SUMMARIES: 1958 - 1989

A word of caution re: the 'warmest' and 'sunniest' data (where given).

1. I have used the generally published figures from various Daily or Monthly Weather Summaries, and other sources. This means that sometimes, values are used that are later questioned: in particular, some stations have been found to be non-representative when careful later checks are made. I have used some of the 'roof-top' sites, (e.g. London, Cardiff), but remember that these are generally regarded as poor when set alongside the more 'standard' ground-level settings. Also note that these data (where known / given) are simply the locations we know of! They are not meant to be exhaustive: just giving the broad idea of where the warmest (or sunniest) spots were, and with what value. In some cases, I do not know the exact value, so the value to the nearest degC (temperature) or h (hours of sunshine) is listed.

2. Sunshine can be mis-reported for all sorts of reasons, and it is not unknown for coastal resorts to 'massage' the figures! Note that sometimes, sunshine from the previous day can be carried forward to the current one: this is a result of some reporting stations being required to return sunshine totals for the 24hr up to 6pm local time - therefore the previous evening's sunshine may well intrude. However, I have quoted all figures below without editing as long as they look reasonable.

1958: (4th - 7th April)
SNOW WEST COUNTRY/CHANNEL ISLANDS AS WELL AS OTHER EAST & NORTHERN AREAS. COLD WIND.
Warmest=10degC (Spurn [Lincolnshire]/4th; Renfrew [Glasgow] & Belmullet/6th):
Sunniest=10.4h (Rhoose [Cardiff]/4th).
SUNINDEX=38 (one of the 'dull' ones)

On Maundy Thursday & Good Friday, a complex low brought wintry precipitation to many northern and eastern areas. It was particularly cold, grey, windy & miserable in the N & E: in Glasgow and Belfast for instance, the daytime temperature struggled to just 3 or 4 degC, very low considering the lateness of the season; It was sunny in sheltered SW areas, but there were wintry/snow showers in Wales, the West Country & the Channel Islands. Overall, snow accumulated to significant amounts in Devon & Cornwall, & also in many eastern & northern districts, with upwards of 15cm reported from SE England to Northumberland.
By Saturday, the low pressure had slipped across SE England and into the eastern English Channel: a cold/NE wind many places. Wet in the SE (Heathrow the wettest place that day with 17mm during daylight hours); generally cloudy but reasonable sunshine in Cornwall & also N/NE Scotland and islands.
The slow improvement to a more anticyclonic regime continued for Easter Day, with a broadly anticyclonic NE type, though more cyclonic in the north; There were sleety/rain showers in the N&E especially as old fronts moved southeast in the N/NE flow bringing large areas of cloud. However, note that places like Glasgow/Edinburgh/Belfast were favoured in this type, and although chilly, had warmed considerably since the bitter Good Friday; Belfast had 8hr of bright sunshine on the Sunday, and a maximum temperature of 9degC, not too far off the average for early April. Indeed it was particularly fine in the NW of Scotland, under the amplifying ridge.
Easter Monday in essence similar to Sunday, with the slowly "getting well" theme continuing. Still a bit too much wind though to call it fine ... not unusual for an Easter holiday. The lack of sunshine for major populated areas in east and south-east says it all, and you needed to be in the sheltered west or SW for anything approaching long-spells of sun.
The temperature failed to rise above 7degC in London over the whole four days, about 5C below the long-term average. Benbecula [Hebrides] had 8.6h on Sat; Tiree [Inner Hebrides] 10.0h on Sunday and Aberporth [Cardigan Bay] 7.2h on Monday - that's in addition to the all-weekend high (as above) of 10.4h at Rhoose (Cardiff) on Friday: but with a perishing wind!

1959: (27th - 30th March)
UNSETTLED/SHOWERY: MILD, BUT SOMETIMES BRISK WIND. FINE MONDAY NORTH & WEST.
Warmest=15degC (27th Thorney Island [nr. Portsmouth], Hurn [Bournemouth], Cardington [Bedfordshire], Ross-on-Wye [Hereford & Worcester]):
Sunniest=11.5h (28th Guernsey[Channel Islands).
SUNINDEX=73

Early on Good Friday morning, a frontal system spread rain over Northern Ireland/Wales & SW England, and this moved steadily eastward, clearing most places late afternoon: followed by a breezy/showery westerly. Some heavy showers, with hail were reported.
This left Easter Saturday as a breezy, windy "Westerly" day, with some heavy showers, with thunder, especially in the southeast. 4mm of rain at Gatwick and West Raynham [Norfolk]. As often with showery types, some places stayed dry/fine and many sheltered central & northern areas remained dry. Not a bad day for late March, with temperatures up to 14degC at many places in the south (two or three C above late March averages), and many places having 7 to 10 hours of sunshine, with 11.5hr on Guernsey [Channel Islands].
Easter Day started out fine, chilly and a little misty in central and eastern areas; but already it was wet & windy in the west & north, and by the end of the day, the rain/wind had spread to all areas, followed again by bright/breezy & showery weather. Some heavy rain about in the south: 12mm at Gatwick; 15mm Thorney Island [Chichester Harbour]; 16mm Hurn [Bournemouth]; 18mm Boscombe Down [Wiltshire]. The occluded front became slow-moving, with waves across the SE of England, hence the locally heavy rainfall - 8mm during the daytime in London. Not a lot of sunshine: even in the eventually brighter north and west values generally less than 3 hr.
On Monday, an unsettled/cyclonic/breezy day in the S/SE, with heavy showers, some hail, but rainfall not excessive. Better in the N&W, with fine spells of sunshine, and a lot of dry weather with light winds. 14 degC reached at Glasgow and 7 hr of sunshine here for example: most acceptable for late March, and Belfast & Cardiff something similar: 11.0h sunshine at Valley (Anglesey). With the light winds, the sunshine and raised temperature would have been very pleasant.

1960: (15th - 18th April)
SUNNY: FINE/MOSTLY DRY IN SOUTH; CLOUDIER MONDAY IN NORTH.
Warmest=16degC (18th Leuchars [Fife]):
Sunniest=13.1h (17th Plymouth).
SUNINDEX=133 (one of the 'very sunny' ones)

On Good Friday, northern areas affected by a blustery, bright NW'ly type with scattered showers; in the south, a transitory ridge gave way to a warm front wave. Fine in N & W (12h sunshine Tiree [Inner Hebrides]); fine then cloudy/damp in S; but Felixstowe [Suffolk]=10.3h sun.
Saturday: fine, dry & sunny - but with a gusty/chilly NE wind in SE. England. Typical weather for a dry, NW'ly type with high sunshine: many stations over 9 hr, with 13.0degC Tiree as day maximum temperature. A chilly start to the day though: e.g. Cardington [Bedfordshire] minus -2degC, and the following night (Sat/Sun) was even colder: Air frost widespread, with -3degC at Shawbury [Shropshire] & Elmdon [Birmingham], and many places -1 or -2C.
After this cold start, Easter Day turned out mostly fine & sunny, and in the southeast, after the chill, windy previous day, the wind eased considerably and the day max of 11 or 12degC, with over 7 hr of sunshine would have made for a pleasant day. Virtually the whole country shared in the fine day: the sunniest place this day was Plymouth with 13.1h, and the warmest was Leuchars [Fife] with 15 degC.
Easter Monday had yet another cold, frosty start - with isolated fog patches, but thicker cloud and rain, already pushing into the far NW of Scotland on Sunday, spread across Northern Ireland, NW & northern Scotland, with outbreaks of rain/drizzle. England & Wales though enjoyed another fine day, albeit with cloudy infill limiting the sunshine in places. Also noteworthy was that with a westerly flow E/SE Scotland joined in the fair weather: Leuchars [Fife] had 5.2h of sun, and the warmest day of the entire weekend with a day max of 16degC. Mildenhall [Suffolk] had over 12h of sunshine (12.2h) on this day.

