April 2024 - Was it that cold overall? A look at the statistics

[Nick F]

General perception from many is that April was a cold month, but statistics would suggest otherwise, with the average temperature for the whole month coming in just above the 30 year average for the UK as a whole. A warm first half to to the month averaged out the cold second half.

View the full blog here

[rwtwm]

I know this is just a bald look at the stats, but I've been mentally preparing for a 'was spring really that bad' debate, where the counterargument is based on the CET. I didn't expect to use it until September, but it can have a trial run here. 

(...I know you've asked was it 'cold', not was it 'good', but the same argument applies, as will become obvious...)

Perception of warmth in April, May and to a lesser extent June is at least as much based on Sunshine amounts as it is on the amount of thermal energy in a shaded area.

The sun is as high as in August for much of April, and the sun retains decent power after schools and offices kick out. A still day with a maximum of 14 and sunshine is going to be perceived as much warmer than a cloudy 16 with a north sea breeze. 

Sunshine also makes a big difference to how much people have to heat their homes. Warm air prevents cooling, but sun on open windows can warm rooms to much above the ambient temperature outside. If the heating's always on, or you're wearing a jacket indoors because you don't want to pay for hearing in Mid April, it's going to be hard to consider a month warm!

So yes the temperature was overall above average, but other than a couple of days, it's unlikely that many will remember it as so. Having made this argument, I do get that the post above is from an academic perspective. The temperature was above the long term average. But most people don't really perceive the weather that way. 

 

[Gedmack]

 rwtwm  rwtwm  rwtwm important distinction made between how a month is statistically and how it actually ‘feels’. This April in Central England felt cloudy, wet and in the latter half cold. Two fine warm days mid month were lovely but the other 28 were by and large forgettable. Case in point about how a month ‘feels’ is the CET for August 92 which was a full degree warmer than August 93 but the latter had lots of warm (not hot)  sunny days with cool nights under clear skies (and a northerly outbreak came late month to depress the mean) where the former had lots of wind, cloud and rain but overall mild (but the ‘feel’ of the much cooler 93 was so much better)

[Mizzle]

Not based on stats or data, as I haven't checked, but for what it's worth, I think this April (Spring) has felt like an old fashioned one. It seems in recent years we have been spoiled with above average warm spells early in the year so by contrast, this Spring seems colder/wetter. Yet in my younger days, I recall this is exactly how spring felt (and why it was my least favourite season): warm sun, cold winds and downpours - as if the weather doesn't know what it wants to do.