Weather log March 2023
Key:
Became rather cold/cold early in March:
Fri 3rd Llanwnnen min -8.1c was the lowest March reading since -8.2c in the 'Beast from the East' of 2018 (01/03/18). Lowest temperatures restricted to mid and west Wales, Midlands must have been mainly cloudy as above 0c) No official UK station lower. Other min Trawsgoed -5.6c, Pembrey Sands & Whitchurch -4.8c, Aberporth & Shawbury -1.2c, CC 2.0c, Pershore 3.3c. Max generally rather cold, Tirabad 2.6c, Shobdon 4.4c, Lwn 4.7c, Aberporth, Hereford & Trawsgoed 5.2c, CL & Coventry, MH & Mumbles 5.5c, Nottingham 6.4c, Pembrey Sands 6.8c.
Sat 4th maxima on quite a cold day for March: Tirabad 3.8c, Coventry 4.5c, CC 4.8c, Nottingham 5.8c, Lwn 6.2c, Pembrey Sands 6.7c.
Tue 7th rather cold with wintry showers for some.
Second week a cold spell proper with snow falling in many areas:
Wed 8th a very cold and wintry day: spells of sleet or snow in many places, S Wales worst hit with 4 inches in Swansea for example. Nothing more than a slight slushy covering here at Llanwnnen. Much of the Midlands had a snow cover by late evening. Maxima generally between 1 and 3c; Tirabad -0.3c, Hereford & Shobdon +0.8c, CL & Coventry 1.5c, Market Bosworth 1.9c, Pershore College 2.3c, Lwn and Aberporth 2.7c, Nottingham 3.7c, Valley 4.8c. Much milder in the far SW of the UK today (max 12.8c Isles of Scilly) whereas it was down to -15c in the Highlands of Scotland last night.
Thu 9th further snowfalls for the Midlands, mid and N Wales for a time, although many areas saw this turn to sleet or rain afternoon before reverting back to more snow evening. Depths of 10 - 15cm for the Malverns, Black Country and parts of Powys last night. Coventry had between 5 and 10cm although most of this thawed with heavy rain pm. Even the Llandudno area on the N Wales coast saw several inches of snow settling for a time. The mild air made it into SW Wales for a time but elsewhere it remained cold, maxima MH 11.6c, Pembrey Sands 10.1c, Lwn 5.2c, ROW 3.4c, Pershore 2.5c, Coleshill, Hereford & Shobdon 1.9c, CC 0.8c, Nottingham 0.6c.
Fri 10th yet more snow fell overnight especially the N Midlands and N Wales, over a foot lying in Buxton by morning, Coventry & Warwickshire saw several fresh cms. Parts of the Midlands had above an inch of rain equivalent by 0900 with Coventry getting 25.6mm.
Milder but still unsettled around mid month:
Su 12th first mild day of March for the Midlands in particular with rain at times. Max Hereford 14.5c, Pershore 13.8c, Sutton Bonington 13.6c, Coventry 13.0c, Tirabad 12.8c, Shobdon 12.4c, Lwn 11.4c, Aberporth 11.3c, Pembrey Sands 10.1c, CC 9.3c.
Mon 13th mild again, above 14c for parts of the Midlands (e.g. Pershore 15.2c, Coventry 14.1c), further spells of rain and strong winds. Around an inch for much of WW and above 3 inches in Snowdonia (Capel Curig 85.8mm wettest in UK). Winds gusting 40 - 50mph widely and up to 75mph at exposed Aberdaron.
A miserable start to Spring 2023, the first half of March being cool, dull and wet in all areas. All of the Midlands and many parts of WW exceeding the March average rainfall already - the whole March average 3 to 4 inches generally for WW and around 2 inches Midlands.
March 2023 rainfall totals to 0600 16th:
CC 169mm, Trawsgoed 82.8mm, Mumbles 78mm, Lwn 73.9mm, Shobdon 67.2mm, Coventry 63.6mm, Coleshill 56.2mm, Nottingham 51.0mm.
