In contrast to many other European countries, the
'May-day' holiday in the United Kingdom has never been set for the 1st of May,
but generally occurs on the first Monday on / after the 1st: for this reason it
is often referred to as the 'Early May' holiday. For the purpose of this
analysis, the weather on the Bank / Public Holiday Monday only is noted
unless otherwise stated - but I have used the overall weekend Saturday to
Monday in later years. (For more on Bank / Public holidays in the UK, click
HERE)
*** BEST OVERALL ***:
1999: Just got better and better over the weekend, culminating in a spectacularly sunny and warm MayDay Monday! Temperatures well up to 23 or 24degC.
*** WORST OVERALL ***:
Take your pick! The May-day holiday has been notoriously
fickle coming as it does too early in the season for really fine weather. My
choices would be: 1978 ... 1982 ... 1983 ... 1991
… 1997
'Quick-Look' Summary:
1978: Dull, wet & cold in south; drier further north:
easterly winds.
1979: Wintry showers/bright Scotland & north; Fine/warm far
south - wet elsewhere.
1980: Mainly dry, bright (best sunshine
west): cold/gusty east wind.
1981: Bright/sunny intervals - showers, some heavy. Chilly.
1982: Generally cold, showers/longer periods rain - wintry
parts of north.
1983: Dull/wet many areas; flooding - strong northerly winds
in north.
1984: Strong/chilly wind. Variable cloud amounts: mainly dry
(frosts in north).
1985: Showery/bright; heavy/thundery showers west: cloudy/cold
N.Sea coastal regions & Scotland.
1986: Cool/showery.
1987: Rather cold: notable thunder/heavy showers in SE.
1988: Increasing cloud - showers for most - temperatures near
average.
1989: Rather cloudy but mainly dry & warm. Windy in north
& NW - humid.
1990: Fine/warm in south but
cooler/cloudy - unsettled in north.
1991: Notably dull/cold - patchy rain, but heavy rain in
northwest.
1992: Reasonably fine/warm in south; cloudier - occasional rain
north.
1993: Cool/cloudy E.England; mostly fine/sunny elsewhere.
1994: Mostly fine/warm & sunny. Cloudier far NW.
1995: Mostly dry, but chilly wind under often cloudy skies. (VE
Day anniversary)
1996: Cool but dry/sunny. A few wintry showers in north.
1997: Cold/wet - snow reported north/central; better, some
sun in southeast.
1998: Mostly dry, reasonably sunny - warmish (after locally
cold start).
1999: Fine, warm (inland) with large amounts sunshine;
cooler/cloudier far N.
2000: Fair/dry day for most -
brisk/chill wind in east & south; best in shelter.
2001: Cloudy SE/London; fine/sunny elsewhere - nagging/chill
wind; best in shelter or well-inland.
2002: Fine/sunny NW Scotland, N.Ireland; mixed elsewhere - some
rain but also dry spells.
2003: Bright, occasional sunshine, scattered showers / fairly
warm: cloudy/windy/wet NW.
2004: Not bad north: sunshine/showers; fine Saturday SE
Britain, but wet Monday.
2005: Mainly fine/warm S & E: showers/thunder elsewhere;
near-average temperatures.
2006: Friday & Monday not too bad in the south; Very sunny
Friday & Saturday N & E Scotland.
2007: Fine Saturday, then downhill rapidly: wind & rain for
most - sunshine too.
2008: Most had rain - amounts variable: sun for many,
especially Monday in N & E. Warm inland.
Average day maxima at this time of year vary from 13degC
in northern / inland areas (such as the Glasgow and Belfast regions), to 14 or
15degC further south. Areas adjacent to the North Sea and the eastern English
Channel will be cooler, as the seas here are slow to recover heat after the
winter.
In fact, it does make you wonder why all our main holidays are crowded into
this period from the second half of March to the end of May: there is little to
recommend the arrangement from the meteorological point of view!
1978 (1st) [ the
first official May-Day bank holiday - promulgated by the Labour government. ]
> Easterly (strong northern Britain/Northern Ireland), with
slow-moving and complex low pressure from central Europe, along the English
Channel and into the SW Approaches. Pressure High Iceland region. An occlusion
was slow-moving from Ulster to far-northern England / Scottish border country.
>> Dull, very wet and cold in many southern districts, but
Scotland was quite sunny, if rather chilly - the chill enhanced by a strong
east wind. Glasgow achieved a day-maximum of 11degC, some 2C below average, but
with around 8hr of bright sunshine. Further south, Manchester's best temperture
that day was just over 8degC, almost 6C below the long-term average, with no
sunshine, but little rain either - a typical feature of Mancunian weather in a
strong easterly. London did a little better as regards temperature, reaching
11degC, though this was still shy of the average by some 4C. However, southern
Britain had a thoroughly miserable day, with 15mm of rain at Kew, and 19mm at
Boscombe Down in Wiltshire.
( It was no wonder that the May Day holiday took a while to catch on after
this start! However, May 1978 got steadily better; the month overall was
notably wet in the southeast, with precipitation anomalies 150% or more in the
London area. But most of the rain was in the first half of the month, and by
the last week, it was warm and dry in many areas, with local record May
maxima.)
1979 (7th)
> Weakly cyclonic with a slow-moving cold front across Wales &
central England.
>> Heavy rain was associated with the front over Wales, and
English central and northern regions. Manchester had its wettest day of the
month, with 19mm and a day maximum of just over 9degC, about 4C below the early
May average. Meanwhile, the rain which had affected Scotland & Northern
Ireland on the Sunday cleared early on Monday, to be replaced by bright or
sunny conditions, but with a scattering of wintry showers, more especially for
Scotland - a lot of dry weather elsewhere in the north. Reasonably pleasant, if
humid in the south (London ~15degC), dry and quite bright, with increasing
amounts of sunshine - London managed around 7hr by the end of the day as the
thick cloud broke up. However coastal west/south-west facing areas were subject
to low cloud/mist, more especially in the West of England.
( May 1979 had started as so many others: a brisk, cold (ex-Arctic) airflow,
which only slowly eased during Friday & Saturday; reasonably sunny by day,
but also plenty of wintry showers, with hail/thunder etc. Night frosts were
widespread during this first 4 or 5 days of May - though sunshine prolonged for
some, e.g. Manchester 13hr on the 4th and Kew nearly the same amount on the
5th.)
- - - 1980's - - -
1980 (5th)
> Anticyclonic east or north-easterly (throughout weekend).
