Arctic blast sees snow showers hit Coventry

[dutchman]

It might be April - a month more commonly associated with spring rain showers - but Coventry was hit by flurries of snow this afternoon.



The first snowfall was just after 4.30pm and it came down thick and fast, with the scene outside the Telegraph’s Canal Basin office resembling a mini blizzard for a short time

The heavy blast of snowfall continued for a short time before easing-up, though a few more flurries followed over the next hour.

It came during a day when several parts of the Midlands reported snowfall.

Snow stopped play in Edgbaston when Warwickshire’s cricket match against Yorkshire was halted with the covers placed on the pitch at lunchtime.

Although the mid-afternoon flurries made Coventry feel more like November than the end of April, snow is no stranger to the city during the spring month.

Self-confessed Coventry weather enthusiast Steve Jackson has informed the Telegraph there were eight snow days in Coventry in both 1908 and 1917.

Mr Jackson also points out that on this day in Coventry in 1981 there were six inches of snow, while the city saw nine inches on the same day in 1908.

According to Mr Jackson, who runs Bablake Weather Station, Coventry gets an average of 1.7 snow days in April each year - though there were three in both 2008 and 2013.

The current unseasonal wintry weather has been caused by a mass of Arctic air that has been pushed across the UK by an area of low pressure.

Forecasters have predicted up to 10 days of wintry showers, chill winds and occasional snow flurries.

Temperatures are set to struggle to get anywhere normal levels for the time of year - with levels predicted to be at least 4C below average.

The mercury is unlikely to rise above 12C this week and it will feel much colder because of the icy northerly winds.

There is some good news though, as it is set to get slightly warmer with the direction of the wind changing at the weekend.

But even so, there is not much hope of any real spring-like weather for the first of the May bank holidays on Monday May 2.

[rebbonk]

The wind at North and East
Was never good for man nor beast
So never think to cast a clout
Until the month of May be out.