1961: (31st March - 3rd April)
CHILLY/WINTRY BUT BRIGHT IN NORTH; MILD BUT DULL/DAMP IN SOUTH.
Warmest=17degC (31st March Thorney Island [nr. Portsmouth]):
Sunniest=12.3h (3rd April Renfrew [Glasgow]).
SUNINDEX=46

Good Friday: frontal system crossing the country - most places had some slight rain/drizzle, but it was dry in London/Home Counties & parts of West Country. Wintry showers northern Scotland, and cold generally in north; very mild in south. Maximum temperatures at Thorney Island [south coast, Chichester Harbour]=17degC [7.8h sun] c.f. maximum at Lerwick (Shetland)=2 degC;
Saturday: slight rain/drizzle most places with slow-moving front Ulster - E. Anglia with associated wave. Cold to north of front, with maximum temperature Lerwick=3degC, Aberdeen=7degC; very mild to south, with maximum temperature Kew [SW London], Thorney Island [Chichester Harbour], Hurn [Bournemouth] & Gatwick [South Downs]=15degC (roughly 3 or 4C above average), but cloudy. Most places had no sun, or <1hr. Fine in far N of Scotland though, with Wick 10.5h of bright sunshine.
On Easter Day, the front only slowly cleared southern England: cold air spread from north to most southern areas. Wintry showers (light snow/hail) in N & E Scotland. Mild again in south (before air mass change) with Thorney Island [Chichester Harbour] maximum temperature=15degC. Lots of sun in the cold/showery north Tiree=9.0h, though major population centres, such as Glasgow & Belfast only 3 to 5hr of bright sunshine.
Easter Monday started with a sharp frost in the north: Aldergrove (Belfast) & Glasgow morning minimum=-4degC, Aberdeen=-6, but with a fine/crisp day to follow: over 10h of sunshine across far Northern England, Ulster (Belfast 10hr), South & Central Scotland (Glasgow 12hr). In N/NE Scotland, frequent wintry (snow + hail) showers; Dull & miserable in the south with a wave on a slow-moving cold front returning cloud/rain to southern Britain. It was mild in the wet south: Hurn [Bournemouth] day maximum=13degC (mild air/no sun); best sun in the chilly north, with Renfrew (Glasgow) having 12.3h of bright sunshine.

1962: (20th - 23rd April)
WET/DULL UNTIL SATURDAY THEN DRY&SUNNY; BECOMING WARM ON MONDAY.
Warmest=18degC (Gatwick/22nd; Squires Gate[Liverpool], Carlisle, Prestwick [Ayrshire], Renfrew [Glasgow]/23rd):
Sunniest=13.5h (Ross-on-Wye [Hereford & Worcester]/22nd).
SUNINDEX=83

From the 18th (previous Weds) to the 21st (Easter Saturday), the weather was very changeable. Winds became southerly over much of the country on the 19th (Maundy Thursday) behind a shallow depression which moved westwards down the English Channel giving widespread rain.
Easter Saturday (21st), was also wet with heavy rain at times, as a trough of low pressure moved north-east over England. However, there was a lot of fine weather in the southeast on Good Friday: temperatures up to 14 degC at Mildenhall [Suffolk] & West Raynham [Norfolk], with 9.3h of bright sunshine at Gorleston (Norfolk). In contrast, on Saturday 11mm rain fell at Wittering [Cambridgeshire/Fens], 13mm at Shawbury [Shropshire] and 14mm at Dishforth [North Yorkshire]. Mild, despite the rain in the south, with temperatures up to 17degC at Heathrow [West London], Wattisham [Suffolk] & Mildenhall [Suffolk].
The weather pattern changed again on the 22nd (Easter Sunday) as a developing anticyclone from the Bay of Biscay moved north. Easter Sunday was mainly dry & sunny (and the following few days were fine & warm with temperatures up to 21degC in places... another 'best of the weather' after the holiday weekend scenario); On Sunday, early fog cleared quickly, with many areas fine & sunny: temperatures up to 18degC at Gatwick, and many places having over 10h of bright sunshine: 13.5h was the best on this day at Ross-on-Wye [Hereford & Worcester].
On Monday too, 16 or 17degC the preferred figures, with 18degC at Squires Gate [Liverpool], Carlisle, Prestwick [Ayrshire] & Renfrew [Glasgow] - indicating that with an anticyclonic southerly or southeasterly, this would favour sheltered northern and NW areas. 12.8h of sunshine at Valley, and around 11hr of fine sunshine in the Glasgow and Manchester areas. However, it turned cloudier from the east over east of England during the morning, with patchy rain/drizzle in the afternoon.

1963: (12th - 15th April)
VERY UNSETTLED. WET IN NORTH ON SUNDAY AND IN SOUTH ON MONDAY.
Warmest=15degC (Gorleston [Norfolk], Boscombe Down [Wiltshire], Chivenor [N. Devon], St.Mawgan [nr. Newquay]/15th Apr):
Sunniest=13.0h (Rhoose [Cardiff], Shawbury [Shropshire]/12th; Tiree [Western Isles]/15th).
SUNINDEX=80

Maundy Thursday was the last of three dull, wet days as a depression moved from Biscay over the British Isles. However, Good Friday (12th), was sunny in the south, although wintry showers persisted in the north, with a cold, gusty wind - driving the showers right across the Scottish land-mass. The south though not too bad, with Gatwick and the Isles of Scilly making 11degC, and many places having over 10 h of sunshine: the sunniest places Rhoose [Cardiff] and Shawbury [Shropshire] with 13.0h.
Easter Saturday was a cold, showery day after early frost. Many reports of heavy rain/hail showers, and longer periods of rain. Also windy across the north and in west coastal regions - but with 10 or 11 hr of bright sunshine: 11.4hr at Guernsey [Channel Islands] (dry/fine), and maximum temperature at Cardington [Bedfordshire] of 13degC.
However, this fine interlude was followed by widespread rain, heavy at times in the north on Easter Day. It was also windy, especially in the south later. Some rainfall totals: 9mm Aberporth [Cardigan Bay]; 8mm Squires Gate [Liverpool]; 12mm Valley [Anglesey]; 9mm Ronaldsway [Isle of Man] & Carlisle; 10mm Prestwick [Ayrshire coast]. Mild in the south (Gorleston [Norfolk] 14degC), but damp. Best of the weather this Sunday up in the N & NW of Scotland: Benbecula 9.5h of sun, whereas most places in England & Wales had less than 1hr.
The (Easter) Bank Holiday Monday weather, although sunny in Scotland (13.0h Tiree, 12.3h at Renfrew), continued dull/rather wet in the south, with extensive low cloud, hill fog exposed/maritime west/southwestern areas. It was however mild in the south with temperatures up to 13 or 14 (London 14degC, the warmest day of the weekend in the capital); the highest temperatures this day (Monday), and for the weekend was 15degC recorded at Gorleston [Norfolk], Boscombe Down [Wiltshire], Chivenor [North Devon] & St.Mawgan [nr. Newquay/Cornwall] .. typical mild/Tropical maritime weather.

