Yesterday was the first day I felt the sun really strongly. UV5 and it was quite literally a perfect day.

It's funny with all this 'global warming' we used to almost always have cows out on grass by St Georges Day, but since about 2000 it's almost always into May and even then it's pushing things because all the feed has gone.

2012 seemed exceptionally early with 20C in March turned to sh*t by April and was one of the worst (cold+wet) summers in years.

Reached 17.4C today. We won't be the warmest as we're a bit near to the coast and there were some lovely sunny periods inland from here.

It, too, had turned out pleasant here at Folkestone today - at least before the outflow from the Kent storm cell caused some cloud to spill our way later on in the afternoon.

That's correct. Convection typically occurs as a result of land-based heating, so a day that starts clear might end up with cumulus inland, but crystal clear at the coast. 

Though up here the coast is prone to that horrid low cloud rubbish so it's hit and miss.. for example, Church Fenton and Leeming are about the same as Scarborough and Whitby. 

Anyway, today started off nice but ended up cloudy. Our highest temp so far is 16C on Monday - which was indeed a very nice day. Sunday was also lovely. 

Just caved in and turned the central heating on. One of those days where I couldn't shift that cold fingers and toes feeling.

Having said that, I still think this Spring is being reasonable so far at least for this end. Certainly not as stunted as the one in 2013, where heavy snow had fallen in that March, not to mention the lower SST's at that time.

Yes I have a moan!! - Last week I returned from eastern Europe where it was 23 or 24c for a week with sunshine and some warmth. Since then I have come back to rain and hail showers with freezing cold weather and this Friday WE ARE EXPECTING a max of +9c with heavy rain and it's the end of April now!?

I don't believe this honestly. Makes me sick! 

At least in winter we had temperatures of 14 or 15c for at least a week. Also if only this weather pattern we are currently getting had occurred back in Winter months? Could we be talking of some severe cold weather and snow pushing up from the SW instead of this 9c with heavy rain!? Anyone?

Hate our weather is so crap! We get rubbish winters and pathetic springs and our summers are non-existent now!! On Monday morning we had a low of -0.5c in Exeter which is unseasonably cold for mid-end of April. Another rotten spring that is turning out just as crap as winter was!

So here's to the northerly wind during the weekend and frost I guess.

Look at all the blocking up in the Arctic - look at it!? - We should have had this pattern in winter:

How did I guess that we would have a proper cold spell with a perfect set up for snow but in April or May when it's too late or when we all want some spring warmth!?? How did I guess it!??? TYPICAL!

And to soothe things down a bit, I did some gardening today (cut the lawn and gave the hedge the first trim of the season) and it was very pleasant as the sun flitted between fair weather-type cumulus. All that made the 12 C felt very comfortable to work in.

This Spring is actually quite normal in that there has been very little of that refrigeration effect associated with colder than normal SSTs. Yesterday was only chilly because of increased cloud cover and we were still in a cold airflow anyway.

Calm down, Richard 😜🍷

Meanwhile, in the present day, it's a beautiful, sunny, 16C day in Leeds with light winds - and the rest of the week promises more of the same (well, excluding the weekend). Some people are so fixated on what might happen that they seem oblivious to what is actually happening.

Go outside and enjoy yourself!!

How can most people do that when they are at work 9am - 5pm on weekdays?

Lovely and sunny day here as well but little opportunity to enjoy it stuck in an office all day and the weekend is looking awful yet again 

At least you look forward to a spring like sunny and warm weekend?  (NOT!)

Goes to show that April isn't always the "lovely Spring" month we so desire, as this synoptic chart on the 21st April 1926 shows - the day our Queenie was born.

 

With lengthening daylight hours are severely wasted each day due to well below average temps most of the time and this coming weekend.  I really noticed UK climate are cooling down more during Spring to Summer while warming up rapidly in winter so becoming like Marshall Islands that have very static temps all year around.  Been a very long Autumn and pocket of winter weather since late August last year and temps haven't reach 20C yet.  Never known for April not reaching 20C, my lowest max was 22C in 1995 April.  I hope by May will bring much higher temps and continue well above average temps throughout the summer months.

Max of 17.1°C here today, the highest of the year so far. A bit more cloud than yesterday's cloudless skies but still a glorious day. Good diurnal range too, 16.2°C from a min of 0.9°C. Unfortunately it's all downhill from now in the short to medium term, 20°C will have to wait!

We've had a lovely few days here in Sheffield, wall to wall sunshine for the most part. It's a shame we're due a cold spell next week. Notable it may be for the time of year, but it just shows how out of sync the weather has been as we're once again marvelling at unseasonable weather. FFS, it's late April! I don't want to go from warm sunshine and 16C to wintry showers and 7C! Boooo!  I don't care how extraordinary it is. To be honest, these 'notable' spells of weather are becoming commonplace 

Max 19.7°C today so not quite hitting the magic spring 20 but boy did it feel great in the shade- only days ago that was the conservatory temp.

With the chiffchaffs singing, the windows at work open and the first few loosening of ties and complaints about the warmth in a stuffy room and stuffy culture, I really got my boat floated by dreams of early summer!