Selecting analogues for 30-day periods, and pattern sequences
for 5-day periods during Feb and Mar, then using best-fit years,
we get the following for April 2004:

Mean sea-level pressure pattern over the British Isles:
westerly, weakly cyclonic

Mean pressure anomaly pattern over the British Isles:
west to northwest, weakly cyclonic

CET: +0.2 degC
E&W RR: 100%
E&W sss: 90%

Verification of March's Not The Long-Range Forecast
Sea-level pressure pattern:
Actual: weakly southwesterly
Forecast: weakly cyclonic, no direction dominant

Anomaly pattern:
Actual: easterly/anticyclonic
Forecast: northeasterly, weakly cyclonic

CET
Forecast -0.7 degC
Actual +0.2 degC

Rainfall
Forecast 118%
Actual 80%

Sunshine
Forecast 84%
Actual 98%

Philip Eden