Was April's weather really that bad?

Does this sound familiar: "The weather has been just awful recently?"

With no significant dry or warm spell throughout April, the perception has been that winter has dragged on into spring.

April weather statistics show an interesting story that I get the feeling you will find questionable.

While wetter and duller than average, it has been slightly warmer than average.

As a weather presenter I talk about the weather a lot.

Not just in the studios or office, but also at home with the family, with friends, and even small talk when I am out.

The overwhelming opinion I have had is that April has been cold and wet and we are desperate for some spring weather.

There is then a disbelief when I explain that in terms of temperature, April has actually been around normal.

Met Office statistics show that the average maximum temperature across the United Kingdom was 0.4C above the norm.

The night-time minimum temperature was 0.8C above average.

We tend to have quite a short memory so while the last week of April was colder than average, temperatures during the first half of April were higher than average.

The warmest day so far was in early April when Writtle in south-east England got to 21.8C.

While it has not been as cold as we might think, rainfall and sunshine amounts will be where our perceptions of a bad month are warranted.

Emily Carlisle from the Met Office, external said, “April has been a continuation of the past few months: often wet, windy and unsettled" in a release of the monthly statistics.

Across the UK we have had around one and half times more rain than average and therefore provisionally the sixth wettest April on record and the wettest April since 2012.

Almost all parts of the UK have had above average rainfall but it is northern England, central and southern Scotland that have been the wettest.

Over twice the normal April rain has fallen here.

In Carlisle it was the wettest April in 62 years and for Edinburgh the wettest in 24.

Much of the rainfall fell in the first half of April, counteracting the above-average temperatures.

And so while drier in the second half, temperatures dropped, making it still feel disappointing despite not as much rain.

We also did not see much sunshine.

In parts of south-west England it was the dullest April since 1981.

Overall in southern England there was around 30-40% less sunshine than a normal April.

However, northern Scotland was brighter with around the average amount of sunshine throughout the month.

So overall, the Met Office data shows that across the UK there was only 80% of the normal sunshine expected.

May has started with some warmer and sunnier weather for some as temperatures rise to above average.

Although it is not completely dry with thunderstorms in the forecast.

Will there be any prolonged dry, sunny and warm weather during the rest of the month? You can find out in our monthly outlook.