Weather log April 2020
Key:
WW = West Wales
Lwn = Llanwnnen
AG = Aldermans Green, Coventry
CL = Church Lawford
ROW = Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
CC = Capel Curig, Snowdonia
MH = Milford Haven
Mids = Midlands
CITE = Coton-in-the-Elms, Derbyshire
COL = Climatological Observers Link
PWS = Personal weather station
A mainly dry start to the month became warm or very warm:
Sun 5th warm and windy, sunny for most max Porthmadog 22.2c, warmest in UK, ROW 21.4c, Trawsgoed 21.3c, Coventry 19.9c, Watnaall 19.5c, Lwn 19.4c, Mumbles 13.9c
Tue 7th widespread frost min Lwn & Tirabad -3.1c (coldest in UK officially), Shobdon -1.6c, Pembrey -1.1c, Coventry +1.2c, Watnall 2.2c, Valley 7.5c. Fine sunny day temperatures recovered well, max Astwood Bank, Worc 19.1c, Lwn 17.7c, Trawsgoed 17.1c, Aberdaron 12.9c; unbroken 12 hours sun locally as Aberdaron 12.5 hrs sunniest in UK, Aberporth 9.6 hrs, Lwn est 9.5 hrs
Wed 8th warm/ very warm and fairly sunny for most...max Astwood Bank 22.5c, Usk 22.0c, Coventry 21.5c, Lwn 21.4c, Shobdon 20.2c, Trawsgoed 19.6c, Aberporth 15.5c, this after localised grass frosts
Thu 9th widely warm or very warm with sunny periods, Lwn max 23.4c being the highest reading so early in the year (21.1c 8/4/17); other max Usk 24.1c, ROW 23.3c, Trawsgoed 22.6c, Hereford 22.4c, Coventry 19.7c, Mona 19.3c, Watnall 16.4c
Fri 10th (Good Friday) summer-like after the milder night, sunny periods and exceptional early April temperatures for WW in particular; max 25.2c here at Lwn not quite an April record (26.0c 14/4/07) but once more became the highest reading so early in Spring (beating 21.4c 10/4/12). Other max, ROW 24.9c, Trawsgoed 24.8c, Gogerddan 24.5c, Pershore 24.1c, Aberporth 23.8c, Pembrey 23.7c, CL & Coventry 22.9c, MH & Mumbles 19.2c. A few thundery showers set off by the warmth over the hills of mid and north Wales..
Sat 11th very warm sunny max generally above 21c, isolated thundery showers later inc Coventry 2100. Maxima Hereford 24.7c, Coventry 24.3c, Sutton Bonington 22.8c, Lwn 22.2c, MH 21.8c, Shawbury 20.4c, Valley 17.4c
Fri 10th (Good Friday) summer-like after the milder night, sunny periods and exceptional early April temperatures for WW in particular; max 25.2c here at Lwn not quite an April record (26.0c 14/4/07) but once more became the highest reading so early in Spring (beating 21.4c 10/4/12). Other max, ROW 24.9c, Trawsgoed 24.8c, Gogerddan 24.5c, Pershore 24.1c, Aberporth 23.8c, Pembrey 23.7c, CL & Coventry 22.9c, MH & Mumbles 19.2c. A few thundery showers set off by the warmth over the hills of mid and north Wales..
Sat 11th very warm sunny max generally above 21c, isolated thundery showers later inc Coventry 2100. Maxima Hereford 24.7c, Coventry 24.3c, Sutton Bonington 22.8c, Lwn 22.2c, MH 21.8c, Shawbury 20.4c, Valley 17.4c
Easter Sunday 12th still very warm Midlands, less so WW; max Pershore 22.3c, CL 21.5c, Pembrey 19.7c, Lwn 19.1c, Aberdaron & Aberporth 15.2c
Easter Monday 13th much cooler, particularly so Midlands where Coventry max 9.7c was 11.8c colder than Easter Sunday! Still plentiful sunshine away from E Midlands; other max Lwn 14.4c, Pembrey 14.3c, ROW 12.0c, Pershore 11.1c, CC 9.9c, Watnall 8.8c; Valley 12.7 hrs, Shawbury 12.4 hrs of probably unbroken sunshine, Watnall 4.5 hrs
Tue 14th widespread frost min Lwn -3.3c, CC & Shobdon -3.1c, CITE -1.8c, CL 0.6c, Aberdaron 4.3c. Unbroken sun most places, Aberporth 13.1 hrs (sunniest in UK), Shobdon 13.0 hrs, Lwn 13 hrs estimated, Coventry & Valley 12.2 hrs
Wed 15th widespread frost, locally sharp for April over Wales, min Lwn -4.5c (damaged new Hydrangea leaves and buds); other minima St Harmon, Powys -4.7c, Tirabad -3.5c, Shobdon -1.4c, Coventry +1.2c, Watnall 3.7c, Mumbles 5.8c. Fine sunny day once more and reasonably warm inland after the cold start, max Coleshill 18.8c, Lwn 17.2c, MH 16.6c, Aberporth just 11.5c (sea breeze)
Very dry first half to April some spots hardly anything....Also a very mild and sunny month to date, temps 2 to 3c above average...mid month rainfall totals:
Valley 2.0mm
CC 8.6mm
Aberporth 4.8mm
Lwn 8.6mm
Pembrey 2.2mm
Watnall 1.2mm
Shawbury 1.2mm
Coventry 1.8mm
CL 2.8mm
Hereford 3.4mm
Just after mid month very brief interruption to fine weather with some rain but very little again in places...warm sunny conditions soon back again:
Mon 20th virtually unbroken sun and warm in particular WW, sun widely over 12 hours..