1964: (27th - 30th March)
DULL & COLD EASTERLY. DREAR: DULLEST IN LONDON ON RECORD.
Warmest=12degC (Chivenor [N. Devon]/27th):
Sunniest=11.6h (Lerwick [Shetland]/30th).
SUNINDEX=15 (Dullest Easter by this measure in this series)

On the 26th (Maundy Thursday), a ridge of high pressure crossing the country gave more than 10hr of sunshine in many places, but easterly winds set in again on Good Friday (27th), as an anticyclone became established over Scandinavia, and the weather became generally dull and cold with occasional drizzle during the remainder of the month. Sleet and snow was reported in places. The cloudy/cold weather extended to all parts of England & Wales quickly; less so for Scotland & Northern Ireland. However, only in the extreme north of Britain were temperatures approaching normal for late March.
On the Saturday and Easter Sunday, many places had no sunshine at all - only places like Wick (on Saturday), and Valley (on Easter Day) achieved reasonable amounts: 2.3h at Wick on Saturday, and 7.2h at Valley on Sunday. In addition, it was bitterly cold on Sunday - the Isles of Scilly were the warmest spot, with 10degC maximum, but many places had maxima in the range 6 to 8 degC, the chill enhanced by the wind coming from an east or SE point.
On Bank Holiday Monday, fitful sunshine and lengthy dry spells about the best that could be said, though temperatures struggling: top values only 5 to 7degC for many, which represented something like 3 or 4C deficit on averages; however in London, with only 6degC achieved (as on Sunday), this was some 5 or 6C down on average, and of course for much of the day, temperatures much lower, under mostly grey skies and in a chill north wind.
At Kew, it was the dullest Easter weekend in its record and the coldest Easter Day for 81 years. Subjectively, over the 45-odd years of this presentation, it was the dullest across the entire country, and it could best be summed up as a bitterly cold, drear weekend - with nagging easterly cloud-laden winds.

1965: (16th - 19th April)
PROMISING START THEN DOWNHILL TO A WINTRY END.
Warmest=18degC (Thorney Island [Chichester Harbour/Hampshire] & Boscombe Down [Wiltshire]/16th):
Sunniest=11.8h (Ronaldsway [Isle of Man]/19th).
SUNINDEX=98

A mainly sunny day on the 16th (Good Friday) though rain from the Atlantic reached most districts during the evening.
General rain, which persisted throughout the night, gave place to frequent showers on the 17th (Saturday) as a depression off northern Scotland moved south-eastwards into the North Sea. Many areas on Saturday had less than 4 hours of sunshine.
The showers, locally heavy, continued on the 18th (Easter Day) and were of snow in the north and these snow showers spread to most eastern districts on the 19th (Easter Monday) as winds veered from northwest to north, and cold air penetrated further south across the UK; Daytime maxima on the Monday were somewhere in the range 9 to 11degC, which is about 2C below the long-term average. As often, with a northerly type, you needed to be 'in the sun, out of the wind' to get the benefit - as soon as the showers came across it felt distinctly unpleasant: the best sunshine on this day across northern (particularly sheltered) areas, e.g. Glasgow 10hr and Belfast 11hr, very respectable, and these two cities missed the worst of the showers - quite common for the Central Belt of Scotland in a northerly type in spring. (The showers gradually died out after the weekend and the chill north wind eased).
One of our 'late' Easters that failed to live up to its promise! Plenty of sunshine, but lots of showers!!

1966: (8th - 11th April)
DULL FOR MANY; COLD EAST WINDS SPOILED THE END OF WEEKEND.
Warmest=17degC (Gatwick/8th; Cardington [Bedfordshire]/10th):
Sunniest=11.9h (Lerwick [Shetland]/10th).
SUNINDEX=19 (one of the dull/drear ones - almost the dullest in this series)

Good Friday (8th) was mainly dry (amongst a generally unsettled few days), with a promising start to the holiday on this day: maxima 16 or 17 degC in the south, but not too much sunshine.
On Saturday, although Lerwick [Shetland] had nearly 10hr of bright sunshine, many parts of the country had less than 2 hours. High pressure to the north maintained cold, easterly winds over most of Scotland.
Easter Day was sunny in the south-east, but with scattered thunderstorms. By contrast, in Glasgow the day-time high was just 5degC (c.f. average of around 11degC), no sunshine and a cold SE wind.
Temperatures fell sharply on the 11th (Monday) as the easterlies became established over most of the country; in parts of the Midlands maximum temperatures were 10 C lower than the previous day. For example, in London, the maximum on Monday was just 11 degC, as opposed to 16 degC on the Sunday. It was even colder in parts of the Midlands: 5degC at Birmingham & Nottingham, and 6 degC at Shawbury, together with a keen/strong east wind. A lot of places had no sunshine as well.
The Shetland Islands came off best in this weekend: 3 out of 4 days (Fri, Sat & Sun), Lerwick had the most sunshine (6.3h, 9.8h and 11.9h). But for many parts of the country, this Easter came close to 1964 as regards lack of strong sunshine.

1967: (24th - 27th March)
THE WARM PROMISE BEFORE EASTER FAILED AGAIN!
Warmest=14degC (Mildenhall [Suffolk]/24th Mar):
Sunniest=10.5h (Wick [N.Scotland]/26th).
SUNINDEX=59

From the 13th to the 24th an anticyclone was established off the southwest coast. Over some areas then the period leading up to Easter was warm/dry…notably warm in some areas. By the 25th (Saturday), the anticyclone had moved into western Europe. A complex depression then to the north of Scotland moved slowly eastwards and winds veered to WNW, and during the latter part of the weekend, the weather became progressively colder, with strong winds and notably showery.
The showers were wintry over the latter two days (Sunday / Monday), with hail, sleet and snow reported - Monday being notably showery.
A feature of the weekend was the increasing incidence of ground frosts (which at least indicated clearer skies night & early morning), and the wind had an increasingly cold edge. By the same token though, sunshine amounts were quite reasonable for late March, especially Easter Day and Monday - spoilt by the showers and the wind though.

