Weather log April 2023
Key:
Thankfully a drier start to April after the very wet March:
Tue 4th widespread inland frost as low as -3c; minima Shobdon -3.2, Nottingham & Pershore -2.7c, Coventry -2.0c, CC -1.9c, Lwn -1.1c, Aberporth +2.9c, Aberdaron 5.6c. Near unbroken sunshine quite widely over 10 hours, Lwn est 12 hours, Coventry 11.7 hrs, Wellesbourne 11.5 hrs; sunniest day since last August (14 hours) here at Lwn.
Thu 6th showery, local thunder especially SW Midlands (Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion NRW 16.0mm; Gogerddan, Ceredigion 12.4mm, Astwood Bank, Worc 10.2mm).
Fri 7th from fairly widespread frost (as low as -2.3c Lwn) to mild sunshine today. Trawsgoed max 16c one of the highest in UK today (Lwn 15.7c, Pershore 15.2c, Nottingham 14.6c, CL & Coleshill 13.8c, Aberdaron 12.2c).
Sat 8th local frost then a rather warm day in places (for early April); maxima Astwood Bank, Worc 16.7c, Gogerddan 16.3c, Pershore 16.2c, Trawsgoed 15.6c, Coleshill & Nottingham 15.4c, Lwn 15.2c, Shobdon 14.1c, Aberdaron 12.6c. Midlands saw plentiful sunshine.
Mon 10th April showers, thunder and hail in places.
Tue 11th turned wet and windy pm. Over an inch parts of wales; wind gusts widely over 50mph WW and over 70 mph exposed coasts (Pembrey Sands 74mph). Isolated thunder mid Wales evening.
Wed 12th deep low over the UK further spells of rain and strong winds; again over an inch parts of WW, gusts again topping 70mph at exposed locations. Isolated thunder.
First half of April rather wet with near average temperatures and sunshine.
Short dry spell after mid month, some rather warm sunshine especially WW:
Sun 16th Derek Brockway showed the satellite for Wales today, all cloudy excepting a 'hole' over southern Cardigan Bay (apparently due to air descending adjacent high ground) and so this part saw some mild sunny spells; maxima Whitechurch 15.3c, Aberporth 15.1c, Lwn 14.1c, Coventry 13.6c; Mumbles 10.8c; Aberporth 3.4 hours sun, Lwn 0 hrs.
Mon 17th much cloud, generally rather mild, max Scolton Park, Pembs 16.9c, Lwn 16.6c, Nottingham 16.0c, Pershore 15.3c, Coventry 15.0c, Aberporth 12.1c. Note Kinlochewe in the Scottish Highlands 21c today.
Tue 18th most places sunny, rather warm WW, but a cool NE breeze for the Midlands where nearer average; Maxima warmest day of the year to date Wales with Porthmadog 17.6c; other Lwn 16.7c, Newport, Salop 15.5c, CITE 14.6c; RAF Valley 12.8 hours sun.
Thu 20th near unbroken sun widely (Valley 13.3 hours, Shobdon 12.9 hrs, Lwn est 12.5 hours, Aberporth & Nottingham 12.0 hours, Coventry 11.5 hrs). Whitechurch (Pembs) inland from Cardigan went from min 0.3c and a ground frost to a rather warm max 17.1c; other max Lwn 17.0c, Pembrey Sands 16.7c, ROW 16.0c, Pershore 15.6c, CITE & Shawbury 14.9c, Coventry 14.5c, Coleshill 14.0c, CC 12.9c.
More unsettled and cooler into fourth week:
Fri 21st some rain or showers, maxima down at 10 - 12c for most. Sutton Bonington, Notts 12.4mm wettest in UK. Note warmth hanging on for Scotland all week, max in the Highlands today 19.4c at Achnagart.
Sun 23rd showers especially Midlands, local thunder S Mids afternoon (one tracked between Stratford & Evesham; Market Bosworth 16.0mm - wettest in Midlands.
Mon 24th spells of rain mid and S Wales and SW Midlands, thundery showers south coast of Wales am and one affected Milford Haven afternoon.
