March 2015
March 2015
Temperatures
(all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1961 – 1990)
Mean daily maximum: 9.2
Difference from average: +0.8
Mean daily minimum: 1.7
Difference from average: +0.1
Mean air temperature: 5.4
Difference from average: +0.5
Absolute maximum: 13.4 (20th)
Absolute minimum: -1.8 (9th)
Mean grass minimum: -0.5
Absolute grass minimum: -4.1 (9th)
Number of ground frosts: 18
Number of air frosts: 7
Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 6.1
Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 6.5
Rainfall
(all totals in millimetres; all averages 1961 – 1990)
Total for the month: 45.5
Difference from average: -5.7
Percentage of the average: 88%
Wettest day: 17.8 (13th)
Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 14
Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 9
3-month total rainfall to 31st March: 107.7
Difference from average: -64.3
6-month rainfall total to 31st March: 239.3
Difference from average: -106.9
12-month rainfall total to 31st March: 581.9
Difference from average: -67.1
Humidity
(averages for 09:00 hours GMT)
Relative Humidity: 76%
Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)
Total for the month: 114.4 hours
Difference from average: +8.9
Percentage of the average: 109%
Mean daily sunshine: 3.7 hours
Difference from average: +0.3
Sunniest day: 9.7 hours (22nd)
Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 1
Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 299.1 hours
Difference from average: +74.4
ISSN1350-483
Comments on March 2015
March was only a little above average temperature and perhaps a little disappointing later in the month as we awaited better spring weather. There were no days above 10°C after the 10th. Both mean maximum and mean minimum were above average, the latter only just so. There was a relatively high number of ground frosts. Rainfall was just below average and all long-term rainfall totals remained below average as a result. There were slightly more hours of bright sunshine than usual but all in all this was a very much ‘average’ March.
Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University