa 19.8 mm, Kirkwall 6.8 h.)
Low pressure remained over, or close to, S Britain during the 18th. This sgain led to a cloudy day, except across N Scotland although even here the sunshine was not extensive. Overnight rain and drizzle was followed by misty conditions across N England and N Ireland by dawn with haze further S. Light rain and drizzle affected many areas during the day; falls were mainly slight, however. Across E England and some S areas of England and Wales temperatures rose above 16C. (Cambridge NIAB 17.5C, Salsburgh 5.3C maximum, Katesbridge 0.3C minimum, Charterhall 12.4 mm, Lerwick 7.0 h.)
The 19th began with widespread mist and some fog across S and E England and with overnight rain and drizzle in many other areas of England. This rain had largely cleared by mid-morning although later in the evening further rain and drizzle was to affect S England. Away from S England it was a mainly cool day with temperatures failing to reacxh 10C by day in parts of the Midlands - although 19.0C was reached in the Home Counties. Parts of Scotland had a sunny day - but in an E'ly flow it was rather dull and cool in Cent and N England. (Charlwood 19.0C, Emley Moor 6.8C maximum, Altnaharra -2.0C minimum, Bridlington 9.8 mm, Tiree 15.8 h.)
A weak col over the British Isles on the 20th brought a mainly N/NE'ly flow to all areas. Scotland in particular had an overnight ground frost with ana air frost in the NE - across England, Wales and S Ireland there was a rather misty start to the day with some light rain. However, falls were slight with mist and haze returning to England and Wales in the evening. Areas close to the Irish Sea and in E Scotland had a sunny day - in SE England it was dull and and across much of Cent, SE and E England temperatures struggled to reach 12C. (Shannon Airport and Milford Haven 16.8C, Fair Isle 8.1C maximum, Aboyne -4.1C minimum, Okehampton 4.0 mm, Dyce 15.4 h.)
Early cloud cover in E parts of England and across W Scotland and W and N Ireland on the 21st led to a mild night here, while NE Scotland and parts of the W Midlands had an early ground frost. These cloud W areas also saw some slight overnight rain while and the bulk of England and Wales there was a misty start. It remained hazy in Cent England with mist patches reforming in the evening, after a warm day. Away from the E coast and W Scotland much of Britain also had a sunny day. There was very little precipoitation during the day although Valentia reported 0.9 mm in the 24 hours to 1800 GMT. (Lusa 20.6C, Inverbervie 6.4C maximum, Aboyne -2.4C minimum, Tain Range 0.4 mm, Lerwick 15.9 h.)
A warm front across Ireland gave a little light rain and drizzle here overnight into the 22nd, the precipitation later affecting parts of W Scotland. Falls were, however, mainly slight although Valentia reported 9 mm in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT. Elsewhere there was widepareda early mist, haze and some fog patches which soon gave way to long sunny spells for most of England, Scotland and Wales - with inland temperatures widely above 20C and reaching 24C in places in England. (Lee-on-Solent 26.7C, Fair Isle 12.3C maximum, Baltasound 1.7C minimum, Crosby 0.4 mm, Lerwick 14.5 h.)
Pressure was higher than average across the British Isles on the 23rd. There was widespread mist and haze, with fog in places (notably N Wales, SW England and East Anglia) around dawn - following a mainly dry night. Parts of S Ireland had some light precipitation before dawn, however; Johnstown Castle reported 0.6 mm in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT. Away from the coasts the day was a warm one everywhere in Britain although inland Ireland failed to reach 20C in many places. The temperatures across Britain were mainly a result of long periods of unbroken sunshine and light winds. (Altnaharra 27.3, Aberdaron 12.6C maximum, Sennybridge 4.7C minimum, Winterbourne No.2 0.4 mm, Dyce 14.4 h.)
E districts tended to have a mainly E'ly surface flow on the 24th due to the presence of high pressure to the NE of Britain. There were widespread mist and fog patches across the British Isles overnight with minimum temperatures remaining above 10C in many areas. Parts of SW England and S Ireland had a few spot of light rain or drizzle overnight - but the day was otherwise a dry one with widespread sunshine, although some coastal areas had some low cloud that pegged back the sunshine totals a little. Temperatures of 26-27C were reported as far N as Cent Scotland. (Wisley 27.5C, Weybourne 13.5C maximum, Okehampton 4.1C minimum, Dunkeswell 0.2 mm, Tiree 15.8 h.)
High pressure remained centred to the NE of Scotland during the 25th; MSL pressure at Lerwick at 2400 GMT was 1033.0 mb at Baltasound while nearby Lerwick reported 0 m visibility with the sky obscured. Mist, fog and haze was widespread across britain by dawn with a few spots of light drizzle in N Scotland as a result. Overnight minimum temperatrures were above 15C in some S and Cent parts of Wales and England and another warm day followed - although as a cold front moved W'wards from E England one or two showers were triggered across England. Temperatures rose above 25C in many S parts of England and Wales - and as far N as Cent Scotland. This included a new maximum May temperature for Scotland, according to the Met Office, with 29.3C recorded in Achnagart, Highlands, beating the previous record of 29C set in 1992 at Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden. (Achnagart 29.3C, Lerwick 12.0C maximum, Altnaharra 6.6C minimum, Plymouth 0.2 mm, Tiree 16.0 h.)
High pressure continued to dominate conditions on the 26th although later in the day a cold front edged into S Ireland and SW England. Although many places had minimum temperatures in the range 10-15C, the night was a cooler in NE Scotland. Widespread clear skies gave sunshine totals of 15-16 h widely across the British Isles with temperatures reaching 25C in many places. The cold front gave some rain to Scilly in the evening and triggered a thunderstorm at Culdrose before midnight. (Kinlochewe 28.1C, Fair Isle 14.1C maximum, Aboyne 4.0 mm, Isles Of Scilly 5.0 mm, Kinloss 16.4 h.)
During the 27th the high pressure centre transferred to the NW of Scotland a a cold front moved slowly N'wards through S Ireland, SW England and S Wales. In the early hours there was some heavy rain in the Channel Islands with thunder on Jersey; 10 mm of rain fell at Guernsey Airport in the 12 hours to 0600 GMT. E Scotland and NE England had some early mist and fog patches while there were also some heavcy falls of rain in Cornwall before dawn. As the front moved further N any falls of rain from it tended to be slight. Ahead of the front it was a warm and sunny day with 27C reported as far N as NW Scotland. It was also a sunny day behind the cold front. (Porthmadog 27.9C, Weybourne 15.5C maximum, Braemar 3.5C minimum, Camborne 12.4 mm, Tiree 16.5 h.)
Further fronts pushed N'wards through SW areas of the British Isles and S'wards through N Scotland on the 28th, signalling the start of the end of the warm weather. There was a hzy start to the day across cent parts of England and Wales with some overnight light drizzle in SW Englanbd and SW Ireland. During the day convective cloud developed and gave some falls of rain across parts England and some light frontal rain fell in S Ireland. However, for most places ahead of the fronts it was a sunny day with patchy cloud with 25C being reached widely in Cent and SE England. (Santon Downham 27.7C, Baltasound 9.7C maximum, Ravensworth 3.4C maximum, Frittenden 6.8 mm, Tiree 15.9 h.)
There was some light frontal rain and drizzle overnight into the 29th across parts of Scotland, SW England and S Ireland as mist and haze formed in some E and cent areas of England and Scotland. Clearer skies gave a touch of ground in parts of N Scotland and temperatures remained generally below 12C across N and Cent Scotland during the day. W Scotland was milder and in most other areas 20C was reached - notable exceptions being parts of the S coast of Ireland and Scilly where temperatures failed to pass 15C in places. Some light rain was reported as cloud increased around the Home Counties later in the day and in East Anglia and E Scotland it was a generally cloudy day. (Charlwood 26.8C, Craibstone 8.7C maximum, Altnaharra 0.1C minimum, Braemar 1.2 mm, Stornoway 15.7 h.)
Parts of N Scotland had a sharp ground frost with an air frost in some areas early on the 30th. Overnight rain affected parts of E Scotland and NE England - and there were also widespread light falls of rain and drizzle across S and Cent Ireland. By dawn mist and fog patches were widespread in E parts of the UK with some thick fog in Cent S England. Visibility soon improved and cloud developed during the day to give showers and thundery rain in parts of Cent S England, East Anglia and E England. Light rain and drizzle also affected S Scotland and N England in particular and in many places the day was a rather cloudy one. (Heathrow 25.4C, Inverbervie 9.0C maximum, Kinbrace -3.1C minimum, Coningsby 21.6 mm, Stornoway 16.2 h.)
The 31st was a day with a complex pattern of fronts across the British Isles, the main effect oif which was to bring rain from the W across many areas. The associated cloud meant a generally cloudy day - except in N and NW Scotland. By dawn it was misty in E England and rain had fallen across much of Ireland, Wales and parts of N England and S Scotland - with some light rain or drizzle in adjacent areas. During the day S England remained largely dry, as did the extreme N of mainland Scotland. Only in a few places in S England was 20C reached during the day. 23 mm of rain fell in the 24 hours ending 1800 GMT at Mace Head. (Hurn 21.6C, Lerwick 9.5C maximum, Lerwick 2.7C minimum, Charterhall 23.0 mm, Stornoway 10.4 h.)
The 2nd dawned after a mild night across S parts of England, Wales and Ireland where minimum temperatures remained above 13C in places. It was cooler in N areas with an air frost in parts of N Scotland. Warmth in the S was associated with frontal cloud and mist - and with some light rain and drizzle. It remained cloudy in many areas of England and Wales during the day with further outbreaks of light precipitation - across Scotland there were sunny spells in all but extreme S areas. By midday an area of frontal rain had edged NE'wards into SW Ireland, reaching SW parts of England by early afternoon and affecting most parts of England and Wales by midnight. Across Ireland there were some heavy falls before evening, with 18 mm reported at Valentia and Sherkin Island in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. Ahead of the rain temperatures reached 21C in parts of SW England and S Wales. (Otterbourne Water Works 22.2C, Carterhouse 8.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.9C minimum, Dunkeswell 14.0 mm, Tiree 15.1 h.)
A series of slow-moving fronts made for a cloudy and wet day across much of England, Wales and Ireland on the 3rd, although further N high pressure and clearer skies prevailed. Overnight rain and drizzle affected these S areas while across N and NE Scotland there was a widespread ground frost. During the afternoon the rain cleared the E coast of Ireland - but it tended to persist across England; an onshore wind also brought some showery outbreaks during the day to coastal areas of E Scotland. The same wind also resulted in a cool day in E parts of Britain with temperatures failing to reach 10C during the day in parts of Yorkshire and the Ne Midlands. (Middle Wallop 18.6C, Emley Moor 6.3C maximum, Kinbrace -2.5C minimum, Astwood Bank 42.4 mm, Stornoway 13.4 h.)
Frontal systems cleared S'wards on the 4th, before returning N'wards across Ireland and into SW England later in the day. High pressure gave a widespread ground frost across Scotland and N Ireland before dawn; some overnight rain affected parts of N Scotland while earlier widespread rainfall across England gradually cleared towards the SE. Much of England remained rather cloudy throughout the day - with rain lingereing in the E in some places - and there was also a little rainfall in parts of E Scotland. In the evening further light rain and drizzle pushed NE'wards into S Ireland and SW England. Places close to the Irish Sea and over SW Scotland had a sunny day - elsewhere there were cloudy interludes. (Ballywatticock 18.7C, Fair Isle 9.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -3.1C minimum, Hampstead 18.0 mm, Prestwick 14.6 h.)
Further frontal cloud pushed E'wards across England, Wales and Ireland on the 5th with rain falling across S and Cent Ireland and in SW areas of Britain by dawn. Many parts of Scotland and N England had a ground frost before dawn, followed by a day with sunny periods. During the day rain and drizle fell in many parts of England, wales and Ireland - although falls were slight in E and N England, with some slight falls also in S Scotland. The Northern Isles also had some rain during the day - and temperatures generally struggled to reach 15C. (Glasgow 17.2C, Lerwick 8.9C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -2.5C minimum, Plymouth 18.4 mm, Stornoway 9.8 h.)
Low pressure centres over, or close to, the British Isles on the 6th gave an unsettled day in most areas. Cloudy skies meant that an early air frost was confined largely to Shetland - and rain or showers fell in most places except in the extreme N of Scotland by dawn. During the day W Scotland and Cent Ireland was largely dry - as were some SW areas of Ireland and England before further rain advanced from the SW. In E Scotland it was a rather sunless day - and only in parts of W Scotland and W Ireland were there long sunny spells. In parts of England daytime showers turned thundery in the afternoon as temperatures rose. (Coningsby 20.8C, Craibstone 9.8C maximum, Baltasound 2.5C minimum, Bridgefoot 19.8 mm, Stornoway 10.3 h.)
During the 7th an area of low pressure moved NE'wards to Cardigan Bay by 2400 GMT, bringing with it frontal rain to any areas during the day. Overnight cloud brought rain across Wales and S and Cent areas of Ireland and England with another rain area affecting E Scotland. Before dawn there was mist and fog in parts of N Ireland, N England and S Scotland. During the day the rain in the S moved N'wards to reach SW Scotland by the evening - with falls across parts of N Scotland by midnight; the rain was especially heavy at times in places. Ahead of the rain the sunniest weather was to be found in NW Scotland with most of England, Wales and Ireland having a sunless day. Under these cloudy skies temperatures failed to reach 14C in places.(Kinlochewe 20.6C, Wick Airport 10.8C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 0.8C minimum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 40.2 mm, Stornoway 10.6 h.)
On the 8th an area of low pressure (centre around 980-992 mb) moved slowly NE'wards across Wales and N England. The resulting cloudy night meant that overnight temperatures remained above 10C in most places - while during the day many areas struggled to reach 14C. Overnight only parts of N Scotland remained dry albeit with some mist and fog patches. During the day rain fell mainly from S Scotland to S England - although the S coast of England remained mainly dry. There were some large rainfall totals across Wales with 53 mm falling ij the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT at Trawscoed. Mist and fog patches continued to affect coastal NE Scotland during the day - and the best of the limited sunshine waas to be found in SW England and on the Channel Islands. (Lusa 20.5C, Sennybridge 9.8C maximum, Braemar 8.6C minimum, Trawscoed 80.0 mm, St. Helier 12.6 h.)
Despite rising pressure on the 9th as the low centre moved further away from NE England, a frontal rain area continued to bring rainfall across parts of Wales (in particular), N England and S Scotland overnight. Although the rain became confined to largely to N England, then NE England during the day - there were further outbreaks and some showers in many other areas. Leeming reported thunder in the afternoon and temperatures in many places were dissapointing ly low for mid-June. S parts of Ireland and England had the best of the sunshine. In mid-Wales a major rescue effort was needed after severe flooding caused by prolonged heavy rain. Villages in Ceredigion were cut off with houses and caravan parks being flooded. Emergency services helped people get to safety with some being rescued by helicopter with three people needing treatment after sustaining minor injuries. The Environment Agency said "up to five inches" of rain fell in the area in 24 hours. Roads around the area were also closed due to flooding and motorists complained of long delays in the area. The worst affected areas were Talybont, Dol-y-bont, Llandre, and Penrhyncoch - all in Ceredigion - with people moving to safety from the early hours of Saturday morning. Machynlleth in Powys was also flooded. The floodwater was said to be up to 1.5m (5ft) deep in some places. About 150 ft of track at a steam railway was left suspended in the air after the land beneath was washed away by floods in the Vale of Rheidol. North Wales Police also evacuated residents in Pennal, Gwynedd, as a safety precaution over concerns about a crack in a reservoir dam outside the village which has already been hit by flooding. (Strathallan 19.7C, Leek 10.1C maximum, Tyndrum 5.2C minimum, Topcliffe 32.0 mm, Aberporth 13.5 h.)
On the 10th an area of low pressure and frontal systems remained close to S Britain. Parts of N Ireland and Cent Wales had a slight ground frost before dawn while rain fell in NE England and SE Scotland overnight. Rain also fell in the Channel Islands overnight and spread into S England and S Wales during the day. Mist and fog patches affected parts of S England before dawn but by late morning light rain and drizzle was falling across most S coast counties. Light rain affected N England and S and Cent areas of Scotland during the day - with some heavy falls in parts of S England later. W and N Ireland had a mainly sunny day - elsewhere it remained rather cloudy. Several homes in east Leeds were flooded as drains failed to cope with torrential rain. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews also dealt with flooding in properties in and around York. The incidents happened on the second day of flooding in the area. (Ballywatticock 20.0C, Dalwhinnie 9.8C maximum, Katesbridge -0.3C minimum, Shoreham 24.6 mm, Aldergrove 14.9 h.)
The 11th was another unsettled day in many places - and gradually a N'ly surface flow became established from the W. Overnight rain was largely confined to S England and S areas of East Anglia - with lesser falls in W Scotland and the Northern Isles. Falls in SE England wree heavy n places - in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT 41 mm of rain fell at Charlwood and 49 mm at Shoreham, while in the following 12 hours 49 mm fell at Thorney Island. There was a misty start to the day in places from the N Midlands to S Scotland, then during the day the rain spread N'wards into the Midlands and Norfolk before slowly edging E'wards. Consequently, W areas of Ireland had the best of the sunshine with a sunless day in parts of S England. The Environment Agency issued flood alerts in 50 areas - 42 of which were in England. Four people were rescued from their cars in two separate flood-related incidents in one Hampshire village. At 14:24 BST, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to Portchester Lane in Southwick where a car had become partially submerged. Two people were taken to safety. Then, at 15:45 BST, crews returned to nearby Boarhunt Road where they assisted two more people to safety from their car. The M1 was closed between junctions 48 and 45 southbound and between junctions 43 and 46 northbound after flooding left debris on the carriageways. People in the Bognor Regis and Chichester areas of West Sussex have been urged to travel only if essential after roads became impassable due to flooding. In West Sussex, about 40 properties as well as the basement of Worthing Hospital were flooded. Northern Ireland Water has said it responded to more than 20 flooding incidents during heavy rain here. (Derrylin Cornahoule 19.9C Carterhouse 10.0C maximum, Katesbridge 0.6C minimum, Thorney Island 62.4 mm, Dublin Airport 14.1 h.)
A mainly N'ly flow affected all areas on the 12th. As well as a slight ground frost in parts of E Scotland this meant a cool day in most areas with daytime temperatures failing to reach 13C in many E districts. Rain fell overnight in the S Midlands, Cent S and SE England and in parts of East Anglia - with lesser falls in parts of Ireland and Scotland. During the morning the bulk of this rain became confined to SE England while another area of mainly light rain affected much of E Scotland during the day. A trough gave some rain, heavy in places at times, across many parts of Ireland during the day. Once again, there were few places that experienced a sunny day. More than 20 people were rescued from flooded caravans at two holiday parks in West Sussex after heavy rainfall. Firefighters using life rafts were called to the sites in Bracklesham Bay between 0400 and 0600 GMT. Several other locations in West Sussex, including Felpham, also suffered as a result of heavy rain. Drivers in Hampshire endured delays of up to two hours after part of the southbound M3 carriageway was closed because of flooding, with 12 km tailbacks at one stage. Odiham, near Basingstoke, recorded 55mm of rainfall between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning - close to its average June monthly total. (Chivenor 19.3C, Wych Cross 10.6C maximum, Shap 1.7C minimum, Swanage 19.8 mm, Aberporth 13.7 h.)
Temperatures overnight into the 13th dropped close to 0C in parts of W Scotland, East Anglia and the S Midlands by dawn. There was a little rain in E Ireland, the Channel Islands and SW England overnight - which then affected Wales during the day. Parts of E and N Scotland also had a little rain from time to time. Mist and fog patches were widespread around dawn in parts of the Midlands and Cent S England but during the day most areas had some sunny periods, the N Midlands and E Ireland being notable exceptions - and here temperatures failed to reach 14C in places. (Northolt 19.5C, Fair Isle 10.5C maximum, Santon Downham 0.4C minimum, Culdrose 15.8 mm, Manston 12.4 h.)
