An historical perspective of the climate statistics for Coventry during March 2024
Temperature
Although March has seen average monthly temperatures rise by one degree Celsius over the past hundred years in Coventry, from 5.7C to 6.7C, this warming was at its peak in the 1990s (7.3C), with a noticeable 0.4C cooling since the Millennium.
There has been a recent bounce back however, with mean March temperatures now ahead of the level of the 1990s at 7.4C over the eight years since 2017.
March 2024 has become the fourth March month in a row with higher than average temperatures (6.9C) with a monthly mean of 8.1C.
It has been the mildest March in Coventry since 2019 (8.3C); only three March months have been warmer since the Millennium (2012, 2017, 2019), and only 9 warmer since 1892 (add 1998, 1997, 1991, 1990, 1957 and 1938).
The first three months of 2024 has averaged 6.8C in Coventry; this is the mildest first quarter of any year in the city since 1998 (6.9C). Only 1990 (7.7C) and 1998 has been warmer over this period since 1892.
Rainfall
Not only is March a warmer month than a century ago in Coventry, it has also become a drier month, with 16% less rainfall than the first 20 years of the 20th century, a fall from 57.2mm of rain 1901-1920 to 48.1mm from 2001 to 2020.
It has however, been surprisingly wet during March of late with 65.8mm of rain this year (209% of average, and 125.2mm in 2023. Only two March months have been wetter than 2024 since the Millennium (2018 and 2023). Indeed, only nine Marchs have been wetter since 1870 (1889, 1903, 1916, 1919, 1947, 1961 1979, 2018 and 2023).
The longest dry spell during the month was just 2 days (7th & 8th); this is the shorted March spell without rain since 1979 (1 day).
There were 5 days with hail during March 2024, the most March hail days since 1986 (7), the most in any March on record.
In the first three months of 2024, we recorded 293.2mm of rain at Bablake; this has been the wettest first quarter of any year in Coventry since 1977 (311.2mm), the latter was the only January to March spell wetter than this year since 1870.
Looking back into 2023, the past six months from October to March has recorded 633.0mm of rain in Coventry, 182% of average. This is the wettest such period in the city since 1870.
Sunshine
March enjoyed 43% more sunshine in the first 20 years of the 21st century than in the same period in the early 20th century, a rise in averages from 95.0 hours of sun to 135.5hr.
However, both March 2023 (82.9hr) and March 2024 have failed to live up to this, with just 95.6 hours of sunshine this year, 76% of 30-year averages 1991-2020.
Only three March months have recorded less sunshine at Bablake since the Millennium (2005, 2018 and 2023).
In the first quarter of 2024, we recorded 243.7 hours of sunshine; this is the lowest January – March sunshine total since 2013 (235.4hr).