What a day of contrasts yesterday was? The brisk northerly wind pegged back the daytime temperature to a maximum of only 9.8C, some 4C below the average and the coldest day since 6th March. Out of the wind the 5.92 hours of sunshine were quite strong with a UV level at the top end of ‘Moderate’. However, at 19.15 a storm arrived with initially large rain drops that by 19.24 turned to wet snow and lasted for over ten minutes. There was not a great quantity of precipitation, just 2.2mm, but it was the wettest day this month and brings the total for April to 4.4mm, the second driest April since my records began in 1984. At this time thermometer dropped over 4C to a low of 1.8C and the wind gusted to 29mph, the strongest gust for over a month.
Overnight the thermometer dropped to a low of 0.6C giving a ground frost but not an air frost. At daybreak everywhere was white due to the precipitation last night unlike the previous night when there was an air frost but not noticeable due the every dry air at that time.
This morning has dawned with thick cloud and only the briefest glimpses of sunshine and a temperature that has recovered to 3.7C at 08.00
The weather station of Marlborough, Wiltshire
