Monthly Climate Summary for  March  2004  at Luton (Cranleigh Gardens)
                          home daily
                          Cold 1st-12th and 22nd-28th, briefly warm mid-month and 30th/31st     back forward
                         
Overall mean temperature was 6.5 ēC which is +0.2 degC compared with the 1971-2000 average  
Mean day maximum (09-21) was 10.3 ēC which is +0.4 degC compared with the 1971-2000 average  
Mean night minimum (21-09) was 2.8 ēC which is +0.1 degC compared with the 1971-2000 average  
Mean 24hr maximum (09-09) was 10.3 ēC                
Mean 24hr minimum (09-09) was 2.7 ēC                
  Highest day max was 19.1 ēC on  the   31            
  Lowest day max was 4.9 ēC on  the 11            
  Highest night min was 10.4 ēC on  the 16            
  Lowest night min was -6.3 ēC on  the 1            
  Lowest grass min was -7.8 ēC on  the 1            
                         
Total rainfall this month was 45.6 mm which is 84.3 per  cent of the 1971-2000 average    
  Highest daily fall was 8.3 mm on  the 24            
Number of hours with rain was                    
Equiv. TSR rainfall duration was 38.6 hrs which is 58.7 per  cent of the 1971-2000 average    
  Highest no of wet hrs   hrs on  the              
  Highest duration 7.5 hrs on  the 11            
  Mean rainfall intensity 1.18 mm/hr                
                         
Total CS sunshine this month was 82.5 hrs which is 87.6 per  cent of the 1971-2000 average    
Equiv. C/S sunshine total was   hrs which is   per  cent of the 1971-2000 average    
  Highest daily sun was 9.4 hrs on  the 30            
                         
Maximum  snow depth  was 2.0 cm on  the  12            
                         
Mean sea-level pressure at 09Z 1019.9 mbar which is +5.3 mbar compared with the 1961-1990 average  
  Highest pressure at 09Z 1036.8 mbar on  the 1            
  Lowest  pressure at 09Z 1001.0 mbar on  the 21            
                         
Number of days with:                      
Air Frost 6   0.2mm rain 17   No  sun 4   Snow lying 1    
Grnd Frost 16   1.0mm 12   3h  sun 11   Snow/sleet 8    
Max < 0ēC 0   5mm 2   6h  sun 6   Hail 7    
Max > 10 15   10mm 0   9h  sun 1   Thunder 0    
Max > 20 0   25mm 0   12h sun 0   Fog at 09Z 5    
Max > 30 0         15h sun 0   Gale 1    
                         
Notable events during the month:                  
Five consecutive days with hail, 21st-25th; total of seven hail-days and eight snow/sleet days both highest in March since 1995    
Lowest March sunshine for three years; third consecutive drier-than-average March