A brisk E'ly flow became established on the 14th between high pressure to the N (1020 mb on the Northern Isles at 2400 GMT) and a low pressure centre of 984 mb close to Valentia at the same time. The day began with a touch of ground frost in parts of the Midlands and E Scotland and with some light rainfall in parts of N England and S Scotland. This rain soon eased off but was replaced by more general rainfall that spread NE across much of Ireland, Wales and England (excepting some E coast and N areas) by 2100 GMT. Odiham reported thunder shortly before 2400 GMT. In S and Cent Ireland and parts of SW England temperatures failed to reach 14C and the best of any sunshine ahead of the rain was to be found in SE Scotland and E England. (Blackpool 20.1C, Lerwick 9.7C maximum, Wick Airport 1.0C minimum, Cardinham 26.8 mm, Boulmer 14.3 h.)
A low pressure centre remained over SW Ireland for most of the 15th with frontal rain affecting most places across the British Isles - with the exception of N Scotland. Rainfall was heavy at timees in places, although falls across S England were few and slight during the day. Towards the end of thee day it turned drier across the Midlands and E England, although some thunderstirms were reported from NE England to Norfolk in the late morning and afternoon. It was across England that the best of any sunny periods were to be found. Around the low and across Wales and Sw England winds reached gale force at times. A rescue helicopter airlifted a crewman injured on a boat in stormy weather off the Isles of Scilly, as gales and large swells were recorded in Cornwall. Overnight a number of boats were ripped from their moorings in Falmouth and Penryn in Cornwall. (Shoeburyness 19.7C, Braemar 6.9C maximum, Aviemore 0.8C minimum, Whitechurch 38.8 mm, Lerwick 9.2 h.)
During the 16th the low pressure centre slowly moved from SW Ireland to NE England, with winds gradually easing as it did so. The SW'ly flow meant a mild night in S districts but daytime cloud resulted in a generally cool day for mid-June. Overnigth rain was widespread across Ireland, Wales, SW and N England and in S and cent Scotland. Although it was mainy dry during the day in W Ireland, these same areas otherwise also had a wet day although in many places the rain eased off and only slight drizzle fell later. (Norwich Airport 19.8C, Dalwhinnie 7.7C maximum, Dalwhinnie 5.5C minimum, Threave 60.8 mm, Manston 7.3 h.)
Overnight rain into the 17th was mainly confined to Scotland with lesser falls across Wales, N England and parts of Ireland. Falls were mainly slight; during the day falls were scattered across the British isles and again, mainly slight in intensity. E Scotland had a dull day - elsewhere there were breaks in the cloud that gave some sunny periods. (Gravesend 21.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 10.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 5.5C minimum, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens 20.0 mm, Belmullet 13.9 h.)
The 18th was a mainly cloudy day in many areas although a few breaks in the cloud gave sunny spells during the day, and also a touch of ground frost in parts of N Ireland and Scotland overnight; an air frost was reported at Altnaharra. In contrast, grass minimum temperatures were close to 11C in parts of E England. Across much of England there was widespread overnight rain with falls also in E Scotland. During the day it was Ireland, E Scotland and East Anglia that saw the main spells of rain. There was some mist and fog in parts of Wales before dawn - while Shetland and places from N wales to SW Scotland saw the best of the day's sunshine. (Sheffield 20.3C, Fair Isle 11.4C maximum, Altnaharra -0.6C minimum, Portglenone 15.6 mm, Lerwick 14.0 h.)
The 19th brought a mixture of rain and sunshine. Early in the day grass minimum temperatures varied quite a lot, with a ground frost in Cork and in parts of Fife, to 11C on the Isle of Wight and in S Wales. There was some fog just after midnight in E Scotland before this gave way to rainfall that, although mainly light, affected many parts of Scotland overnight. There were also some falls in Wales and N Ireland, in particular. During the day rain was mainly confined to the Northern Isles and E Scotland with most places from S Scotland S'wards enjoying a sunny day. (St James Park 21.9C, Lerwick 11.4C maximum, Braemar 2.2C minimum, Tyndrum 10.0 mm, Ronaldsway 14.7 h.)
A ground frost was widespread before dawn in sheltered parts of Cent Scotland on the 20th and there was slight mist or fog in some parts of England and Scotland before dawn. Most places had a dry day - there was slight rainfall and showery activity in W Ireland but a rain-bearing trough in Cornwall by mid-morning spread NE'wards to affect many parts of W England, Wales and S Ireland by midnight. A thunderstorm was reported on Guernsey at 2100 GMT. In W Scotland and E Britain it was a very sunny day and temperatures widely reached 21C in S England. (Northolt 23.3C, Inverbervie 12.8C maximum, Kinbrace -1.4C maximum, Culdrose 11.4 mm, Kirkwall 16.4 h.)
It was a cool start to the day in parts of NE Scotland on the 21st - further S frontal cloud around a developing low gave a wet start to the day across much of Ireland, Wales and England. During the day this rain became widespread with the low centred at 998 mb over NE England by 2400 GMT. Some of the rain was heavy and thundery - the latter particularly in NE England and Norfolk. In most places it was a sunless day. Heavy rain and high winds momentarily put out the Olympic flame and forced Blackpool's evening celebration indoors as the relay reached its halfway point. A grand outdoor finale had been planned in the seaside town but torrential and wind reaching up to 50mph curtailed the day's events. A trip to the top of Blackpool Tower was cancelled and, with the tower in sight, the flame went out as the squall worsened in the early evening. It was swiftly relit from one of the back-up lanterns.Manston 22.3C, Lough Fea 10.9C maximum, Baltasound 2.6C minimum, Nettlecombe Birds Hill 34.4 mm, Lerwick 7.0 h.)
An area of low pressure remained centred close to, or over, N England during the 22nd resulting in a generally cloudy day. Rainfall was widespread overnight, affecting all by Shetland and with some damaging, heavy falls in places. The rain area moved N'wards with much of W Ireland, and S parts of England and Wales remaining largely dry all day - but with some heavy falls reported from N Ireland across the Isle of Man to Lancashire and the Pennines; here, temperatures remained generally below 13C. There were sunny spells in W Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands; elsewhere many places had a sunless day. Residents in the Lancashire towns of Croston and Darwen were evacuated from their homes after nearby rivers burst their banks. The Environment Agency said "a month's rain" had fallen in 24 hours and scores of flood warnings were issued for N England. The wet weather has affected the Preston Mela, which was due to be held in Avenham Park on Sunday, but will now take place at the Guild Hall in Preston. Rainfall totals published in the press for Friday included Blencathra 93.8 mm, Keswick 88.6 mm, Stonyhurst 74.4 mm, Levens Hall 58.2 mm and Morecambe 57 mm. West Yorkshire firefighters are responding to a "very high" number of flood calls, especially in Todmorden. Flooding affected many parts of Cumbria. The Great North Swim in Cumbria was postponed until Sunday, and a number of roads in the county were closed. Nine people were rescued from their cars after flash flooding in the Yorkshire Dales. (Dunstaffnage 19.4C, Killylane 10.1C maximum, Okehampton 8.9C minimum, Blencathra 88.0 mm, St, Helier 12.8 h.)
One centre of low pressure remained close to E Scotland throughout the 23rd while another formed close to S Ireland, giving a mainly unsettled day in all areas. Overnight rain fell across E and S Scotland and in N England and N Ireland with further heavy falls in places. During the day falls were generally less intense but were widespread W of a line Hull-Weymouth. Generally cloudy skies meant that only the Channel Islands and the SE corner of England saw much sunshine. (Gravesend 20.6C, Blencathra 12.2C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 5.2C minimum, Keswick 55.2 mm, St. Helier 12.9 h.)
A deepening area of low pressure rapidly moved across S England during the morning of the 24th while another centre gave an unsettled day in E Scotland. Rainfall was widespread overnight with some heavy falls in SW England; once the low in the S had moved E'wards rainfall during the day was largely confined to E Britain. As clearer skies followed this rain, showery outbreaks developed and moved E'wards - giving some thunder in places. By mid-evening the early rain was mainly confined to a thin coastal strip of NE England and E Scotland. Some areas across Devon were badly affected by stormy weather and heavy rain with fallen trees leading to blocked roads. Twelve flood alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency for rivers including the Dart, the Plym, the Otter, the Sid, the Axe and the Torridge. (St James Park 20.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 10.9C maximum, Derrylin Cornahoule 7.5C minimum, Shoreham 24.2 mm, Shannon Airport 14.2 h.)
Overnight into the 25th it was mainly dry except for a few light falls of rain or drizzle in parts of Scotland, particulary in E Scotland. Some mist and fog patches affected SW England for a while but by mid-morning some frontal rain had pushed into Cornwall - this then spread into parts of S Ireland and other areas of SW England and the Channel Islands. It was a cool day in these areas with temperatures generally below 16C, but milder further N. Most other areas stayed dry during the day, with sunny periods. (Hereford 23.1C, Stornoway 12.2C maximum, Exeter Airport 6.2C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 6.8 mm, Manston 11.3 h.)
/p>A sequence of warm fronts pushed N'wards through much of the British Isles on the 26th, introducing humid and warmer conditions from the S. There was rainfall overnight in W and S Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands - the humid conditions some thick fog by dawn in SW England and the fog lingered here (and on the Channel Islands) in places for much of the day. Meanwhile, the fromtal rain and drizzle spread N'wards to affect all by NE Sctland by midnight; falls were mainly slight or modeerate in intensity, however. From SW England to SE Scotland and in parts of S Ireland fog had formed or thickened by midnight. Only in parts of NE Scotland, ahead of the rain, were there long sunny spells. (Gravesend 24.0C, Fair Isle 12.0C maximum, Kinbrace -0.2C minimum, Tyndrum 11.4 mm, Kirkwall 13.0 h.)
To the rear of warm fronts it was a mild and humid night across much of England, Wales and S Ireland into the 27th with minimum temperatures along the Thames Valley above 17C in places. But the fronts gave overbight rain in N and Cent Ireland, N England and mainland Scotland as they slowly moved N'wards - and this rainfall distribution recurred during the day. Many places had some mist or fog around dawn and these were to reform again later in the evening. It was a warm day across Cent England but a generally dull one in all areas. The Fire and Rescue Service dealt with more than 700 flood-related call-outs in greater Belfast following a series of heavy downpours; at the height of the flooding, many roads were impassable and about 1,000 homes were left without power. (Shawbury 24.8C, Wick Airport 11.1C maximum, Lerwick 5.3C minimum, Stormont Castle 45.0 mm, Manston 5.9 h.)
Low pressure to the W of Ireland continued to push fronts across the British Isles on the 28th leading to a rather cloudy, if wam and humid in places, day. Away from the Northern isles minimum temperatures were generally above 10C, with values over 15C in many parts of England and S Wales. There was widespread rain across Ireland, Wales and S Scotland overnight - this was heavy and thundery in places with Cork Airport recording 46 mm in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT after an early thunderstorm. During the day the rain across Ireland lessened but there were some heavy, thundery downpours across Wales, N England and S Scotland in particluar - with some reports of large hail falling. These were triggered by rising temperatures and a humid air mass; in parts of S England falls of dust were also reported. The storms and rain gradually drifted NE'wards during the day. Scotland had a rather dull day as mainly light to moderate rain spread N'wards, and the best of the sunshine was to be fpund in SE England. One man died, roads and rail lines were blocked and thousands left without power as torrential rain flooded parts of the UK. According to the Met Office, two storms, which began in Wales, grew stronger with one heading across the Midlands, the other heading northwards to Newcastle and into Scotland. Both main rail lines between Scotland and England were blocked by landslides. West Mercia Police say a man died in flood water in Shropshire; his body was discovered in a stream in Bitterley near Ludlow just before midday following a search. NI Water said it was on "high alert" to deal with further flooding. It said its staff have been involved in cleaning up 158 properties flooded with sewage In north-east England 23,000 properties were without power due to flash flooding and lightning storms, said Northern Powergrid. North Tyneside Council has dealt with the aftermath of flooding in the area and received more than 200 reports of flood-related incidents. 12 people were evacuated from Manor Park Care Home, in Whitley Bay, following flooding. Network Rail said its West Coast line was shut at Tebay in Cumbria while the East Coast main line was obstructed at Berwick. Trains between Crianlarich and Mallaig were suspended after a freight train was derailed on the Scottish west coast line near Tulloch. A sudden hailstorm caused flooding at John Cleveland College, in Hinckley, Leicestershire. The first storm started in south Wales at about 0700 GMT, crossing into England 30 minutes later and hitting the central Birmingham area at about 0900 GMT with up to 45 mph winds. The second weather system came in from N Wales and headed north west, flooding roads and causing chaos across Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham. The Tyne and Wear Metro was completely suspended because of flooding and debris on lines in several areas. Meanwhile, the Tyne Tunnel was flooded and closed in both directions. Houses, schools and businesses were flooded in Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal and the Penrith area. West Midlands Fire Service dealt with 282 incidents in 90 minutes. The Olympic torch relay stopped briefly in Mansfield due to lightning. Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said it had been called to more than 200 incidents of flooding during the afternoon. There were also reports of hailstones the size of golf balls falling in the East Midlands. Residents in Burbage reported the hailstones damaging greenhouses and vehicles, while deep water has closed part of the Fosse Road North in Leicester and has caused problems on the A50. The bad weather also disrupted events, forcing play to be suspended for a short time at the Irish Open golf championship in Portrush, in Northern Ireland. Several lightning strikes were reported; firefighters had to tackle a house fire in Angel View, Benwell, caused by lightning striking a solar panel. Strong winds and hailstorms in Leicestershire have damaged buildings and knocked down trees. (Gravesend 28.6C, Fair Isle 11.5C maximum, Baltasound 7.8C minimum, Levens Hall 48.0 mm, Charlwood 10.5 h.)
A low pressure centre persisted close to W Ireland during the 29th. Frontal rain overnight was mainly confined to Ireland, Wales, SW England and Scotland - with some heavy falls on Shetland. During the day bands of rain moved E'wards across most areas - although in much of Cent and E England falls were slight and cloud was the main weather feature. Some thunder occured in places in N Scotland and the best of the sunshine was to be found in East Anglia ahead of some afternoon rain. (Santon Downham 22.1C, Lerwick 13.7C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 8.7C minimum, Baltasound 35.4 mm, Wattisham 9.1 h.)
Across parts of S England minimum temperatures did not drop below 14C in places into the 30th and then failed to rise above 19C in many places here during the day. There were falls of rain in many places overnight - largely light in intensity - and this was repeated during the day. The result was a rather cloudy day with a few sunny intervals, except in S England and parts of NE Scotland where the sunshine was more prolonged. Strong winds forced organisers of the Round the Island (Isle of Wight) Race to pull more than 70 competitors out of the race. The Island Sailing Club said vessels in the smaller classes at the Isle of Wight event were retired before the start due to increasing winds. The RNLI had to rescue a crew after their small multihull capsized on the north west of the island. (Weybourne 22.2C, Fair Isle 12.7C maximum, Kirkwall 8.7C minimum, Capel Curig 18.2 mm, St. Helier 13.1h.)
Frontal cloud spread E'wards during the 2nd to affect most places during the day. Behind a warm front W Ireland had a mild start to the day with minimum temperatures no lower than 13C in many places - but the cloud then kept temperatures low during the day with many places across Britain failing to reach 16C. The cloud brought rain to most places - although parts of N and NW Scotland remained mostly dry and had the best of the sunshine. The rain was persistent across England and Wales for much of the day with mist and fog forming around some SW coasts. Across Ireland the rain gave way to showers - while thick fog persisted in some coastal ares of E Scotland. (St Angelo 21.4C, Baltasound 11.6C maximum, Resallach 0.0C minimum, Cardiff Bute Park 20.0 mm, Stornoway 11.7 h.)
Low pressure centred to the W of Ireland on the 3rd meant another widespread unsettled day across the British Isles with further spells of rain in many areas. Minimum tempratures across S England were around 14C overnight with only Shetland dropping below 10C at sea level. Overnight rain and drizzle gave way to patchy mist and fog in parts of England and E Scotland before the onset of further frontal rain. Mist and fog again affected some SW coastal areas and it was a mainly cloudy day in all areas - with one or two exceptions. In parts of S Ireland and S England daytime temperatures struggled to get much abouve 15C. (Kinloss 22.6C, Fair Isle 13.0C maximum, Lerwick 7.6C minimum, Plymouth 15.0 mm, Boulmer 5.7 h.)
Low pressure persisted close to SW Ireland during the 4th with MSL pressure down to 1001.6 mb at 0600 GMT. Cloudy skies meant a mild night with minimum temperayures above 15C across much of England - and overnight rainfall was widespread S of Cent Scotland. During the day this rain turned more showery across England and Wales as the main rain area extended across Scotland. Maximum temperatures were widely above 20C, even as far N as N Scotland - but across W Ireland it was slightly cooler than this. Thunder was heard in the evening from Lincolnshire to NE Yorkshire. (Weybourne 24.6C, Fair Isle 12.9C maximum, Tain Range 10.3C minimum, Salsburgh 37.0 mm, Manston and Dublin Airport 9.8 h.)
The low pressure centre reained close to SW Engand during the 5th. Rain fell overnight in Cornwall, S Scotland and N England with some heavy falls in Cornwall and widespread mist and fog in much of England, Wales and Scotland before dawn. There was also early rain in parts of E England with falls later in the day in E England and NW England N'wards. Rain also fell in N Ireland and in some of these wet areas there were heavy downpours - with thunderstorms from Norfolk to S Scotland in the afternoon and early evening. (Santon Downham 24.6C, Lusa 14.3C maximum, Sennybridge 6.5C minimum, Gringley On The Hill 36.4 mm, Tiree 8.5 h.)
Low pressure over S Britain continued to dominate weather on the 6th giving a mainly dull day except in a few parts of E England and across Scotland. Rainfall was widespread from Kent and the S Midlands N'wards into S Scotland with N England and S and E Scotland also having a misty night with some fog patches. The rainfall across England was heavy in places overnight - and became more widespread with heavier falls during the day across England, Wales and S Scotland; SE Ireland also had some heavy falls during the day. Falls were thundery in places from Cent S Engand to E England with some flooding reported. (Lusa 24.0C, Aberporth 13.7C maximum, Whitechurch 7.9C minimum, Emley Moor 56.6 mm, Kirkwall 10.5 h.)
Low pressure remained centred over or close to SW England during the 7th. Overnight rainfall was mostly coonfined to an arc from SE Scotland through E Ireland to Cent S and SW England with some heavy falls in the SW - while in much of E Engand there was widespread mist and fog before dawn. This fog was thick in places. During the day rainfall extended from NE Scotland to SW Ireland and also fell across much of England and Wales - after a dry start in E England. Places from the Isle of Man to Cent S Ireland had a sunny day - elsewhere it was rather dull with litte sunshine across much of Scotland. Some thunderstorms were observed in E England. Heavy rain has brought flooding to parts of Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Borders. Several roads were shut, and the River Esk and Tyne have seen flooding. ScotRail said there was disruption to services between Glasgow and the capital due to flooding at Haymarket. (Crosby 22.7C, Aviemore 10.3C maximum, Shap 7.9C minimum, Dunkeswell 54.4 mm, Valley 14.2 h.)
The low pressure centre finally moved NE'wards to the North Sea during the 8th introducing a N'ly flow to most areas by the ed of the day. Rain continued to fall in many parts of Scotland and in S England and East Anglia overnight - with further widespread by mainly llighter outbreaks of rain and showers in many areas during the day. Dry areas of England had widespread overnight fog and mist patches. Most places in England and in SE wales saw some sunshine during the day - elsewhere it was generally sunless. In W Scotland and N Ireland maximum temperatures failed to rise above 14C in many places and on the Channel Islands temperature tended to remain below 16C. A month's worth of rain fell across Devon county over 24 hours, with Yealmpton, Modbury and Ottery St Mary being among the worst areas hit. Torrential rain had caused considerable damage to the county's road network. The council said initial estimates had revealed the clear-up costs would be more than £1m and the repair bill to Devon's highway network more than £3m. According to the Environment Agency, up to 90mm of rain fell in parts of south Devon and up to 120mm in parts of east Devon. (Astwood Bank 22.7C, Lerwick 11.0C maximum, Dalwhinnie 8.3C minimum, East Malling 30.2 mm, St Athan 9.1 h.)