>> Mainly dry, & despite large areas of cloud on the easterly
wind, there were areas that had fairly bright skies, though the best of the
sunshine was reserved for areas towards the west and there was always the
blustery / chilly east wind in the south of England, the Midlands, East Anglia
& most of Wales. (In fact, this Monday was a distinct improvement as
regards central and northern UK, because the strong, cold east wind had
affected all areas since the beginning of the month. Overall, May 1980 was
quite sunny and dry.)
1981 (4th)
> Cyclonic north or northwesterly, with filling low moving ESE across
North Sea.
>> Showery for many, with bright or sunny intervals; local heavy
rain showers, but snow showers hill/mountains. A chilly day, with the best
sunshine in sheltered south coastal regions & more generally across SE
Britain.
(In this year, many areas were recovering from notable late-April snowstorms
& follow-on flooding in northern England, the Midlands and Wales. Indeed,
the previous day (Sunday), many places experienced heavy rain, with gales for
some & snow over parts of Scotland. After the holiday - temperatures rose
quite well, though with rain about as well.)
1982 (3rd)
> Deep depression crossing northern Scotland: very windy on its
southern and northwestern flanks, troughs in the northwesterly flow. Cold front
clearing SE England early.
>> Early rain clearing SE Britain. Most places had strong, gusty
winds & showers, with snow in the north; there was drifting of the snow in
hillier regions. Thunderstorms and heavy rain/hail in places. Particularly wet
in Ulster & NW Scotland. Generally cool, especially in the wind.
(It became drier, but frosty after the holiday, but the month as a whole turned
out warmer, drier and often sunny.)
1983 (2nd)
>Cyclonic: north or northeasterly in north; westerly in south. A
'wrap-around' occlusion affecting northern England, Wales & the Scottish
border areas.
>>Strong north or northeast winds in north. Dull, wet weather for
many areas, with widespread flooding across the north Midland & Yorkshire.
(On the 1st [Sunday] many places in Wales, central & southern England had
heavy/persistent rain; for example, Bedford had 26mm on the 1st, Cardiff
(Rhoose) 29mm, Birmingham 21mm & Manchester 17mm on the same day. The whole
month in fact was cold, dull and wet.)
1984 (7th)
>Anticyclonic east or north-easterly, strong some eastern & many
southern regions.
>> Strong ENE wind through the English Channel; widespread frosts
for northern Britain. Otherwise dry; mixed cloudiness. On the chilly side
unless in sheltered southwest and western areas - which had lengthy spells of
sunshine. However, with North Sea temperatures slow to rise at this time of
year, it was cool/cold on and downwind of exposed coasts in a nagging wind.
(Not a bad weekend overall for many, but spoilt by the persistent and cold
northeast wind; OK out of the wind in some patches of sunshine, though Channel
regions cloudier with weakening fronts in the vicinity.)
1985 (6th)
> Cyclonic, with filling Low Celtic Sea; slow-moving occlusion
on/near east coast of England (& east Scotland at first).
>> Front brought thick cloud/rain & cold weather to many parts
of eastern Scotland & England, with some places having day-maxima no higher
than 10 or 11degC. Particularly dull & misty for many North Sea coasts.
Showery, but bright elsewhere: heavy thunderstorms and rain across Wales &
the West Country. Not too bad for London & SE England, with local maximum
temperatures as high as 18degC.
(The Sunday was cool/rainy, and the run-up to the weekend was a typical
spring-time chilly, north or northwesterly type; often showery but with some
sunshine too. A wet month overall followed. )
1986 (5th)
> Cyclonic: southwesterly in south; southeasterly in north, and
strong/gusty northeast Scotland. Weak occlusion crossing SE England / East
Anglia, and a series of troughs elsewhere in the flow.
>> Showery weather with dull/cold conditions all NE England, East
and NE Scotland. Generally cool/showery elsewhere, though with fitful sunshine
too. Some coastal areas had fewer showers due to the relatively colder seas. A
typical 'showers or longer periods of rain' type of day!
(At the start of the preceding week, the weather had been warm, dry &
sunny, with temperatures 21 to 23degC early-on in the south. The month
eventually turned out to be unsettled, wet and windy with few sunny days - part
of a notably cold spring!)
1987 (4th)
> Anticyclonic northerly England & Wales (strong East Anglia
& extreme SE England): warm sector westerly N.Ireland & Scotland - warm
front crossing Scotland.
>> Cloudy with light rain northern areas, associated with the warm
front; mainly fine, with variable cloud elsewhere - chilly wind affecting North
Sea coastal regions; however, across SE England & East Anglia, it was
notably cold with bursts of heavy rain or rain-showers, with hail and thunder.
This day saw the coldest morning of the month in places, with a widespread
ground frost: the minimum at Boscombe Down (Wiltshire) was just 0.2degC &
Watnall (Nottingham) 0.6degC.
(The month started out with showers - with snow - and the month overall was
cold, with the wind often out of the north; any warm spells short.)
1988 (2nd)
> Cyclonic with filling low moving slowly northeast across the Celtic
Sea. Brisk S/SW'ly flow England & Wales; strong easterly, with occlusion in
far north of Scotland: moderate east or southeasterly elsewhere.
>> Mostly showery and cloudy with prolonged rainfall in far north.
Local heavy rain (or heavy showers): some stations in eastern Scotland, east
& NE England had their wettest day of the month this day, e.g. Finningley
(nr. Doncaster) 11mm & Tynemouth 14mm. Windy in southwest & far north.
Afternoon temperatures in range 15 to 18degC, so generally near or above
average. Some areas bright/sunny, especially in the morning, before the showers
developed (these rapidly), and other areas away from the low centre in SW
Britain.
(The weekend was unsettled, windy with periods of rain)
1989 (1st)
> Anticyclonic southwesterly central & southern UK; open warm sector
further north, with cold-frontal wave passing the Western Isles on a strong
SW'ly gradient.
>> Many areas fair - a good deal of cloud but warm/humid - occasional
sunshine eastern/leeward areas. It was cloudy, with extensive low cloud/hill
fog southwestern areas. Windy in the north and northwest, with lee-side
gustiness E & NE Scotland, and also NE England.
(Despite the warm flow, it was disappointingly cloudy on the Monday, the
sunshine really getting going the next day. An exceptionally dry, warm and
sunny month England & Wales - Central London probably had its driest May
for some 300 years; it was the 5th driest May [at the time] in the England
& Wales series. Exceptionally sunny too.)