Fri 17th showery with isolated thunder, as with near Coventry mid afternoon (single strike Corley area). Mild or very mild most places, maxima Pershore College 16.3c (warmest in UK), Nottingham 15.5c, Trawsgoed 15.3c, Coventry 15.2c, Shawbury 14.6c, Lwn 13.6c, Aberdaron & Mumbles 11.1c.
Sat 18th Showery again with thunder in places (Midlands). Very mild Midlands too, Hereford max 16.2c (warmest in UK), Pershore 15.7c, CL 15.3c, Nottingham 13.8c, Trawsgoed 12.9c, CC, Lwn & Mona 12.2c, Aberdaron 10.3c.
Mon 20th Porthmadog 22.2mm wettest place in the UK.
Wed 22nd Showery (especially WW), isolated thunder; several rumbles of thunder heard late afternoon in Coventry along with hail.
They said on ITV Wales this evening that Wales may challenge the dullest March on record (all Wales average being just 60 hours in 1984).
A brief drier interlude 25th to 27th before yet more unsettled and at times wet and windy weather to see out March:
Sun 26th cooler day most places but SW Wales still quite mild, maxima MH 13.0c, Lwn 12.8c, Aberdaron & Trawsgoed 10.8c, Aberporth 9.8c, Pershore 9.7c, Coventry & Nottingham 8.4c, CC 8.0c.
Mon 27th sunniest day of the month for WW (7 to 10 hours widely) this after a widespread frost (as low as -3c; Lwn -2.9c).
Thu 30th very mild/ rather warm central and E Midlands; Pershore College 17.1c, Coventry 16.1c, Nottingham 15.0c, Trawsgoed 14.0c, Lwn 13.4c, Shawbury 11.3c, Capel Curig 10.4c.
Fri 31st wet day over an inch parts of SW Wales & S Midlands (Whitechurch, Pembs 36.4mm, Astwood Bank, Worc 23.4mm, MH 21.8mm, Pershore 21.6mm, Llanwnnen 19.5mm, Market Bosworth, Leic 10.8mm, Coventry 9.4mm, Nottingham 4.0mm, Valley 0.2mm. A very wet end to March many places having over an inch in the last 3 days (Llanwnnen 47mm causing the Teifi to flood quite badly which is unusual for March.
Nature notes
Cold start to March slowed down the early Spring flowering locally (Daffs, Crocuses, Celandines) however enabling the Snowdrops Season to be extended. Some hedgerows just starting to leaf though.
Sun 19th Snowdrops still out along Drefach lane in the village (not often out so late). A long 2 month bloom season could be due to the very dull March.
Mon 20th Chiffchaff (first) calling bottom of the garden; Dad thinks he heard one last week (they were arriving en masse last week.
Thu 23rd second Chiffchaff heard (just a brief snatch at the University).
Good display of Spring flowers with the mild second half of the month (Celandines, Daffs, Snowdrops, Primroses). Most Snowdrops over month end. Hedgerows coming into leaf more widely month end. Some Willows leafing, Magnolias in bloom.
In spite of unsettled weather more in the way of bird song in the final week. GSW heard drumming occasionally from garden throughout March.
Mon 27th Aberaeron, nice sunny afternoon, Wood Anemones coming out along the river; several Chiffchaff singing.
Thu 30th Carmarthen Sand Martin above the Towy valley early evening. Several Chiffchaff heard too in the town. Hedgerows still mainly bare.
Fri 31st first Bluebell flowers coming out end of garden; possibly a snatch of Blackcap song heard too.
March 2023 summary
Very wet and dull; temperatures average to rather mild.
Notably dull for WW just an estimated 39 hours here at Lwn which is under half that of the previous dullest March (2017 82 hours). Coventry 82.9 hours (66%) had its dullest March since 1998 (81.6 hours). Unusually at both Coventry & Llanwnnen this March was duller than the preceding January & February!