Frontal systems and a N'ly flow meant a cool and unsettled day on the 9th although the SE corner of England had a mild start to the day. Mist was widespread before dawn across England with rain and drizzle here, mainly in W areas, and also across S Scotland and N Ireland. During the day rainfall was mainly confined to an area of Ireland, N England and S Scotland although S England also had some light falls. Most areas were cloudy and cool. (Charsfield 21.3C, Carterhouse 10.6C maximum, Shap 8.0C minimum, Morecambe 19.6 mm, Tiree 8.5 h.)
A N'ly flow continued to dominate conditions across the British Isles giving another rather cloudy day on the 10th. There was widespread rain and drizzle overnight with heavy falls in a few places although N and N Scotland, and much of SE England, remained dry. Early mist in E England was soon replaced by rain in many places with rain or showers being generally widespread across the British Isles during the day. Thunder was reported at Dublin and Northolt in the afternoon. It was a cool day everywhere with temperatures failing to rise above 15C in much of Scotland, N England and in parts of Wales, N Ireland and the N Midlands. (South Newington 19.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 10.5C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 3.6C minimum, Shawbury 28.0 mm, Casement Aerodrome 5.3 h.)
Rainfall was widespread overnight into the 11th and this continued during the day with some heavy falls close to the English-Scottish border. Falls tended to be intermittent or showery in nature and there was rather more sunshine than in recent days across Ireland and in some SW areas of Britain. Some of the showers turned thundery during the afternoon and evening and daytime temperatures were again low for the time of year with parts of N Ireland failing to reach 14C. Several roads in the Scottish Borders have been affected by flooding, including the entrance to the region's main hospital in Melrose. Many other roads in the Melrose area were also affected - as were main routes around Selkirk, Jedburgh and Peeblesshire. (Gravesend 20.5C, Salsburgh 10.8C maximum, Resallach 5.0C minimum, Redesdale Camp 34.4 mm, Belmullet 11.1 h.)
During the 12th another area of low pressure header towards SE Ireland with MSL pressure down to 1003 mb in SE Ireland by 2400 GMT. There was scattered rainfall overnight - largely in E areas of the UK but by 0600 GMT 13 mm had falled in 12 hours at both Valentia and Sherkin Island as fronts made landfall ahead of this low pressure area. Early falls of rain also occurred in Cornwall and the Channel Islands and this frontal rain then spread across S Ireland, S Wales, SW and Cent s England by the evening, reaching the Midlands and East Anglia by midnight. E Scotland had some light rain during the day but elsewhere the day was mostly dry. Away from E England temperatures during the day were lower than average and both here and in W Scotland it was sunny until frontal cloud arrived. (St James Park 20.5C, Fair Isle 11.3C maximum, Katesbridge 1.5C minimum, Chivenor 27.2 mm, Prestwick 13.6 h.)
Frontal rainfall affected much of the S and Cent areas of England, Wales and Ireland during the 13th. There was a cool start to the day in N Ireland and SW Scotland but away from the rain areas further S it was mainly dry overnight here and in N Scotland. Across Ireland and later in SW England the rain gave way to showers as the low centre transferred, centre 999 mb, to Cent S England by midnight. There were some heavy falls across Wales and it was a mainly cool day in all areas away from the extreme E of England. SW Scotland and N Ireland had a sunny day - elsewhere, even where it remained dry, it was rather cloudy. (Pershore 21.3C, Wick Airport 11.4C maximum, Dalwhinnie 4.5C minimum, Pennerley 33.8 mm, Magilligan 10.7 h.)
The rain area pushed away SE'wards during the 14th but not before some heavy falls had occured in places. A number of people were rescued from floodwater in south Shropshire following heavy overnight rain. An 81-year-old woman, who was trapped in her home in Cleobury Mortimer, was taken to safety by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service. Others were rescued from properties in Ludlow, Minsterley and Neen Sollars where parts of a bridge over the River Rea collapsed. W Scotland and much of Ireland had a mostly dry day while E Scotland and NE England had a few light showers. There was considerable cloud in most places even once the rain had ended with daytime temperatures remaining below average. (Frittenden 19.6C, Fair Isle 11.6C maximum, Shap 2.3C minimum, Wattisham 28.2 mm, Prestwick 10.6 h.)
The 15th dawned after a cool night in E and SE Scotland and in parts of Ireland. Across E England and N Scotland there was some frontal cloud that led to periods of, mainly light, rain. The rain and showers peersisted during the day across Scotland but cleared away quickly from E England - much of England and Wales then had a sunny day. Across Ireland a warm front gave some rain during the afternoon and this then spread into SW parts of England and Wales before the end of the day. For most areas it was another cool day for the time of year. (Bridlington 20.1C, Fair Isle 12.9C maximum, Katesbridge 1.2C minimum, Tyndrum 15.4 mm, Morecambe 12.2 h.)
A sequence of fronts dominated the weather across S parts of the British Isles on the 16th giving a rather unsettled day here. Areas of E Scotland had a cool night and by dawn an area of rain had reached the W Midlands and parts of Cent S England. Some rain also fell overnight across N areas of Scotland. During the day the rain in the S extended E'wards and much of England and Wales, and parts of S and Cent Ireland, had a wet day with mist around the coasts of SW England. Rain also continued to affect N Scotland with falls in S Scotland later in the day. Across S and E England in particular it was a cool day and only some W and Cent areas of Scotland had much sunshine. (Helens Bay 21.8C, Lerwick 12.1C maximum, West Freugh 5.8C minimum, Keele 21.8 mm, Tiree 11.2 h.)
The 17th saw rain spreading a little way N'wards into Scotland and n Ireland as a warm sector developed across England and Wales during the day. Across much of Scotland it was a cool night while in SW Ireland and S England minimum temperatures remained above 14C in places. Overnight rain was largely confined to N England and Cent Ireland with mostly light falls - but by late evening rain and drizzle was being reported in Cent Scotland. In most places it was a rather cloudy day although E England had some sunny periods once the rain had ceased; in the SE corner of England afternoon temperatures reached 23C in places. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 25.5C, Fair Isle 12.4C maximum, Tyndrum 3.7C minimum, Morecambe 17.2 mm, Bala 8.4 h.)
Although minimum temperatures into the 18th across England, Wales and Ireland were in the range 13-16C in most places, the warm sector was short-lived. There was widespread rain across Ireland, S Scotland, N England and Wales before dawn with some heavy falls in S Scotland in particular. During the day a cold front cross SE'wards through England and Wales giving some heavy falls of rain in parts of SW England and S Wales - while further rain, often heavy, fell across Cent, S and E Scotland. The rain was followed by showers over Ireland - with some thunder here and also in E England later in the day. The one-day international match between Scotland and England scheduled for 12 August has been called off due to the wet weather in Edinburgh. Heavy rain has left large parts of The Grange submerged. And the soggy ground has made it impossible to erect the temporary stands required to seat spectators. (Pershore 21.8C, Loch Glascarnoch 10.7C maximum, Baltasound 5.8C minimum, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens 55.0 mm, Leeming 9.3 h.)
A N'ly/NW'ly flow on the 19th led to another cool day in most areas for the time of year. Overnight rain fell from the Midlands and Cent Wales to Cent Scotland although this weakenedas the night wore on. During the day there were a few further outbreaks of rain and showers here but mostly in the E although parts of N Ireland and N Scotland also some some light rain at times. (St James Park 21.6C, Fair Isle 12.2C maximum, Braemar 6.9C minimum, Bradford 18.0 mm, Tiree 10.5 h.)
During the 20th high pressure spread E'wards into Ireland and Britain with MSL pressure close to 1024 mb in SW Ireland at 2400 GMT. There was an early ground frost in parts of Cent Scotland with overnight rainfall from SW Scotland through NW England to Essex. During the day this rain tended to move slowly E'wards but was slow to clear East Anglia and E England where it was a cloudy day. Parts of N Ireland, W Wales and SW Scotland saw the best of the sunshine but in most places it was a cool day for the time of year. (Exeter Airport 20.9C, Emley Moor 11.1C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 1.8C minimum, Gringley On The Hill 26.8 mm, St Athan 11.5 h.)
Although high pressure persisted across much of England and Wales during the 21st frontal cloud and rain was to affect W Scotland by the end of the day. Cent parts of Scotland and N Ireland had a cold start to the day and there was some rain in SE England and East Anglia for a time overnight. By dawn much of Cent, E and NE England had some mist or fog - this soon cleared with daytime temperatures in E England then rising to the late July average. There was some early drizzle and rain in parts of NE Scotland but much of W and Cent Scotlaand and N Ireland had rainfall pushed in from the W by midnight. Ahead of the frontal cloud it was a mainly sunny day elsewhere. (Rothamsted 21.7C, Fair Isle 13.1C maximum, Dalwhinnie 1.6C minimum, Fair Isle 3.6 mm, Camborne 14.2 h.)
During the 22nd there was a NW/SE split to the weather as frontal rain continued to W Ireland much of Scotland. The rain was fairly heavy in W Scotland during the day. In many parts of S England there was little cloud and over 13 h of bright sunshine and temperatures of 23C occurred widely during the day in E, SE and Cent S parts of England. (Sheffield 24.6C, Fair Isle 13.4C maximum, Frittenden 6.6C minimum, Harris Quidnish 29.8 mm, Camborne 15.0 h.)
The same NW/SE split in the weather was evident on the 23rd; under cloudy skies minimum temperatures across Scotland failed to drop below 15C in places with minima below 10C in parts of S England. During the day maximum temperatures reached 25-27C in much of E England but remained below 17C across most of Scotland. Overnigth rainfall was widespread in W and n ireland and across S and Cent Scotland. W and N Ireland and W Scotland in particular had some rain during the day, heavy in places. SW and cent S England ahd some early mist and fog patches but this then gave way to sunny spells with over 14h of bright sunshine in much of S and E England. (St James Park 28.1C, Fair Isle 13.4C maximum, Exeter Airport 7.3C minimum, Eskdalemuir 49.6 mm, Wattisham 15.1 h.)
The warm conditions in the SE corner spread a little further NW on the 24th as the extent of the frontal rainfall became confined along a slow-moving cold front through Tayside to West freugh and thence through Ireland. Some light falls also occured in parts of N England and N Wales. To the S of the front skies remained mostly clear and there were a few early mist patches - to the N of the front the cloud was broken and there were some outbreaks of light rain in the W. Southern and E England again had a very sunny day with over 14 h of sunshine with 27C being widely reported here and further W towards the front; 20C was reached in E Scotland. (St James Park 30.1C, St Bees Head 15.2C maximum, Cassley 7.4C minimum, Bridgefoot 13.8 mm, Yeovilton 15.0 h.)
Although the cold front remained slow-moving during the 25th there was rainfall overnight across S Scotland and N and Cent parts of Ireland - but very little rainfall during the day. Largely clear skies and some mist patches were the conditions overnight to the S of the rain with slightly more cloud further N. During the day there was a cloudy area from S Ireland to N England and broken cloud across N Scotland - with little cloud and long sunny spells elsewhere. Temperatures again rose to 30C in parts of the London area. (St James Park 30.7C, Fair Isle 13.5C maximum, Braemar 4.9C minimum, Keswick 9.2 mm, Glasgow 15.6 h.)
The 26th was the final widespread hot day of the heatwave as a pair of cold fronts began to make progress SE'wards across the British Isles. Therw as some overnight rain over and close to the N end of the Irish Sea and in SW Ireland and during the day these fall spread to S Scotland and other parts of N England - although totals remained low. Mist was widespread across England and Wales before dawn along with some fog patches and during the day the best of the sunshine was confined to parts of N Ireland, Cent S, SE England and parts of East Anglia. There was thunder on Jersey shortly before midnight. (Middle Wallop 28.5C, Fair Isle 12.4C maximum, Katesbridge 4.9C minimum, Durham 3.2 mm, Aldergrove 13.7 h.)
The 27th followed a mild night in S England - and began with mist patches here before dawn. As cold fronts continued to progress SE'wards there were outbreaks of mostly light rain across England, Wales and Ireland with some more general frontal rain later in the day across W Scotland and the Northern Isles associated with a low centre close to Orkney at 2400 GMT. Consequently E Scotland parts of W Ireland had the best of the sunshine. (Herstmonceux 27.0C, Tulloch Bridge 13.9C maximum, Eskdalemuir 5.8C minimum, Kinlochewe 15.0 mm, Bude and Shannon Airport 13.9 h.)
Overnight into the 28th frontal rain fell across much of N and W Scotland and in N and W Ireland - and this then spread into SE Ireland, N Wales and Cumbria by the evening. A little light rain also fell in parts of England early in the day with a few light showers in the SW corner later. Across Ireland the rain gave way to showers and it became rather intermittent across Scotland. (St James Park 23.0C, Ballypatrick Forest 13.3C maximum, Sennybridge 5.0C minimum, Dyce 13.8 mm, Filton 13.7 h.)
Low pressure over the Northern Isles on the 29th (centre 1002 mb over Orkney at 1200 GMT) meaant a blustery day in places with a N'ly/W'ly flow - and daytime temperatures again back below the average for late July. Most places saw some rain during the day - this often fell as showers that were heavy and thundery in places from Cent S England to E England. In between the showers most places had sunny periods. (Cambridge NIAB 21.1C, Lough Fea 12.7C, Baltasound 6.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 21.2 mm, Camborne 12.2 h.)
Ovrenight into the 30th rainfall was widespread across N Ireland and Scotland with some falls further S in parts of England, especially N England. These outtreaks continued during the day becoming more widespread across Wales and England - while a new area of frontal rain spread into SW Ireand later in the day also affecting S Wales and SW England. Thunderstorms were reported in Norfolk later in the morning. Except in SW England and S Ireland most areas had sunny periods in between the falls of rain. (St James Park 21.1C, Resallach 12.8C maximum, Aboyne 4.2C minimum, Aviemore 19.4 mm, Valley 11.4 h.)
There was a touch of ground frost in sheltered parts of Inland Scotland on the 31st but across Cent and S parts of Wales, Ireland and England it was a cloudy and mild night with frontal rain spreading rapidly E here to reach East Anglia by dawn. During the day the rain area moved only slightly N'wards across the Thames Valley - extending to affect much of N England and N Ireland by sunset. Scotland consequently had the best of the sunshine with much of England and Wales and S and cent Ireland having a dull day. (Exeter Airport 21.4C, Bingley 13.2C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 0.8C minimum, Lough Fea 14.0 mm, Kinloss 12.0 h.)
The 2nd was another unsettled day due to low preessure persisting close to W Ireland. Overnight there were falls of light rain in many areas with mist and fog around the Northern Isles. This low visibility persisted during the day, which was a dull one across N and cent Scotland. Elsewhere there were sunny periods and most of the daytime rainfall was confined to Wales, Cent and S England due to a passing trough. Some of the falls were heavy here in places with Marham reporting a thunderstorm later in the afternoon. (Holbeach 23.2C, Kinbrace 13.5C maximum, Tyndrum 4.9C minimum, Lyneham 21.0 mm, Tiree 13.6 h.)
During the 3rd the low pressure area moved slowly into SW IIreland, centred around Cork at 999 mb by 2400 GMT. Several areas had some falls of overnight rain or rain showers with a few heavy bursts close to the Midlands. After the rain cleared parts of Cent and N England had some fog patches before showery conditions developed during the day - with reports of thunder in places from Belmullet to Lincolnshire. The most widespread rainfall was to be found across Ireland with several places reporting falls of 12 mm or more in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. (Cavendish 23.4C, Lerwick 12.8C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 3.2C minimum, St Angelo 12.0 mm, Tiree 12.6 h.)
Low pressure remained centred close to, or over, the Irish Sea during the 4th. Except for places in Cent Scotland it was a mild night. Overnight precipitation was mostly confined to Ireland, Wales and S areas of England. Fog patches were widespread around dawn over N and Cent Scotland and these persisted in some E coast areas during the day. During the day there was widespread rain across S Ireland and much of England and Wales - and also in S Scotland. Thunder was reported during the day from S Scotland to the Channel Islands - but most areas had some sunshine in between the rain and showers. (Normanby Hall 23.5C, Fair Isle 11.9C maximum, Braemar 3.3C minimum, Chivenor 37.4 mm, Tiree 9.9 h.)
A shallow area of low pressure persisted over the British Isles on the 5th with generally cloudy skies and spells of rain in most areas as a result. Mist and fog patches formed in many areas overnight from S England to S Scotland before rainfall and showers became widespread during the day. There were also widespread reports of thundery activity, from the Channel Islands to NE England. Communities across Wales were hit by Sunday's deluge and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said they received 30 calls. In Wrexham, homes and streets were hit in Llay, Rossett and Gresford. (Donna Nook 22.8C, Stornoway 12.2C maximum, Santon Downham 8.1C minimum, Bradford 38.0 mm, Hurn 9.2 h )
As one area of low ppressure edged E'wards away from the British Isles on the 6th, another approached Ireland pushed a weak front across Ireland later in the day. There was widespread mist by dawn across E and Cent areas of England and Scotland with many parts of the British Isles having some light rain or drizzle overnight. Further rain and shoowers followed during the day - mainly in E areas of Britain while rain and drizzle fell across Ireland later in thr afternoon and into the evening. Some of the falls were accompanied by thunder from Cent S England to East Anglia. It was a mainly cloudy day but with sunny intervals. (Shoeburyness 23.1C, Blencathra 13.4C maximum, Shap 5.6C minimum, Blackpool 22.4 mm, Herstmonceux 9.3 h.)
The 7th was another mainly cloudy day although parts of NW Ireland and Cent Scotland had prolonged sunny spells with a lesser cloud cover. Overnight rainfall was concentrated across Ireland, Wales and NE Scotland - although falls were mostly slight. Falls became more prolonged and widespread during the day - especially across S areas of England and Wales, although the SE corner remained largely dry until the evening. Thunderstorms occurred in E parts of Yorkshire in the afternoon. (Donna Nook 22.1C, Fair Isle 13.6C maximum, Port Ellen 5.9C minimum, Topcliffe 16.8 mm, Glasgow 14.5 h.)
Although high pressure developed across the British Isles during the 8th (1026 mb over Northern Ireland at 2400 GMT), a weak front made for rather cloudy skies in S areas. S parts of England and Wales had some light rain and drizzle overnight, as did S Ireland, with mist and haze developing by dawn further N. During the day any rain and drizzle was mainly confined to near coastal areas of Cent S England - with mist and fog patches arounf the coasts of SW England. NE Scotland and the Northern isles also had some mist and light rain and drizzle - elsewhere it was a mainly dry and sunny day. (Church Lawford 24.0C, Fair Isle 12.9C maximum, Port Ellen 4.0C minimum, Chivenor 5.6 mm, Prestwick 13.8 h.)
High pressure intensified slightly during the 9th - MSL pressure at 2400 GMT was up to 1029 mb over SW Scotland. The day was a mainly dry one with long sunny spells - although parts of S Ireland and NW Scotland remained rather dull. Mist and fog patches formed widely by dawn across England, Wales and Ireland but were quick to clear. The Northern Iles and parts of E Scotland had some light falls of rain or drizzle; elsehwre after a dry day some mist reformed in the evening. Away from the coaast it was a warm day in SE England. (St James Park 27.8C, Fair Isle 13.2C maximum, Magilligan 3.2C minimum, Lerwick 1.2 mm, Valley 13.7 h.)
