April showers give way to glimpse of May Day sunshine
THOSE April showers took their time in coming this year and, when they finally did, they brought unseasonal hail, sleet and snow. But fear not, the May Day bank holiday weekend will be an improvement, with milder, frost-free but still mixed conditions all around the country.
The reason April has been warm and dry – until winter returned in its dying days – was the presence of a high pressure system over the UK. Today, however, its dominance is being challenged by low pressure to the South West, trailing a wet weather front in its wake. Prepare yourself in Devon, Cornwall and South Wales for rain, with temperatures of 54F (12C).
Further east, it will be drier and warmer, with 57F (14C) temperatures in London and Norwich, while Glasgow and Belfast will peak at 55F (13C). That belt of rain should pass over the country overnight, leaving a few remnants in the morning in the North East. In the gap before the next wet front there should be plenty of sunshine across England and Scotland, with a pleasant 61F (16C) in the South East – almost enough encouragement to brave traffic and head for the coast.
On the western seaboard, a southerly breeze will draw in milder air and, as the working week begins, temperatures should climb towards something better suited to May. The high pressure will once more take pole position and by next weekend the mercury will be touching 68F (20C) in some parts.
So far, so average. California, however, is enjoying what has been described as a “once-in-a-lifetime” weather phenomenon. After several years of drought, the start of this year has seen rain in abundance. As a result the Californian desert has been transformed by an extraordinary “super bloom” of wild flowers. The once pale, arid, ground is covered in a blanket of reds, yellows, purples and oranges that are drawing the crowds.