- - - 1990's - - -
1990 (7th)
> Low just east of the Firth of Forth; cyclonic north to
northwesterly, with easterly across the far north of Scotland. Several fronts
crossing the country, slow-moving over Scotland.
>> The month started fine - so a pity that the first Monday was so
late! Cool, cloudy & showery weather had arrived in northern and western
areas over the weekend; there were notable downpours in Ulster & parts of
Scotland - Belfast 12mm & Stornoway (Western Isles) 18mm on this day. The
south was warmer, with long periods of sunshine amongst residual cloud on
weakening fronts moving southeast. It was probably the best May-Day holiday in
the south of the series, with temperatures generally here into the low 20's
degC.
(The month overall was warm, dry & sunny, and the first few days saw
temperatures as high as 26degC somewhere in Britain every day until the 6th: so
unfortunate that it was so unsettled in the north on this Monday, and
temperatures elsewhere had fallen somewhat after the promise of the first few
days.)
1991 (6th)
> North or northwesterly type, with weak fronts affecting west and
northwest.
>> In east & SE England, including East Anglia, it was cloudy, very
cool and showery - with prolonged rainfall for some. Notably sunless over the
whole country, with sporadic rain, though there was heavier rain for a time in
northwest & Highland Scotland. It was said at the time to be one of the
dullest and coldest on record (but not a long record), with the Southend
maximum temperature just 7degC, and afternoon maxima generally across the Home
Counties in the range 8 to 11degC, well below the long-term average of 15degC.
(This was a dull month, and the week leading up to the Holiday saw a
persistent, and often strong north or northeast wind - with an origin well to
the north of the Arctic Circle. Some places had no more than 20hr of sunshine
over the whole of the first 8 days of this May.)
1992 (4th)
> Ridge across southern Britain: frontal system on west or SW breeze
across northern areas, with weakening warm front moving southeast over northern
England.
>> Generally warm, dry & sunny in the south, after a cold
night & early morning. Cloudier elsewhere with rain in some northern areas.
Near or slight above average temperatures, between 17 and 19degC in the Home
Counties, which in the bright sunshine and gentle winds here was not too bad.
(The weekend had started with a cold, strong northerly wind, but this
quickly failed as the ridge built across southern regions - indeed, as the wind
died Saturday evening, a widespread ground frost developed by Sunday morning.
The north though was always cloudier/windier than elsewhere. The rest of the
month was sunny & exceptionally warm. )
1993 (3rd)
> Strong ridge from anticyclone north of Azores. Moderate northerly,
but westerly over much of Scotland.
>> Cool & cloudy in eastern England, with flow off the North
Sea; however, very sunny elsewhere, after a sharp overnight frost. Several
places had their coldest morning of the month on this day: e.g. Aldergrove
(Belfast) -0.4degC, Abbotsinch (Glasgow) -1.0degC, Aviemore -2.0degC. Afternoon
temperatures across SE England circa 13 or 14degC, a little below average: it
was much better for sunshine & temperatures in the west & along the
south English coast. St. Mawgan (nr. Newquay, Cornwall), had nearly 14hr of
bright sunshine on this day. East & NE Scotland also fared reasonably well,
with good shelter to the westerly flow.
(It was a warm day over England on the 1st / Saturday, with a temperature of
22degC in Kent. However, northerly winds set in for most as a cold front came
south during the day, bringing large areas of cloud to eastern England -
elsewhere, it remained sunny, though chillier than Friday & Saturday.)
1994 (2nd)
> Anticyclonic south or southeasterly. Weak front moving away from
N.Ireland & NW Scotland.
>> Mostly fine and rather warm, especially over England &
Wales. Maximum temperatures in the SE region (of Britain) 17-19degC. Cloudier
in the NW of Scotland and for a time over Northern Ireland, before the frontal
cloud thinned & broke - but even here, a reasonable day. This was probably
the best such holiday in this series over a wide area.
(Unlike so many holiday Mondays, the weather was mostly fine for a lot of
folk - indeed Sunday was also mostly dry/warm. The weather then "broke
down" in the week following! It was just as well that England & Wales
had a fine holiday, because the rest of the month turned out dull and wet
overall; Scotland dry & sunny.)
1995 (8th)
> Low moving southeast towards Jutland. Cyclonic north or NW'ly. Weak
front Shetland; cold front clearing southern areas early.
>> Cooler weather set in on the 7th (behind cold front), spreading
to all areas on this Monday (declared as the "VE-Day" Bank Holiday).
Most southern, central & western areas were bright & dry, but with
large areas of stratocumulus at times, and accompanied by a gusty west or
northwest wind - it felt decidedly cold under often cloudy skies: particularly
disappointing for people trying to hold street parties. Afternoon maxima in the
mid to upper teens celsius, but note that over the previous few days,
temperatures had achieved 25 to 28degC! Away from these regions, especially
many northern & coastal western districts, it was showery, rather cold with
strong, gusty winds affecting North Sea & Irish Sea coasts.
(Note that in Scotland, the 1st was May-Day, as it would have been for the
whole of the UK - being the first Monday in the month. However, it seems that a
"generous" government (Tory/John Major) couldn't be bothered to give
us all two holidays in early May, so for England, Wales & Northern Ireland,
the May Day was declared to be on the 8th, which was the 50th anniversary of
the declaration of 'Victory in Europe' Day at the end of the Second World War.
The weather on the 1st May was, of course, fine & warm, as was the week
following!)
1996 (6th)
>Slack pressure flow over UK.
>> Mainly cold, dry & bright. Lowestoft had its sunniest day
of the month on this day with nearly 13hr, and other places had some fine
sunshine. Typical maxima in the Home Counties area around 15 to 17degC, which
is not far from the long-term average, after quite a cold start - with local
ground frost. Further north & over upland areas elsewhere, temperatures
around or a little below average, with larger areas of cloud at times: wintry
showers were reported from some areas over the weekend, including on this day.
(An unusually cold month: May had begun with a cold north- easterly flow,
and the holiday weekend continued in the same vein. On the Saturday and Sunday
mornings, many spots started the day with either a ground or air frost: for
example, on Saturday, Glasgow started out with a low of -3.1degC and Manchester
-1.7degC. On the Sunday, it was the turn of Birmingham to drop sharply, with a
minimum of -3.0degC that morning.)
1997 (5th)
> Double front moving south-eastwards as fine weather ended abruptly
this day. Strong northeasterly across northern & down western areas later.