Repeat Tue 22nd...warmest Lwn 21.1c, Porthmadog 20.9c (warmest in UK), Pembrey 20.5c, Trawsgoed 19.7c, ROW 19.3c, Pershore 18.8c, CC 17.0c, Watnall 16.4c; sunshine vitually unbroken across the board - Lwn 13.5 hrs est, Wellesbourne 13.4 hrs, Aberdaron & Aberporth 13.3 hrs, Coventry 12.5 hrs
Wed 23rd local ground frost, min Lwn +0.4c, Trawsgoed 1.7c, Pershore 3.1c, Watnall 5.5c, Valley 7.4c, then max generally warm, Lwn 22.7c
Thu 24th warm or very warm for late April with sunny periods, max Lwn 23.2c, other max Porthmadog 23.1c, Trawsgoed 21.8c, ROW 21.6c, CITE 21.3c, CL & Coventry 20.1c, Aberporth 15.5c
Fri 25th warm or very warm again, generally plenty of sunshine, max Lwn 23.7c, Porthmadog 23.2c warmest in UK, Trawsgoed 22.3c, ROW 21.4c, Pershore 20.9c, Watnall 18.6c, MH 17.6c
Sat 26th last of the really warm days WW and Sun 27th Midlands (Wellesbourne 21.5c) then with a much cooler unsettled end to the month:
Tue 28th a good drop of rain for most places, close on an inch locally, a very cool day, maxima widely below 10c, max Tirabad 7.0c, Market Bosworth 7.2c, Newport, Salop 8.4c, Lwn 9.0c, MH 10.4c; ROW 16.0mm rain wettest in Midlands
Thu 29th very isolated thunder in showers today, inc Aberarth/ Pennant area of Ceredigion 2200, not heard here at Lwn though
Nature notes
Fantastic blooms of Celandine and Primrose in the garden this year. Stitchwort coming out start of month too. Blackthorn bloom early month; Bluebells coming out well first week...
Many Chiffchaffs early month
Sun 5th first Blackcap singing from garden this warm, sunny, windy afternoon.
Plenty of Hoverflies and Bees early month...
Tue 7th first Swallow heard twittering high above the garden then early evening Swallow on wire AlltyBlaca. Plenty of Chiffchaff and now fair few willow Warbler Llwyndrissi forestry. Lots of butterflies mainly Peacocks on a warm sunny afternoon.
Wed 8th 2 Swallow above garden
Thu 9th very warm today lots of butterflies inc first Orange Tip, 2 Speckled Wood; Sycamore leaves coming out
Mon 13th (Easter Monday) first Sand Martin above garden
Much leaf burst mid month inc Sycamore & Oak (just starting); most Daffs over mid month with garden Bluebells at peak bloom. Ferns unfurling in garden.Cow Parsley now in bloom.
Wood Sorrel noticed along the river Grannell bank mid month where the hedgerow had been severely cut down
Horse Chestnut full leaf mid month
Red Campion out mid month and lots of Stichwort; few countryside Bluebells out as yet though cf gardens (different variety?)
Thu 16th Llwyndrissi forestry fine warm evening, first Skylark, many WW, Muntjac deer at 100m then 50m (glimpsed one last week too)
Sun 19th first House Martin heard but not seen from one of the nests above Boots, Lampeter...quite a few Swallows now..
Mon 13th (Easter Monday) first Sand Martin above garden
Much leaf burst mid month inc Sycamore & Oak (just starting); most Daffs over mid month with garden Bluebells at peak bloom. Ferns unfurling in garden.Cow Parsley now in bloom.
Wood Sorrel noticed along the river Grannell bank mid month where the hedgerow had been severely cut down
Horse Chestnut full leaf mid month
Red Campion out mid month and lots of Stichwort; few countryside Bluebells out as yet though cf gardens (different variety?)