Away from N Scotland the 10th was a generally sunny day with teperatures rising above 20C except in the extreme N of Scotland and in some coastal districts. Early mist and fog patches soon gave way to sunny conditions - although some rain and drizzle fell in the Northern Isles during the day. In SE and Cent S England temperatures were widely above 25C by mid-afternoon. (Northolt 27.3C, Fair Isle 13.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 0.4C minimum, Milford Haven 1.0 mm, Prestwick 14.1 h.)
During the 11th the high pressure area receded away E'wards a little, introducing a NW'ly airflow to most areas. There was a cool start to the day in parts of N Scotland although frontal cloud kept temperatures above 18.3C at Valentia overnight. The night was generally dry; however, mist and fog patches affected many parts of Britain for a time before dawn. During the day the dry theme continued - although one or two places along the E coast of England and Scotland had a little rain. Later in the afternoon and evening rain and showers fell in SW Ireland, Cornwall and the Channel Islands with 2 mm falling at Valentia in the 12 hours to 1800 GMT. (Valley 24.9C, Fair Isle 14.2C maximum, Kinbrace 2.1C minimum, Chivenor 5.0 mm, Stornoway 13.4 h.)
The 12th was a warm day in SE England while Ireland, Wales and SW England had spells of rain resulting from NE'ward-moving troughs. These areas were affected by night an by day - with E England having some mist patches around dawn. With the rain affecting W areas - later affecting SW Scotlan - the best of the sunshine was to be found in Se England although here, too, cloud development reduced sunshine totals a little. In the W some of the showers turned thundery - with thunder heard at Dublin and Yeovilton, for example. (Northolt 27.2C, Fair Isle 14.1C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 3.8C minimum, Stormont Castle 7.8 mm, Wattisham 10.4 h.)
An area of low pressure to the W of Ireland pushed frontal systems N'wards across W and Cent parts of the British Isles on the 13th. Cloud from this system spilled into E districts and most places consequently had a rather cloudy day, although as rain turned to showers across Ireland it turned brighter here later on. Another sunny area was Shetland. Overnight rain was widespread across Ireland and also affected W Scotland, W Wales and SW England; there were also some falls in S Scotland and NW England. During the day the rain tended to move away from S Ireland - but became more widespread across Wales, SW England and W Scotland. In the evening light rain and drizzle spread into SE and E England. Thunderstorms affected Guernsey in the evening. (Santon Downham 24.9C, Inverbervie 14.9C maximum, Baltasound 11.1C minimum, Lough Fea 48.6 mm, Lerwick 12.7 h.)
Rainfall amounts varied greatly overnight into the 14th with 12-hour totals being large in parts of E Scotland, N Ireland and NW England. More than 1,000 households in Aberdeenshire were without electricity after overnight thunderstorms caused power cuts. Scottish Hydro Electric said customers in the Newmachar and Crathes areas lost the service at about 0100 BST. In Aberdeen city centre a power dip in the transmission network briefly reduced voltages. It turned brighter during the day in E England once the overnight rain had cleared and a warm day resulted here. E and NE Scotland had a rather cloudy day with most of the daytime rainfall falling from here to W Ireland. (Cambridge Niab 26.3C, Fair Isle 14.0C maximum, Spadeadam 10.9C minimum, Fyvie Castle 27.6 mm, Odiham 8.9 h.)
An active area of low pressure off W Ireland led to a cloudy and wet day in most parts of the British Isles on the 15th. Parts of E Scotland had fog patches overnight with mist forming in E England. By dawn frontal rain had spread across S Ireland and into SW England and the Channel Islands - with heavy falls in places. The rain area continued to move NE'wards during the day - with only Cent and N Scotland remaining dry by the evening. Again, falls were heavy in places with the rain reaching NE Scotland by midnight. The rain was accompanied by thunder in some areas - especially in Cent S England. Heavy rain and storms resulted in flooding in Northampton town centre. The downpours caused surface water of up to 20 cm, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue said, leading to problems on roads and for businesses. The Grosvenor Centre, Northampton's main shopping centre, closed from 1500 GMT while staff mopped up. (Marham 26.0C, Inverbervie 14.9C maximum, Aviemore 6.3C minimum, Stormont Castle 31.6 mm, Stornoway 10.2 h.)
All places had a fair amout of cloud cover during the 16th - this led to a mild night in all areas with overnight rain across Wales, Ireland, S and E Scotland and W parts of England. The rain made little progress E during the day with only a few showers reported here - but across Ireland there were further heavy falls during the day. (Cambridge NIAB 24.6C, Fair Isle 14.6C maximum, Charterhall 10.0C minimum, Portglenone 19.2 mm, Tiree 10.1 h.)
The 17th dawned after a wet night across SW England, Wales, Ireland and S and Cent parts os Scotland. Here, falls were heavy in places while in SE England it remained dry with minimum temperatures above 17C in many places. Se England and East Anglia then had a dry and warm day - the rain, however, moved slightly E to affect other parts of the British Isles. Over Ireland there was a clearance of the rain in the W and here, as in SE England and East Anglia, there were sunny periods. (Northolt 28.7C, Fair Isle 14.4C maximum, Kinbrace 6.3C minimum, Whitechurch 35.8 mm, Manston 10.2 h.)
Minimum temperatures into the 18th remained above 19-20C in parts of East Anglia and SE England - and a hot day followed here. Overnight rainfall was mosty confined to N England and Wales - with some falls in W Ireland and S Scotland, and also on the Northern Isles. This was the result of a slow-moving cold front that marked the presence of cooler conditions to the W. NW Scotland, Wales and N England were the main rain areas during the day with SE England and East Anglia being the sunniest districts. (Cavendish 32.4C, Fair Isle 15.5C maximum, Altnaharra 4.7C minimum, Levens Hall 19.4 mm, Manston 13.1 h.)
During the 19th the cold front started to edge into E parts of England with the result that although still hot, it wascooler than the previous day in East Anglia and SE England. Mist and fog, thick in places, was widespread before dawn in S England - but there was little rainfall overnight. During thee day rainfall became more widespread from Wales to Fife, with thunder in a few places. There were a few falls of rain later in SE England - with a trough giving another area of rain in SW Ireland in the evening. (Cambridge NIAB 31.1C, Fair Isle 15.7C maximum, Braemar 5.5C minimum, Warcop 14.4 mm, Heathrow 11.0 h.)
The cold front cleared Se England during the 20th but it was still a warm afternoon here with little rainfall. Most places had a fair amount of cloud cover at times during the day and although rainfall was widespread the greatest falls were confined to N Ireland and W Scotland. E and S England had widespread mist before dawn. (Cavendish 26.1C, Baltasound 15.4C maximum, Braemar 6.1C minimum, Harris Quidnish 20.8 mm, Valley 9.5 h.)
A W'ly surface flow produced spells of rain and showers in most areas on the 21st. Overnight these were largely confined to Ireland and to W parts of Wales and Scotland. Minimum temperatures remained above 15C overnight in parts of S Wales and SW England with some mist and fog patches forming in S areas of England and on the Channel Islands before dawn. During the day the showers made further progress E'wards although East Anglia and Kent remained largely dry. However, it was generally cloudy in E parts of Scotland and England (parts of NE England were an exception to this) - and the showers produced hail in places with thunder also reported from Ireland to E England and in parts of N and E Scotland. (Gravesend 24.4C, Lerwick 14.7C maximum, Braemar 6.5C minimum, Strathallan 17.0 mm, Cork Airport 10.4 h)
The showery, W'ly flow continued during the 22nd. Falls were heavy in places at times and N Ireland and Scotland saw the maority of the rainfall. However, in between the outbreaks of rain there were sunny intervals everywhere - with rather more prolonged sunshine in parts of SE and E England and across S and Cent Ireland. Lerwick, in particluar, had a wet day with 44 mm of rain falling in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT, followed by 21 mm in the next 12 hours. (Heathrow 23.4C, Fair Isle 12.9C maximum, Aboyne 7.8C minimum, Lerwick 65.2 mm, Leeming and Casement Aerodrome 10.9 h.)
Into the 23rd rainfall continued to affect much of Scotland and W and N ares of Ireland overnight, although Shetland was mainly dry. During the day the main rain areas were to be found in S Scotland and N Ireland. Most of Britain had sunny intervals although in Ireland it was rather cloudy as a depressions heading to SW Ireland brought cloud cover to most places by early morning. Cent and S parts of England had some mist and fog around dawn while light rain and drizzle affected much of S Ireland from mid-morning, before extending NE'wards across the country. (Gravesend 23.4C, Lerwick 14.0C maximum, Aboyne 6.3C minimum, Kirkwall 18.2 mm, Manston 7.7 h.)
An area of low pressure moved slowly across S Ireland into Cardigan Bay by midnight on the 24th. Bands of frontal cloud meant a cloudy day in most parts of the British Isles throughout the day although there were some bright spells in N Scotland and the extreme SE of England. Rain fell in most areas and became widespread across England and Wales by midnight. Thunderstorms occurred on the Channel Islands in the evening. (Weybourne 22.9C, Sennybridge 14.7C maximum, Altnaharra 4.2C minimum, Plymouth 23.4 mm, Stornoway 5.3 h.)
The low centre crossed E'wards through Wales and Cent England during the 25th giving spells of rain to all areas from time to time. As the rain moved generally E'wards it did brighten up in the W, across Ireland and in W Scotland - but in parts of Wales, England and S and E Scotland it was a sunless day. The rain was heavy in places with thunder being widespread across S and E areas of England during the day. Flash flooding in Derbyshire prompted dozens of calls to emergency services. The fire and rescue service said concerned residents in Dronfield and Barlow contacted them on Saturday night. While only minor damage was reported, the A617 from Temple Normanton to junction 29 of the M1 was closed for several hours. Dance festival Creamfields was cancelled on its final day after heavy rain flooded the site. Organisers of the three-day event in Daresbury, Cheshire, said downpours overnight had left many areas unusable. (Cavendish 23.9C, Lerwick 12.6C maximum, Braemar 4.4C minimum, Preston Moor Park 36.6 mm, Tiree 10.9 h.)
The rain continued to clear E areas of England and Scotland into the 26th and there were only light falls during the day and Britain and most places had some sunny intervals. However, during the day frontal bands gave cloud and then rain and drizzle across SW Ireland and this spread to most parts of Ireland and into SW Scotland by midnight. (Writtle 22.3C, Fair Isle 12.0C maximum, Katesbridge 2.6C minimum, Coningsby 13.2 mm, Leuchars 9.3 h.)
Frontal rainfall was widespread overnight into the 27th across Ireland and there were falls across Wales and SW England by dawn. During the day this rain then spread E'wards to affect all but parts of East Anglia and SE England by the evening - with some heavy falls in places and giving a rather dull day in all but W Ireland; here, as the rain moved away there were sunny periods later in the day. Residents in the Perthshire village of Comrie spent the day clearing up after heavy flooding saw fire crews battle overnight to control the water. The River Ruchill, which is a tributary of the River Earn, burst its bank on Monday night following heavy rain. Heavy rain and strong winds caused problems on the roads, and some flooding, in Dumfries and Galloway. (Heathrow 22.6C, Inverbervie 13.0C maximum, Baltasound 0.6C minimum, Whitechurch 43.4 mm, Connaught Airport 6.7 h.)
Overnight into the 28th rain tended to cleared E'wards away from Scotland and England - this cleared to give a short period of mist and fog patches in Cent England around dawn. A few showers followed the rain but most places then had a day with sunny periods and partial cloud cover. Another area of rain affected NW Scotland and NW Ireland during the day while further frontal cloud and rain spread across Ireland in the evening. (Heathrow 24.2C, Loch Glascarnoch 14.1C maximum, Aboyne 8.0C minimum, Kinlochewe 38.0 mm, Odiham 10.4 h.)
During thee 29th an area of low pressure moved across Ireland towards the Isle of Man, giving spells of rain, heavy in places at times, to all areas. MSL pressure was down to around 998 mb on W Ireland at 1200 GMT and N and E Scotland in particular had a dull day. In Scotland engineering works were taking place through the night to clear landslip damage to the rail line between Stirling and Dunblane after a day of severe downpours and stormy conditions across parts of Scotland. Some areas were hit by flash floods and rail and road travel was disrupted. A stretch of the A7 has reopened after flood waters swept debris across the route, leaving it in a "dangerous state". (Weybourne 22.3C, Stornoway 13.1C maximum, Ravensworth 6.1C minimum, South Uist 35.2 mm, Valley 6.0 h.)
The 30th brought a ridge of high pressure to W areas by midnight (MSL pressure 1032 mb in SW Ireland by 2400 GMT), but not until some heavy rain had affected parts of N England. Overnight was widespread from NE Scotland to N England and through to Wales; 43 mm of rain fell in 12 hours ending 0600 GMT at St Bees Head. Parts of Cumbria were hit by flash flooding after a night of heavy rain. The Met Office said 40mm of rain fell in less than three hours, affecting areas including Sandwith, Egremont, St Bees, Beckermet, Gosforth, Ravenglass and Seascale. A train carrying workers to the Sellafield nuclear plant derailed when it struck a landslide south of St Bees, near Nethertown, at about 0620 GMT. The passengers were rescued and put on a replacement train, but it was forced to stop because of another landslide. Torrential downpours in the Isle of Man led to the closure of a number of the island's roads. The emergency services control room was inundated with calls after heavy rainfall caused numerous floods along the east of the island. As the rain moved away E'wards during the day it turned generally brighter from the W. (Lee-on-Solent 22.3C, Fylingdales 11.3C maximum, Tulloch Bridge 4.7C minimum, St Bees Head 42.6 mm, Glasgow 12.2 h.)
There was an unusually cold start to the 31st with a widespread inland ground frost from N Scottland to Cent S England - although in W Ireland grass minimum temperatures remained above 10C. The air was brought by a N'ly flow and was dry, leading to strong overnight cooling. According to the Met Office several places reported their lowest-ever August temperature, including Aviemore -1.8C, Benson 2.1C and Bradford 2.8C (where records began in 1908). The majority of the overnight rain fell in W Ireland - where a front gave 2 mm in 12 hours ending 0600 GMT at Belmullet. During the day this rain spread into N Ireland and across much of Scotland, and both here and across Ireland it was a mostly cloudy day. E England, however, had sunny skies for much of the day and temperatires rose to 18C in parts of SE England. (Lee-on-Solent 19.6C, Tyndrum 11.7C maximum, Braemar -2.4C minimum, Dunstaffnage 8.2 mm, Manston 10.3 h.)
A SE-ward moving cold front gave most places a spell of rain on the 2nd after a mild night with minimum temperatures around 15C in places close to the Irish Sea. During the day low cloud was to give some mist and fog patches in some coastal areas of SW England and Wales - and across S England as a whole it was a rather dull day as the front became slow-moving here later in the day. (Donna Nook 23.6C, Lerwick 13.4C maximum, Castlederg 8.1C minimum, Gogerddan 24.2 mm, Ronaldsway 10.4 h.)
High pressure on the 3rd gave a relatively settled spell of weather to many areas. Overnight there were widespread patches of mist and fog acroiss S Ireland and S and Cent parts of England and Wales while n Scotland had outbreaks of rain. This rain continued across N Scotland during the day with further falls in Ireland and W Scotland - although falls in these ares were mainly slight. Once the fog cleared in S districts it was generally a sunny day here although cloud cover increased in the S later into the evening. It was quite a warm day in the Home Counties. An area of more general frontal rain and drizzle affected W Ireland and W Scotland before midnight. (Gravesend 25.5C, Fair Isle 14.0C maximum, Katesbridge 5.9C minimum, Lusa 21.2 mm, Wattisham 10.7 h.)
Overnight rain across Scotland, Ireland and parts of Wales moved a lttle further E on the 4th before tending to fade as a large area of high pressure built from the W; by 2400 GMT the MSL pressure at Valentia was 1031.3 mb. On East Anglia and SE England it was a warm day (after a cool start for some) once early mist and fog had cleared from S England. Most places away from NW and N Scotland had long spells of sunshine during the day - in N Scotland a trough brought further rainfall in the evening. (Frittenden 26.5C, Dalwhinnie 13.7C maximum, Cavendish 7.4C minimum, Porthmadog 6.0 mm, Leuchars 11.2 h.)
High pressure remained centred close to S Ireland during the 5th - the result being a mostly dry day with sunny periods; in S England there were long sunny spells due to low amounts of cloud. Only a few slight falls of rain were to be found in N Scotland due to a weak trough here early in the day. (Lee-on-Solent 22.5C, Lerwick 11.8C maximum, Sennybridge 2.8C minimum, South Uist 4.2 mm, Heathrow 12.3 h.)
There was a N-S split in the weather on the 6th as high pressure persisted across S England and a sequence of fronts pushed S'wards across Scotland. After some light rain in N Scotland overnight, rain was heavy in places across Scotland and patchy rain fell as far S as Cumbria during the day. Further S, there was a slight ground frost in places in E Wales and in parts of S and Cent England. S and Cent Ireland, Wales and England then had a sunny day once early mist and fog patches in S and Cent England had lifted. This mist and fog reformed before midnight in some S counties of England. (Cavendish 22.2C, Lerwick 12.5C maximum, Santon Downham 1.6C minimum, Kinlochewe 32.0 mm, Aberporth 12.1 h.)
The N-S split continued into the 7th. Light to moderate rain fell in places at times on, and to the N of, a cold front across much of Scotland, N Ireland and N England although the extreme N of Scotland remained mostly dry. S and Cent England had a mostly very sunny day once early mist and fog had cleared; elsewhere to the S of the front there was partial cloud cover which allowed some sunny intervals. Away from the coast in East Anglia and SE England it was a rather warm day. (Northolt 26.7C, Lerwick 12.8C maximum, Hurn 4.4C minimum, Blencathra 12.2 mm, Manston 12.5 h.)
The area of high pressure edged away SE'wards on the 8th leaving a rather slack Sw'ly flow across the British Isles by midnight. Overnight the frontal rain tended to affect W areas of Ireland and Scotland before fading out (although Shetland had some heavy rain during the day) while across England and Wales the early fog was quite widespread - as far N as Yorkshire and quite thick in places. The fog soon cleared, however, and much of England, Wales and S Ireland then had a sunny day - as did parts of E Scotland. East Anglia and places around London had a very warm afternoon. (St James Park 28.2C, Lerwick 12.5C maximum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 3.3C minimum, Lerwick 12.2 mm, Camborne 11.9 h.)
Overnight into the 9th there was some rainfall in N Scotland and W Ireland - the latter rain area then moved E'wards during the day giving falls across Wales and SW Scotland by the evening. In E England it was a generally sunny day after early haze and mist had cleared - but in the evening it clouded over here somewhat as the rain arrived in NW England and Cent S England - following a very warm day in England, from E Yorkshire S'wards. (Cambridge NIAB 29.3C, Harris Quidnish 14.3C maximum, South Newington 2.8C minimum, Port Ellen 11.2 mm, Manston 10.9 h.)
The 10th was a generally cloudy day with rainfall being particularly persistent and slow-moving W of a line Durham-Solent; further E falls were slight. These E areas had a warm night with grass minimum temperatures above 13C in most places. The cloud kept daytime temperatures lower here than in recent days - and some rain fell in these E areas in the evening. (Shoeburyness 23.6C, Dalwhinnie 11.1C maximum, Kinbrace 7.4C minimum, Capel Curig 30.8 mm, Manston 8.6 h.)
Rainfall gave way to sunshine and showers on the 11th with some heavy falls in parts of Wales, N England and W Scotland. Cent and S England, along with East Anglia were largely dry and most places across the British Isles had some spells of sunshine between the showers. During the evening frontal rain pushed E'wards into W Ireland. (Shoeburyness 19.4C, Dalwhinnie 8.5C maximum, Aboyne 1.7C minimum, Rochdale 15.6 mm, Leuchars 9.8 h.)
A wave depression formed on a front close to N England on the 12th - and the associated frontal system brought a spell of rainfall to many areas - with more rainfall also across N Scotland during the day. Ahead of the rain there was some early ground frost in sheltered parts of E Scotland and Cent England before the skies clouded over. While N England remained mostly cloudy during the day, elsehwre there were sunny spells - either ahead of, or after, the rainfall. (Wisley 19.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.9C maximum, South Newington 2.3C minimum, Machrihanish 23.0 mm, Leuchars 10.0 h.)