1968: (12th - 15th April)
NOT BAD, REASONABLE SUNSHINE BUT SPOILED LATER BY THE INCREASING EAST WIND.
Warmest: 15degC (Abbotsinch [Glasgow]/12th and Hurn [Bournemouth], Thorney Island [Hampshire], Cardington [Bedfordshire], Watnall [Nottingham] and Squires Gate [Liverpool]/14th):
Sunniest: 13.0h (Mildenhall [Suffolk] and Dyce [Aberdeen]/12th and Cape Wrath [N. Scotland]/13th).
SUNINDEX=133 (one of the 'very sunny' ones)

Another Easter weekend, and another anticyclone with its centre biased towards the north, hence the easterly type. Over most of Scotland afternoon temperatures rose above average after the 9th, but in southern England winds had become easterly by this time, and temperatures here remained mainly below average until the 14th (Easter Day).
A week of warm unsettled weather began later on the 15th (Easter Monday), which was easily the best day of the weekend for many parts of England: Manchester reached 16degC (9hr sunshine), and London 17degC (7hr sunshine) on this day, some 4C or more above average - the wind though imparting the usual disappointing edge.

1969: (4th - 7th April)
DRY, FINE AND VERY SUNNY - EAST COASTAL RESORTS FOG/COLD WIND.
Warmest: 21degC (Gatwick/7th):
Sunniest: 12.4h (Benbecula [Western Isles]/6th).
SUNINDEX=166 (notably sunny - highest in this series)

During this first week of April, there were long sunny periods in most places. Good Friday and Easter Saturday (4th/5th) were fine except in the north of Scotland, and it was dry and sunny everywhere on Easter Sunday. Temperatures for the most part (away from onshore coastal influence), were several degrees above average; for example, London reached 16degC on Sunday, and 20degC on Monday: on the same day, Gatwick experienced the highest temperature for the weekend, with 21degC, 70degF. Sea fog drifted over northeast England on Easter Monday, and as so often happens with an easterly component to the wind, the English & Scottish east coast fared rather poorly.
The 4 days of Easter were (at that time) the sunniest at Manchester since 1902 and at Durham since 1930.. Kew observatory and Southampton had their second sunniest Easter this century.

1970: (27th - 30th March)
UNSETTLED - COLD NORTHERLIES THEN LESS COLD WESTERLIES.
Warmest: 13degC (Wattisham [Suffolk]/30th):
Sunniest:10.5h (Abbotsinch [Glasgow]/27th and Tiree [Western Isles]/30th).
SUNINDEX=56

On the 26th (Maundy Thursday), a trough of low pressure extended southwards over Scandinavia and a cold, northerly type returned to most of the British Isles. Saturday was particularly cold, with temperatures no higher than 4degC at Manchester, 5degC in Glasgow and 6degC in London; the latter despite 4hr of sunshine. Temperatures recovered somewhat for the rest of the weekend, as a depression south of Iceland on the 29th (Easter Day) led to the northerlies being replaced by less cold westerlies but showers or longer periods of rain (though no greatly excessive amounts) continued in many places, along with unreliable sunshine.

1971: (9th - 12th April)
SOON DRY AND MOSTLY FINE. WARM BUT EASTERLY WIND IN SOUTH.
Warmest: 18degC (Abbotsinch [Glasgow]/12th):
Sunniest:12.9h (Bristol-Filton/12th).
SUNINDEX=133 (one of the 'notably sunny' ones)

On the 9th (Good Friday), southern and south-western areas of England had rain for most of the day (upper trough around base of dominant high), whilst the rest of the UK was mostly dry with sunny spells. There was some drizzle and fog at night in central and eastern areas, otherwise from the 10th (Saturday) to the 15th it was dry with sunny periods.
On the 11th (Easter Day) and 12th (Bank Holiday Monday) a number of places in south Scotland and northern England recorded maxima of 18 degC, including Glasgow on the Monday, with 11hr of bright sunshine here that day. Indeed, the Monday was notable for large amounts of sunshine - see the list below.
The following station had its warmest day of the month (April) over this weekend: 11th: Dyce [Aberdeen](15.4degC); The following stations had their sunniest days of the month over this weekend: 12th: Ross-on-Wye [Hereford & Worcester] (12.6h); Rhoose [Cardiff] (12.8h); Elmdon [Birmingham] (11.7h); Eskdalemuir [Dumfries and Galloway] (12.0h); Aldergrove [Belfast] (12.3h);

1972: (31st March - 3rd April)
MILD (WARM IN SOUTH) - DAMP/CLOUDY - SOME WETTER SPELLS.
Warmest: 19degC (Torquay [Devon]/1st):
Sunniest: 9.1h (Dyce [Aberdeen]/3rd).
SUNINDEX=26 (one of the 'dull' ones)

The 30th (Maundy Thursday) and the 31st (Good Friday) were generally cloudy with rain or drizzle across the country; some of the rain was heavy and prolonged. It was also mild - although not as notably mild as earlier in the month of March 1972.
There were periods of rain or showers on the 1st and 2nd and hill and coastal fog in western areas. It was however warm on the 1st (Easter Saturday) and at Torquay (S. Devon) the temperature rose to 19 degC. Northern areas had showers on the 3rd (Easter Monday) but elsewhere it was dry.
For the weekend as a whole, sunshine was rather disappointing - none for many at first, and only fitful/unreliable thereafter. However, locally on Monday, some southern areas fared reasonably well, for example London had 8hr of bright sunshine, a not-too-strong west wind, and afternoon maximum of 14degC, slightly above average for this time in the season.
Some stations had their wettest day of March or April 1972 over this weekend: 31Mar: Elmdon [Birmingham] (13mm); Valley [Anglesey] (17mm); Ringway [Manchester] (25mm); Aldergrove [Belfast] (20mm). 1Apr: Tynemouth (7mm); Leuchars [Fife] (7mm); Dyce [Aberdeen] (5mm); 2 Apr: Aldergrove [Belfast] (8mm);
Some stations had their warmest day of April over this weekend: 1st:Kew [SW London] (15.5degC);Thorney Island [Hampshire] (15.8degC); Ross-on-Wye [Gloucestershire] (16.1degC); Elmdon [Birmingham] (16.0degC); 2nd: Gorleston [Norfolk] (15.2degC); Cardington [Bedfordshire] (15.9degC); Finningley [South Yorkshire] (17.2degC); Tynemouth (14.7degC); Dyce [Aberdeen] (14.0degC);

1973: (20th - 23rd April)
CYCLONIC/EAST OR NE'LY - LOCAL SNOW IN SOUTH. BETTER IN WEST SCOTLAND.
Warmest: 14degC (Glasgow/23rd):
Sunniest: 12.9h (Stornoway [Western Isles]/22nd).
SUNINDEX=66

(One of the very latest Easter periods: none too inspiring!)
An area of rain moved south (in association with a discrete low in the English Channel) across the UK during the night of the 20th [Good Friday]/21st [Saturday] and morning of the 21st (Saturday); the rain was heavy in some parts of southern England, with snow in places; showers followed, more frequent over East Anglia, the Midlands and northeast England, with thunderstorms. Rain which affected southeast England and the east Midlands during the night 21st [Saturday]/22nd [Easter Day] moved slowly west to the west Midlands, South Wales and southwest Midlands during the 22nd (Easter Day) while over northern areas, it was mostly dry.
On the Monday, many northern areas had relatively little rain, or lengthy dry spells: for example, Glasgow had its warmest day of the weekend, with 14degC (about 2C above average), and 13hr of strong sunshine. However, England and Wales had widespread rain with hail and thunderstorms on Monday , though over SW England & much of Wales, it was mostly dry until late afternoon. Winds were often strong and gusty, from the north or northeast, with a considerable chill.
The following station had its sunniest day of the month over this weekend: 22nd: Stornoway (12.9h) The following stations had their wettest 24 hr of the month during the weekend: 22nd:Kew (10mm); 23rd: Elmdon [Birmingham] (18mm); For London specifically, based on Kew, a total of 29mm fell during daylight hours taking Sunday and Monday together.

