Warm front will give heating a well-earned rest
ONE minute we are seeing March temperatures as high as 68F (20C), the next the imminent arrival of April is heralded by a 2.3 inch (6cm) snowfall in Bingley in West Yorkshire. It is hard to know what to prepare for, as Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club found this week when their start of the summer season team photo session was caught in a snow storm.
That snow looks set to carry on causing problems into next week – especially in the north-east of England and eastern Scotland – though talk of a White Easter is premature, particularly as it comes late in the calendar this year. And, as the week progresses, southern parts should see a return to warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine.
This morning will start promisingly in many parts, with blue skies as a warm front heads in from the northwest. As the day wears on cloud will gather, turning to drizzle and even rain across western Scotland and northern England. Expect 52F (11C) in Glasgow, Edinburgh and the south-west of England, with 50F (10C) in most other places – except East Anglia, where cool winds off the sea will push the mercury down to 48F (9C).
As the working week gets under way, however, temperatures across much of England, Wales and Northern Ireland will climb, allowing us to ease our financial worries by turning the heating down. Only in that north-eastern corner of the UK will cold air persist, bringing with it the possibility of continuing snow. Elsewhere milder air will see anything up to 59F (15C) as winter bids what is hopefully a final farewell.
But don’t get carried away by recent talk of heatwaves on their way this spring – especially as eight English counties, from Surrey to East Yorkshire, have this week moved to increase by 1C the threshold that has to be crossed before they even define hot weather as a heatwave.