>> Surge of northerly winds behind northern-most front, with rain
for many, and snow falling as far south as Derbyshire. Amongst some notable
rainfall totals on this day were: 14mm Durham, 15mm Waddington (nr. Lincoln),
13mm Birmingham, 18mm Cambridge & 13mm at Cardiff. A mixture of rain and
snow for some central and northern regions. The weather in the southeast wasn't
too bad; day maxima 15 to 17degC with sunshine, though this turning fitful as
cloud built up.
(The first few days of the month had been notably warm with temperatures
into the low-20's degC in places as far apart as Aberdeen in the north to
Cambridge & the London area in the south. The month overall turned out to
be sunny and rather warm.)
[ FROM THIS YEAR, THE WHOLE WEEKEND (SAT - MON) IS COVERED ]
1998 (2nd - 4th)
> Anticyclonic north or NE'ly on Saturday, with embedded troughs in
the flow moving south. Through Sunday, the ridge topples forward as an
occluding frontal system moves into NW Britain. By Monday, pressure still high,
though with a brisk WNW'ly: weak frontal system crossing many areas from the
northwest.
>> The Saturday and Sunday were rather chilly, with
north or northeast winds, although mostly dry during the daytime, with
reasonable amounts of sunshine. Some places started these days with an air
frost; for example, Leuchars (Fife) & Abbotsinch (Glasgow) on Sunday
morning - the latter having an early minimum temperature of -1.3degC. The
exception to the dry/sunny story lay over NE England and parts of E Scotland on
Saturday, with thicker cloud/showery rain here.
On Monday: apart from scattered showers across Northern Ireland, north
and western Scotland (but small amounts of rain in most populated areas) all
other areas virtually dry. Many places had reasonable sunshine (13.5h Channel
Is) and 6 to 9 h as far north as the Moray Firth and Belfast. Only some parts
of North Wales and NW England were notably sunless (e.g. 2h at Manchester).
Temperatures above average in the sunnier spots - warmest place this day Lee on
Solent (Hampshire) (18.8degC), but a chilly start in the south with a local
frost: for example, Hurn (Bournemouth) (not that far away from Lee on Solent),
a notable cold spot, had an early morning minimum of -1.1degC this day.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 19.4degC Cardiff/13.6h Tenby; Sunday: 17.1degC
Strathallan (Tayside)/14.2h Glasgow and Morecambe (Lancashire); Monday:
18.8degC Lee-on-Solent (Hampshire)/13.5h Guernsey and Jersey (Channel Islands.)
(I think the phrase ... "it could have been worse" comes up here!
In fact the whole month was on the dry side, often sunny and very warm. )
1999 (1st - 3rd)
> Essentially anticyclonic, with weakening cold front slowly moving
down the country from the northeast, but cloud fragmenting all the while. A
somewhat cloudier flow in the far north/NW on Monday, but in the south, a veer
to a continental easterly.
>>Saturday & Sunday were fine throughout over
southern areas: e.g. London maxima for both days around 21degC, Cardiff 19
& 22degC and Birmingham 17 and 18degC; northern districts rather cloudier
& cooler with day maximum temperatures at Glasgow and Belfast 14 or 15
degrees, but with little or no rain to speak of. As the high pressure gained
ground, cloud broke up even in the north (helped by a longer land-track), and .
. .
on the Monday (3rd), already fine & hazy in mid-morning, with
temperatures 16 or 17 over parts of southern England, and the fine weather
extended right up into Scotland. North and NE Scotland cloudier and cooler, but
still dry. By midday, temperatures widely into the low 20's across central and
southern England, south & east Wales, and up into Scotland and Northern
Ireland, early afternoon temperatures were around 18 degC. Sea breezes however
did keep Aberdeen and the Moray Coast cooler. By mid/late afternoon, sea
breezes were more prevalent, particularly off the North Sea, but not overly
strong, and accompanied by bright/strong sunshine. In fact the sunshine totals
were the feature of the Monday: e.g: 11.6h London, 10.1h Cardiff, 11.4h
Manchester and 13.5 h Belfast. The gentle south or SE wind meant that places
like the north Devon & west Cornish coasts did very well, with temperatures
up to 22degC (maxima at St. Mawgan/nr. Newquay 21.2degC & Saunton Sands,
Devon 25degC). Early evening, and a fine end to the day.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Sat: 21.5 degC Northolt (West London)/13.7h Hillsborough,
Co.Down (Northern Ireland); Sun: 22.0degC Bristol (Weather Centre)/13.8h Jersey
(Channel Islands); Mon: 25degC Saunton Sands, Devon/13.9h Ronaldsway, Isle of
Man.)
(After this benign, indeed very pleasant start for most, the month
continued warm but rather 'chop & change' with frequent thunderstorms.
Sunshine also turned out to be disappointingly below average.)
- - - 2000's - - -
2000 (29th,30th April: 1st May)
> Cyclonic/unsettled on Saturday, but high pressure formed over
Southern England by the end of the day. During Sunday, the high cell moved
north towards NE Scotland; Monday anticyclonic, with an easterly flow in the
south, strong in the English Channel.
>> A wet start to Saturday over Southern England - the rain
moved north or northwest to affect Northern Ireland. Clear skies with fog over
Scotland, clearing. Becoming cloudier Scotland with light rain. Mainly
dry/bright elsewhere, with sunshine - over 11 hr sunshine across southern
England and 13.7hr at Jersey, Channel Islands. Some places had their warmest
day of April this day, with temperatures 16 to 18 degC. (19.2degC Northolt,
West London).
On Sunday, most places had a clear start with a ground frost in some
sheltered spots. Fog clearing from Midlands and Southern Scotland. Eastern
England clouded over as an area of rain moved north across SE and eastern
England. Elsewhere, mainly dry/fine or sunny. Some of the warmest (and driest)
weather of a damp April on this day, with Cardiff, Barbourne (Worcester) &
Nantmor (Gwynedd) up to 21degC, and many places above 17 degC. Plenty of
sunshine away from the cloudier east and near some other coasts. However, note
that East Anglia & the east of England experienced day maxima of only 12 to
14degC, 2 or 3 mm of rain and no sunshine.
On Monday, after a cold night, a 'fair'/dry day for most - breezy east
wind though in far south of England & other east coastal areas 'suffered' a
wind off the chilly North Sea e.g. (maxima) Cromer 11degC, Scarborough 12degC.