1974: (12th - 15th April)
FINE/SUNNY AWAY FROM NORTH SEA REGIONS. FROSTY NIGHTS. CHILLY IN LONDON.
Warmest: 18degC (Glasgow/15th):
Sunniest: 13.2h (Carlisle/14th).
SUNINDEX=108

Many places had rain on the 11th (Maundy Thursday), and the 12th (Good Friday). From the 13th (Saturday) to the 16th (Tuesday), it was mainly dry with fog at night in places. The rain on the 11th/12th was the first measurable rainfall for three weeks in the east. High pressure established on the 13th, giving a NE flow over most of the British Isles. At the same time, weak fronts moved south over the North Sea to give cloud and drizzle to eastern areas on the 15th and 16th. The best of the weather this weekend was in the north and west, away from the influence of the N/NE flow off the North Sea.
The following station experienced its highest temperature for the month over the weekend: 15th: Eskdalemuir [Dumfries & Galloway] (18.9degC);
The following stations experienced their lowest temperatures for the month over the weekend: 14th: Rhoose [Cardiff] (1.0degC); Ringway [Manchester] (0.8degC); Watnall [Nottingham] (0.2degC); Tynemouth (1.5degC); Eskdalemuir [Dumfries & Galloway] (-5.6degC); Abbotsinch [Glasgow] (-2.5degC) 15th: Cardington [Bedfordshire] (-3.7degC); Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (-0.1degC); Elmdon [Birmingham] (-2.2degC); Aldergrove[ Belfast] (-0.8degC);
The following stations had their sunniest days of the month over the weekend: 14th:Kew (12.3h); Rhoose [Cardiff] (12.3h); Mount Batten [Plymouth] (12.9h); Ringway [Manchester] (11.8h); Eskdalemuir (12.h); Abbotsinch [Glasgow] (12.6h); Leuchars [Fife] (12.6h); 15th: Aldergrove [Belfast] (12.4h);

1975: (28th - 31st March)
COLD/NORTHERLY - DESPITE THE SUNSHINE. SNOW FOR MANY.
Warmest: 10degC (St.Mary's [Isles of Scilly]/29th and Hurn [Bournemouth], Thorney Island [Chichester Harbour/Hampshire], St.Mary's [Isles of Scilly], Culdrose [Cornwall], Valley [Anglesey], Ronaldsway [Isle of Man], Glasgow/31st):
Sunniest: 11.3h (Squires Gate [Liverpool]/30th).
SUNINDEX=91

This is the Easter famous for some widespread snowfall. On the Maundy Thursday, traffic was severely affected in Birmingham, where a reported 6 inches (or some 15cm) of snow fell in under 6 hours. Further snow showers (or showers of a 'wintry' nature), fell almost every day from the 26th March (Wednesday) until well into April, in other words, right accross the whole of the Easter weekend. N or NW winds had become established for the last week of March. On Good Friday, 5 to 8 cm of lying SNOW was reported by 0900 on the morning of 28th at Bracknell. Clear or sunny periods occurred (some lengthy spells of sun where well sheltered - Glasgow did fairly well) and snowfall amounts were generally small at low levels (but see above for Maundy Thursday & Good Friday). The air mass was essentially 'Arctic maritime' for the majority of the weekend. The snow was accompanied by thunder in places. For many spots, it was a good deal colder over Easter than over the previous Christmas - not an unusual event mind you (previous Christmas temperatures were around ….. 13 in London, and 11 in Glasgow … one of our now quite common 'mild and stormy' festive seasons!)
The coldest nights of the month recorded at the following stations: 28th:Ringway [Manchester] (-1.8degC); Watnall [Nottingham] (-1.9degC); Finningley [Doncaster] (-2.4degC); Tynemouth (-2.0degC); Eskdalemuir [Dumfries & Galloway] (-5.7degC); Leuchars [Fife] (-3.0degC) 29th:Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (-3.0degC); Mount Batten [Plymouth] (-1.0degC); 30th:Gorleston [Norfolk] (-0.2degC); 31st: Cardington [Bedfordshire] (-2.8degC);
The sunniest days of the month recorded at the following stations; 28th:Cardington [Bedfordshire] (7.9h); Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (8.8h); Ringway [Manchester] (9.8h); Watnall [Nottingham] (8.3h); Finningley [Doncaster] (9.7h); 29th:Rhoose [Cardiff] (10.0h); Mount Batten [Plymouth] (10.9h); 30th: Gorleston [Norfolk] (8.1h); Abbotsinch [Glasgow] (10.0h);
[ *** MIND YOU, THE REST OF THE SUMMER MADE UP FOR THE DISAPPOINTMENT! ***]

1976: (16th - 19th April)
MOSTLY FINE/WARM/REASONABLY SUNNY (BUT IRREGULAR); CLOUDIER NORTH AND ON EAST COAST.
Warmest: 21degC (Hurn [Bournemouth]/19th):
Sunniest: 12.5h (Aberporth [Cardigan Bay]/16th and Manston [Kent], Culdrose [Cornwall]/18th).
SUNINDEX=55

The Azores anticyclone extended a strong ridge across the country from late on the 14th, behind a retreating active depression (which had brought the first substantial rainfall to the south for almost a month). By the 18th/19th there was a distinct separate cell over and then east/NE of the British Isles.
By the 18th (Easter Day), with the centre transferring to Scandinavia, some* parts of the country had a sunny Easter; although the Shetlands had some snow on Easter Day with a maximum temperature of 4 degC. Elsewhere, and away from the coasts, maxima were often above 16degC and 21 degC was recorded for the first time that year at a few places in central England on the 19th (Easter Monday).
It was one of the warmest Easter's since the phenomenal heat-wave of 1949 ( when 28 degC was reached quite widely on the 16th in that year.). Fog formed overnight in parts of southern England between the 17th and 19th and affected some coastal areas in the south and east of England and Scotland between the 17th and the 20th.
Central London had its warmest Easter since 1952.
*NB: Sunshine was unfairly distributed: For Manchester and Glasgow, for example, the holiday weekend coincided with the least sunny period of the month: a good example of anticyclones not always living up to the promise! In fact for these two stations in particular, the best of the sunshine occurred (as elsewhere) immediately after the Monday. Tuesday was widely the sunniest/warmest day of the month.
The following had their coldest nights of the month this weekend: 17th: Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (-2.5degC);
The following had their warmest days of the month this weekend: 16th: Leuchars [Fife] (16.9degC); Dyce [Aberdeen] (17.7degC): 17th: Finningley [Doncaster] (16.9degC); Tynemouth (16.0degC): 18th: Kew [London] (18.4degC); 19th:Kew [London] (18.4degC); Thorney Island [Hampshire] (20.2degC); Rhoose [Cardiff] (18.7degC); Mount Batten [Plymouth] (19.5degC); Aldergrove [Belfast] (16.3degC)

