April 2012 was a quite remarkable month and in direct contrast to March 2012. With a mean temperature of 7.4C it was the coldest April since 1989 (6.6C) and 1986 (5.8C) and 1.3C below the long-term average. In fact it was 0.7C colder than March 2012. There were seven days with an air frost,the lowest being -3.4C on the 16th. There were five days when the maximum did not reach double figures, the long-term maximum average being 13.8C. The warmest day was the 30th when the the thermometer peaked at 16.4C.
The rainfall was another contrasting feature. With a total of 145.8mm it was the third wettest April I have recorded, that is after 1998 (151.2mm) and 2000 (165.2mm). There were only four dry days but seven days with totals in double figures. The maximum rainfall was 15.2mm on the 28th/29th (0900-0900) with fifteen continuous days of rainfall from the 16th to the 30th. Last year April gave us just 5.4mm in total. I should also note that there were three days when small hail fell in the heavy showers.
The wind strengths were also noteworthy for any month let alone the beginning of Spring. The average for the month was 4.9mph, the highest for over four years and usually reached during the boisterous winter months. A record for April was set in the early hours of the 29th when a maximum gust of 44mph was recorded. In addition it is important to note the 10-minute average speeds to get a fuller picture. For seven hours during the night of the 28th/29th the average was in excess of 20mph.
The sunshine for April was 86% of the total for April 2011, Solar Energy 73% and Evapotranspiration 63%.
The weather station of Marlborough, Wiltshire