Tue 25th widespread though slight frost; fine dry day with sunny spells.
Wed 26th Gogerddan, near Aberystwyth max 15.9c the highest in the UK today, more generally 12 to 14c; Lwn 15.3c, Trawsgoed 14.9c, CITE 13.5c, Aberporth 12.4c, CL & Hereford 11.7c.
Fri 28th warmer some areas, particularly SW Midlands, still cool N Mids and around Swansea, maxima Pershore 19.6c (warmest in UK), Hereford 17.9c, Lwn 16.8c, Coventry 16.5c, CITE 15.3c, Trawsgoed 14.6c, Mumbles & Nottingham 12.4c.
Sat 29th generally rather warm, maxima Pershore College 20.2c, Lwn 20.1c, Hereford 19.7c, Trawsgoed 19.2c, Coleshill, Nottingham & Shobdon 18.9c, CL 17.9c, Shawbury 17.5c, Aberporth 17.0c, Aberdaron 13.0c. Here at Lwn it was comfortably the warmest day of the Spring to date by 3c and the only real warm day to date. Note in contrast the NE was very cool (max Newcastle 8c and at Inverbervie (Aberdeenshire) a mere 5.4c the high).
Sun 30th scattered showers, some heavy; a line of downpours affected a strip through Ceredigion afternoon with Trawsgoed 25.0mm wettest in Wales (dry here at Lwn all afternoon).
Nature notes
Start of the month: a few Snowdrop flowers hung on into the start of the month (quite unusual to see them still out in April). Still a good show of Daffs ongoing. Hedgerows hereabout still largely devoid of leaves (usually most would be in leaf by April). Blackthorn blossom out, first Hawthorn leaves out.
Pond below the church full to the brim (it very near dried out last Summer from about 1 metre depth when full).
Mon 3rd Blackcap singing properly end of the gardens.
Tue 4th first Willow Warbler singing from the bottom of the gardens.
Thu 6th Lampeter Uni, 2 or 3 Swallow twittering above the Student Union.
Mon 10th Forestry, just a few Chiffchaff singing, no Willow Warblers heard, probably as it was a cool and breezy afternoon. Never seen it so wet and muddy in April before!
Thu 13th first Swallow seen above the gardens seemed passing through.
Sat 15th Lampeter Uni several Swallow again, several Chiffchaff, a Blackcap and a Willow Warbler singing. First blue butterfly.
Aberaeron mid month a good showing of Wood Anemone along the river as usual; Spotted Orchids coming up by the picnic benches (seen in recent years) they are all concentrated within a small 10 by 10 metre area, seemingly to prefer the well trodden ground with it's bare patches.
A few Swallows seen most days from mid month.
Wed 19th/ Thu 20th after nice sunny day quite a few dusk Bats parading the garden.
Tue 25th Forestry late afternoon, quite a few Willow Warblers singing and some Chiffchaff and Blackcap.
Fine bird song during the last week of the month, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Chiffchaffs at full pelt even during some of the afternoons which tend to be more quiet. Swallows seen most days now but still no House Martins. Swifts were reported seen at Aberystwyth in the last week.
Fri 28th Aberystwyth by Morrisons afternoon/ early evening, very good bird song, especially a Blackbird within 10 metres perched atop a modest tree and a loud close by Willow Warbler, also several Chiffchaff and Blackcap - a great accessible spot to hear the Spring bird song this between shopping. Also I may have heard a House Martin uncertain though.
Sat 29th first Swifts over the village this evening (3 or 4 which is typically the number of new arrivals here). Think I saw a House Martin too.
Sun 30th for over an hour this afternoon a good number of feeding hirundines and Swifts above the gardens consisting of about 6 House Martin, 6 Swallow and 3 or 4 Swift (some screaming too); later on more like 8 to 10 Martins present.
Sun 30th first Bluebell flowers along Grannell stream lane (a month after the first in the garden); sole Wood Anemone lane side of the steam with a bigger cluster on the opposite side.