There was some rain across W Ireland and N Scotland overnight into the 13th and this then became more widespread across much of Scotland during the day due to the passage of frontal systems, with some heavy falls in NW Scotland. A few sheltered areas from N England to E Wales and Cent S England had a slight ground frost around dawn. Clearing skies in the SE corner of England led to some fog patches here around dawn but once these cleared much of S England had a sunny day. Across Scotland it was rather dull; elsewhere, there were sunny periods. Later into the evening a cold front arrived from the NW across SW Ireland to SE Scotland, bringing some rain and drizzle as far E as Wales. (Killowen 19.9C, Lerwick 12.1C maximum, Benson 1.1C minimum, Kinlochewe 46.4 mm, Hurn 11.3 h.)
During the morning of the 14th a cold front crossed SE through England and Wales - giving little rainfall here but introducing a NW'ly flow that gave spells if intermittent rain and showers across Scotland. Pressure rose slightly from the SW to reach 1021 mb at Scilly and Valentia by 2400 GMT. There were varying amounts of cloud cover behind the front resulting in sunny intervals in most places. (St James Park 21.8C, Tulloch Bridge 11.3C maximum, Resallach 8.0C minimum, Cassley 34.8 mm, Boulmer 9.0 h.)
The 15th dawned after a cool night across much of England and Wales - elsewhere cloud kept minimum temperatures a little higher. There was a little rain overnight in N Scotland and some mist and fog patches formed in parts of S England before dawn - although this soon cleared. During the day a few W areas of Britain and Ireland had some showers while across much of E Scotland and E England it was a sunny day. (Heathrow 22.9C, Sennybridge 13.0C maximum, Shobdon 3.0C minimum, Resallach 8.8 mm, Odiham 11.1 h.)
The 16th saw a pair of cold fronts moving quickly SE'wards across the British Isles - with the result that most places had some rainfall during the day. Falls were heavy across some hilly areas in the W and N, but it was not until late evening that rainfall, mainly light, reached SE and some E areas of England. With increasing cloud cover here during the day, the best of the sunshine was to be found to the rear of the fronts. (Holbeach 20.3C, Lerwick 12.8C maximum, Fyvie Castle 6.0C minimum, Capel Curig 28.6 mm, Lerwick 7.8 h.)
Cent and S England had some shallow fog early on the 17th with organised lines of rain giving some moderate falls overnight over W Scotland and NW Ireland. During the day the rainfall was widespread across Scotland, much of Ireland and also affected parts of N England and Wales. However, here and elsewhere, varying amounts of cloud also meant a day with sunny periods. (Manston 20.4C, Dalwhinnie 10.6C maximum, Shawbury 4.0C minimum, Cluanie Inn 20.0 mm, Charlwood 8.2 h.)
High pressure to the SW of the British Isles on the 18th meant a NW'ly surface flow in all areas with a few lines of rainfall giving slight to moderate falls over Scotland, Ireland, wales and W areas of England at times. Early in the day there were ground frosts in NE Scotland - most places then had sunny spells, or longer periods of sunshine in E parts of England and Ireland where the cloud was less extensive. (St James Park 19.3C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.0C maximum, Aboyne 0.3C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 21.0 mm, Lyneham 10.3 h.)
The 19th was a mainly dry day in many Cent and E areas due to the presence of high pressure in the south. Light winds and patchy cloud led to a ground frost in many inland areas of the British Isles altohugh close to W coasts there were some showery falls of rain before dawn. This rainfall distribution continued during the day with the best of the sunshine to be found in E and S parts of Britain. In the evening a warm front spread some rain into SW Ireland. (Heathrow 17.8C, Lerwick 9.6C maximum, Topcliffe 0.1C minimum, Stonyhurst 14.4 mm, Yeovilton 10.3 h.)
The warm front moved NE'wards early on the 20th and then became stationary as a wave formed along it over N England. Parts of N Scotland in particular had an early ground frost before rainfall became widespread by dawn across many areas from the N Midlands N'wards. During the day rainfall was persistent, heavy and slow-moving over N England and S Scotland - with rather cloud consitions elsewhere, although N Scotland had broken cloud and sunny spells. (Wisley 18.8C, Salsburgh 9.1C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -0.3C minimum, Saughall 48.8 mm, Lerwick 7.6 h.)
There was a widespread inland griound frost across N and Cent Scotland and in parts of Northern Ireland on the 21st, but to the S of this cloudy skies gave persistent frontal rain overnbight across S Scotland, N parts of England and Wales and in other parts of N and Cent Ireland. During the day this rain area moved steadily S'wards with many parts of England and Wales having a wet day - although there was little rain across Ireland as an area of high pressure that developed here, centred over W Ireland at 1022 mb by 2400 GMT. As a result it was a dull day over E and S England - but sunnier further W and N. (Cardiff Bute Park 18.3C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 8.8C maximum, Tyndrum -0.7C minimum, Stonyhurst 17.4 mm, Glasgow 10.6 h.)
The anticyclone slowly moved E'wards across the British Isles on the 22nd. Away from cloudier S and E parts of England, and also away from W and S Ireland, there was a widespread ground frost early in the day with an air frost in many parts of Scotland, especially. Any overnight rain in East Anglia soon cleared and Cent and S England then had some mist before dawn as did parts of Wales and Cent Scotland. In parts of SE Wales and SW England the fog was slow to clear, but the day was a generally dry one everywhere with most places having long, sunny spells. (Lee-on-Solent 17.2C, Fair Isle 10.5C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -3.1C minimum, Wattisham 2.0 mm, Aberporth 10.9 h.)
The 23rd brought a deepening area of low pressure towards S England from the SW. There was an early air frost in Cent Scotland and in parts of S Scotland; in most places the night was a dry one but by dawn rain was falling in Cent S and SW England and the Channel Islands. N England and E Scotland had mist and fog patches before dawn - then, during the day the rain in the S moved steadily N'wards to affect most of Wales, the Midlands, S England and East Anglia by the evening, before reaching S Scotland by midnight. There were also lesser falls in E Ireland. The rainfall was heavy in places with thunder on Guernsey during late morning. It was windy later in the day in the S; a woman was struck by a falling tree branch in Kew Gardens. New Zealand-born account manager Erena Wilson, 31, from London, died instantly when she was hit by the branch while walking in the gardens with friends. (Swanage 16.2C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 7.7C maximum, Braemar -4.1C minimum, Wiggonholt 29.6 mm, Aldergrove 9.5 h.)
N'ward-moving low pressure centred close to E England on the 24th (down to 977 mb at 2400 GMT close to Tees-side) resulted in a cool, wet day for much of the British Isles. Overnight only parts of N and Cent Scotland remained dry, while during the day it was the Western isles and Shetland that stayed largely dry - although in S Ireland, SW England and the Channel Islands falls of rain were slight. Rainfall was heavy overnight across Wales and SW England and this heavier rain then transferred to N Ireland, N Wales and N England during the day. Torrential rain and 70mph winds caused flooding and transport chaos across parts of the UK. Ten people were rescued from their flooded homes in Merseyside by firefighters using inflatable rafts. Authorities in Cheshire said roads were closed and sandbags issued as part of emergency planning for more than 70 properties either flooded or under threat in Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port. Firefighters in the Bristol area said they attended some 200 flood-related incidents, rescuing nine people. The rail network was badly hit by heavy rain, with delays or suspensions to trains in Devon and Cornwall and the West Coast Main Line. Three schools in Shropshire are closed due to flooding and all trains between Great Malvern and Hereford were cancelled after rain caused part of the embankment to subside; there was also major travel disruption in Devon and Cornwall, with some London trains suspended. The village of Chew Magna in Somerset was cut off by flooding after heavy rain. Train lines in the west of Cheshire were badly affected, with services to Liverpool and north Wales suspended. Severe flooding was reported in Wedmore, near Wells, Somerset, with water up to about 1 m deep in some homes. (Hurn 17.1C, Banagher Caugh Hill 8.3C maximum, Aboyne 0.5C minimum, Rhyl 69.2 mm, Camborne 7.6 h.)
A deep area of low pressure remained centred over, or close to, N England throughout the 25th. According to the Met Office the lowest air pressure of 973 mb being recorded in the morning helped to make this the most intense September low over the UK since 1981 (970 mb over Cent England). However in September 1995 pressure fell as low as 966 mb on the 7th in Cornwall and Scilly - although in 2012 the low affected a much wider area of the UK. Overnight rain affected Ireland, Wales, N England and cent, E and S parts of Scotland with further heavy falls across N England in particular. These areas continued to experience rainfall during the day - along with other parts of England and N Scotland. Again, falls were heavy across N Wales and N England. In East Anglia, SE and much of S England there were sunny periods in between the rainfall, although for most places it was a dull, damp and cool day. Rainfall totals for the from 0000 GMT on Sunday morning to 0700 GMT this morning show some areas have had more than twice their usual September rainfall in this period. Ravensworth, in North Yorkshire, had 107.8 mm falling, over 200% of its average September rainfall. Killylane, in Antrim saw 98.2 mm, with 72.4 mm in Filton and 65.2 mm at Dunkeswell Aerodrome. Electricity supplies were switched off to almost 40 homes after parts of Merseyside were hit by floods. Police said flooding in Fouracres, Maghull, led to the power being turned off as a precautionary measure in 36 homes. In St Helens, the River Sankey burst its banks and firefighters using inflatable rafts helped move 10 residents from Blackbrook Road. Transport was disrupted with part of the A1 closed in North Yorkshire and the East Coast mainline hit. Among the areas worst hit by flooding were Morpeth, Durham, Rothbury, Chester-le-Street and Stockton-on-Tees. Some 19 elderly residents at a council care home in Gilling West, North Yorkshire, had to be carried to safety by firefighters after it became swamped by 1 m of water. Cleveland Police declared a major incident due to weather conditions, with around 29 properties in Stockton evacuated by the emergency services as water levels rose to around 1.2 m. Heavy rain and severe winds caused power cuts and travel problems and swept sand-filled foam into parts of Scotland. Floods in Bristol caused one of the country's biggest blood and plasma banks to close, with thousands of units transferred to other centres by refrigerated lorries. A crew of refuse collectors had to be rescued by firefighters at Eryholme, North Yorkshire, when a river burst its banks and swamped their truck. A modern block of flats was evacuated in Newburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, after fears its foundations were being washed away. (Heathrow 17.1C, Fylingdales 8.7C maximum, Charlwood 6.1C minimum, Bainbridge 63.2 mm, Wattisham 8.3 h.)
During the 26th the low centres moved from N Wales towards SW England and thence to Cherbourg, with the heaviest rainfall tending to moved S'wards also during the day. Rainfall intensity tended to decrease comapred to recent days and, except in Cent England and E Wales, most areas had spells of sunshine. Rainfall was widespread in the early hours but by late evening Ireeland was largely dry and mist and fog was forming in parts of SE and E England as the rain stopped. Hail was observed at Eskdalemuir annd thunderstorms were reported in some parts of Wales and S England during the day. A boy was been struck by lightning just after 1400 GMT, leaving him in a "serious but stable condition" in a Wiltshire hospital. The River Ouse burst its banks causing flooding to homes and businesses in York city centre. Families in Stockton-on-Tees were rescued by boat after a deluge of rain flooded their homes; volunteers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution were called to the Bishopton Road area of the town. (Walney Island 17.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.6C maximum, Strathallan 6.2C minimum, Wiggonholt 23.4 mm, Aldergrove 5.6 h.)
It was a cool start to the 27th in some places but with further falls of rain in parts of Britain and Northern Ireland. As pressure rose these generally eased off across England and Wales but further rain spread E'wards across W Scotland during the morning - the falls becoming more widespread here, and also across most of Ireland, later in the day. In between the showers much of England, Wales and E Scotland had some sunny intervals. (Lee-on-Solent 17.9C, Dalwhinnie 9.5C maximum, Braemar 1.4C minimum, Milford Haven 9.0 mm, Filton 7.8 h.)
Low pressure centred close to Scotland on the 28th gave a windy day here and brough spells of rain across most parts of the British Isles from the W. There was an early ground frost in parts of E Scotland and despite the frontal rain some places did manage to remain largely dry during the day. Pressure then rose from the SW to about 1019 mb in SW Ireland by 2400 GMT - and there were sunny intervals for most places at some time during the day. (Gravesend 19.2C, Dalwhinnie 9.6C maximum, Aboyne 2.9C minimum, Cluanie Inn 22.8 mm, Leuchars 8.3 h.)
A ridge of high pressure across S areas of the British Isles on the 29th gave a mainly dry night here - but across N Scotland there were some outbreaks of rain from fronts associated with the low pressure to the N. At 0000 GMT MSL pressure ws down to 991 mb at Lerwick. As the ridge moved awa to the E an area of rain and showers spread acrss Ireland much of Scotland by midnight - although it was a rather sunny day across much of England, SE Scotland and E Ireland. There were some heavy falls across W Scotland during the afternoon and evening. (St James Park 17.0C, Cluanie Inn 10.1C maximum, Fylingdales 3.8C minimum, Cassley 28.6 mm, Manston 10.8 h.)
Although pressure remained relatively high in S areas on the 30th frontal rain affected W areas of the british Isles for much of the day - although SW England remained largely dry until the evening. Sunny spells followed the rain across Ireland and much of Scotland; it was a rather cloudy in most of England and Wales, except in the E of East Anglia and in Kent - although the rain did not reach Lincolnshire and the E Midlands until late in the evening. (Dyce 18.2C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 12.4C maximum, Frittenden 1.1C minimum, Capel Curig 47.8 mm, Kinloss 6.9 h.)
The 2nd was a rather unsettled day with low pressure centred at 991 mb over E Scotland by 2400 GMT. Minimum temperatures remained above 12C in places along the English Channel with areas of rain affecting much of Wales, Ireland and W and S Scotland overnight. These falls became more widespread during the day with only places E of a line Lincoln-Brighton remaining largely dry during the day. Again, however, the rainfall was interspersed with sunny intervals in most areas. (Gravesend 18.4C, Dalwhinnie 9.9C maximum, Fyvie Castle 4.2C minimum, Shap 46.2 mm, Kirkwall 6.6 h.)
Low pressure remained close to Shetland during the 3rd, leading to another unsettled day; at 1200 GMT Lerwick was reporting MSL pressure down to 986.9 mb. There was some ground frost before dawn in parts of N Scotland but, overnight rainfall continued to be fairly widespread. More rain and showers continued during the day, with thunder being heard on Anglesey and in Somerset and Suffolk and also in a few other counties in S and Cent England. However, in many parts of E England and East Anglia was mainly dry. (Cambridge NIAB 16.4C, Blencathra 8.6C maximum, Kinbrace -3.2C minimum, Stonyhurst 39.2 mm, Cork Airport 9.1 h.)
A weak ridge formed for a while across S areas on the 4th but soon gave way to a developing low, centred off N Cornwall at 999 mb by 2400 GMT. It was a dry night in many areas overnight with an air frost in parts of N Ireland and SW Scotland - and many areas of E and N England, and Ireland, having mist or fog forming by dawn. This mist and fog soon cleared and a trough then gave rainfall to most areas of Ireland during the day; much of the UK also had a dry day although Wales was an exception to this. (Exeter Airport 16.9C, Dalwhinnie 9.9C maximum, Katesbridge -1.9C minimum, Crosby 18.0 mm, St Helier 9.7 h.)
The low close to Cornwall pushed rapidly towards Denmark by noon on the 5th giving widespread rainfall overnight before 0600 GMT across England and Wales - with further rain overnight across further N due to troughs. Falls were heavy in places particularly in SW England. Further N there was an air frost in places, and a widespread ground frost, in N Scotland. Rainfall during the day was largely to S England and the Channel Islands due to a lingering front associated with the tail end of the low - and there were also some falls in parts of Ireland and Scotland. (Jersey Airport 18.5C, Leek 9.5C maximum, Kinbrace -4.4C minimum, Chivenor 34.6 mm, Leuchars 8.4 h.)
The front across S England brought another spell of rain overnight to S districts of England and Wales, especially to SW England. In SW England the rain was heavy in places and led to some flooding in S Devon. Several flood warnings were issued on rivers in south-west England. Elsewhere, the 6th started off mainly dry except in N Scotland where another front brought further rain - and there was a widespread ground frost in places in the dry areas from E Scotland to the West Midlands. During the day rainfall was mainly confined to N Scotland; some areas in S Ireland, N England and the Midlands had some early fog that soon cleared. (Solent MRSC 16.6C, Lerwick 8.3C maximum, Katesbridge -1.9C minimum, Okehampton 28.2 mm, St Athan 10.4 h.)
An area of high pressure moved E'wards across the British Isles on the 7th (centred off Anglesey at 1200 GMT, 1024 mb) leading to a widespread ground away from coasts before dawn and an air frost as far S as parts of S Wales. It was a dry day, apart from a little rain in NW Scotland overnight, until late afternoon when frontal rain spread into SW England and S Ireland. Many parts of England and Ireland had fog around dawn - this then cleared to give sunny spells except in SW England and S Ireland where it soon turned cloudy. In the evening rain spread N'wards into the SW Midlands and Cent Ireland. (Herstmonceux 16.3C, Spadeadam 9.7C maximum, Tyndrum -2.9C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 20.4 mm, Boulmer 10.1 h.)
The 8th dawned with an air frost in parts of Cent Scotland, some thick fog in parts of NE England and the N Midlands, and rain and drizzle falling across S and Cent Ireland, S Wales and SW and Cent S England. 25 mm fell in the 24 hours ending 0600 GMT at Jersey Airport. The fog soon cleared to mist but the rain was rather persistent, only slowly clearing in the W and advancing towards the E. It remained rather misty or hazy across many parts of England during the day with fog thickening in the evening in places. There was also rainfall in N Scotland during the day - with S Scotland and N Ireland having the best of the sunshine. (Jersey Airport 18.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 7.8C maximum, Braemar -4.5C minimum, East Malling 26.0 mm, Boulmer 8.9 h.)
Despite high pressure to the N, frontal cloud and some rain and drizzle persisted across S England during the 9th. Cent Scotland had an air frost in places with ground frost being widespread overnight from N England and Dublin, N'wards. Fog, mist and haze were widespread across England and Wales before dawn - soon clearing but reforming in parts if Ireland, Wales and SW England in the evening. Away from the SW corner of the British Isles it was a day with sunny periods - although N parts of Scotland were also rather cloudy with some frontal rain. (St Helier 17.5C, Lake Vyrnwy 8.0C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -4.9C minimum, North Wyke 19.2 mm, Leeming 9.8 h.)
The 10th dawned with widespread mist and fog across much of Ireland, SW and N England and in Wales and Cent Scotland. There was also a widespread air frost in E and Cent Scotland - on the W flank of an area of high pressure. Rain fell overnight in S Ireland and in parts of S England from a slow-moving warm front - the front pushed W'wards but with minimal rainfall; during the day another area of rain affected S Wales and the Channel Isles in particular. E and Cent Scotland had a bright day, as did parts of E England - elsewhere it remained rather cloudy or dull with the mist lingering for much of the morning in parts of Ireland. (Jersey Airport 18.0C, Lake Vyrnwy 9.2C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -5.3C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 14.8 mm, Manston 9.3 h.)
Low pressure dominated the weather on the 11th with low pressure centres over the British Isles for much of the day. It was rather cloudy overnight - with rain across Ireland, Wales and in W areas of the UK. After a misty start in the E, the rain spread E'wards with some heavy falls in N Ireland, Wales and NW England. Temperatures rose above 15C in parts of N Scotland in the S'ly flow - but it was a rather dull day in most areas. Fire crews dealt with more than 60 cases of localised flooding in the Isle of Man after more than 25 mm of rain fell in a matter of hours. A woman and her 13-year-old daughter were rescued from a tree after their car was swept away by flood water. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the girl called for help at 1815 GMT after the car was washed off the road near Sheepwash. It wedged against a tree and the woman and girl had to climb through the sun roof on to the tree to escape. (Exeter Airport, Jersey Airport 17.7C, Carterhouse 9.7C maximum, Aboyne -2.2C minimum, Tiree 40.8 mm, Cork Airport 4.9 h.)