NE Scottish coasts were also cloudy/drizzly and cold: Aberdeenshire and Moray
coasts had maxima 10 or 11degC. Many eastern/inland areas starting day
cloudy/odd spots drizzle but improving eventually over eastern England, with 5
to 8 hr sunshine. Best weather this holiday Monday in west/southwest of
Britain and much of Ireland - 10 to 13 hr sunshine and maxima 18 to 20, with
Northern Ireland faring very well. Also the English south coast not too bad,
albeit with the blustery/sea-influenced wind. Bournemouth, Poole & Penzance
all 19degC with over 11 hr of sunshine.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday:19.2degC Tulloch Bridge (Inverness-shire) &
Northolt (West London) / 13.7h Jersey, Channel Islands; Sunday: 19.9degC
Bristol Weather Centre / 14.3h Leuchars, Fife; Monday: 20.5degC Knockarevan,
Fermanagh / 14.3hr Stornoway, Western Isles.)
(Turning very warm & humid in the south after this weekend, and the
first half of May, 2000 was often thundery.)
2001 (5th to 7th)
> Broad belt of high pressure from Azores to NW Scotland, with
discrete High Orkney by Monday. Chill, brisk NE flow southeastern UK. (FMD
story)
>> Saturday: Chill NE wind Engish North Sea coast &
across SE England, East Midlands, E.Anglia etc., with coastal maxima only 9 to
11C here; inland 12degC in east: otherwise, mainly fine/dry, bright or sunny
weather - light winds and temperatures up to 15 or 16degC. (Somewhat cloudier
NW Scotland).
Sunday: Similar broad story, but extensive/thicker cloud East England,
extending well into Midlands/Home Counties etc, with temperatures down - odd
spots drizzle as well early in day. Further west & north, fine,
bright/sunny - near unbroken sunshine West Wales and many inland & western
parts of Scotland but you needed to be in good shelter for temperatures above
15C; many spots below 12C.
Monday: Cold/clear start in the west & north with temperatures near
freezing in Scotland (patchy mist/fog); Areas cloud London/SE England but
fine/sunny elsewhere - still a nagging, chill NE wind across southeastern
England & chill, marine breezes elsewhere. Some warm spots where well
sheltered or inland.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 15.9degC Dalmally (Argyll)/13.9h Valley; Sunday:
18.3degC Dalmally (Argyll)/14.4h Boulmer (Northumberland) & Newcastle;
Monday: 19.1degC Dalmally (Argyll)/15.1h Kirkwall)
(One of the worst cases of Foot & Mouth Disease [FMD] to hit England and
Wales occurred this year - large areas of the countryside were denied to
walkers etc., and visitor numbers plummeted. It was hoped that this holiday
would see a revival of internal tourism, but the rather cold wind didn't help
encourage people away from their television sets! However, as the month went
on, it turned out to be dry, reasonably sunny & generally warm.)
2002 (4th to 6th)
> Fronts just west of Ireland Saturday, with weak belt high pressure
lying North-South across Britain Saturday & Sunday: brisk/increasing North
or NE'ly flow East Anglia/SE England as continental low edges west; weak
frontal system moving west over England on Monday. Elsewhere, slack airflow.
>> Saturday: Largely dry, but scattered showers as cumulus
builds over inland Wales, NW, SW & Midland England. Plenty of
coastal sunshine, and fine sunshine inland before cloud builds up - a
lot of cloud eventually North Midlands, North of England, inland Scotland etc.
After chilly start inland (2 to 5degC for minima, but air-frost some parts
Yorkshire, Midlands, rural south), maxima in range 12 to 15degC generally -
chill north/NE wind across SE England; best temperatures Ireland: up to
17.6degC Castlederg.
Sunday: Fine, mostly sunny - largely dry (afternoon rain showers West
Country) for most western, northern & many central areas - after cold start
(local air frost), maxima up to 14 to 17degC, with 18.7degC at Bishopton (west
of Glasgow); However, East Anglia, SE/Gtr London, East Midlands & Central
Southern England - cloudy (or increasing cloud) with chill, brisk/gusty N/NE
wind - spots rain, especially towards east; temperatures on east coast 9 or
10degC, and no better than 11 or 12degC inland with high wind-chill.
Monday: Areas thick cloud/sporadic rain England (central & south),
spreading westwards over SW England & Wales - broken cloud following -
fine, afternoon sunshine in east. Elsewhere, fine, warm (inland) & largely
dry. Third fine/sunny day for West & NW Scotland (after another
cold/locally frosty start) - best weather of the holiday weekend in these
regions.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 18.2degC Knockarevan, Fermanagh (Northern
Ireland)/14.4h Stornoway (Hebrides); Sunday: 19.4degC Dalmally, Argyll/15.3h
Fair Isle; Monday: 20.9degC Dalmally, Argyll/14.9h Fair Isle)
(Although indifferent for some this weekend, it was infinitely better than
what was to come later in the month: some very wet & windy weather from
mid-month onwards.)
2003 (3rd - 5th)
> Unsettled / cyclonic in west & north; continental air on south
or southwesterly winds further south and east - displaced by Monday.
>> Saturday: Largely cloudy in western & far northern
areas, Fair / thinner cloud, occasionally brighter (briefly sunny) further
south & east - some E/SE areas England had decent spells of sunshine: Early
showers eastern England, Rain clears North & East Scotland early; rain
Ireland moving into Western Britain with widespread rain showers afternoon in
West & North Britain; Almost dry southeast (sprinkly rain here and there).
Rather chilly northwest to locally warm SE England, e.g. inland Yorkshire down
to London / Home Counties 15 or 16degC, whereas North & West 10 to 13degC
& most coasts cooler. Brisk winds accentuating chill in cloudier west and
north.
Sunday: Ireland, Scotland & areas adjacent Irish Sea: mostly cloudy
/ cool, with pulses rain / occasional heavy rainfall; remainder - bright/sunny,
dry & warm (away from windward coasts). Evening thunderstorms, local
downpours clipping far SE England. Temperatures cloudier North & NW 10 to
15degC, elsewhere 17 to 20degC, with sunnier eastern/central areas 21-23degC.
Monday: Bright/sunny. Widespread rain showers, with some heavy rain
showers, (and later persistent rain) Scotland / Northern Ireland: isolated rain
showers elsewhere, but many areas England/Wales (& much east Scotland)
remaining dry/fine - another fine day in the West Country & Channel
Islands; windy NW Scotland, local Gales. Chilly winds North & far West,
with maxima 11 to 15degC; further south & SE, generally 16 to 18degC - fine
in sunnier/sheltered spots & coastal coves etc.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 17degC Guernsey (Channel Islands) / 11hr Cromer
(Norfolk); Sunday: 23.2degC London / 13hr Torquay (Devon); Monday: 18degC
Gravesend (Kent) / 12hr Falmouth (Cornwall))
(A distinctly unsettled first part of May 2003 - becoming Hot by the end of
the month.)
