As a result, weather conditions turned very unsettled from the 13th. That was a particularly wintry day with heavy sleet and hail falling along with strong winds. Fine conditions, if cold ones, were seen on the 14th, with 10 hours of sunshine, but the minimum temperature fell below freezing.

Further wintry weather came early on the 16th with thick and heavy snow. It was measured at three and a half inches deep at 9am. The snow lasted through most of the day but had disappeared by the following morning. The 16th was a day with heavy, overcast skies. Like in 1998, heavy snow fell mid-month and this was the 2nd heaviest fall of snow of the 1998/99 "winter". The end of the snow didn't mean the end of the cold spell, but the 20th did. That day was dull with heavy rain, brought by a depression. Whilst the weather became milder, conditions were unsettled until the 23rd. The final six days were generally fine and mild, though the 26th was overcast with drizzle. The 27th was warm and sunny and the 28th was a beautiful day with almost cloudless skies. Fourteen hours of sunshine was recorded along with 66F, the highest of the month. The final two days were also fine and warm with sunny spells.

Despite the cold spell between the 13th and the 18th, and the snow on the 16th, day and night-time temperatures were well above average. This was largely due to the warm first nine days and final six. Overall, it has turned out to be warmest April for 12 years, since that of 1987. It was also a wet month with rainfall above average, but the month was nowhere near as wet as April 1998. It wasn't a thundery month like April 1998 either. Sunshine was above average and so far 1999 has been a mild and wet, but also sunny year.

Kevin Phillips - 9.25pm - Wednesday 5th May 1999.