Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9°C, which beat my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4° of 6th APril 2008.

Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8°C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3°C 14th April 1966, 4.4°C 1970.

How we forget it's nothing new.

Keith (Southend)
http://www.southendweather.net
"Weather Home & Abroad"

Adam Lea wrote:

On 04/04/13 20:15, Keith (Southend)G wrote:
Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9°C, which beat
my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4° of 6th APril 2008.

Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8°C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3°C 14th
April 1966, 4.4°C 1970.

How we forget it's nothing new.

Keith (Southend)
http://www.southendweather.net
"Weather Home& Abroad"

Worth noting that the global climate was about half a degree lower back then
than it is now, thus it is a bit more notable since the anomaly relative to
the current climatology is greater.

The blocked pattern with a prevalence of easterlies and absence of westerlies
in winter in our small part of the globe might be something that will become
more common as a result of climate change associated with global warming. I'm
not saying that will be the case, only that we should not close our minds to
the possibility. Our "traditional" westerly-dominated winter weather has
resulted in a winter climate that is very anomalously warm for our latitude. It
seems to me that any change to local circulation patterns in our region in
winter is more likely to lead to colder winter weather than milder winter
weather as any such change would most probably reduce the occurrence of mild
W-SW winds. Only time will tell but, as we are finding out this spring, an
absence of westerlies can have a very profound effect on our winter and spring
weather/climate.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

Norman wrote:
Adam Lea wrote:

On 04/04/13 20:15, Keith (Southend)G wrote:
Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9°C, which beat
my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4° of 6th APril 2008.

Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8°C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3°C 14th
April 1966, 4.4°C 1970.

How we forget it's nothing new.

Keith (Southend)
http://www.southendweather.net
"Weather Home& Abroad"
Worth noting that the global climate was about half a degree lower back then
than it is now, thus it is a bit more notable since the anomaly relative to
the current climatology is greater.

The blocked pattern with a prevalence of easterlies and absence of westerlies
in winter in our small part of the globe might be something that will become
more common as a result of climate change associated with global warming. I'm
not saying that will be the case, only that we should not close our minds to
the possibility. Our "traditional" westerly-dominated winter weather has
resulted in a winter climate that is very anomalously warm for our latitude. It
seems to me that any change to local circulation patterns in our region in
winter is more likely to lead to colder winter weather than milder winter
weather as any such change would most probably reduce the occurrence of mild
W-SW winds. Only time will tell but, as we are finding out this spring, an
absence of westerlies can have a very profound effect on our winter and spring
weather/climate.

---------------------------------
Everybody will be migrating to Devon to get some mild weather ;-)
Dave

On 04/04/2013 20:15, Keith (Southend)G wrote:
Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9°C, which beat my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4° of 6th APril 2008.

Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8°C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3°C 14th April 1966, 4.4°C 1970.

How we forget it's nothing new.

Keith (Southend)
http://www.southendweather.net
"Weather Home & Abroad"


09-09 maximum of 2.9 here (daytime max 2.1 yesterday) so the coldest
April 09-09 day in my record but only by a squeak. Light snow showers
earlier gave way to brighter conditions and there's a lot of daylight
now before 0900 GMT and the temperature crept up.
Early days I know but the monthly anomaly is running at -7.1 deg of the
1981-2010 mean. The landscape has a barren look.

--
George in Epping, west Essex, 350'asl
www.eppingweather.co.uk
www.winter1947.co.uk

On Friday, April 5, 2013 10:40:41 AM UTC+1, George Booth wrote:
On 04/04/2013 20:15, Keith (Southend)G wrote:

Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9�C, which beat my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4� of 6th APril 2008.



Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8�C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3�C 14th April 1966, 4.4�C 1970.



How we forget it's nothing new.



Keith (Southend)

http://www.southendweather.net

"Weather Home & Abroad"





09-09 maximum of 2.9 here (daytime max 2.1 yesterday) so the coldest

April 09-09 day in my record but only by a squeak. Light snow showers

earlier gave way to brighter conditions and there's a lot of daylight

now before 0900 GMT and the temperature crept up.

Early days I know but the monthly anomaly is running at -7.1 deg of the

1981-2010 mean. The landscape has a barren look.

09-09 maximum here was 3.2C at 0850z this morning. The minimum: 1.4C at 1208z yesterday. Despite snow grains pretty much all day yesterday I only recorded 0.6mm in the snowdon. It looks like the snow was heavier and more intense further east and south of here

On Friday, April 5, 2013 10:20:04 AM UTC+1, Dave Cornwell wrote:
Norman wrote:

Adam Lea wrote:



On 04/04/13 20:15, Keith (Southend)G wrote:

Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9�C, which beat

my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4� of 6th APril 2008.



Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8�C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3�C 14th

April 1966, 4.4�C 1970.



How we forget it's nothing new.



Keith (Southend)

http://www.southendweather.net

"Weather Home& Abroad"

Worth noting that the global climate was about half a degree lower back then

than it is now, thus it is a bit more notable since the anomaly relative to

the current climatology is greater.



The blocked pattern with a prevalence of easterlies and absence of westerlies

in winter in our small part of the globe might be something that will become

more common as a result of climate change associated with global warming. I'm

not saying that will be the case, only that we should not close our minds to

the possibility. Our "traditional" westerly-dominated winter weather has

resulted in a winter climate that is very anomalously warm for our latitude. It

seems to me that any change to local circulation patterns in our region in

winter is more likely to lead to colder winter weather than milder winter

weather as any such change would most probably reduce the occurrence of mild

W-SW winds. Only time will tell but, as we are finding out this spring, an

absence of westerlies can have a very profound effect on our winter and spring

weather/climate.



---------------------------------

Everybody will be migrating to Devon to get some mild weather ;-)

Dave

From my experience it seems the influence of this pattern stretches quite far down into France. The last couple of summer breaks I've had in the Montpellier area have not been *hot* like they were years ago - the locals seem to think that the Mistral blows more often than it used to, even in high summer. On departure at the end of last August we left Avignon in gale force winds. Despite the sun being out it just wasn't that warm. Obviously the last couple of years could be a blip and normal service is about to be resumed?

On 05/04/2013 10:58, Scott W wrote:
On Friday, April 5, 2013 10:40:41 AM UTC+1, George Booth wrote:
On 04/04/2013 20:15, Keith (Southend)G wrote:

Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9�C, which beat my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4� of 6th APril 2008.



Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8�C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3�C 14th April 1966, 4.4�C 1970.



How we forget it's nothing new.



Keith (Southend)

http://www.southendweather.net

"Weather Home & Abroad"





09-09 maximum of 2.9 here (daytime max 2.1 yesterday) so the coldest

April 09-09 day in my record but only by a squeak. Light snow showers

earlier gave way to brighter conditions and there's a lot of daylight

now before 0900 GMT and the temperature crept up.

Early days I know but the monthly anomaly is running at -7.1 deg of the

1981-2010 mean. The landscape has a barren look.

09-09 maximum here was 3.2C at 0850z this morning. The minimum: 1.4C at 1208z yesterday. Despite snow grains pretty much all day yesterday I only recorded 0.6mm in the snowdon. It looks like the snow was heavier and more intense further east and south of here

..........and to the north of you as well Scott. Heavy wet snow driven
by 30mph gusts. Poor visibility in those showers as well. It's all about
those energy lines we spoke about yesterday. Radar showed these nicely.

--
George in Epping, west Essex, 350'asl
www.eppingweather.co.uk
www.winter1947.co.uk

On Friday, April 5, 2013 11:20:28 AM UTC+1, George Booth wrote:
On 05/04/2013 10:58, Scott W wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2013 10:40:41 AM UTC+1, George Booth wrote:

On 04/04/2013 20:15, Keith (Southend)G wrote:



Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9�C, which beat my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4� of 6th APril 2008.







Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8�C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3�C 14th April 1966, 4.4�C 1970.







How we forget it's nothing new.







Keith (Southend)



http://www.southendweather.net



"Weather Home & Abroad"











09-09 maximum of 2.9 here (daytime max 2.1 yesterday) so the coldest



April 09-09 day in my record but only by a squeak. Light snow showers



earlier gave way to brighter conditions and there's a lot of daylight



now before 0900 GMT and the temperature crept up.



Early days I know but the monthly anomaly is running at -7.1 deg of the



1981-2010 mean. The landscape has a barren look.



09-09 maximum here was 3.2C at 0850z this morning. The minimum: 1.4C at 1208z yesterday. Despite snow grains pretty much all day yesterday I only recorded 0.6mm in the snowdon. It looks like the snow was heavier and more intense further east and south of here



..........and to the north of you as well Scott. Heavy wet snow driven

by 30mph gusts. Poor visibility in those showers as well. It's all about

those energy lines we spoke about yesterday. Radar showed these nicely.



--

George in Epping, west Essex, 350'asl

www.eppingweather.co.uk

www.winter1947.co.uk

Interesting, what was your 09-09 rainfall, George? I must be in a rain shadow here? Both my gauges are roughly in agreement - and I was laying concrete slabs yesterday - it was only towards around 3pm that the soil was even starting to become sodden with precipitation - so I'm fairly confident no rainfall was missed here...