Low pressure remained close to E Scotland during the 12th. Overnight rainfall was widespread E of a line Malin Head-Southampton with heavy falls in places. During the day the rain was mainly confined to Scotland with some heavy falls in N and E parts. Further bands of rain affected parts of Ireland and SW Britain - although elsewhere across Ireland, Wales and England it turned brighter with sunny spells. The heavy rain over parts of Scotland led to localised flooding causing disruption to travel. Roads in Fife and Tayside were badly affected and some drivers had to be rescued from their vehicles. Three people were trapped in properties in Dura Den, in Fife after heavy rain caused a river to burst its banks and tore down part of a house. Thunder was reported in the Channel Islands in the late evening. (St Helier 15.3C, Tyndrum 7.2C maximum, Katesbridge 0.7C maximum, Lentran 54.0 mm, Hawarden 8.2 h.)
The low pressure centre persisted across Scotland during the 13th, giving further outbreaks of rain in many areas at times during the 24 hours. There was thunder at first overnight and around dawn on the Channel Islands. Scotland had a mainly dull day although rainfall amounts decreased as the day progressed. S Scotland, E Ireland and parts of N and Cent England had an early ground frost, with some fog in the Midlands, followed by a day with sunshine and showers. (St Helier 14.2C, Pennerley 8.1C maximum, Katesbridge -3.1C minimum, Gogerddan 24.6 mm, Leeming 7.4 h.)
The shallow low pressure centre remained close to the Irish Sea on the 14th. There was an air frost in parts of NE England, Wales, the Midlands and Cent S England with early mist and fog here and in E England. Overnight, rainfall was mainly confined to Scotland, NE Ireland and parts of W Wales. During the day, E Scotland and areas around the Irish Sea were the wettest places, albeit with some falls elsewhere. The fog lasted until late morning in parts of Cent S England - but it was elsewhere here and in the midlands that saw the best of the sunshine. (Cardiff Bute Park 14.1C, Killylane 8.2C maximum, Sennybridge -2.7C minimum, Inverbervie 18.0 mm, Lyneham 10.0 h.)
On the 15th the British Isles continued to be under the influence of a complex area of low pressure. Away from S Ireland and SW areas of Wales and England there was a widespread ground frost by dawn with mist and a few fog patches across much of England and Ireland by this time. Rain fell overnight across much of Scotland and in parts of Wales and N England in particular. During the day rain persisted across N Scotland and also affected many areas of England and Wales - along with S and Cent Ireland. S Scotland and N Ireland had the best of the sunshine - but in many places it was a rather dull day. (Exeter Airport 15.6C, Aviemore 6.3C maximum, Tyndrum -2.7C minimum, Liscombe 25.0 mm, Prestwick 7.7 h.)
One area of low pressure moved from Ireland across N England early on the 16th while later another headed from SW Ireland. MSL pressure at Valentia by 2400 GMT was down to 983.3 mb. Parts of Scotland had a sharp ground frost to start the day - elsewhere there was widespread overnight rain - which moved steady NE'wards so that after dawn rainfall was mainly confined to S and E Scotland and parts of N England. After some sunshine it clouded over in the evening in S Ireland with much of Cent and S Ireland then having rain before midnight. (St Helier 16.3C, Aviemore 3.2C maximum, Braemar -5.9C minimum, Shap 16.0 mm, Filton 8.5 h.)
Overnight into the 17th rain soon spread from the SW of the British Isles across most of England and Wales to reach Scotland by dawn, followed by a clearance in SW England and the Channel Islands. Falls were heavy in places and were followed by showers as low pressure remained centred close to or over SW Ireland. Ahead of the rain it was a cold night in parts of Scotland. Sherkin Island reported MSL pressure down to 976.9 mb at 1800 GMT. During the day the main rain area was to be found across S and E Scotland and N parts of Ireland and England with some heavy falls in places. Looe and Mevagissey in Cornwall and Kingsbridge in Devon were flooded for the second time in 24 hours. The sea breached Looe harbour about 1800 GMT, flooding some properties. Some properties in Looe, which suffered tidal flooding on Wednesday morning, were hit again. The 0730 GMT Scillonian ferry service between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly was cancelled because of adverse weather and trains were suspended between Liskeard and Looe due to flooding. Exmouth's Esplanade was closed due to flooding between St Andrews Road and Carlton Hill. It was a dull day across Ireland and Scotland with Cent areas of England had sunny spells once the rain had moved N'wards. Some of the showers during the day turned thunder from the Isles of Man to North Yorkshire and in parts of N Wales, while in the cold air across Cent Scotland some snow fell in Aviemore and Altnaharra; thunder was also heard at Odiham in the evening; rainfall associated with this storm led to flooding in Southampton and elsewhere. Ten properties have been flooded overnight in Lynmouth in north Devon. Strong north-westerly winds forced water into the harbour during high tide on Wednesday night, resulting in a mixture of homes and commercial premises being flooded. (Gravesend 17.6C, Aboyne 3.8C maximum, Braemar -7.8C minimum, Eskdalemuir 34.0 mm, Bude 8.0 h.)
A filling low pressure area remained over Ireland on the 18th. Overnight rainfall was widespread in most areas. During the day rainfall was again widespread - although many Cent and E areas of England remained mainly dry albeit rather cloudy. Parts of E and Cent Scotland had some mist and fog around dawn while fog also formed in many N and Cent areas of England later in the evening. Parts of Northern Ireland were especially wet during the day. (Gravesend 17.4C, Resallach 7.3C maximum, Altnaharra 0.1C minimum, Ballypatrick Forest 54.2 mm, Aberporth 7.7 h.)
By dawn on the 19th mist and fog was widespread from NE Scotland to Cent S England with some air frost in N Scotland; overnight rain had affected parts of Cent S and SE England and also fell from W Ireland to E Scotland. There was a cold start to the day in parts of N Scotland. Mist lingered all day in places with much of Cent, SE and E England and N and Cent Scotland have rainfall during the day - both due to frontal systems. (Milford Haven 16.4C, Dalwhinnie 5.5C maximum, Altnaharra -4.5C minimum, Dundrennan 17.4 mm, Tiree 8.1 h.)
The 20th dawned unusually cold in W Scotland with most of Scotland's ground frost this morning being reported on the Western Isles. Elsewhere rainfall was mainly across Scotland and in East Anglia. Mist and fog was widespread throughout Cent and E England and in some Cent parts of Scotland - with some heavy falls around Wick-Kirkwall. The fog soon cleared in most places under a developing area of high pressure, which led to a mainly dry day except for places E of a line The Wash - The Solent due to a W'ward moving warm front here, although falls were generally slight. (Chivenor 17.0C, Loch Glascarnoch 8.0C maximum, Harris Quidnish 0.5C minimum, Kirkwall 16.0 mm, St Athan 7.5 h.)
Overnight into the 21st there was some further rain in parts of E England with mist and fog being widely reported elsewhere in E Scotland and England. There was also a touch of ground frost from Somerset to Caithness under the lingering high pressure (1020 mb off Norfolk at 0000 GMT). The rain in E England retreated E'wards during the day and away from S and E England most places had a mostly dry day with sunny periods. However, in N England the fog was rather persistent in places with thick fog still being reported at midday in many places. The fog reformed widely in the evening in much of England, N Ireland and E Scotland as the slight rain and drizzle in the E of England advanced a little W'wards. There were reports of snowfall from Altnaharra and Capel Curig during the day. (Whitechurch 17.0C, Ryhill 8.8C maximum, Altnaharra -2.1C minimum, Manston 14.4 mm, Aberporth 9.8 h.)
Despite a continuing ridge of high pressure extending W'wards into the British Isles during the 22nd (1029.6 mb at Lerwick at 1800 GMT) some light rain and drizzle continued to affect Cent and E (and later W) England with falls in SE Scotland and Wales later also. Scotland had a widespread ground frost at first and mist and fog was widespread in Cent and E England and E Scotland - again persisting all day in the drizzly conditions in places. Altnaharra reported some snowfall during the morning. Some light rain also fell later in parts of E Ireland - and in Kent and Sussex it was a mild day with 19.2C being recorded at Langdon Bay (although London barely reached 15C). Except in N and W Scotland it was a rather dull day. (Langdon Bay 19.2C, Salsburgh 7.6C maximum, Kinbrace -3.1C minimum, Usk No.2 7.4 mm, Tiree 8.7 h.)
While N and Cent parts of mainland Scotland had a ground frost on the 23rd, grass minimum temperatures across much of England and Wales were in the range 10-14C, and at Jersey Airport the minimum temperature was a high 13.5C. Other high minima, according to the Met Office, included 12.9C at Bognor Regis and Guernsey Airport, and 12.1C at Langdon Bay and Manston. There was widespread mist and fog in almost all areas by dawn after a night when many parts of England, Wales and E Ireland and SE Scotland had reported some light drizzle and rain. The mist and fog persisted in many parts of England and E Scotland although precipitation gradually faded away in most places. 19.2C was reported at St Helier for 0600-1800 GMT, although Jersey Airport only reached 17.4C. (St Helier 19.2C and Porthmadog 17.6C; Cassley 5.3C maximum, Altnaharra -2.5C maximum, Carterhouse 4.4 mm, Stornoway 7.8 h.)
With high pressure to the W of the UK on the 24th and a cold front moving S'wards through N Scotland later in the day, there was a subtle change about to be introduced after the recent warmth. Mist and fog was again widespread in many areas by dawn, with an air frost in parts of N Scotland. Some light rain and drizzle fell overnight in the misty areas and falls were again mainly slight. Except in parts of Cent Scotland it was generally a dull day. (Shoreham 17.5C, Baltasound 7.4C maximum, Altnaharra -3.3C minimum, Emley Moor 5.4 mm, Tiree 9.1 h.)
By the evening of the 25th three cold fronts lay across England, Wales and Ireland, moving S'wards. Overnight there was some light rain and drizzle across England, Wales and Ireland, and also across N Scotland. This pattern continued during the day with the best of the sunshine to be found across N Ireland and S Scotland. Maximum temperatures by 1800 GMT were as low as 4C on Shetland as a N'ly flow became established here and snow showers were also reported on the Northern Isles. (Bude 16.6C, Lerwick 4.2C maximum, Carterhouse 0.5C minimum, Kinbrace 2.4 mm, Tiree 6.2 h.)
S'ward-moving cold fronts cleared S England early in the afternoon on the 26th introducing a cool N'ly flow to all areas. They brought some rain and drizzle as they passed with showers following, especially down the E coast of Britain. These showers turned to hail and snow falling as far S as the N Midlands by midnight. Many parts of Scotland away from the coasts had an air frost at first and there were sunny periods between the showers - although Cent and S England remained cloudy by sunset. Snowfall led to motorists being urged to drive with "extreme caution" around Aberdeen, with conditions particularly bad on the A90. A number of routes in the Grampian area were affected by snow and ice. (St Helier 12.1C, Loch Glascarnoch 2.3C maximum, Tyndrum -3.6C minimum, Manston 9.8 mm, Shannon Airport 6.6 h.)
The N'ly flow persisted for the first half of the 27th with embedded troughs enhancing the precipitation falls in E Britain. However later in the day low pressure introduced a W'ly flow in n areas and fronts brought precipitation from the W. Precipitation from the troughs fell as rain and snow, the latter as far S as Surrey and Hampshire - following a night with an air frost that formed as far S as Cornwall. Overnight showers were largely confined to places close to the E coast of Britain. The snow largely died out by midday and most places except those in N and W Scotland had long spells of sunshine during the day. Early cloud in the N was followed by rain that affected most of N Ireland and Scotland by the evening, this rain later spreading to SE Ireland, the Midlands and Wales. The rain brought a rise in temperature. (Helens Bay 10.7C, Dalwhinnie 4.2C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -6.2C minimum, Resallach 14.8 mm, Cork Airport 9.3 h.)
Inland areas of England and Wales, but not N England, had a widespread ground frost on the 28th with an air frost in places. By dawn rain was falling in many places N of a line Plymouth-Norwich and subsequently spread to affect all areas as a low pressure centre moved towards Shetland (998 mb at 1200 GMT there). A clearance from the W in the rain led to mist and fog in Ireland and parts of S Scotland by late evening; except in parts of Kent and at Tiree it was a rather dull day. (Bude 11.6C, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 7.1C maximum, Benson -2.7C minimum, Stonyhurst 34.6 mm, Manston 2.8 h.)
N areas of Ireland and Britain had a ground frost into the 29th as rain cleared away from E Scotland. Over S England rain and drizzle was rather slow to clear - while under clear skies further N there were mist and fog patches by dawn across Ireland, N England and S Scotland in particular. Further rain and showers affected Scotland during the day with most places seeing some sunny intervals. Snow showers were observed on Fair Isle in the morning but elsewhere at low levels precipitation fell as rain or drizzle. (Pershore College 13.7C, Dalwhinnie 4.7C maximum, Derrylin Cornahoule -1.0C minimum, Lake Vyrnwy 20.2 mm, Cork Airport 7.1 h.)
There was a widespread ground frost into the 30th away from coasts although at Jersey Airport and St Helier the minimum air temperature was 10.1C. As a few outbreaks of overnight rain died down in England there was widespread mist and fog formation here. While still mainly light, rain and drizzle was a little more persistent across Scotland and N Ireland both overnight and throughout the day. As a result it was England and S parts of both Ireland and Wales that had the best of the sunshine once early mist had lifted. (Guernsey Airport 13.1C, Baltasound 6.4C maximum, Baltasound -2.2C minimum, Cluanie Inn 25.0 mm, Wittering 7.3 h.)
Low pressure remained centred close to N Scotland throughout the 31st. MSL pressure fell to 970.3 mb at Sule Skerry at 1200 GMT. Rather cloudy conditions and a moderate breeze meant that early ground frost was mainly confined to East Anglia and surrounding counties. Rainfall was widespread across Scotland, Ireland and Wales overnight with falls here and also in W England during the day. It turned drier during the day across N Scotland but some snow showers fell here later. (St Helier and Wisley 13.5C, Salsburgh 5.1C maximum, Alice Holt Lodge 2.4C minimum, Dunstaffnage 29.0 mm, Stornoway 5.1 h.)
During the 3rd an area of low pressure remained close to NW Ireland. There was a widespread overnight ground frost across the British Isles away from coastal areas with Cent and E Scotland, and parts of E England , having an air frost. Overnight rain affected places to the E of the Irish Sea - and along the S coast of England and the Channel Islands. There were also some light falls in W Ireland. Rain tended to affect these same areas during the day with NE England having a rather misty day with some fog around dawn and again in the evening. Jersey reported thunder later in the morning and some snow fell at times over high ground in Scotland. (St Helier 12.8C, Carterhouse 3.2C maximum, Aboyne 5.7C minimum, Lusa 25.0 mm, St Helier 6.7 h.)
During the 4th an area of low pressure moved slowly from W Ireland towards SW Wales. Rain fell overnight in W Scotland, Cent and S Ireland and in Wales, SW and cent S England. In E Scotland, and in parts of NE and Cent England there was an overnight air frost. During the day the rain continued to fall across much of S England and S Wales with heavy falls in places. W Scotland and E Ireland also had a wet day; SE Scotland had the best of the day's sunshine. Boscombe Down reported thunder shortly after dawn - with some sleet or snow. Parts of Oxfordshire also reported some snow during the afternoon while in NE England it was a cool day with temperatures barely reaching 2-3C in some areas. Over 5 cm of snow fell across parts of Somerset, Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire and North Dorset. Areas including Bath, Frome and Midsomer Norton and Radstock in the Mendips have been affected. Nine adults and six children have been rescued at a caravan park in Carmarthenshire following flooding. Around 60 caravans were surrounded by water at Pendine Caravan Park at around 1700 GMT. (St Helier 12.4C, Leeming 2.2C maximum, Aboyne 5.6C minimum, Hurn 30.2 mm, Boulmer 7.7 h.)
Pressure rose a little on the 5th. Away from the SW corner of the British Isles there was a widespread ground frost with an air frost in N areas. Low pressure did give some overnight rain in the cloudier SW areas but this eased off during the day - except in the Channel Islands where 18 mm fell on Jersey Airport in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT with some thunder. Mist and fog was widespread in many areas of England until late morning while troughs gave some rain across Scotland during the day. Later in the evening an approaching frontal system also brought further rain to W Scotland and N Ireland. There was some snowfall across parts of Cumbria and N Scotland during the day. (Solent MRSC 11.3C, Warcop 3.4C maximum, Shap -5.3C minimum, Altnahinch Filters 7.6 mm, Hawarden 8.4 h.)
Rainfall overnight into the 6th largely affected Scotland and later N England and parts of Wales - while across much of England there was widespread overnight mist and some fog. During the day the rain spread across N England and into East Anglia with a few further heavy falls in NW Scotland. Across much of S England it was generally dry and sunny - it turned drier in the N from the W later as fronts cleared E England and pressure rose, reaching 1028 mb in S Ireland by midnight. (Drumnadrochit 13.3C, Baltasound 6.8C maximum, Topcliffe -4.6C minimum, Resallach 38.2 mm, St Helier 7.9 h.)
The 7th dawned cloud in the W with some rain across N Ireland and W Scotland, but brighter in the E where there were some mist patches and a slight ground frost in places. Frontal rain affected Scotland and Ireland during the day with falls from NE England to SW England in the evening. E England had the sunniest conditions ahead of approaching frontal cloud, while across E Scotland it was quite a mild day. (Aboyne 14.3C, Pennerley 7.8C maximum, Benson -1.0C minimum, Cluanie Inn 34.0 mm, Manston 7.6 h.)
Frontal cloud into the 8th meant a rather cloudy night with rain across Scotland that then pushed E'wards during the day; further S a weak cold front affected all other areas - weakening in intensity and given only slight falls for much of England and Wales. As the fronts cleared the E coast, around midday, it turned brighter in many areas. Later in the day further frontal rain began falling in W Scotland and W Ireland, affecting much of Scotland by midnight. (Swanage 13.9C, Dalwhinnie 7.1C maximum, Killylane 5.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 20.0 mm, Boulmer 7.6 h.)
Rainfall was widespread overnight into the 9th across much of Scotland and Ireland - with falls in SW England, Wales and NW England by dawn. The rain spread E'wards during the day, followed by showers from the W - although rainfall amounts across much of Cent and E England were slight. Some snow fell for a time in NW Scotland. The best of the sunshine tended to be found across N Scotland with many other areas having a dull day. (Solent MRSC 12.7C, Loch Glascarnoch 6.7C maximum, Hurn 2.5C minimum, Lusa 39.6 mm, Lerwick 4.7 h.)
Low pressure to the N of Scotland brought spells of rain to many areas on the 10th. A cold front gave a widespread fall of rain across England and Wales overnight - followed by some mist and fog patches as it cleared. There was also rainfall overnight elsewhere - albeit patchier and lighter. A mixture of troughs and a front gave further rain during the day - and some showers in W parts of the British Isles. (Manston 12.2C, Dalwhinnie 5.7C maximum, Katesbridge 0.8C minimum, Dunstaffnage 21.0 mm, Boulmer 5.5 h.)
Early troughs cleared Scotland by midday on the 11th and a weak ridge of high pressure then developed before further troughs and a warm front spread across Ireland later in the day from the SW. Overnight mist and fog patches were widespread across England with parts of Cent S England, in particular, having an early air frost. Overnight precipitation was largely confined to NW Ireland and parts of Scotland with some falls in Wales and SW England. W areas continued to have some precipitation during the day - especially across Ireland. (St Helier 12.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 4.3C maximum, Katesbridge -4.4C minimum, Loch Glascarnoch 17.6 mm, Wellesbourne 8.2 h.)
