25.0C on the 29th of March.....

[Weather-history]

The highest maximum recorded in March is 25.0C and it was recorded 3 times on the 29th of March

1929: Wakefield

1965: Wakefield

1968: Cromer and Santon Downham

The 1968 one is very interesting as there was a spectacular switch around

This was one of the most dramatic changes in weather of recent times. The last few days of March 1968 were very warm and reasonably sunny in the south. Warm southerly winds were flooding the country and maxima were reaching the low 20s and on the 29th, a maxima of 25C was recorded in Norfolk, the highest maxima ever recorded for March equaling the record set in 1965.

The 1st of April 1968 marked the change in the weather. High pressure was ridging southwards from Greenland into the central northern Atlantic. A low pressure developed in the North Sea and a very cold northerly set up between the low and the ridge formed over the UK. By the 2nd, everywhere was cold with maxima in the low single digits and there were snowfalls and snow cover in a number of areas. At night time, there was some very severe frosts for early April with minima as low as -10C recorded in some areas.

The change was dramatic and maxima that were in the low 20s during late March, were only around 3-6C during early April. Later in the month, maxima were back into the 20s

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Thanks for that. Just what I wanted to know in my 2.8º rain.

[Weather-history]

A few locations recorded a higher maximum in March 1965 than they did in July 1965

Bentwaters RAF base

29th March 1968: 19.4C

3rd April 1968: 7.8C

RAF Mildenhall

29th: March 1968: 25C

3rd April 1968: 8.3C

Upper Heysford RAF base

29th March 1968: 20C

3rd April 1968: 5.6C

[Bottesford]

Oh if only it were like that today...

[Terminal Moraine]

I remember Sunday March 28th 1965 very well. Lying in the sun during the afternoon, with a few mates, listening to Pick of the Pops with Alan Freeman and thinking it really was like summer, the max' reached 70f (21.1c ) at the station I had then.

The Sunday before was an entirely different story; there had been moderate-heavy snow all day, 13cm by late afternoon, and a max' of only 36f ( 2.2c ).

T.M