2004 (1st - 3rd May)
> On Saturday, pressure high to northwest of Britain, and low in the
Bay of Biscay: initially, a strong ENE flow across southern areas, with
weakening frontal link here. By Sunday morning, weak flow over the British
Isles, with fragmenting front in far NW. For the remainder of Sunday, a 'COL'
area (region of light winds) for most, but a freshening westerly, with cold
front moving southeast across northern Britain. Monday: cold front
(increasingly active) moving slowly southeast across SE Britain, followed by
well-broken cloud; Atlantic frontal system into the NW by evening.
>> Saturday: Over South Wales, the Midlands, East Anglia
and Southern England, a dull, cool day with temperatures for many 11 to 13degC
at best; areas of rain moving slowly north, turning slowly drier from the
south. 2 to 4mm for some, with up to 8mm at Woburn [ Bedfordshire]; the weather
perked up for some southeastern coastal counties during the latter afternoon
and evening - some late sunshine: Elsewhere, a fine/dry & largely sunny day
- near unbroken sunshine in the west and northwest (Tiree 11hr, Glasgow 12hr,
Belfast 13hr and Leuchars nearly 14hr) and temperatures widely 17 to 19degC by
early afternoon: much cooler North Sea coastal areas with a chill wind for
other northeastern districts. In the far northwest of Scotland and the Northern
Isles, more cloud - with a little rain.
Sunday: Areas of thick fog over central & southern England &
lowland Wales - soon clearing: a dry day for most, and much better in the south
(than on Saturday), where temperatures inland reached 18 or 19degC (20degC
London) through the afternoon; plenty of sunshine (at least 7hr in many spots,
~10hr Cornwall, 12hr or so Sussex/Kent & Hampshire. A very fine day along
the English south coast, albeit with large areas thin/high cloud, and slightly
chillier breezes off the Channel. Cloudier & cooler (than Saturday) in
Scotland & Northern Ireland, but any rain (during most of daylight hours)
reserved for parts of Northern Scotland & the Northern Isles, with a brisk
westerly wind here; lighter winds elsewhere - sea breezes; Much of Northern
England & North Wales had a 2nd fine day, e.g. Leeming 13.1hr sunshine/Max
19.6degC!
Monday: Scotland & Northern Ireland: bright, breezy - showers
(showery rain with cloudier skies NW Scotland & Northern Isles) - some
places had very few (or no) showers, and spells of strong sunshine, especially
east Scotland: for example, the Edinburgh / Lothians, Fife & Perthshire 9
or 10hr of strong sunshine. A chilly wind for some. Persistent rain on a
strengthening wind spread quickly across Northern Ireland and much of western
Scotland from early evening. North, West & 'central' England & Wales:
overnight rain clearing to fine sunshine (6 to 9hr 'in & out' sunshine for
many), but with building cloud - a scattering of showers, but plenty of dry,
bright weather too. Remainder (SE Britain) a band of intensifying rain moving
slowly southeast (6-9mm in places, 11mm Norfolk), giving way to bright then
sunny skies (with a late recovery of temperature after a chilly morning ), but
it remained wet into the late afternoon or early evening in the far SE.
(Warmest place here/Manston, due to milder air).
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 21degC Llanbedr (NW Wales) / 13.8hr Leuchars
(Fife); Sunday: 20degC Central London / 14.1hr Isle of Wight; Monday: 16.9degC
Manston (Kent) / 9.7hr Goggarbank (west of Edinburgh)
[ The usual mixed-bag for this holiday weekend: depends whether you got hit
by the rain as to whether it was regarded as 'good' or not! ]
2005 (30th April - 2nd May)
>A warm, humid south or southeast flow behind a northward moving warm
front on Saturday: remnants of a brisk/showery W'ly in far north of Scotland.
On Sunday, overnight marked thundery trough moving NE over England early in the
day (spectacular lightning), as fronts/trough progress from the west, & a
frontal system becoming slow-moving over Scotland. On Monday, cold-front wave
moving across the SE of England and an occlusion lingering over the far North
of Scotland. A Southerly or SW'ly flow for most, with minor troughs in the
flow: sharply active in west & central regions.
>>Saturday: Scotland had a fine, dry day for the most part,
but skies clouded up from the south later, with sporadic rain in the south
during the afternoon & evening; across the far north, northwest and the
Northern Isles, it was cloudier early-on, and quite breezy, with showers -
these dying: fine sunshine for most by late morning; the sunniest part of the
country this day e.g. 9.3hr/Kirkwall, 8.2hr/Kinloss, 10hr/Aberdeen. It would
have felt a little chilly though in the wind over exposed coasts/hills.
Elsewhere, overnight rain or drizzle moved north over Wales & England (not
particularly heavy by daybreak) and into Northern Ireland later in the morning.
Cloud thinned and broke-up from and in the south - with fine/warm sunshine
developing for many central, south & SE areas of England and much of Wales
- though thicker cloud late afternoon & evening produced showery rain: this
turned sharply thundery by midnight. The SW of England was always rather cloudy
- extensive sea/coast fog south & southwest coasts/hills/moors, and low
cloud spread inland elsewhere in the SW to spoil the day. Temperatures 21degC
or higher in the sunnier central & SE counties of England, but 13-15degC
cloudier northern regions.
Sunday: Spectacular electric storms moving northeastwards across England
during the early hours: areas heavy rain too: over 10mm of rain recorded in
areas affected by these storms, with 15mm in 24hr at Coltishall (nr. Norwich,
Norfolk). The cloud broke/cleared during the morning over Wales and England
with most experiencing diffuse sunshine. Cloudy over Scotland, Northern Ireland
and Northern England - areas of rain, some thundery and/or heavy: it was thus a
much poorer day for most populated areas of Scotland than on Saturday: rainfall
in the range 6 to 11mm. The weather improved from the south later in the day,
with brighter skies developing & moving north. However, northern Scotland
was always overcast and wet, with northeastern Scotland in particular dull,
cold and often misty. Best temperatures here only 8 or 9degC, compared with
23degC or higher across much of SE England. The best of the weather (highest
sunshine & temperatures) was reserved for southern England - though with
large areas high cloud/areas middle level cloud giving morning sporadic rain:
these latter decayed. South English coast fared generally very well (extended
sunny spells), though with chilly marine breezes & some areas of sea/coast
fog or low cloud.