By midday on the 12th much of Ireland was under a warm sector, that then spread E'wards in the afternoon; one effect of this was to give a cloudless day everywhere except in parts of NE ad E Scotland. Overnight rain fell across Ireland and by dawn spread into Wales and SW England. There was a sharp air frost in parts of E Scotland before cloud spread across all areas giving rainfall across all areas of Britain during the day. (Ashford, Co. Wicklow 15.3C, Strathallan 4.8C maximum, Aboyne -6.1C minimum, Scolton Country Park 13.8 mm, Lerwick 2.3 h.)
By midday on the 13th the warm sector encompassed all but NW Ireland with Scotland moving into the cold air later in the day. It was another dull day - except in parts of East Anglia and NE Scotland. Rain fell overnight across Ireland, Scotland and N Wales and there was early mist over much of England. These same areas saw further rain during the day - and it was quite mild in the London area. (Kew Gardens 16.4C, Carterhouse 10.3C maximum, Fyvie Castle 1.7C minimum, Tyndrum 32.6 mm, Wattisham 5.8 h.)
The cold front marking the N edge of the warm sector was slow-moving on the 14th and lingered across N Ireland and S Scotland for much of the day. Minimum temperatures remained above 10C across much of E Ireland, Wales and England and precipitation was mainly confined to areas under the cold front, although a trough also gave some rain to the Northern Isles. Early mist gave way to sunny spells in S England and the Channel Islands. Fair Isle reported thunder during the afternoon. (Wisley 15.1C, Salsburgh 8.0C maximum, Tain Range 2.4C minimum, Eskdalemuir 24.2 mm, St Helier 8.7 h.)
There was widespread fog (thick in places) across England, Wales, Ireland and S Scotland early on the 15th, while in E Scotland there was a sharp ground frost in places. The fog took most of the morning to clear and was followed by a misty afternoon. The near-stationary cold front gave a little rain overnight in S Scotland and N Ireland while another front gave some light rain further to the NW later. (Murlough 14.8C, Astwood Bank 4.8C maximum, Aboyne -3.8C minimum, Eskdalemuir 6.0 mm, Aberporth 6.6 h.)
Widespread mist and haze across England and Wales early on the 16th turned into fog in places, while some rain fell in NW Ireland and some W areas of Scotland. Mist lingered across many areas of England and Wales, turning to fog later in the evening, as the rain in the W spread E'wards across Ireland and Scotland. Another area of rain moved into SW England and then Wales before midnight before affecting parts of the Midlands. In most areas it was a rather dull day. (Swanage 12.6C, Fylingdales 4.9C maximum, Katesbridge -1.1C minimum, Cluanie Inn 15.4 mm, St Helier 5.4 h.)
It was a wet night in W and S Scotland, and for places from SW England to NE England on the 17th. SE of a line from The Wash to Weymouth there was early mist and fog - although this cleared as rain (now mainly light) moved SE'wards to clear much of Kent in the evening. Across W parts of the British Isles there were a few showers by day - but with sunny spells. Some light snow was reported from Tulloch Bridge and Loch Glascarnoch later in the day. (Frittenden 14.6C, Loch Glascarnoch 3.9C maximum, Kinbrace -2.8C minimum, Sennybridge 11.8 mm, Kinloss 6.1 h.)
A ridge of high pressure early on the 18th led to a widespread air frost, except in S Ireland, although a trough did give some light rain in parts of W Scotland overnight. Cloud soon thickened across Ireland and there was some heavy rain here later in the day as fronts spread NE'wards - 31 mm of rain fell at Valentia in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. Rain and showers, including hail and some snow, continued to affect N and NW Scotland during the day but most of England and Wales remained dry. (Plymouth 11.8C, Dalwhinnie 3.7C maximum, Katesbridge -4.1C minimum, Killowen 13.0 mm, St Helier 8.5 h.)
E England had a touch of ground frost into the 19th - elsewhere it was a rather cloudy night due to fronts associated with a low centred off W Scotland. It was wet across Scotland and Ireland with Valentia reporting 24 mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 0600 GMT. During the day the heaviest of the rain was to be found over Scotland - with rain also affecting N England and Wales, before spreading across all of England before late evening. Heavy rain and flooding caused disruption across Scotland with firefighters in Perthshire dealing with a major flooding incident at Comrie, near Crieff, where the Water of Ruchill burst its banks. The Rest and Be Thankful section of the A83 in Argyll reopened after being shut after a landslip. An estimated 100-150 tons of debris was spread across the road and torrential rainfall blocked the drainage system, causing severe flooding on the road surface. Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service said properties had been flooded in Dunblane and Callander. The road across the Cree Bridge in Newton Stewart was closed to traffic and pedestrians after the river burst its banks. Eight people needed to be rescued from flats in the town. Network Rail said it was tackling some flooding issues in the west of Scotland. Water was above rail level at Bishopton and ScotRail said trains between Glasgow and East Kilbride were disrupted by flooding at Thornliebank station. (Killowen 14.4C, Fylingdales 8.5C maximum, East Malling -2.2C minimum, Glasgow 55.2 mm, Kinloss 2.7 h.)
Cloudy skies led to a mild night into the 20th. S Ireland, S Wales and places from the Midlands to Cornwall had rain early in the morning with the rain then affecting most of England and S Ireland by dawn. During the day there were outbreaks of rain and drizzle in most areas with the rain gradually becoming largely confined to England and Wales in the evening. Ireland had a day with sunny periods once the early rain had pushed away E'wards. By the end of the day a number of flood warnings are still in place after heavy rain and flooding caused disruption across Scotland. Sixteen people had to leave their homes in Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway as waters rose. (Nantwich 15.4C, Loch Glascarnoch 9.5C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 3.8C minimum, Tyndrum 20.6 mm, Shannon Airport 6.4 h.)
Rain was widespread across (at first) Wales and England into the 21st, heavy in places before migrating E'wards during the day. There were also falls in W Scotland overnight and in W Ireland later in the day. A line of showers also affected Wales and SW England later on. The heavy rain and strong winds led to flooding with people needing to be rescued from waterlogged homes and roads in the south west of England. Overnight downpours caused some drivers to abandon their vehicles. In Devon and Somerset, the fire service was called to 18 rescues of people in vehicles caught in flood water. The villages of Yealmpton and Tamerton Foliot in Devon were said to be "impassable". The floods closed schools in Worcestershire, Devon and Gloucestershire. Hinckley Point power station, in Somerset, was unreachable due to flooded roads. Rail services in Gloucester, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Yeovil, Exeter, Birmingham International, Coventry, Great Malvern and Hereford were disrupted, with flooding at Tiverton Parkway and Birmingham New Street. (Swanage 13.2C, Leek 5.2C maximum, Derrylin Cornahoule 0.6C minimum, Exeter Airport 44.0 mm, Aldergrove 6.5 h.)
Low pressure close to Iceland drove a cold front E'wards across much of the British Isles on the 22nd with troughs giving further lines of rain and showers. A thunderstorm was reported in Cork overnight. It was a generally cloudy day but with an early air frost in E Scotland ahead of the cold front. The front brought rain t all areas during the day - although falls in E England were slight when they occurred later in the day. There were heavy falls at times in places from SW England to S and W Scotland. A part of Plymouth city centre was cordoned off earlier because of tiles falling off a building and police in Cornwall were urging people not to drive unless necessary because of torrential downpours. On Dartmoor, a 12m long temporary building at Becky Falls was picked up by the wind and left resting on a hedge across a road. The Environment Agency issued 35 flood warnings and 56 flood alerts across the South West and warned heavy rain could lead to further flooding during the evening. Twenty homes were evacuated after water breached the 200-year-old Grand Western Canal at Halberton, Devon. Elsewhere in Devon, a bridge over the River Culme on the B3181, near Bradninch, Cullompton, collapsed. About 470 households in the Bickleigh area in east Devon lost power earlier, Western Power Distribution confirmed. First Great Western passengers in Devon and Cornwall were advised not to start journeys to and from London because of flooding affecting lines in Devon and Somerset. The main line is closed between Exeter and Taunton and buses are replacing services between Exeter and Taunton, and Plymouth and Bristol. Power lines also fell in several places across Cornwall, including Heamoor, near Penzance; Landford, Truro; and Washaway, between Bodmin and Wadebridge. (Gravesend 14.4C, Killylane 6.3C maximum, Leuchars -0.5C minimum, Shap 44.4 mm, St Helier 6.3.h.)
Overnight rainfall was widespread across the British Isles into the 23rd although by dawn it had cleared to the E from much of England and Wales. Across Scotland the rainfall was patchier and falls here, and in W Ireland and Wales by early evening were generally caused by troughs. Most places had sunny periods during the day. (South Farnborough 13.2C, Dalwhinnie 3.8C maximum, Tredegar Bryn Bach Park 0.1C minimum, Tyndrum 26.6 mm, Nottingham 7.0 h.)
Later on the 24th a deepening area of low pressure moved NE'wards through Sw England to Wiltshire (MSL pressure down to 989 mb by 2400 GMT here). Mist and fog was widespread by dawn across England but the night was a mainly dry one. There was an early air frost in many places but by dawn a warm front was giving rain in SW England and the Channel Islands - and this then spread N to affect all of England and Wales, and parts of E Ireland and S Scotland, by midnight. Snow and sleet fell over high ground in N England. Rain was heavy in SW England with 47 mm in 12 hours ending 1800 GMT at St Mary's, Scilly. Two people died and more than 800 homes were flooded after stormy conditions hit parts of England and Wales. A woman was killed by a falling tree in Exeter on Saturday night, while a 70-year-old man died after his car crashed into a swollen river in Cambridgeshire. Devon and Cornwall were among the worst hit areas, with hundreds of homes flooded. One severe flood warning is in place in Helston, Cornwall. (St Helier 12.4C, Castlederg 1.7C maximum, Aboyne -5.7C minimum, Isles Of Scilly 57.0 mm, Kinloss 4.4 h.)
The low across Cent s England moved out over the North Sea by noon on the 25th but was followed by another low which lay SW of S Wales, 995 mb, by 2400 GMT. This led to some wind conditions early in the day with gusts to 69 kn reported at St Catherines Point and on Portland. Rainfall (and some snow) followed the lows - clearing from England into E Scotland by noon but lingering over NE Scotland into the evening, with a second area reaching SW England after dawn and then moving N to affect all but E parts of England by midnight. Rain also affected S and SE Ireland but much of NW Ireland and W Scotland remained mainly dry. Much of Ireland and Scotland had an early ground frost with an air frost in places. (South Farnborough 13.4C, Castlederg -0.1C maximum, Derrylin Cornahoule -2.8C minimum, Fylingdales 39.8 mm, Tiree 6.1 h.)
The low pressure centre crossed S England in an E'ward direction on the 26th bringing widespread falls of rain, heavy in places, to much of England, Wales and E Ireland with some falls in S Scotland. There were also falls of rain at times in N Scotland with Ireland generally having the best of the sunshine; for much of England and E Scotland it was a dull day. Falls of snow gave slight accumulations on the ground in parts of N England during the day. By Monday evening the Environment Agency had issued 184 flood warnings, the majority in the Midlands, as well as more than 260 flood alerts. The River Nene in Northamptonshire burst its banks, threatening dozens of homes. A woman and her three-year-old child were rescued from their car in Woodley, in Berkshire, after it became stuck in flood water. In Newcastle, Exhibition Park was sealed off after it was flooded and the Newburn area of the city, which saw a block of flats demolished following floods in September, was hit again. The Association of Train Operating Companies said 20% of trains were delayed because of the weather across Britain. A number of roads in County Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and Derbyshire remain closed after being flooded. Some schools were closed in the West Midlands, Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Devon. In Staffordshire, fire crews were called to the Rugeley bypass, where the river burst its bank and 20 sheep were stuck in floodwater. (Cardiff Bute Park 11.1C, Dalwhinnie 4.0C maximum, Achnagart -2.9C minimum, Blencathra 67.0 mm, Aldergrove 5.9 h.)
There was widespread rain overnight into the 27th across England and Wales and also in N Scotland with some heavy falls over N Wales and N England. The rainfall eased off during the day as the controlling low slowly moved away E'wards - and sunny conditions prevailed for most of the day in Ireland and W Scotland. In Gloucester concerns were raised about further flooding as the River Severn reaches its peak. The Environment Agency said the river would be at its highest level since the mass flooding of 2007, when much of the county was under water. Fire crews were called to more than 30 floods overnight in Essex and two men had to be rescued by boat when their car got stuck. In Cambridgeshire drivers who flout flood warning signs and get stuck in deep water have been told by police they could face prosecution. Race meetings at Sedgefield in County Durham and Southwell Racecourse in Nottinghamshire have been abandoned because the tracks are waterlogged Several roads in Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool were closed because of flooding as well as many B roads in Warwickshire. A 17 mile stretch of the A38 in Staffordshire and Derbyshire was closed while about 50 homes have been flooded in Derbyshire. There are further flood warnings in place along the Great Ouse, affecting riverside towns and villages in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. More than 1,000 people have been forced to leave their homes after a day of devastating flooding in parts of north east Wales. The worse hit area was the city of St Asaph where the body of an elderly woman was discovered in a flooded house. Another 150 homes and businesses have been flooded in the nearby town of Ruthin. (Isles Of Scilly 9.8C, Pennerley 4.1C maximum, Saughall -0.2C minimum, Capel Curig 30.8 mm, Cork Airport 7.6 h.)
By midday on the 28th high pressure prevailed to the W of Ireland with MSL pressure around 1024 mb over W Ireland. Overnight rainfall was largely confined to E England and NE Scotland - with continuing light falls here during the day. Elsewhere it was mainly dry and bright - with an air frost in parts of Cent Ireland and SW Scotland; for most of Ireland and SW Scotland it was also a very sunny day for the time of year but some snowfall was reported in NW Scotland. A fresh landslip closed the railway line linking Plymouth and Exeter at Teignmouth. The main line from Exeter to the rest of the country has been reopened after flooding at Tiverton but there are delays and temporary speed limits. (Isles of Scilly 9.6C, Braemar 2.2C maximum, Katesbridge -4.8C minimum, Fylingdales 24.0 mm, Cork Airport 7.8 h.)
E coast areas of England and Scotland had some overnight rain and showers at first on the 29th but away from the coasts it was a cold dawn with a widespread ground frost and air frost - although inland parts of East Anglia and SE England generally avoided an air frost. In many places it was a sunny day but during the afternoon and evening cloud and rain spread from the W into W parts of Ireland and Scotland ahead of a low located NW of Belmullet. During the day a number of roads in East Yorkshire were closed due to flooding, according to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. (Isles of Scilly 9.0C, Braemar 0.4C maximum, Braemar -7.3C minimum, Fylingdales 9.2 mm, Lyneham 7.5 h.)
Into the 30th rain affected W parts of Ireland and Scotland - with some snow in N Scotland. During the day this precipitation edged slowly E'wards falling as snow on the leading edge; the S edge of the snow moved slowly S'wards through Scotland during the day. Ahead of the overnight rain and snow there was a widespread sharp ground frost and air frost with minima down to -5C in many areas. While it was rather cloudy in the W during the day the E say sunny spells with mist and fog forming later in the day across Cent and E England. (Isles of Scilly 10.2C, Warcop -1.1C maximum, Shap -7.0C minimum, Aultbea 10.8 mm, Boulmer 6.3 h.)
The N'ly flow on the 2nd was short-lived. Away from W Ireland there was a widespread air frost but light rain and drizzle, falling from an advancing front, affected W Ireland by dawn. This rain spread into Wales and Scotland during the afternoon and was later preceded by falls of snow over some of the high ground of N England and Scotland. Much of E England had a sunny day ahead of the front. Some snow showers affected N and E areas of Scotland during the day with temperatures remaining close to freezing here. 11 mm of rain fell at Belmullet in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. (Isles of Scilly 11.7C, Loch Glascarnoch -2.2C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch -8.2C minimum, Porthmadog 8.2 mm, Manston 7.0 h.)
Places E of a line NW Scotland- Sussex had an air frost to start the day - ahead of an approaching area of rain/sleet/snow that pushed E'wards early on the 3rd. Sleet fell as far S as Sussex but wintry conditions soon became restricted to parts of N Scotland as the rain brought rising temperatures. A front that persisted across N Scotland gave some heavy falls of rain here during the day with falls also across S Scotland and in N parts of England and Ireland. Some areas of rain affected other parts of England during the day although many parts of the Midlands and N England had sunny periods during the day. (Isle of Portland 11.3C, Fyvie Castle 1.4C maximum, Braemar -6.7C minimum, Saughall 20.8 mm, Aldergrove and Dublin Airport 5.6 h.)
Various fronts and troughs led to an unsettled day on the 4th. SE Scotland and E areas of England had a mainly dry night and there was an air frost in Cent Scotland. During the morning there were falls of snow and sleet from E Scotland to high ground of the Peak District and these also fell later as far S as the mountains of S Wales, and over N Scotland. Other parts of Ireland and W Britain had rain showers or longer spells of rain from time to time although the SE corner of England remained mainly dry. In the afternoon and evening showers turned thundery across the Channel Islands; places from E Wales to SE England had sunny spells during the day. (Swanage 9.1C, Aboyne 0.4C maximum, Strathallan -5.9C minimum, Stonyhurst 18.4 mm, Wellesbourne 6.7 h.)
A weak ridge formed temporarily across the British Isles later on the 5th. Overnight there were falls of sleet and snow across Cent and E Scotland, and in E England as far S as Surrey and Hampshire. Away from Scotland falls were mainly slight and there was an area of heavier rainfall overnight in W Scotland and NW Ireland. Scotland and E and Cent England had an air frost by dawn - further W cloud led to falls of rain at first. Precipitation areas tended to move E'wards during the day - with E England and East Anglia continuing to see falls of sleet into the evening. Most areas had sunny spells during the day as the rain passed away although it remained cloudy close to the E coast of England. Stansted airport was closed for nearly three hours, as snow fell hitting the runways at 0600 GMT shortly before holiday flights were due to leave. Luton and Aberdeen also saw delays and the season's first snow fell in small amounts on London. (St. Helier and Scolton Country Park 8.4C, Kinbrace -0.5C maximum, Dalwhinnie -6.9C minimum, Cardinham 10.4 mm, Cork Airport 7.0 h.)
After some clear skies overnight the 6th turned out rather dull. There was a widespread air frost and a sharp ground frost in places, although air temperatures remained above freezing under thickening cloud in W Ireland (where there was light rain by dawn). During the day rain affected most of Wales, Ireland and Scotland and later most of England with some sleet falling along the leading edge of the rain that spread from the W. N Scotland had more widespread snow during the day, while the sleet preceding the rain fell as far S as East Anglia and Hampshire. Only parts of Kent and East Anglia saw more than a few minutes of bright sunshine. Freezing temperatures hit much of Scotland, hutting schools and causing transport problems on rail networks. More than 50 schools have been affected by snow and ice in the north-east. Two schools in Aberdeenshire were closed and 50 more either closed to pupils having to travel or changed the usual transport routes. (Isles of Scilly 9.7C, Fylingdales 0.4C maximum, Braemar -12.9C minimum, Capel Curig 39.2 mm, Manston 2.5 h.)
There was widespread rain overnight into the 7th across England, Wales, Ireland and S Scotland; consequently air frosts were generally confined to N and E Scotland. The rain was accompanied by sleet and snow in places in the E of the UK, as far S as Hampshire and Suffolk overnight. The rain, and this sleet, moved quickly E to be followed by a few showers from the W as pressure rose here, reaching about 1026 mb in SW Ireland by midnight. Across S Ireland in particular it was a sunny day. (St. Helier 10.0C, Carterhouse 2.2C maximum, Kinbrace -6.8C minimum, Fylingdales 30.2 mm, Cork Airport 7.0 h.)
