Wales had its wettest March in 40 years, but experts say there is still not enough rain

The Met Office confirmed that Wales had its wettest March for over four decades, with more rain than in the same month in 1981. Early spring brought no sunshine and Wales had its second driest March since. 1910.

However, despite the cold snap, temperatures throughout the month were close to average. March started out cooler than average, with a sharp dip northwards bringing snow and ice for many, but a milder second half saw temperatures more in line with early spring.

The previous forecast for March was published by the meteorologist on March 30th, but has now been updated to reflect the entire month. And while it was wetter than average, experts say it didn’t rain enough to make up for last year’s dry conditions.

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Second rainiest March in over 40 years

Wales received 206.5mm of rain, twice the long-term average for March. That makes Wales the wettest since 1981 and the fifth wettest on record. The record number is 287.5 mm in 1981.

In addition to Scotland, other parts of the UK also received above average rainfall. England recorded 119.2mm of rain, more than double the long-term average and 104% more rain than the average.

Northern Ireland recorded 151.2mm of rain, 74% above average. However, Scotland’s rainfall totals are more in line with the average, with 130.1mm of rain, just 4% above average.

The Doctor. Mark McCarthy of the National Weather Service directs the National Weather Information Center. He said: “Although the month started out cold and dry for many, moist, milder air soon came in from the south, bringing frequent heavy rains that lasted longer in southern Britain.

“Overall, this month has been turbulent, dominated by low pressure weather systems in the Atlantic. Many parts of southern and central England and southern Wales had more than twice the average March rainfall, in contrast to England’s dry February.

John Leyland, chief executive of the Environment Agency and head of the National Drought Response Team, said: “The rains in March helped to improve water levels, but it follows a very dry February, so we need to remain vigilant, especially in areas that don’t recovered from last year’s drought.

“We cannot rely on the weather alone, so the Environmental Agency, water companies and our partners are taking steps to ensure that water resources are in top shape for both the summer and future droughts.

“As always, it is important that we all continue to use water wisely to protect our precious rivers, lakes and groundwater, as well as the environment and wildlife that depend on them.”

lack of sunny days

Most of the UK had a duller-than-average month in terms of hours of sunshine, with only a few counties in North West Scotland topping their respective long-term averages.

Wales had its second darkest March on record in a series going back to 1910. Only 1936 had a March that was darker than the 64.3 hours of sunshine observed across the region in 2023. average hours of sunshine in the country

According to preliminary data, the UK had 81.1 hours of sunshine, just 74% of the long-term average, although this masks regional variations. England had 75 hours (64% average) and Northern Ireland had 85.3 hours of sunshine (84% average). In contrast, Scotland ends the month closer to the average insolation, with 94.6 hours (97% of the average).

How do the temperatures compare?

According to the Weather Bureau, March got off to a colder-than-average start, with strong elevation in the north bringing snow and ice to many. In northern Scotland, snowpack has caused some particularly cold low temperatures, with Altnaharra, Sutherland registering -16.0°C on 9 March, with daytime temperatures just above freezing.

Further south, a mild second half of the month brought temperatures back to long-term averages. England, Wales and Northern Ireland ended the month close to their average temperatures for the month. Scotland, however, was colder than average.

The maximum temperature in March 2023 in Wales was 8.9C, the minimum temperature was 3.5C and the average temperature was 6.2C.

The Doctor. Mark McCarthy concluded: “March 2023 will be a dull and wet month, especially for those in the south of the UK. While England and Wales received significant rainfall, it was not enough to fully offset the rainfall deficit over the past 12 months. People will also remember the snow that came mostly to the northern areas, but whilst it was devastating for some it was a pretty typical UK snow event in March.”

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