1977: (8th - 11th April)
WINTRY/SHARP FROSTS WITH HAIL AND SNOW THEN LESS CHILLY.
Warmest: 12degC (Carlisle, Aldergrove [Belfast]/10th and Hurn [Bournemouth], Gatwick, Cardington [Bedfordshire]/11th):
Sunniest: 11.5h Cape Wrath [N. Scotland]/9th).
SUNINDEX=82

Wintry weather spread south over the whole country on the 5th and 6th (mid-week) and lasted until the 9th (Saturday). Temperatures on the first couple of days of the extended weekend (i.e. Good Friday & Saturday) were several degrees below the seasonal average; for example, on Friday, Glasgow, Manchester & London only managed 7 or 8degC (a deficit of some 3 or 4C), [ despite 8 or 9 hours of bright sunshine in London & Manchester ], and in Belfast, the day maximum on Good Friday was just 5degC with no sunshine. Outbreaks of rain, hail, sleet and snow interspersed with clear or sunny periods were widespread at times and occasionally heavy, particularly over high ground. Snow sometimes fell as far south as southwest England and the Channel Islands.
After the 9th (Saturday), changeable weather continued until the end of the month. Rain or showers alternated with clear or sunny periods (most places had at least 2 or 3hr of sunshine) and temperature over the rest of the weekend started to recover, though the highest temperature of the whole weekend (occurring on Easter Monday) of 12degC, was only just within the 'normal' category.
Many stations had their coldest night of the month over this weekend viz: 8th: Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (-3.1degC); Rhoose [Cardiff] (-2.7degC); Mount Batten [Plymouth] (-2.0degC)*; Valley [Anglesey] (-0.1degC); Ringway [Manchester] (-1.5degC) Watnall [Nottingham] (-2.1degC); Tynemouth (-0.5degC); *=new lowest [ at that time ] for Mount Batten for April. 9th: Cardington [Bedfordshire] (-5.7degC); Abbotsinch [Glasgow] (-2.6degC); Leuchars [Fife] (-2.1degC); Aldergrove [Belfast] (-2.7degC) 10th: Kew [London] (-3.9degC)**;
**=equal lowest [at that time] with April 1976.

1978: (24th - 27th March)
DISAPPOINTING - COLD, CYCLONIC - CHILLY WEST WINDS.
Warmest: 15degC (Cardington [Bedfordshire], Wittering [East Midlands]/27th):
Sunniest: 9.3h (Lerwick [Shetland]/24th).
SUNINDEX=76

Sleet or snow fell in parts of southern England on the 25th (Saturday). Turning milder through the rest of the holiday weekend. It was a generally unsettled/westerly type, with temperatures technically near average, but with the bursts of rain, and with the sometimes strong wind, it was not a spectacular weekend. London managed to make 14degC/3hr of sunshine on Monday, and as above, 15degC was recorded in the English east/SE Midlands - technically about 3 or 4C above average, and with some fine sunshine here, not too bad. Northern Ireland did quite well on this day too, with nearly 9hr of sun in Belfast and a 'near-average' temperature of 11degC. Aldergrove [Belfast] had its sunniest day of the month on the Easter Monday=8.7h.
25th: (Saturday) Watnall [Nottingham] had its wettest day of the month=9mm. 27th: (Monday) Mount Batten [Plymouth] had its wettest day of the month=12mm.

1979: (13th - 16th April)
SOME FINE/VERY WARM WEATHER - VERY LITTLE RAIN.
Warmest: 23degC London/15th:
Sunniest: (12.0h Gatwick/14th).
SUNINDEX=107

The weather was rather more settled between the 13th (Good Friday) and the 17th (the Easter period), and many areas were dry with long sunny periods. However, some rain occurred in northern districts, and on the 13th (Good Friday) isolated thunderstorms occurred in south-west England. It was very warm in parts of England and south Wales on the 14th (Saturday) and 15th (Easter Day).
In London, it was the warmest Easter (at that time) since 1949, with a maximum temperature of 23 degC on the 15th, some 10C above the long-term average. Although giving little precipitation, except in parts of Scotland, a cold front crossed the country on the 15th (Easter Day) and produced a sharp drop in temperature, as much as 9C in one hour at Binbrook, Lincolnshire. Manchester had had a day maximum on Saturday of 20degC (8C above average); this was pegged back to just 13degC on the Sunday.
Several stations had the warmest day of the month in this period: Kew [London] (22.2degC/15th); Cardington [Bedfordshire] (22.3degC/15th); Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (21.9degC/15th); Rhoose [Cardiff] (20.2degC/14th); Mount Batten [Plymouth] (18.5degC/15th); Elmdon [Birmingham] (20.1degC/14th); Valley [Anglesey] (20.0degC/14th); Ringway [Manchester] (20.2degC/14th); Watnall [Nottingham] (20.1degC/15th); Finningley [Doncaster] (19.3degC/14th); Eskdalemuir [Dumfries & Galloway] (15.4degC/14th);
Kew and Dyce [Aberdeen] had their sunniest day of the month on the 14th, with 10.8 h and 9.6h respectively. Tynemouth had its sunniest day of the month on the 16th, with 10.4h.

1980: (4th - 7th April)
CHILLY MORNINGS, BUT REASONABLY SUNNY AND WARM DAYS.
Warmest: 17degC (Edinburgh, Leuchars [Fife], Carlisle/5th and Carlisle/6th):
Sunniest: 12h (Valley [Anglesey]/St.Mawgan [Newquay]/4th).
SUNINDEX=138 (one of the 'notably sunny' ones)

Mainly dry and sunny, but some rain or showers occurred in places between the 7th (Easter Monday) and the 9th. On the 4th (Good Friday), the temperature reached 16 degC at Edinburgh - probably the first occasion this value had been reached in Britain in that year, but it was much cooler on eastern coasts and in south-east England where a north-east wind brought cloud from the North Sea. A weak cold front moved south through the country on the 7th (Easter Monday), accompanied by light rain in places, and introducing a sometimes cloudy north or northwest airflow. It also made quite a difference to the temperatures: for example, at Glasgow, Belfast and Manchester, the day maxima on Monday were some 3 or 4C lower than on Easter Day, accompanied by a nagging breeze. However, as often in these situation, Glasgow did well for sunshine despite (or because of) the air mass change and had 10hr of sunshine on Monday, to add to the 8hr, 11hr & 11hr (respectively) of the previous three days.
Several stations had their coldest nights of the month during this weekend: Kew [London] (-2.1degC/4th); Cardington [Bedfordshire] (-3.0degC/4th); Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (-0.7degC/4th); Mount Batten [Plymouth] (0.8degC/4th); Elmdon [Birmingham] (-2.1degC/4th); Valley [Anglesey] (1.0degC/4th); Ringway [Manchester] (-0.6degC/4th); Finningley [Doncaster] (-1.1degC/4th); Dyce [Aberdeen] (-1.2degC/5th):
Dyce [Aberdeen] and Aldergrove [Belfast] had their sunniest days of the month in this period, with over 11h on the 5th (Saturday).

