Wales records joint fourth warmest March on record, Met Office figures show
Wales has recorded its joint fourth warmest March on record, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.
The mean temperature for Wales in March 2026 was 7.5°C, 1.5°C above the long-term average and the warmest March in Wales since 2017.
Across the UK, March 2026 was the joint tenth warmest on record in a series stretching back to 1884, tied with March 2025.
The final day of the month reached 20.9°C in Pershore, Worcestershire on 31 March, the joint warmest day of the year so far anywhere in the UK.
Wales saw below-average rainfall in March at 92% of the long-term mean, and sunshine levels 18% above average — 129.1 hours of sunshine across the month against a long-term average of 109.4 hours.
The drier conditions in Wales contrast with the broader UK picture.
March was the fifth consecutive month in which UK rainfall as a whole was above its long-term average, continuing a run of wetter-than-average months dating back to November.
Scotland saw particularly wet conditions, with rainfall 19% above its March average.
Within England there was a sharp north-south split, with northern England 14% above average and southern England 37% below.
March also saw a reversal of the rainfall pattern that had dominated the winter.
During the winter months, north-western Scotland was drier than average while eastern Scotland, south-east and south-west England were wetter.
In March the pattern flipped, with areas that had been dry over winter seeing wetter conditions and vice versa.
Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: “March has delivered some notably warm weather for England and Wales in particular, alongside plenty of sunshine and near-average rainfall overall.”
“While those milder conditions will have stood out for many, the month has still delivered a mix of weather across the UK, including more unsettled spells and even snow for some.”
“This variability is entirely typical for March, a month of transition when lingering winter influences can sit alongside the increasing warmth of spring.”
The warm start to spring is set to give way sharply to a more disruptive pattern this weekend.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said a significant cold plunge from Canada into the North Atlantic will strengthen the jet stream and spin up a deep area of low pressure towards the north-west of the UK on Saturday night.
A yellow wind warning is in place for Flintshire from 6pm on Saturday 4 April through to noon on Easter Sunday, with gusts of 50 to 60mph expected widely and up to 70mph in exposed locations.
The Met Office advises securing loose items outside before Saturday evening.
The Met Office provisional figures are based on HadUK-Grid data and are subject to revision.
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