March 2012 was the warmest over the UK as a whole since 1997, and the sunniest since 1929. Many places recorded record-high temperatures during a remarkable fine and warm period in the last 10 days. A new March temperature record for Scotland was achieved on 27 March when Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, reached 23.6°C, the third successive day when the Scottish monthly record was broken, the warmth aided by air descending in the lee of the Highlands. Aside from brief unsettled spells, high pressure dominated the UK weather for the second successive month, to such an extent that this was the fourth most anticyclonic March in 140 years of records. The month extended and intensified the long period of deficient rainfall over central and south-eastern England that has now lasted for nearly two years.
Mean maximum temperature for March ranged from 14.8°C at Southampton to 8.5°C at Lerwick, Shetland. Mean monthly temperature was over 3°C above the 1981-2010 average in eastern Scotland, where the last 10 days were exceptionally warm. The Central England Temperature (CET) of 8.3°C was 1.7°C above the long-term mean and the highest for March for 15 years.
Rainfall averaged over England and Wales during March was 30.5mm, which is 43% of the average for 1981-2010. In the last 100 years only 14 Marches were drier while 86 were wetter. Monthly totals varied between 192mm at Cluanie Inn, Wester Ross and just 5mm at Kinloss and Lossiemouth, both in Morayshire, highlighting the continuing contrast between west and east Scotland.
Sunshine averaged over England and Wales was 187 hours, which is 160% of the 1981-2010 mean, making this the sunniest March since 1929. Indeed, in the last 100 years this was the only sunnier March, although in earlier years March 1907 was also slightly sunnier. The equivalent figures for Scotland were 139 hours (129%) and for Northern Ireland 140 hours (120%). The largest total in the UK was 209 hours at Southampton.