Although the wind was predominantly from the warmer southwest during daylight hours on Monday the variable cloud and limited sunshine restricted the temperature rise to a maximum of 13.5C at 12.56 being the first below average peak this month at -0.6C.
The first spots of rain, only spots on the window, were observed at 19.30 as the main rain band progressed up the western side of the country leaving us on the fringe of a wide rain band. There were a couple of brief showers when the automatic rain gauge was triggered at 23.07 and later at 00.52 early Tuesday producing just 0.8mm of rainfall, the first measurable rainfall since the 27th, which then only produced 0.1mm. Thus we are half way through April with 0.8mm of precipitation against the 41-year average of 57.6mm.
Tuesday revealed a cloudy start to the new day, however, just before 08.00 the sun broke through gap in the cloud with blue sky appearing. The cloud radar shows a heavy bank of cloud to the east, with heavy rainfall, running northwards and another large area of cloud to the west, also moving northwards, with a small triangular gap between the two, which is likely to be short lived but welcome to start the day. The repositioning of the depression will result in the breeze coming from the east today.
The depression to the southwest is currently over Brittany and will head northwards over the UK as the day progresses throwing more cloud across the country, but variable in its content. The centre of the depression is very close with a barometric pressure reading at Marlborough of 995.8mb at 08.00, the lowest pressure since January. The rain is currently falling over eastern parts of the London area and also over Devon and Cornwall with more to come.