A changeable month: What can we expect in April?

It's the start of a brand new month, but what kind of weather can we expect throughout April?

Throughout April, daylight hours continue to increase, with us gaining nearly two hours of daylight by the end of the month.

As for temperatures, average highs tend to be around 12C early April, but remain cooler in the early mornings and evenings, still with the chance of a late-season frost.

While the average remains in the low double digits in terms of temperature, we have seen the mercury soar into the high-twenties previously. A monthly high of 29.4C was recorded on 16th April 1949, and more recently, 29.1C on the 19th in 2018.

April is however expected to be a changeable month. Just under half the month is expected to have sunny or partly sunny skies, though the rest of the month is expected to see some rainfall.

Snow is still possible in April, though accumulating snow tends to be rare, due to the strength of the sun and the warmth in the ground at this time of year.

We've had a quiet storm season thus far and April doesn't tend to see particularly stormy conditions either. However April 2019 saw the arrival of Storm Hannah, one of the most significant April storms in the last 50 years.

April 2021 had its lowest average minimum temperatures since 1922, with 14 days of air frost on average across the UK and 22 days of ground frost unfortunately for gardeners. This also came after a March ending in the mid-twenties!

April 2022 on the other hand, saw temperatures rise to 23.4C after a chilly start to the month. So, how will April 2023 fare?

Well, it looks as though high pressure is doing its best to build in through the first part of the month, with temperatures around or a little below average. Be weary of your tender plants under clear, calm conditions though!