Notably wet in many place too, many places receiving over twice the average. and almost three times locally Midlands: Coventry (125.2mm) the second wettest March in the city's 150 year record. Llanwnnen (199.2mm) wettest March recorded here (srb 2006) beating March 2008 (167.9mm) this though way below that of March 1981 (288mm at nearby Llanybydder).
After a cold first half March recovered to just above average for most places.
Rainfall totals March 2023
Valley, Anglesey 94.8mm (166%)
Capel Curig, Snowdonia 362.6mm (170%)
Aberdaron, Llyn Peninsular c 135mm
Trawsgoed, Ceredigion 161.8mm (165%)
Aberporth, near Llangrannog c 120mm (c 193%)
Llanwnnen 199.2mm (240% of historical Lampeter and 190% of here since 2006)
Pembrey Sands, Carms c 160mm (c 203%)
Milford Haven, Pembs c 145mm
Mumbles, near Swansea c 155mm (c 212%)
Nottingham 100.4mm (221%)
Shawbury, Salop c 95mm
Coleshill 111.4mm (239%)
Coventry, Bablake School 125.2mm (266%)
CL, Warks 99.4mm (221%)
Pershore, Worc 103.2mm (261%)
Hereford 101.6mm (208%)
Shobdon, Herefordshire 125.6mm (226%)
National Resources Wales (NRW) rain gauges
(note 10 to 45mm fell much of mid Wales 00-0900 April 1st not included in these cf Llanwnnen where measured 0900) hence March totals for some of these gauges would have been even higher)
Llyn Cefni, Ynys Mon 148.2mm (very wet)
Bethesda Quarry (Gwynedd) 218.8mm (rather wet)
Cwm Dyli (Snowdonia) 519.8mm (very wet)
Corris (near Machynlleth) 350.8mm (very wet)
Bow Street (near Aberystwyth) 112.2mm (wet)
Pontrhydfendigaid (near Tregaron, Ceredigion) 143.6mm (rather wet)
Penuwch (Ceredigion) 251.6mm (very wet) {note 42mm fell 00-0900 April 1st}
Rhos Ymryson (near Gorscoch and 5 miles NW of Lwn) 208.8mm (very wet) {23mm 00-0900 April 1st}
Cellan (2 miles NE of Lampeter) 172.0mm (very wet)
Pencader (Carms) 251.6mm (very wet)
Abergorllech (Brechfa Forest, Carms) 293.2mm (very wet)
Rhydargaeau (Carms) 284.8mm (very wet)
Garnswllt (near Ammanford, Carms) 241.2mm (very wet)
Felinfoel (near Llanelli, Carms) 216.0mm (very wet)
Maenclochog (near Preselis, Pembs) 267.6mm (very wet)
Tenby (Pembs) 184.4mm (very wet)
Bolton Hill (near Haverfordwest, Pembs) 164.0mm (wet)
COL stations rainfall
Llansadwrn 146.6mm (187%)
Ludlow, Salop 113.6mm (208%)
Alvechurch, Worc 125.9mm (234%)
Warstock, Brum 140.5mm (264%)
Cosby, Leic 102.2mm (205%)
Hinckley 124.6mm
Towcester, Northants 117.4mm (253%)
Sunshine totals March 2023
Valley 85.3 hrs (65%)
Aberporth 46.2 hours (35%)
Llanwnnen estimated 39 hours (42%)
Nottingham 63.4 hrs (55%)
Shawbury 64.8 hrs (57%)
Coventry, Bablake School 82.9 hours (66%)
Shobdon, Herefordshire 68.1 hrs (57%)
COL stations sun:
Ludlow 54.3 hours
Warstock 55.4 hrs
Alvechurch 95.4 hrs
Towcester 70.9 hrs
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