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March exceptionally – if not record-breakingly – cold

11:51 02/04/2013

Last month was officially the coldest March since 1962, with temperatures averaging only 3°C, mainly due to the prevailing wind from north to northeast. Such a low average makes the past month an exceptional one, but not a record one, said meteorologist David Dehenauw of the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM). In March 1962, the average temperature recorded was a fraction below 2.7°C. While March 2013 qualifies as exceptional, “it doesn’t even appear in the top 10 Marches chart,” said Dehenauw, adding that the top 10 “mainly features entries from the 19th century”. Record-breaking or not, last month was exceptional. The IRM recorded sub-zero lows for 15 days (against eight days on average) as well as sub-zero highs for two days, whereas daytime temperatures for March are normally above zero. There were a total of 11 days of snow, against three for an average March.

Written by The Bulletin