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March''s weather was completely dominated by high pressure, with only one day when it was below 1000mb. That was 996mb on the 30th, the maximum was 1028mb on the 18th. The month started off on a wet note with 30mm out of the total of 48.5mm of rain falling in the first four days. The only other significant amount was on the 16th/17th with 14mm. The average is 40.3mm.
With the dominance of high pressure, especially in the second half of the month, we had a period of very warm and sunny weather, with the temperature reaching a maximum of 22.1C on the 24th. When the high-pressure system moved away to the east in the last few days, it allowed a blast of arctic air to sweep across the country, bringing a significant drop in temperature and night-time frosts. On the 30th the maximum temperature was only 7.7C with a minimum of -0.3C on the 31st. Although this was not the lowest temperature recorded, that was -1.1C on the 21st. This cold spell also brought several snow showers on the 31st, some quite blizzard like, but fortunately short lived.
The average wind force was F2.4, almost exclusively from the eastern side of the compass, the maximum being NNE 5 on the 31st and four other days when it reached F4; but in general, the winds were fairly light.
Mark Beevers