Warm Wick experiences hottest March day for five years

Wick experienced its warmest day for any March since 2017 on Wednesday afternoon (March 23) when the mercury hit a notable 16.3C (61.3F), says weather columnist Keith Banks.

"To put this into context, this value would be respectable in terms of a daytime maximum for the town in July and August," he said. "Thursday has also been warm, although cloud has prevented the temperature from reaching a similar value to that recorded on Wednesday. Nevertheless, the thermometer responded readily in the late morning sunshine when 14.6C (58.3F) was reached in the burgh. The average maximum daytime temperature for Wick in March is just 8.1C (46.6F)."

Keith continued: "March 2022 has been unusually dry – a fact that is beginning to worry local anglers. This concern is understandable following the exceptionally dry summer of 2021, Wick's driest since that of 1955, and the second driest on record. The rainfall total to date here in Wick is currently only 13.4mm (0.53 of an inch). The town's average total for March is 56.7mm (2.23 inches).

"The current fine warm, and dry spell has been caused by a large blocking anticyclone presently centred over the North Sea. This feature has deflected the polar front jet stream causing the Atlantic depressions and their associated rain bearing fronts to be steered far to the west and the north of the British Isles.

"Temperatures will remain well above the March average until Sunday; in the range 12C-15C (53.6F-59.0F). Cooler and fresher conditions in the seasonal range of 7C-8C (44.6F-46.4F) will return from the beginning of the week. However, the bad news for anglers, and indeed farmers craving any substantial rainfall in the foreseeable future is that a large high pressure will continue to dominate the weather across the British Isles."

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