Although high pressure dominated the weather in S areas, frontal rain again affected Scotland on the 8th. Away from S England there was a widespread ground frost with air frost in a few parts of Cent Britain and Ireland, and in much of cent Scotland. A few coastal areas had some slight showers overnight and there was a misty start to the day in parts of Cent England. Spells of rain across N Scotland were mixed with a few falls of snow, especially over higher ground here - although it was mild for a while in W Scotland. Further S it was a mainly dry day, MSL pressure remained at about 1028 mb in Cornwall at 2400 GMT, with sunny spells in Cent and S England in particular. (Achnagart 10.3C, Charsfield 4.8C maximum, Eskdalemuir -4.6C minimum, Kinlochewe 11.2 mm, Yeovilton 7.1 h.)
Warm sector conditions were replaced from the N by a cold front and colder that spread across all areas by the end of the day on the 9th. A few sheltered areas of S England had a touch of overnight air frost but fir most places it was a cloudy start to the day as outbreaks of rain pushed S'wards into N England and N Ireland. N Scotland had a longer spell of rain overnight - with snow showers on the Northern Isles that lingered into the afternoon. As the frontal rain cleared, so too did the cloud. The best of the sunshine was consequently to be found in N England and S Scotland. (Pershore 10.2C, Dalwhinnie 3.9C maximum, Shoreham -1.5C minimum, Cluanie Inn 22.2 mm, Leeming 6.0 h.)
High pressure built from the N during the day, with MSL pressure rising to 1032 mb across most of N and W Scotland by 2400 GMT on the 10th. Away from E England there was a widespread ground frost with an air frost in parts of Ireland, and W Britain. Overnight showers affected N and E Scotland and N England - these fell as snow in places. During the day showers were largely confined to areas close to the E coast of Britain, with snow in places; away from these showers it was a sunny day in many areas. (Isles of Scilly 9.9C, Achnagart -0.9C maximum, Katesbridge -5.2C minimum, Chillingham Barns 14.2 mm, Yeovilton 7.1 h.)
High pressure continued to prevail on the 11th, slowly passing SE'wards over Britain. One or two troughs gave some falls of rain or snow in parts of S England and East Anglia. However, for most places after a widespread inland air frost it was a dry and sunny day. Mist and fog were widespread across Cent England by dawn - this persisted for much of the day in places and in parts of the S Midlands, Cent S England and East Anglia the temperature did not rise above 0C - with a few falls of snow grains. A man died when he fell 200 m down a Lake District mountain in snowy conditions. (Isles of Scilly 8.3C, Braemar -3.8C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -10.6C minimum, Loftus 6.6 mm, St. Helier 7.0 h.)
Mist and fog lingered across much of Cent England throughout the 12th; the UK had a widespread air frost by dawn although cloudy skies led to a milder night across Ireland and some rain in NE Ireland and SW Scotland overnight. W Scotland saw further rain during the day - elsewhere it was mostly dry although persistent fog did lead to snow grains in places. Some snow was reported over high ground in Cumbria, Wales and across the Northern Isles and over high ground in Scotland. Much of Cent England and Cent Scotland remained below 0C; in Reading the maximum temperature of -1.6C was the lowest maximum temperature recorded in December since 1991. In W Ireland it was wet in places with Valentia reporting 9 mm of rain in the 12 hours ending 1800 GMT. A travel warning was issued following a spate of weather-related road crashes overnight in south west Scotland. Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary said conditions remained treacherous in parts of the region during the morning. Thick fog and ice caused disruption to flights in and out of some airports. At London's Heathrow Airport, 189 flights were cancelled with many more delayed. More than 20 flights were cancelled at London City Airport. (Isles of Scilly 8.4C,Cluanie Inn -3.7C maximum, Braemar -11.3C minimum, West Freugh 6.6 mm, St. Helier 6.9 h.)
The 13th dawned with widespread mist and fog across much of England, and with a widespread sharp air frost and a ground frost for much of Britain. A front gave some wintry conditions across parts of Scotland overnight with snow also reported from Wales and N England and sleet reported at Jersey Airport. The mist and fog was slow to clear in places, with a hazy day following across much of England and Wales. There were further falls of snow during the day in parts of Scotland and N England - with some light rain and drizzle in S England and some S parts of Ireland later. There were also isolated reported of snow in the evening from places in Cent England as the temperature dipped below 0C. Isles of Scilly 10.4C, Braemar -3.3C maximum, Braemar -12.5C minimum, Tiree 9.0 mm, Aberporth 7.0 h.)
A complex system of fronts spread across the British Isles on the 14th with a depression (centre 968 mb) located to the E of E Scotland by 2400 GMT. Much of Britain had an air frost before dawn while fronts gave overnight rainfall from Jersey to NW Ireland, and also in N Scotland. There was overnight sleet and snow in parts of Scotland and N England with mist and fog across England and Wales leading to some snow grains in places. Precipitation fell everywhere during the day with heavy falls in places, and with further sleet and snow ahead of the rain in Scotland and N England. It was a dull, sunless day almost everywhere. About 30 homes and businesses have been flooded in a Cornish seaside town after a high tide and heavy rain; some premises in Looe were still drying out from the last floods in November. The Kilkeel road in Newcastle, County Down, was closed because of flooding. The south promenade in the seaside town was also flooded. Heavy rain and water from breaking waves is not clearing through the drains, police have said. It also turned stormy across N Scotland. (Guernsey Airport 11.9C, Saughall 2.8C maximum, Bainbridge 7.5C minimum, Plymouth 32.6 mm, Cork Airport 4.2 h.)
Low pressure close to NE Scotland led to a windy day there on the 15th. Associated frontal rain affected many places across the British Isles overnight with some snowfall on Shetland. Gale-force winds and unusually high tides caused damage across areas of eastern and northern Scotland. Huge waves caused up to £500,000 damage to North Berwick harbour in East Lothian, as sea defences were swept away. A 15 metre section of the harbour wall collapsed in Lossiemouth in Moray. High tides and severe weather led to 25 people being taken from sheltered complexes at Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire. A large sea container was swept into the harbour at North Berwick. Further north at Peterhead, about 30 people were evacuated from properties in the Roanheads area. In Wick, on the far north coast, roads were closed and fishing boats were damaged in high winds. During the day pressure rose and the winds eased although outbreaks of rain continued in many areas - particularly across Wales, SW England and N Scotland. The best of the sunshine - many places had a rather a dull day - was to be found in E areas of England. (St James Park 12.1C, Altnaharra 3.8C maximum, Dalwhinnie 0.2C minimum, Dyce 23.2 mm, Waddington 4.8h.)
Cyclonic conditions persisted throughout the 16th with low pressure centred close to W Ireland. Most places escaped an overnight air frost although mist and fog patches formed over parts of Cent and N England - while thunder was heard before dawn in the Channel Islands along with some heavy falls of hail. Overnight rain was confined to here, and also to S England, Wales, W Ireland and N/NW Scotland. During the day it turned drier across Scotland but the rainfall became heavier and more widespread across Cent and S Ireland and in Wales, SW and Cent S England. Further thunder was reported from the Channel Islands while the rain spread N into N England and S Scotland later. (Plymouth 11.9C, Fylingdales 4.1C maximum, Fyvie Castle -2.2C minimum, Capel Curig 22.0 mm, Wattisham 5.8 h.)
A low pressure centre passed E'wards across N Ireland and N England on the 17th. Ahead of the low there was an air frost in N Scotland and a ground frost in N and E Scotland and NE England. Rainfall occurred widely overnight across England, Wales, Ireland and S Scotland with further falls in places here, and in E Scotland, during the day. S England, and parts of E Anglia, had spells of sunshine during the day. (Isles of Scilly 10.9C, Altnaharra 3.0C maximum, Altnaharra -4.5C maximum, Rochdale 24.8 mm, Brize Norton 6.1 h.)
Cloud skies mean a lack of frost across most of England and Wales into the 18th although N and Cent Ireland and much of Scotland had a ground frost by dawn with an air frost in W Scotland and N Ireland. Fog formed overnight in N areas of Ireland, thick in places and persisting all day in parts. During the day precipitation was mainly confined to the Northern Isles with some showers down the E coast of the UK; it became quite sunny across parts of Wales, the Midlands, Cent S and S England. (Trawscoed 11.8C, Drumnadrochit 0.9C maximum, Tulloch Bridge -4.8C minimum, Okehampton 11.4 mm, Lyneham 5.9 h.)
Low pressure brought frontal rain to most areas on the 19th. Parts of N Scotland had a sharp air frost overnight while mist, haze and fog were widespread across England by dawn. Rain spread from the W across W areas overnight falling W of a line Jersey-NE Ireland. During the day cloud and rain spread E'wards to all E areas; mist and fog formed in the clearer air across Ireland in the evening. It was a dull day everywhere. (Bude 12.5C, Pateley Bridge Ravens Nest 3.9C, Loch Glascarnoch -5.3C minimum, Plymouth 30.6 mm, 0.0 h.)
Low pressure and fronts gave a day of widespread cloud and rain on the 20th. Cloud meant a frost-free night during which rain was widespread across the UK - with some heavy falls in S and SW England. The rain area was slow-moving with further falls across the UK, and E Ireland, during the day. It was again a sunless day across mainland areas of the British Isles. Some sleet was reported at times from Staffordshire. Twenty fours of heavy rain brought flooding and travel disruption to many parts of England and Wales; in Hampshire, people have had to be rescued from their vehicles and trains services have been disrupted or cancelled. (Hurn 11.5C, Carterhouse 3.5C maximum, Spadeadam 2.8C minimum, Tyndrum 76.2 mm, St. Helier 1.0 h.)
There were a few breaks in the cloud in parts of SW England and Ireland that led to a touch of ground frost in places here on the 21st. Overnight was mostly confined to Scotland, NE Ireland, N and Cent parts of England and to Wales. During the day this rain moved NE to affect N and E Scotland and parts of NE England for a while. Ireland had a rather misty start to the day and across England early rain gave way to misty conditions. S England, away from the SW, had a sunny day - elsewhere it remained cloudy and rather misty. According to the Met Office the wettest place in the UK, in the 48 hours to 0600 GMT was Tyndrum, Perthshire where 102.4 mm of rain fell, with 94.6 mm of this falling in the second 24-hour period. Motorists across NE England were advised to take care as heavy rain continued to make driving conditions difficult. A number of flood alerts were in place here - including for the River Wear at Chester-le-Street and the River Coquet in Northumberland. (Swanage 10.9C, Loch Glascarnoch 2.7C maximum, Pembrey Sands 1.1C minimum, Tyndrum 23.4 mm, Hurn 4.8 h.)
Early mist and fog across England on the 22nd was soon replaced by rain that spread from the W = having given a wet night across Ireland, Wales and SW England by dawn. Another area of rain also affected NE Scotland overnight. Warm air brought by the front that caused the rain led to temperatures rising to 12-13C across S and Cent parts of England, Wales and Ireland during the day - a day when rainfall was widespread across the British Isles with further heavy falls in places. It was a sunless day almost everywhere, with some snow showers across the Northern Isles later in the day. Drivers were advised only to make essential journeys after flooding brought chaos across the Isle of Man. Emergency services had to rescue motorists trapped in flooding on Cooil Road, Douglas, as fire-fighters worked to clear Richmond Hill, which was said to be "virtually impassable". Homes were evacuated and about 120 properties in Cornwall were affected as flooding wreaked havoc across SW England. Police went door to door in Helston, Cornwall, waking residents and leading them to a nearby emergency rest centre. In North Devon, parts of Braunton have been flooded after defences were overwhelmed with water. In Devon, residents in the village of Colebrook, near Plymouth, were evacuated and in Plympton 15 people were forced to move after the Long Brook burst its bank. A number of roads had deep surface water in parts of Sussex. (Exeter Airport 14.1C, Lerwick 3.5C maximum, Lentran -0.2C minimum, Liscombe 75.6 mm, Thomastown 0.3h.)
A low pressure centred moved from NW Ireland to the Northern Isles during the day, bringing further falls of rain to all areas and windy conditions across N areas on the 23rd. Minimum temperatures remained above 10C for much of S and Cent England overnight as rain affected all areas - although S and Cent Ireland remained dry for most of the night. By dawn the rain had cleared England and Wales - but there were heavy falls across NE Scotland and the Northern Isles before the evening. Sleet and snow was also reported throughout the day at Lerwick as temperatures remained below 4C on Shetland. RNLI rescuers said a woman was "lucky" to survive after she was swept from a stricken car at Umberleigh in Devon. Vanessa Glover managed to cling to an over-hanging branch for 50 minutes when the River Taw burst its banks. A herd of pigs are on the loose in the village of Stoke Canon, near Exeter in Devon, after heavy rain flooded their pens. Farmer Roy Hebditch said he decided to release his pigs over fears they would drown in their pen. Twenty-five people were led to safety by emergency services in the village of Stoke Canon, Exeter, after the River Exe burst its banks. Although it remained cloudy across Scotland and S parts of the British Isles, in between there were sunny periods. In Stonehaven dozens of homes were evacuated because of flooding; about 40 residents were moved from their homes in the Aberdeenshire town after the River Carron burst its banks and water rose to above waist-height. Concerns were raised about the health risks from raw sewage, which was being cleared from the town centre. (St James Park 12.9C, Baltasound 3.2C maximum, Baltasound 1.4C minimum, Cassley 43.8 mm, Boulmer 5.2 h.)
A wave depression formed close to Cornwall early on the 24th and passed NE'wards through the Midlands. Rain from the earlier system continued to affect NE Scotland overnight with further rain SE Ireland, and S and cent areas of England and Wales by dawn. Across N England the aftermath of damp conditions led to some mist and fog forming by dawn. Rain fell across most of Britain during the day, with troughs giving further falls behind the wave depression, and there were also showers or longer periods of rain across Ireland. Temperatures of 12C were recorded in parts of cent S and SE England but only the S half of Ireland (and Kirkwall) saw much sunshine. Passengers in south-west England were facing longer Christmas Eve journeys after major flooding closed affected train lines. The railway line between Swindon and Bristol Parkway was closed, causing delays on the line from Paddington through Didcot Parkway. In Braunton, North Devon, volunteers were helping to fill sand bags and fire-fighters were pumping water away from the town centre after the River Caen burst its banks over the weekend. Also in North Devon, about 1,000 tonnes of earth fell 50 m down a hill, covering a train track at the Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park. In just five days, some areas have exceeded their full-month December average; for example, Plymouth, which has seen 129 mm of rain since 19 December compared with a December average of 119 mm. (Exeter Airport 13.0C, Baltasound 3.0C maximum, Fyvie Castle 0.3C minimum Threave 27.0 mm, Shannon Airport 3.3 h.)
Low pressure situated close to Ireland throughout the 25th led to another unsettled day. There was a touch of ground frost in some E areas of Britain and in NE Ireland with an air frost in parts of NE Scotland. Overnight rain again affected many areas overnight and during the day - but it was not a white Christmas. In most places falls were slight and eased off during the day; across Scotland, Ireland and parts of S England there were some sunny intervals. (St. Helier 11.3C, Fyvie Castle 3.7C maximum, Aboyne -2.5C minimum, Kinlochewe 27.8 mm, St. Helier 4.6 h.)
There was little air frost overnight into the 26th at low levels despite broken cloud in E England. Elsewhere, the day began rather cloudy after some overnight rain across Ireland, Wales and W areas of England and Scotland - and also in the Northern Isles. During the day the rain became more widespread, except across Cent and N Scotland where many places had a largely dry day. NE Scotland and parts of E England had some sunny spells; in the Northern Isles and later N areas of mainland Scotland the precipitation fell as snow even at low levels. (Exeter Airport 12.1C, Lentran 0.1C maximum, Resallach -2.1C minimum, Lough Fea 21.6 mm, Dyce 4.2 h.)
There was a cold start to the 27th across N Scotland as a cold front edged S to give an air frost here. The front gave overnight rain in N Ireland and S Scotland, while a developing low centre moved E'wards from SW Ireland to give overnight in Ireland and, later, in Wales and SW England. By dawn it had turned drier across Ireland but during the day the rain was widespread across Wales and S of a line Lincoln-Liverpool due to the low. The cold front continued to give some light rain in S and W Scotland. As a result the best of the sunshine was to be found in Ireland, Cornwall and the Channel Islands - once the early rain cleared. Lightning is thought to have started a fire in a Dorset school and another strike may have started a fire in a derelict hotel; a west Highlands A-road has reopened after a Christmas Day landslide was cleared. Eleven householders were advised to leave their homes after a landslip at Ystalyfera, in the upper Swansea valley. To the N of the cold front there was some snowfall across Scotland - and also later in Cumbria as night fell. (Guernsey Airport and St. Helier 11.0C, Baltasound 0.0C maximum, Altnaharra -4.1C minimum, Spadeadam 27.0 mm, Dublin Airport 4.8 h.)
Much of Scotland and N England began the 28th with a ground frost with an air frost in NE Scotland; on Scilly the overnight minimum temperature was 9.3C. Warm conditions in the S were the result of a warm sector - a warm front spread rain to most of W and S Scotland and places W of a line Carlisle-Portsmouth. The rain soon moved into E Britain and although it turned drier across Ireland it remained dull in all areas with a strong SW airflow giving some coastal gales. Daytime maximum temperatures exceeded 12C in many places from S Scotland S'wards. Early in the day there were 78 flood warnings and 192 alerts in England and Wales, and 14 alerts and seven warnings in Scotland. The main rail line in the South West of England reopened between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton after being closed for a week due to flooding. The Thames Barrier was raised twice in 24 hours to keep the high tide out of London and reduce the risk of flooding as water from days of downpours with water levels expected to peak in the next 48 hours. Heavy rain brought localised flooding to parts of Scotland. The Stirling to Aberfoyle A821 road was closed at Duke's Pass, with flood water up to 1 metre deep in the area. ( Kinlochewe 13.9C, Inverbervie 8.6C maximum, Cassley -2.4C minimum, Cluanie Inn 52.8 mm, Kinloss 0.6 h.)
The 29th dawned with mild conditions everywhere; much of England and Wales had overnight minimum temperatures above 10C although a cold front spread rain and cooler are E'wards across Ireland and much of Wales and W Britain by dawn. The rain was heavy over Wales; fire crews in mid and west Wales were called to flooding at Milford Haven, Aberporth and Caldey Island, off Tenby. The cold front cleared E Britain shortly after midday, to be followed by troughs and bands of showers. These turned thunder on Jersey in the late afternoon and evening and rain was again heavy in places in Wales and W England during the day. In N Scotland some snow fell latter in the day in the cold air. (Linton On Ouse 12.4C, Altnaharra 5.0C maximum, Loch Glascarnoch 4.2C minimum, Capel Curig 64.4 mm, Thomastown 2.7 h.)
Bands of showers affected many areas overnight into the 30th as temperatures fell low enough to give a slight ground frost in places. Much of Cent and E England remained dry as it did during the day as further rain fell in many other areas during the day. Across Scotland the rain turned to snow, especially early and late in the day when snow also fell on high ground in N England, and it was a windy day in all areas with MSL pressure down to 979.7 mb at Baltasound by 2400 GMT - when it was also 987.8 mb at Belmullet. E England and parts of E Scotland had the best of the sunshine- the W half of the British Isles remained generally dull. (Hereford 11.6C, Aviemore 3.4C maximum, Lossiemouth -1.1C minimum, Capel Curig 40.8 mm, Wattisham 5.4 h.)
Windy conditions prevented the development of an air frost into the 31st as a low centre moved NE'wards close to NW Scotland, introducing further spells of rain. This rain affected much of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and N England overnight with much of the British Isles being affected during the day. The rain was especially heavy in Wales; here, heavy rain brought flooding and travel disruption across mid, west and north Wales. Rail services were affected in Powys and Carmarthenshire while a man was trapped in his van on Gower. In parts of Ireland it turned drier during the day with the best of any sunshine also to be found here and in W Scotland. (Church Fenton 12.1C, Resallach 5.1C maximum, Fyvie Castle 1.0C minimum, Capel Curig 53.0 mm, Cork Airport 3.3.h.)