Monday: An area of rain, some heavy/thundery, moved across SE England
and East Anglia early in the day, with skies brightening up slowly from the
west. Showery rain affected the far southwest. It remained cloudy with further
rain over southern and central Scotland. Otherwise, large areas of the country
started the day dry/fine; best sunshine in the morning was over central, west
and northern England. Subsequently, a vigorous band of heavy rain and / or
thunderstorms moved across Wales & SW England and on to the NW Midlands and
the Lancs/Cheshire region by mid-afternoon, then into southern Scotland and
other areas of northern England evening: local torrential downpours, with a
weak tornado (building damage) reported from Lancashire. Elsewhere across
northern & western UK, further sporadic rain and broken cloud / bright
spells: otherwise, a lot of fine, warm sunshine - temperatures into the low
20's degC, but cooler coasts; generally cooler north & west, but even so,
many inland spots above average.
((For many populated areas, this "Holiday Monday' was essentially fine
& warm: for example, many central, eastern & southern counties of
England, together with parts of east & northeast Scotland had 6-8h (or
more) of strong sunshine, with daytime maxima 18-21 (about 5C above LTA))
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 23.5degC London MO / 11hr Aberdeen; Sunday:
25.1degC London MO / 9hr Isle of Wight; Monday: 22.0degC London MO / 11h
Bournemouth)
[ The last weekend before the General Election of 2005 - on Thursday the 5th
May. ] [ Although I have quoted London MO above, it is not
regarded as 'representative' as it is a roof-top site; however, temperatures
reached 23 or 24 on Sunday quite widely across the southeast of
England.]
2006 (29th April - 1st May)
>Saturday: a northerly type, with a fragmenting frontal system
embedded - this aligned north/south across Britain; a brisk showery northerly
over East Anglia & Kent. High pressure dominated the near-Atlantic. On
Sunday, a weakly cyclonic northerly (low-pressure near-continent) affected far
eastern England, with a trough / weak frontal system over east & central
England. Weak, declining ridge conditions elsewhere. Monday: complex frontal
system crossing the country from the west, clearing from most places by early
afternoon, but lingering across NE Scotland until evening; Westerly unstable
type following.
>>Saturday: After a chilly night across northern Britain,
with grass frost (isolated air frost: Altnaharra -2.6degC) in central, east
& SE Scotland, for most it was a fine, bright or sunny day - unbroken
sunshine over large parts of Wales, western England & throughout Scotland
(where it became warm inland: Glasgow and Edinburgh up to 17degC), and even
over east & central England, although cloud built from time-to-time (with
morning showers East Anglia & far SE England), there was occasional strong
sunshine to offset the brisk (& somewhat chill) northerly wind. Coasts
facing the wind remained decidedly chilly - with maxima no higher than 9 to 12
along the North Sea coasts for example; conversely, sheltered south-facing
English & Welsh locations fared very well (e.g. Plymouth 16.2degC, Solent
16.0degC), though with afternoon sea-breezes in places. Northern Ireland &
the Western Isles experienced largely cloudy skies until mid-afternoon, when
skies brightened, though it remained chilly.
Sunday: The day started with a band of thick cloud & outbreaks of
(mainly) light rain moving from the NE over central, SE & parts of northern
England. However, NE England & large areas of Scotland had a fine, sunny
morning after a clear, locally frosty start: Aboyne (Aberdeenshire) &
Glenlivet (Morayshire) reported overnight minima of -3degC; Sunshine too in the
SW, though rather cloudy for Wales, NI & Western-most Scotland. By
afternoon, although N & E Scotland along with East Anglia & parts of SE
England remained fine & dry (though with a chilly / brisk east wind in
Scotland), most other areas experienced cloudy skies & depressed
temperatures: for many central & northern regions, best afternoon values
were in the range 9 to 11degC, and even in the south, many places did not rise
above 12 or 13degC. Sporadic rain broke out across northern England, and
persistent rain spread across N. Ireland and onto western Scotland & far
west Wales by evening; a wet night to follow for much of Britain & Ireland.
Monday: Overnight rain soon clearing N. Ireland, Wales & the West of
England, and by late morning, all other parts of England & much of Scotland
had lost the persistent rain, but showers broke out readily across the north -
remaining cloudy, cool with rain over NE Scotland. In the brighter / sunnier
conditions further south, a scattering of showers, but many places dry here,
though with a blustery, locally strong, west wind. Through the afternoon, all
but the far north of Scotland & the North Isles had a bright, breezy
afternoon / early evening - plenty of showers at first from Wales, the Midlands
& East Anglia northwards - but even these died away with fine, prolonged
& strong sunshine for many western areas of Wales, England & Scotland -
and southern England also had a fine, dry & reasonably warm afternoon with
prolonged, strong sunshine: afternoon maxima from Wessex through to London
& SE England ~15degC, though spoilt a little by the strength of the
westerly wind, especially in coastal & hilly areas. Shetland, in contrast
to the previous two days, ended the day on a cloudy, rather wet note.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 18.9degC Strathallan airfield [Perth &
Kinross] / 14.2hr Lerwick [Shetland]; Sunday: 15.2degC Aviemore
(Inverness-shire) / 14.4hr Kinloss [Morayshire]; Monday: 16degC Herne Bay
[Kent] / 12.1h Torquay [Devon])
2007 (5th - 7th May)
>Saturday: High cell over northern Britain declined as it moved away
south - this marked the end of over a month of very dry, very warm & often
sunny weather: Atlantic frontal systems approached NW British Isles during the
second half of the day on a strengthening gradient. Sunday: Unsettled W'ly type
prevailed, as a deep depression slipped ENE to the north of Scotland; a rather
weak, waving cold front moved southward across southern Britain. Monday: Breezy
westerly all areas. A waving cold-front across southern-most Britain, clearing
unsteadily through the day; Occlusion affecting the far north.
>>Saturday: Southwest England, Wales, Northern Ireland
along with North & West Scotland had a lot of sunshine during the morning -
lingering all day in Wales & the West of England. Elsewhere, an overcast
morning, with a cold, northerly wind. Through the day, most places became fine
& sunny: it was reasonably warm too, away from windward coasts, with the
wind easing; however, it remained cloudy & cold in the far east of England,
with mid-late afternoon temperatures here no better than 10 - 13degC. Thicker
cloud spread across NW Britain & Northern Ireland from late-afternoon, with
rain on a freshening breeze: by evening, much of Northern Ireland, West &
and NW Scotland had turned unsettled & damp.
