HOW about this weather then? Not a cloud in sight, temperatures normally reserved for July and not a drop of rain to spoil the day. Even better, the sunshine is forecast to be with us over the Easter period.
That’s not always the case, though. According to The Met Office if Easter is early, there’s a chance of snow; in fact, it is more likely to snow at Easter than at Christmas. Of course the later Easter is, the better the weather is likely to be, but the four-day period is rarely fine.
Not this year. The warmest Easter on record was in 1984 when temperatures climbed above 20°C. But that record is likely to be broken with York predicted to reach 23 degrees on Saturday and 21 degrees on Sunday.
And ITV Yorkshire weatherman Jon Mitchell says there is no end in sight. “After a record breaking dry March and April rainfall running at only five per cent of normal, the fine weather is set to continue over the Easter weekend with no more than an isolated shower. It will stay warm too.”
For once we can head off to the coast confidently free of brollies and macs, although we can be sure of another dead-cert forecast – the road to Scarborough is going to be heaving.
These youngsters have already taken advantage of the weather by paddling in the for once warm sea at Sandsend, while our picture of sunbathers before spring has officially sprung is very rare.
Meanwhile at Flamingo Land, these baby ducklings took advantage of the shade afforded by some towering flamingos.
Jon does add a note of caution though. “My only concern is that dry springs are often followed by wet summers.”
So enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. After all, those shelves can wait surely?
• Sunniest Easter
April 1969 when many parts of the UK saw temperatures above the average, with temperatures well above 18 °C in the south, and above 15 °C in the north, by Easter Sunday. Several stations had broken all-time sunshine records for the weekend.
• Coldest and dullest Easter
March 1964. Temperatures barely reached 7 °C and were accompanied by a raw, often strong, easterly wind. Kew had the coldest Easter Day for 81 years.
• Snowy Easter
April 1-3 1983 with Scotland, the Midlands and Kent getting up to 10 cm of snow. Over the past 45 years, snow has fallen quite regularly, even in lowland areas, most recently in 1994 and 1998.
Info: Met Office
Easter hotting up
THE Easter bank holiday is almost upon us. Time to get the brolly out, right? Wrong. All the signs are we’re in for the warmest Easter on record. Temperatures in York are expected to hit 23 degrees on Saturday, and a scarcely less summery 21 degrees on Sunday. That’s amazing. Because the hottest Easter up to now was 1984, when temperatures reached 20 degrees. This year’s late Easter obviously helps. But most of us won’t really be bothered why the weather is so beautiful. We’ll just be out making the most of it while it lasts.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here