Royston (Iceni) Weather Station

Daily Weather Observations - April 2003

(All Times GMT)

Date Max. Temp. (°C) 09/09h Min. Temp. (°C) 09/09h Grass Min. Temp. (°C) 21/09h Earth (30cms) Temp. (°C) 09h Sun (Hours) 00/00h R'fall (MM) 09/09h Wind Dir'n 09h Mean Wind Speed (MPH) 00/00h Max. Gust Speed (MPH) 00/00h Cloud Cover (Oktas) 09h Mean MSL Air Pressure (mB) 00/00h Mean Rel. Humd. (%) 00/00h Mean Temp. (°C) 00/00h Fog (vis. <1000m @ 09h) Fog (vis. <200m @ 09h) Snow or Rain and Snow 00/00h Snow Lying @ 09h (>50% cover) Hail 00/00h Thunder 00/00h Date
1 10.9 4.4 2.6 9.0 1.3 5.5 SW 8.9 35 8 1011.9 82.5 6.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
2 10.8 3.4 1.4 8.1 6.8 0.2 NW 5.6 30 3 1016.5 70.7 5.3 0 0 1 0 1 0 2
3 13.5 1.5 -2.0 7.9 6.6 0.0 NW 2.4 21 2 1028.1 69.3 7.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
4 18.7 6.9 5.0 8.5 10.2 0.0 NW 3.8 21 0 1031.9 77.5 10.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
5 15.6 5.0 1.5 9.4 8.8 TR N 3.0 23 0 1034.2 77.6 9.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
6 8.7 7.1 6.9 10.1 2.3 TR NE 2.5 21 8 1031.5 80.1 6.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
7 10.0 -1.6 -4.8 9.0 11.8 0.0 NE 0.9 16 2 1029.3 67.2 2.9 0 0 0 0 0 0 7
8 9.6 -3.4 -6.3 8.4 10.5 TR NE 0.7 14 5 1026.4 62.5 2.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 8
9 9.1 -3.2 -6.1 7.9 3.0 0.1 NW 1.3 21 8 1019.7 68.6 1.9 0 0 1 0 0 0 9
10 7.5 -1.0 -4.2 7.4 1.4 0.9 N 2.0 23 8 1011.6 84.7 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10
11 10.1 0.4 -2.5 7.3 1.8 0.0 NW 1.2 12 8 1011.1 76.4 5.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
12 14.0 0.0 -3.5 7.7 10.8 0.0 E 1.1 14 0 1015.7 62.4 7.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 12
13 17.1 4.9 2.5 8.4 11.7 0.0 SE 2.7 25 3 1018.3 64.9 11.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 13
14 17.8 9.6 7.0 9.4 1.9 0.0 SE 1.9 23 7 1014.1 56.8 13.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 14
15 22.4 10.2 7.4 9.9 11.5 0.0 E 2.6 16 7 1019.2 53.8 15.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 15
16 25.5 7.0 3.3 10.5 13.5 0.0 NE 0.7 18 0 1024.7 54.2 15.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 16
17 22.5 5.6 2.2 11.1 13.4 0.0 E 1.5 21 0 1029.6 56.3 13.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 17
18 21.0 4.5 1.5 11.2 13.3 0.0 NE 3.2 23 0 1031.3 62.4 11.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 18
19 11.5 3.0 0.4 11.2 0.9 TR E 5.5 30 8 1022.6 82.9 5.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 19
20 14.9 4.0 1.6 10.3 5.7 TR NE 2.7 23 5 1011.1 75.7 9.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 20
21 17.8 8.4 7.5 10.8 8.6 0.0 S 4.3 25 7 1010.9 73.2 11.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 21
22 17.4 5.6 4.1 11.1 9.2 0.0 SW 2.6 16 1 1017.7 68.4 11.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22
23 18.5 8.0 5.0 11.5 8.1 0.0 NE 1.2 16 1 1019.7 63.6 11.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 23
24 17.4 2.4 -0.7 11.6 1.5 0.2 E 0.5 16 7 1016.7 82.3 9.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 24
25 17.6 9.7 7.2 11.6 0.2 4.9 SE 2.9 25 7 1010.5 85.1 12.9 0 0 0 0 0 0 25
26 15.5 7.0 5.9 11.6 2.1 0.0 SW 5.7 28 6 1004.8 81.9 10.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 26
27 17.1 8.9 7.3 11.9 3.8 4.3 SW 9.0 35 6 1004.9 73.2 12.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 27
28 15.4 9.5 9.0 12.2 0.2 0.3 S 8.4 39 8 996.3 91.3 11.7 0 0 0 0 0 0 28
29 17.5 7.7 6.4 12.0 7.4 1.2 SW 8.0 30 5 1005.5 77.4 12.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 29
30 16.9 9.0 7.4 12.3 5.1 6.4 SW 5.0 32 8 1005.7 83.2 10.7 0 0 0 0 1 1 30
Total/Mean 15.4 4.8 2.4 10.0 193.0 24.0 X 3.4 X 4.6 1017.7 72.2 9.3 0 0 2 0 2 1 Total/Mean
*Diff./% +2.5 +0.5     136% 54%                           *Diff./%

Differences from average:

Differences from average shown in red. Reference periods used are as follows: Temperature 30 Years 1973/2002; rainfall 30 Years 1971/2000; sunshine 30 Years 1961/1990.