Sunday: Overnight rain soon cleared Scotland, leaving a windy, but
bright but rather chilly day across Northern Britain. There were frequent,
prolonged bursts of showery rain in NW Scotland, with the showers more
separated elsewhere in the north, but rain became persistent again across NW
England & NW Wales. To the east of high ground & sheltered spots
elsewhere, very sunny (11 or 12hr E & NE Scotland), but with a brisk, gusty
west wind; near-gale (locally full gale) force across Scotland; Central &
Southern Britain had a cloudy start with sporadic rain or drizzle: this tended
to die out, with the cloud thinning / breaking to allow periods of fitful,
diffuse sunshine - this developed more strongly during the afternoon, and it
became warm & humid despite the brisk west wind.
Monday: England & Wales: cloudy with periods of rain or drizzle over
much of southern England (including East Anglia) - this cleared rather
unsteadily from the north, with local torrential rainfall - around 25 mm in a
couple of hours for some: scattered showers & sunny spells elsewhere,
mainly in the north & west, and these bright/sunny, breezy & locally
showery conditions spread to most of England & Wales by mid-afternoon: a
fine end to the day for many; Scotland & Northern Ireland: bright or sunny
but showery, more especially in the north & west, dry elsewhere with a lot
of strong sunshine in between the blustery showers. Some more prolonged squally
rainfall swept east for a time, with fine weather returning. The high wind of
the previous day had eased, except over Shetland where the westerly was still
strong. Average or above-average temperatures, but warm again in sheltered
sunnier spots in the south.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 20.1degC Tain Range [Easter Ross / NE Scotland] /
12.2hr Aberporth [Ceredigion / W. Wales]; Sunday: 20.4degC Heathrow (West
London) / 12.1hr Kinloss [Moray]; Monday: 19.2degC Heathrow [West London] /
6.8h Kirkwall [Orkney]
2008 (3rd - 5th May)
>Saturday: High centred in the Heligoland Bight, with a ridge
extending north to the eastern Norwegian Sea; Low dominates the NE Atlantic,
with a strong S'ly flow [SE'ly at the surface] affecting Ireland & western
Britain; ex-continental (Tc) airmass across much of central & southern
Britain. Sunday: Pressure remained low to the west & high to the east of
the British Isles, with a humid S'ly flow for many, this giving way to fresher
Atlantic air as a frontal system edged slowly across Ireland & into
W.Britain during the day. Monday: xxxx.
>>Saturday: Large areas of cloud coming & going, but
also periods of fine sunshine, especially across central & eastern Britain,
the Channel Islands and later Wales & N.Ireland. The Northern Isles &
NE Scotland also had a lot of fine & sunny weather. Most areas >=4hr
sunshine, with large areas of England & Wales, Northern Ireland & NE
Scotland 5-7hr. Rain was sporadic, mainly affecting the west & very
temporarily across the south: amounts of rain were small, in the class of
'nuisance' stuff during daylight. Afternoon temperatures were well up:
17-20degC England, Wales & the Channel Islands; 16-19degC Northern Ireland
and much of lowland Scotland, but it was cold along the east coast of both
England & Scotland, with maxima only 11 or so degC some spots (Bridlington
11.8deg). Maxima were no better than 13-15degC across the cloudier/windier W
& NW [esp. on islands & exposed coasts]; the SE/SSE wind was also a
feature in the west and along the Channel coast, with gusts 30+knots for some
in western Britain).
Sunday: Many areas cloudy, but fine & bright, with occasional strong
sunshine across eastern England, especially the SE & East Anglia, and
prolonged sunshine was enjoyed in the far west, e.g. W. Cornwall &
Pembrokeshire. As the afternoon progresssed the sunshine returned strongly
across Northern Ireland, West Wales & the rest of Cornwall. However, bands
of rain crossed from the west, with some heavy, thundery bursts - the thunder
more especially east Wales, the western Midlands & NW England in the
morning & returning (or developing) late in the afternoon/early evening in
these same areas; any rain elsewhere was lighter/fragmented, with "dust
rain" being reported: most western areas were dry & fine by late
afternoon. Temperatures well up to the early May average, after a humid start
for the south of England: minima only 14 or 15degC in places, e.g. Bristol,
Yeovilton, Jersey, with afternoon temperatures 21/22degC sunnier SE England
& East Anglia (higher in London): 18 to 20degC other brighter inland (or
sheltered) areas of England & Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands
& much of inland NE Scotland, & 15 - 17degC much of the remainder.
However, as yesterday, it was much cooler around northern coasts & islands
e.g. 11 or 12 Northern Isles & far N of Scotland.
Monday: A band rain (early heavy rain) stretched across Central Southern
England, through the Midlands to Lincolnshire at the start of the day, this
edging slowly west, turning showery/lighter as it reached NW England & N
Wales, but still potent on crossing the West Country & the Channel Isles.
Either side of this humid, unsettled zone, plenty of fine, strong sunshine:
winds were light everywhere; Scotland & Northern Ireland remained sunny
throughout, with many spots having >11hr strong sunshine, and around14hr for
Orkney, the Western Isles & SW Scotland. There was patchy fog along the
Irish east coast, and morning fog across the central lowlands of Scotland. It
was also a sunny morning/early afternoon for much of N & W Wales and
Cornwall, though becoming cloudier & damper here by evening; a bright or
sunny day throughout for the SE quarter of England - East Anglia & Kent
experiencing over 10hr sunshine. Warm for all sunnier spots, with 21 or 22degC
Central Southern & SE England, the Midlands & East Anglia, 23degC in
London, and 18-21degC across much of Scotland & Northern Ireland away from
coasts; (21.5degC Glasgow): cooler all coasts facing a sea breeze, but this
offset by strong sunshine.
(Warmest/Sunniest: Saturday: 22.0degC London [Central/roof-top++] &
21.5degC Jersey airport [Jersey, Channel Islands] / 12.5hr Fair Isle [Northern
Isles]; Sunday: 23.2degC London [Central/roof-top++] & 22.0degC Heathrow
[West London] / 7.2hr Camborne [Cornwall]; Monday: 23.2degC London
[Central/roof-top++] & 23.0degC Herstmonceux [East Sussex] / 14.1h
Prestwick & Saughall [both Ayrshire]: [++ note that London (Clerkenwell
Road/roof-top site) is not considered representative.]