Isle of Man records wettest April on record

A fifth consecutive month of above-average rain saw the Isle of Man experience its wettest April on record.

A total of 13.8cm of rain was recorded at the Ronaldsway Met Office, more than the 13cm that fell in 1961.

A representative said the first half of the month was “very wet indeed”, with 4.95cm falling in 24 hours on April 9, the highest rainfall on a single day in the month since records began in 1947.

The island experienced heavier-than-normal rainfall for most of last year, with eight of the past 10 months exceeding the long-term average.

Daytime temperatures were near normal, with an average high of 11.4°C (52.52F), while the average low of 6.7°C (44F) was 1°C (33.8F) higher than the 30-year norm.

The highest temperature for the month, 13.5 degrees Celsius, was recorded on April 6, which was also the windiest day with gusts of 96.5 kilometers per hour when Storm Kathleen hit the island.

A total of 154.2 hours of sunshine were recorded during the month, an average of 25 fewer hours.

A spokesman for the Ronaldsway Met Office said: “As you would expect, sunshine hours were below normal, although a few dry days in the latter part of the month helped.”

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