Thu 16th Llwyndrissi forestry fine warm evening, first Skylark, many WW, Muntjac deer at 100m then 50m (glimpsed one last week too)
Sun 19th first House Martin heard but not seen from one of the nests above Boots, Lampeter...quite a few Swallows now..
Mon 20th 4 Sand Martin above house...
Wed 22nd Sedge Warbler heard singing from neighbours trees at top of gardens (a first I think for the garden?)
Apple blossom out last week; Ash leaves coming out month end, while some Oak now well in leaf
Lots of Red Campion late month and some Forget-me-Not
Tue 28th first 4 Swift above the village this is an early arrival date (there have been plentiful sightings across southern UK since mid month..sole appearance so far!
Countryside Bluebells in fine bloom after the rain month end
April summary: warm/ very warm, dry and sunny - an outstanding month in West Wales!
Not quite a record breaker but one of the warmest and sunniest Aprils. It was the fifth warmest April for Central England with a mean temperature of 10.4c (CET record back to 1659), the years above it inc 2007 11.2c and top spot the outstanding 2011 on 11.8c for the average temperature across the Midlands zone.
Here at Lwn mean maxima over 17.5, this has only happened twice before and it was the warmest April since 2011. It would have been a very dry month were it not for the unsettled ending. Some places had their sunniest April on record.
April 2020 Rainfall totals
Valley 13.2mm (24%)
Aberdaron 24.4mm (46%)
CC 61.8mm (41%)
Trawsgoed 33.6mm (46%)
Aberporth 24.4mm (46%)
Llanwnnen 35.1mm (46%)
Pembrey Sands 34.4mm (51%)
Mumbles 50.4mm (86%)
Watnall/ Nottingham 16.0mm (30%)
Shawbury 23.2mm (47%
Coleshill 27.6mm (54%)
Coventry, Bablake school 28.8mm (55%)
CL 31.0mm (62%)
Pershore 25.2mm (53%)
Hereford 36.8mm (71%)
COL stations rainfall
Cosby, Leic 30.0mm (61%)
Daventry
Warstock, Bham 34.4mm (55%)
Alvechurch 37.1mm (56%)
Sunshine
Valley 219.7 hrs (136%)
Aberporth 225.9 hrs (131%)
Lwn est 205 hrs (136%)
Watnall 227.2 hrs (161%)
Shawbury 223.6 hrs (169%)
Coventry 242.0 hrs (159%)
Wellesbourne 228.7 hrs
Shobdon 221.2 hrs (171%)
Wed 22nd Sedge Warbler heard singing from neighbours trees at top of gardens (a first I think for the garden?)
Apple blossom out last week; Ash leaves coming out month end, while some Oak now well in leaf
Lots of Red Campion late month and some Forget-me-Not
Tue 28th first 4 Swift above the village this is an early arrival date (there have been plentiful sightings across southern UK since mid month..sole appearance so far!
Countryside Bluebells in fine bloom after the rain month end
April summary: warm/ very warm, dry and sunny - an outstanding month in West Wales!
Not quite a record breaker but one of the warmest and sunniest Aprils. It was the fifth warmest April for Central England with a mean temperature of 10.4c (CET record back to 1659), the years above it inc 2007 11.2c and top spot the outstanding 2011 on 11.8c for the average temperature across the Midlands zone.
Here at Lwn mean maxima over 17.5, this has only happened twice before and it was the warmest April since 2011. It would have been a very dry month were it not for the unsettled ending. Some places had their sunniest April on record.
April 2020 Rainfall totals
Valley 13.2mm (24%)
Aberdaron 24.4mm (46%)
CC 61.8mm (41%)
Trawsgoed 33.6mm (46%)
Aberporth 24.4mm (46%)
Llanwnnen 35.1mm (46%)
Pembrey Sands 34.4mm (51%)
Mumbles 50.4mm (86%)
Watnall/ Nottingham 16.0mm (30%)
Shawbury 23.2mm (47%
Coleshill 27.6mm (54%)
Coventry, Bablake school 28.8mm (55%)
CL 31.0mm (62%)
Pershore 25.2mm (53%)
Hereford 36.8mm (71%)
COL stations rainfall
Cosby, Leic 30.0mm (61%)
Daventry
Warstock, Bham 34.4mm (55%)
Alvechurch 37.1mm (56%)
Sunshine
Valley 219.7 hrs (136%)
Aberporth 225.9 hrs (131%)
Lwn est 205 hrs (136%)
Watnall 227.2 hrs (161%)
Shawbury 223.6 hrs (169%)
Coventry 242.0 hrs (159%)
Wellesbourne 228.7 hrs
Shobdon 221.2 hrs (171%)