1981: (17th - 20th April)
FINE/SUNNY START THEN DOWNHILL FOR SOME. CHILLY NORTHEAST WINDS.
Warmest: 18 degC (Grampian region./17th, and Highlands 20th):
Sunniest: 14h (Skye/17th).
SUNINDEX=165 (one of the 'notably sunny' ones - almost the sunniest in this series)

By the 17th (Good Friday), an anticyclone (that had been in the Faeroes/south Norway region for a couple of days) was slipping south-east but a new high developed to the south of Iceland. Most places remained dry and sunny on the 17th and 18th (Saturday) but cloudy, colder weather followed, more especially to England. In Scotland, this weekend turned out to be quite reasonable; in addition to the 'extremes' above, Glasgow had a run of day maxima as follows: 15, 17, 13 & 15degC, all above average and accompanied by plenty of sunshine. The easterly component to the wind perhaps spoiled things a little - with much cloudier conditions further east. (Not long after this weekend, a cold/arctic airflow set in, and some notably cold nights occurred in the last week of the month.)
Several stations had their sunniest days of the month on this weekend: Heathrow [London] (12.9h/17th); Lowestoft [Suffolk] (12.6h/17th); Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (12.7h/18th); Elmdon [Birmingham] (12.9h/18th); Ringway [Manchester] (13.2h/18th); Watnall [Nottingham] (12.2h/17th); Finningley [Doncaster] (13.0/17th & 18th); Abbotsinch [Glasgow] (12.6h/19th); Stornoway [Western Isles] (13.4h/17th).

1982: (9th - 12th April)
RATHER COLD, BRIGHT BUT MAINLY DRY. LESS WIND BY MONDAY.
Warmest: 14degC (Weymouth [Dorset]/11th):
Sunniest: 12.3h (Valley [Anglesey]/12th).
SUNINDEX=89

Weak fronts moving south-east on the 9th (Good Friday) and 10th (Saturday) brought increasingly cloudy weather but only small amounts of rain while an anticyclone moved slowly south to the west of Ireland. Easter Sunday (11th) was a cold day with snow showers in the north and east but by the 13th (after the weekend), the highest pressure was over southern England. Over the whole weekend, for the principal population centres, day maxima were in the rough range 9 to 11degC, at least 2C below the long-term average; the values of 9degC on Sunday and Monday in London were some 4C below average, and although there was occasional sunshine on both days (7hr on Monday), the northerly wind, though not excessively strong by Monday, put quite an edge to proceedings: not 'outdoor' weather! It is worth emphasising though that as is common in spring northerlies, the south English coast (and anywhere else well-sheltered to the north) had a decent time of things - though not warm enough for beach-bathing.)
Several stations had their coldest nights of the month in this period: Mount Batten [Plymouth] (2.1degC/9th); Ringway [Manchester] (0.5degC/12th); Watnall [Nottingham] (0.0degC/12th); Finningley [Doncaster] (-1.0degC/12th); Durham (-1.3degC/9th); Tynemouth (0.5degC/9th); Eskdalemuir [Dumfries & Galloway] (-3.9degC/12th); Abbotsinch [Glasgow] (-2.1degC/11th); Leuchars [Fife] (0.2degC/9th); Aldergrove [Belfast] (-0.3degC/11th).

1983: (1st - 4th April)
DISTINCTLY WINTRY, WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL IN PLACES.
Warmest: 11.3 degC (Weymouth [Dorset]/2nd):
Sunniest: 10.6h (Southsea [Hampshire]/3rd).
SUNINDEX=71

High pressure over the Atlantic and a complex area of low pressure over Europe combined to give cold northerlies over Britain at the beginning of the month. There were snow and hail showers, mainly in the north, and the hills of northeastern England (including the Pennines) and the north Midlands / Peak District had a period of snow late in the day on Good Friday. Then on Saturday, a band of snow (associated with a polar disturbance) came southward across Scotland, with some eastern regions here under several cm of snow. The snow reached as far south as the London area, with heavy snowfall causing significant travel problems on Saturday evening. By the dawn of Easter Day, much of Essex was affected by snow-cover some 4 to 6 inches (about 10 to 15cm) deep, and there were reports from higher areas in the east of Kent of about 8 inches, or 20cm. As might be expected, road were blocked in these east/southeast English areas. At the time it was thought that these events combined to produce the 'most disruptive' snowfalls to affect an Easter weekend in modern times - certainly given the increase in mobility of the population, this alone would have been significant.
A depression moving south-east from Iceland on the 4th (Monday) maintained the cold, unsettled weather with heavy showers accompanied by hail and thunder, and snow as well in the north - especially in hilly districts. However, this snow generally melted very quickly in the strong early April sunshine.
The extremes for sunshine and temperature (above) hint that not everyone would have regarded this weekend as a disaster, but such fine weather was rather localised. However, across central & northern areas, many major population centres had daytime maxima some 2 to 4C below average on Saturday, Sunday & Monday.
Some figures: The following stations had their lowest monthly minima during this weekend (aided no doubt for many by a fresh cover of snow): Bedford (-2.5degC/3rd); Boscombe Down [Wiltshire] (-1.1degC/3rd); Rhoose [Cardiff] (-1.8degC/3rd); Ringway [Manchester] (0.1degC/3rd); Watnall [Nottingham] (-1.6degC/3rd); Tynemouth (0.2degC/4th); Leuchars [Fife] (-3.3degC/3rd); Aldergrove [Belfast] (-3.5degC/3rd).

1984: (20th - 23rd April)
FINE, VERY WARM AND REASONABLY SUNNY. ARGUABLY THE BEST IN THIS SERIES.
Warmest: 26.2degC (Jersey [Channel Islands] /22nd):
Sunniest: 13.6h (Belfast and Aberdeen/22nd).
SUNINDEX=125