On 05/04/2013 11:31, Scott W wrote:
On Friday, April 5, 2013 11:20:28 AM UTC+1, George Booth wrote:
On 05/04/2013 10:58, Scott W wrote:

On Friday, April 5, 2013 10:40:41 AM UTC+1, George Booth wrote:

On 04/04/2013 20:15, Keith (Southend)G wrote:
Maximum temperature for me here at Southend-on-Sea was +2.9�C, which beat my previous lowest April maximum of 3.4� of 6th APril 2008.
Bob Prichards records I have show 2.8�C on the 3rd April 1964, 3.3�C 14th April 1966, 4.4�C 1970.

How we forget it's nothing new.

Keith (Southend)

http://www.southendweather.net
"Weather Home & Abroad"
09-09 maximum of 2.9 here (daytime max 2.1 yesterday) so the coldest

April 09-09 day in my record but only by a squeak. Light snow showers

earlier gave way to brighter conditions and there's a lot of daylight

now before 0900 GMT and the temperature crept up.

Early days I know but the monthly anomaly is running at -7.1 deg of the

1981-2010 mean. The landscape has a barren look.

09-09 maximum here was 3.2C at 0850z this morning. The minimum: 1.4C at 1208z yesterday. Despite snow grains pretty much all day yesterday I only recorded 0.6mm in the snowdon. It looks like the snow was heavier and more intense further east and south of here

..........and to the north of you as well Scott. Heavy wet snow driven

by 30mph gusts. Poor visibility in those showers as well. It's all about

those energy lines we spoke about yesterday. Radar showed these nicely.

--

George in Epping, west Essex, 350'asl

www.eppingweather.co.uk

www.winter1947.co.uk

Interesting, what was your 09-09 rainfall, George? I must be in a rain shadow here? Both my gauges are roughly in agreement - and I was laying concrete slabs yesterday - it was only towards around 3pm that the soil was even starting to become sodden with precipitation - so I'm fairly confident no rainfall was missed here...


0.6mm in the gauge but a good proportion of what was falling was swept
past the gauge by the strong winds-as observed by the builders I might
add just after they put the concrete down. The snow settled on the grass
but only for a short time and even then only 1cm or so in depth. It's
not a case of your being in a rain shadow it's simply that under these
strong north-easterlies convergence lines become established along the
NE-SW trending part of the Essex-Suffolk coast and/or along the E-W axis
of the Thames Estuary. These become conveyor belts of heavy showers and
if they do not shift then places along them experience high snowfall
totals e.g. south-east Essex January 1987. I should add they are not
unique to the South-East. These lines can be relatively narrow and
nearby areas experience little precipitation-all well shown on the radar
yesterday. Epping's short lived heavy snow was the result of one of the
convergence lines (the more northerly one) extending inland although we
are very much on the limits whereas south-east Essex and north Kent can
be seriously affected.
As an aside, I mentioned the other day all the local annual rainfall
data I have been collecting covering the last 150 years. Some impressive
differences in rainfall figures between weather stations in the same
area for the same year.

--
George in Epping, west Essex, 350'asl
www.eppingweather.co.uk
www.winter1947.co.uk

SNIP

The blocked pattern with a prevalence of easterlies and absence of westerlies
in winter in our small part of the globe might be something that will become
more common as a result of climate change associated with global warming. I'm
not saying that will be the case, only that we should not close our minds to
the possibility. Our "traditional" westerly-dominated winter weather has
resulted in a winter climate that is very anomalously warm for our latitude.
seems to me that any change to local circulation patterns in our region in
winter is more likely to lead to colder winter weather than milder winter
weather as any such change would most probably reduce the occurrence of mild
W-SW winds. Only time will tell but, as we are finding out this spring, an
absence of westerlies can have a very profound effect on our winter and spring
weather/climate.
--

Norman Lynagh

Tideswell, Derbyshire

303m a.s.l.

Quite possibly, but it's worth pointing out that Spring has been the season which has seen the most warming in the last 3 decades.

E.g. in Penzance (and the changes are typical of many parts of the UK)

March mean temperatures:-

1961-1990 7.7C
1971-2000 8.0C
1981-2010 8.6C!

Also March 2012 was exceptionally warm and April 2011 was the warmest in the CET record, si it's important not to read too much into 1 very cold month.

We certainly seem to have more than the usual amount of swings in both temperature and rainfall in the last few years, which in itself indicates more blocking.

Graham
Penzance