Additional Data:

Rainfall Duration  28.7 hours

Air Frost Duration  28.3 hours

Click on the following links to view this month's graphs and charts.....

1. Daily Maximum, Minimum & Grass Minimum Temperatures 

2. Daily Maximum & Minimum Temperatures (with 25 Year Comparative Means) 

3. Daily Earth (30 cms Depth) Temperature @ 0900 GMT  4.  Daily Rainfall  5.  Daily Sunshine

6. Daily Maximum Gust & Mean Wind Speed   7. Daily Wind Direction @ 0900 GMT  

8.  Daily Mean MSL Air Pressure  9.  Daily Mean Relative Humidity  10.  Thermograph 

11 . Barograph  12.   Hygrograph  13.  Anemograph   14. Wind Direction

15. Sunshine Duration  16.  Rainfall Intensity & Duration

April 2003 Weather Review:

......and click on the link below for a text report of the April 2003 weather in Royston

April 2003 Weather Review

April (since 1973) at Royston (Iceni) Weather Station:

Mean daily maximum temperature (30 years 1973/2002) 12.9°C

Mean daily minimum temperature (30 years 1973/2002) 4.3°C

Highest temperature 23.3°C (20th April 1996); lowest temperature -4.1°C (11th April 1978)

Lowest grass minimum temperature -9.4°C (4th April 1996)

Warmest April 1987 (Mean temperature 11.2°C); coldest April 1978 (Mean temperature 6.2°C)

Average April rainfall (30 years 1971/2000) 44.3 mm

Wettest April 1998 (Rainfall 120.7 mm); driest April 1984 (Rainfall 9.0 mm)

Wettest Day 9th April 1998 (Rainfall 32.0 mm);

Highest number of "rain days" (0.2 mm or more) 26 (1998); lowest number of "rain days" 5 (1976)

Highest number of days with thunder 7 (1998)

Highest number of air frosts 8 (1975)

Highest number of ground frosts 15 (1974, 1984)

Highest number of days with snow falling 5 (1975, 1986)

Highest number of days with snow lying (ground with more than 50% snow cover @ 0900 GMT) 2 (1978, 1983)

It is lambing time at Home Farm (which specialises in rare breeds) on the Wimpole Estate some 10 km N of Royston, and this picture was taken at 1044 GMT on 5th April 2003 during one of the three weekends when visitors may observe the lambs and witness live births. In this particular pen the ewes are milling around awaiting the arrival of their lambs whilst in others newly born lambs are taking their first steps under the watchful eyes of their mothers. Brilliant sunshine was enjoyed on this day until a cloud sheet drifted in from the north in mid-afternoon. Sunshine at Royston was 8.8 hours for the day and the maximum temperature was 3.9°C above the 30 Year daily mean at 15.6°C. Each Spring the Formal Garden at Anglesey Abbey (28 km NE of Royston) boasts a splendid display of blue and white hyacinths. Although still making a fine display, at the time this picture was taken at 1036 GMT on 12th April 2003, the blooms, particularly the blue hyacinths, have reached their peak and are going into decline. When the bulbs are lifted to make way for an equally fine display of dahlias they are made available for sale to visitors, so many gardens in the area and possibly beyond continue the tradition the following season, including at Royston (Iceni) Weather Station! After a cold start (overnight minimum temperature at Royston 0.0°C) a sunny day ensued with 10.8 hours sunshine recorded. Stately homes are prominent at both of the locations in the previous two pictures, and this view is in the grounds of Audley End House, another such fine residence near Saffron Walden, some 17 km ESE of Royston. The day of the photograph, 16th April 2003, has the distinction of being the warmest April day at Royston since records began in 1972, and possibly a lot longer. Not only was the maximum temperature 12.2°C above the 30 Year average for this day at 25.5°C, but it also exceeded the previous April highest  in the last 30 years (on 20th April 1996) by 2.2°C. This temperature was achieved after an overnight minimum temperature of 7.0°C, whilst sunshine for the day was 13.5 hours at Royston.

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(This page last updated 7th May 2003 2102 GMT)