After a short southwesterly spell from the 17th to the 20th (Good Friday), when weak fronts affected northwestern parts, warmer air advanced northwards into England and while Scotland had some rain between the 18th and the 20th, the south became sunnier. The temperature climbed to 21 degC at several places on the 21st (Saturday) and to 26.2 degC at Jersey on the 22nd (Easter Sunday), while in the north, a clearance to brighter weather arrived following the passage of a cold front during the second half of the 21st.
Another anticyclone developed near Scotland on the 22nd (Easter Day) and then drifted into the North Sea and the weather became warm and sunny almost everywhere. Afternoon maxima on the Saturday & Sunday reached 24 degC in many places.
On the 23rd, Easter Monday, the British Isles was almost completely clear of cloud although eastern England was cooler on the recent days with a breeze from the North Sea.
A very 'late' Easter, and for once, expectations were achieved! It is worth noting as well that on Sunday & Monday, Belfast and Glasgow experienced 12 to 14hr of bright sunshine, virtually the maximum possible for these stations. (NB: following the weekend, temperatures climbed even higher, with 24.1 degC at Glasgow on the 25th, the warmest April day there since records began in 1868 - up to that particular year.);
Some figures: Warmest days of the month at the following stations occurred during the Easter weekend: 20th: Lowestoft [Suffolk] (16.0degC); Leuchars [Fife] (16.5degC); 21st: Heathrow [London] (23.7degC); Bedford (21.4degC); Elmdon [Birmingham] (21.4degC); Watnall [Nottingham] (21.4degC); Finningley [Doncaster] (21.3degC); Tynemouth (19.3degC); 22nd: Mount Batten [Plymouth] (20.7degC); Jersey [Channel Islands] (26.2degC);
Lowestoft [Suffolk], Finningley [Doncaster], Dyce [Aberdeen] and Aldergrove [Belfast] had their sunniest days of the month during the weekend.

1985: (5th - 8th April)
UNSETTLED; OFTEN DULL, WET AND WINDY. SHOWERY END TO WEEKEND.
Warmest: 17.0degC (Cromer [Norfolk]/5th):
Sunniest: 11.5h (Jersey [Channel Islands]).
SUNINDEX=34 (one of the 'dull' ones)

For most of the first week of this month (which includes the first part of the Easter weekend), a depression was centred over the eastern Atlantic. Its associated fronts brought spells of rain to most places but temperatures were mostly above normal, except in the far north, where there were cold east winds from the North Sea. On the 7th (Easter Sunday), a new depression moved northeast across England bringing strong winds and rain to most places and north-east Britain had a cold, wet day on the 8th/Easter Monday (best temperatures for some around 6 or 7degC) but elsewhere it became brighter although showery.
The 7th (Easter Day) was the wettest day of the month at many stations, including: Heathrow [London] (8mm); Bedford (8mm); Elmdon [Birmingham] (16mm); and Durham (13mm):
Looking at the weekend as a whole, it was notably sunless, and only Manchester on Saturday achieved more than about 4hr of bright sunshine. Jersey (see above), very much the exception in these islands.

1986: (28th - 31st March)
SHOWERY/WINDY AND CHILLY WITH LONGER PERIODS OF RAIN.
Warmest: 12.7degC (Poole [Dorset]/29th):
Sunniest: 11.4h (Prabost - Isle of Skye)/31st).
SUNINDEX=68

Strong westerly winds affected most of the country over this period, with temperatures mostly below normal. On Good Friday some places managed day maxima into 'double-figures' (just!), and on Saturday, London reached 12degC; however, over the two days Easter Day and Bank Holiday Monday afternoon values of 5 or 6degC were quite common inland, rising to 10degC in places as far apart as Glasgow and London on Monday. Most places had showers of rain, hail or snow and thunder was reported widely. There were also some longer spells of rain, with snow in the north with some heavy falls in hilly areas.

1987: (17th - 20th April)
VERY WARM/SUNNY START - COOLER WITH SHOWERY RAIN LATER. BREEZY MONDAY.
Warmest: 23.5degC (Jersey [Channel Islands]/17th):
Sunniest: 13.2h (Cape Wrath [North Scotland]/17th).
SUNINDEX=99

By the 15th, most of southern Britain had become sunny and warm although there was fog and low cloud at night/early morning. On the 16th (Maundy Thursday) some south coasts were cold and foggy with maxima below 10 degC but inland it was warm and sunny and these conditions spread north to most of the country on the 17th (Good Friday). By this time, with the centre of the anticyclone over the nearby continent, warm southerly winds brought maxima near 22 degC inland in the south. However, the wind veered southwesterly on the 18th (Saturday) and 19th (Easter Day) bringing cloudy, cooler weather with showers. It was also windy - significant "wind-chill" effect.
The following stations had their warmest days of the month during this weekend: 17th: 21.6degC (Silsoe [Bedfordshire]); 18th: 21.5degC (Lowestoft [Suffolk]);

1988: (1st - 4th April)
INDIFFERENT - A WET START IN THE W AND N; GETTING SLOWLY BETTER.
Warmest: 16.8 degC(Cardiff WC/3rd):
Sunniest: 12.0h (Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway/4th).
SUNINDEX=100

Fronts were slow moving over western Britain at the beginning of the month as a depression near north-west Scotland moved south-east towards France. There was rain in western and northern areas but much of the east stayed dry. The 1st (Good Friday) was rather wet in some western areas, with 10 mm in 24hr at Valley [Anglesey] and 8 mm in 24hr at Ringway [Manchester]. Winds became north-easterly as the low moved away and pressure rose, so that by the 4th (Easter Monday) an anticyclone extended eastwards across central areas. This brought dry weather to most places, although in southern and eastern areas there were often large amounts of cloud with the wind blowing from the North Sea - not very inspiring: the temperature at its peak in London on Monday was just 12degC, not far from average, but under grey skies and with a chill wind, not too welcoming. A different story further west and north though, as many areas here became warm/sunny on Easter Sunday and Bank-Holiday Monday. Of particular note, Glasgow reached 14degC with 11hr of sunshine on Monday.

1989: (24th - 27th March)
ROUGH/STORMY START - VERY WARM/MOSTLY DRY BY MONDAY.
Warmest: 19.3degC (Bracknell [Berkshire]/27th):
Sunniest: 10.6h (Cardiff/26th).
SUNINDEX=69

Milder weather, with strong southwest winds, returned on the 23rd [Maundy Thursday] (after a cool/cold windy and cyclonic spell), and there were severe gales in the north on the 24th (Good Friday). A marked improvement in the weather began on the 25th (Saturday) as warm air advanced northeast across the country. Pressures also rose over the nearby continent and brighter, drier and warmer weather came to most places on the 26th (Easter Day) and 27th (Bank-Holiday Monday). Maxima widely exceeded 16 degC, even in the north, and 19 degC was reached in parts of the south.
On the 26th (Easter Day), the temperature reached 14.4degC at Mount Batten [Plymouth].(also 10.4 hr sunshine). The 27th (Monday) was widely the warmest day of the weekend: in addition to the 19.3degC at Bracknell [Berkshire], the following figures were recorded: 18.8degC (Heathrow [West London]); 17.2degC (Silsoe [Bedfordshire]); 18.0degC (Lyneham [Wiltshire]); 15.5degC (Rhoose [Cardiff]); 18.2degC (Elmdon [Birmingham]); 12.5degC (Valley [Anglesey]); 16.9degC (Ringway [Manchester); 16.8degC (Watnall [Nottingham]); 16.5degC (Durham); 16.2degC (Tynemouth); 12.7degC (Abbotsinch [Glasgow]); 15.7degC (Leuchars [Fife]); these values though were achieved despite the sunshine - of which there was not too much about; for example on the Monday, many areas (away from the south) could not scrape together much more than 2 to 5hr in the day.