The heat wave of March 2012

[Thunderbolt_]

The heat wave of March 2012 is a very forgotten one of recent years, mainly because of the very cool and very wet end to spring and the summer that followed it.

 

March 2012 was a very warm and very dry month overall, however it was made more notable for the heat wave that arrived on 24 March and dissipated on 1 April. 20C was widely reached, more or less everywhere in the UK, every day of the heat wave, with temperatures peaking at 23.6C (74.5F) in Aboyne, Scotland, on 27 March. This was some 12-15C above average for the time of year.

Edited August 17, 2014 by ScottRichards10

[lorenzo]

Interesting reminder, was frankly a bizarre period of weather. We have a singularity around about the third week in May where the weather breaks and there is solid warmth and sunshine, happens around 60 -70% of years.

 

Never known anything like this for March, ever..

 

Some visual rewinds..

 

[Thunderbolt_]

This is what the ECM shown for the heat wave:

 

Between March 24 and 27, the high pressure area sat directly on top of the UK, allowing daytime temperatures to climb day-by-day, until they peaked in Scotland.

 

On March 28 and 29, it began to gradually retreat westwards. However it maintained enough of an influence on the UK to keep temperatures well above average, and the skies completely clear.

 

By March 30 and 31, it began to introduce a more north-westerly flow, but temperatures still remained well above average.

 

On 1 April, the cooler air finally began to be introduced, marking the end of the heat wave.

Edited August 17, 2014 by ScottRichards10

[AderynCoch]

A real constrast to the following year. There must have been a difference of over 20C in daytime temperatures.

Edited August 17, 2014 by AderynCoch

[hillbilly]

1929,1965 and 1968 all recorded 25 deg on the 29th of march,two of these readings were at wakefield just down the road from here,it was also 25 deg in Whitby on 29th  march 1965 which was the hottest day of the YEAR there.Truely amazing as it was earlier that same month the coldest day of the year was also recorded[i forgot what that was but -21deg rings a bell]  !!!!

[4wd]

Then look at the start of April.
We had an extreme blizzard which pulled down substantial lengths of power lines.
Some areas were not re-connected for more than 10 days