Some things were similar to March; others were very
different. As in March, the Azores high (1025 mbar) and
the Icelandic Low (1003 mbar) were both located close
to their normal positions, and both were more intense than
usual. As a consequence there was a stronger-than-normal
W-ly or WNW-ly flow across the Atlantic, extending as
far as Ireland and southwestern Britain. As in March there
was also a high (1019 mbar near St Petersburg) over
northeast Europe. The big difference was that in April
there was a marked trough extending SE-wards from
Iceland across the UK to eastern France. Thus the UK
lay in a zone which favoured frequent trough disruption
during the month (answering a question in another thread
about fronts repeatedly stalling over the country).

The main anomaly centres we
+ 8 mbar over Novaya Zemblya
+ 6 mbar between the Azores and Newfoundland
- 8 mbar over Iceland

Over the British Isles anomalies ranged from -5.5 mbar
over the Western Isles to -2.5 mbar at Valentia, Scilly,
and the Channel Is. The anomalous flow was WNW-ly
over western and southern Britain and over Ireland, but
southerly along the east coast and over the North Sea.

Provisional CET: 9.5ºC, 1.4 degC above 71-00 mean
Prov E&W rain: 86.4mm (138%)
Prov E&W sun: 145.7h (93%)

CScotT: 8.9ºC (+1.6 degC)
CScot rain: 80.7mm (162%)
CScot sun: 106.1h (69%) - total lower than March!

NIT: 8.9ºC (+0.9 degC)
NI rain: 60.0mm (106%)
NI sun: 153.6h (98%)

Leuchars had its dullest April since 1961, and Kinloss
its dullest since the station (re-)opened in 1952.

Philip Eden