A look back at April 2014.
You would expect a pretty mixed bag in April with all the ‘April’ showers about alongside some warmth in the sun as Spring gets going. May 2014 has continued that unsettled theme and not really warmed up much although the threat of night-time frosts is diminishing.
April saw few frosts, and some quiet weather overall. It was most settled and warm in the middle of the month, although the top temperatures was later with 22C at Aviemore in the Cairngorms, 72F.
Southern England and parts of Scotland saw more rain than average although East Anglia was rather dry. Sunshine amounts were around average, apart from W.Scotland and N.Ireland where there was more. Averages relate to the near 30 year average from 1981-2010 (Met Office data). N. Ireland had a pretty fine April. It was 2.1C above average, with more sunshine and 57% of expected rainfall so rather dry.
The main weather event was the arrival of Saharan dust, coating cars throughout the UK and the following air pollution as the airflow continued from the continent, particularly affecting SE Britain.