Month end: most Daffs now over after a prolonged display; still some Celandines in bloom; garden Bluebells approaching peak bloom (always a few weeks ahead of their countryside counterparts). Hawthorn and most hedgerows now in leaf. Trees slow coming into leaf, but most Sycamore have and some Beech, Oak starting to, Ash flowering (always seems to be the last into leaf, not until well into May usually). Bracken fronds appearing.
Plenty of Speckled Wood butterflies and first Orange Tips.
Fine display of Stitchwort during the month.
April 2023 summary
Generally average rainfall or rather wet; temperatures average/ quite mild; sunshine rather dull to average
No hard frosts, nor particularly high temperatures.
Most places around average for rainfall (within 20%), locally rather dry, likewise a few spots had a wet month. Here at Llanwnnen compared with the historical local average (77mm) this April's rainfall was close to average however compared with the drier trend here since 2006 (average 2006-23 just 61mm) it was rather wet (134%).
Rainfall totals April 2023
Capel Curig, Snowdonia c 115mm (rather dry)
Valley, Anglesey c 35mm (dry)
Aberdaron, Llyn Peninsular 62.6mm (107%)
Trawsgoed, Ceredigion c 105mm (rather wet)
Aberporth, near Llangrannog 43.4mm (80%)
Llanwnnen 81.9mm (106% of Falcondale, Lampeter 1921-50)
Pembrey Sands, Carms c 65mm (average)
Milford Haven, Pembs c 65mm (average)
Mumbles, near Swansea c 65mm (average)
Nottingham 73.8mm (155%)
Shawbury, Salop 51.0mm (108%)
Coleshill 50.2mm (104%)
Coventry, Bablake School 62.8mm (121%)
CL, Warks 49.0mm (98%)
Pershore, Worc 55.2mm (115%)
Hereford 58.6mm (117%)
National Resources Wales (NRW) rain gauges
Llyn Cefni, Ynys Mon 51.0mm (average)
Bethesda Quarry (Gwynedd) 79.0mm (rather dry)
Cwm Dyli (Snowdonia) 129.4mm (rather dry)
Corris (near Machynlleth) 114.4mm (average)
Bow Street (near Aberystwyth) 62.2mm (average)
Pontrhydfendigaid (near Tregaron, Ceredigion) 98.2mm (average)
Penuwch (Ceredigion) 119.4mm (wet)
Rhos Ymryson (near Gorscoch and 5 miles NW of Lwn) 100.8mm (rather wet)
Cellan (2 miles NE of Lampeter) 94.2mm (average)
Pencader (Carms) 91.8mm (average)
Abergorllech (Brechfa Forest, Carms) 100.6mm (average)
Rhydargaeau (Carms) 94.2mm (average)
Garnswllt (near Ammanford, Carms) 84.8mm (average)
Felinfoel (near Llanelli, Carms) 86.8mm (average)
Maenclochog (near Preselis, Pembs) 94.2mm (average)
Tenby (Pembs) 74.0mm (rather wet)
Bolton Hill (near Haverfordwest, Pembs) 68.8mm (average)
COL stations rainfall
Llansadwrn 53.0mm (81%)
Ludlow, Salop 60.5mm (104%)
Alvechurch, Worc 66.0mm (110%)
Warstock, Brum 60.9mm (105%)
Cosby, Leic 50.9mm (103%)
Hinckley 82.4mm (Midlands wet spot)
Towcester, Northants 48.9mm (93%)
Sunshine totals April 2023
Aberdaron 170.1 hours (93%)
Aberporth 140.8 hours (78%)
Llanwnnen estimated 123 hours
Nottingham 138.2 hrs (91%)
Shawbury 131.0 hrs (83%)
Coventry, Bablake School 160.0 hours (101%)
Shobdon, Herefordshire 130.6 hrs (79%)
COL stations sun:
Ludlow 108.9 hrs
Warstock, Brum 108.1 hrs
Alvechurch 154.2 hrs
Towcester 147.6 hrs
