
Very Mild and Dry
Temperature
The average maximum temperature during March 2026 in Shoreham was 13.1 Celsius (56F), which was 1.5 Celsius (>2.5F) above the 10-year average, but more than 2 Celsius (4F) above the 30-year average. The average minimum temperature was 6.0 Celsius (43F), which was 0.8 Celsius (1.5F) above the 10-year monthly average, but nearer 2 Celsius (3.5F) above the long-term average. Overall, March 2026 was the second mildest in the area since before 1880, behind March 2017.
The highest temperature measured during the month was 18.7 Celsius (66F) on the 19th, but 17.0 Celsius (63F) was recorded on the 18th, and 16.9 Celsius (62F) and 16.8 Celsius (62F) occurred on the 20th and 3rd, respectively. Most other days had maxima ranging from 10 to 15 Celsius (50-59F). In fact, there were only 2 exceptions. On the 4th, a high of 15.6 Celsius (60F) occurred, and on the 8th, the maximum temperature was only 9.9 Celsius (50F).
There were no exceptionally mild nights during March, but a minimum of 9.5 Celsius (49F) occurred on the 17th, and 9.4 Celsius (49F) was recorded on both the 18th and 24th. A further 8 nights had minimum temperatures between 8 and 9 Celsius (46-48F), with 7 of these milder nights occurring before mid-month. On most other nights (14), the minimum temperature ranged from 3 to 8 Celsius (37-46F), but there were several colder nights. On 4 nights, the 14th, 15th, 22nd and 29th, the temperature dipped below 2 Celsius (36F). The lowest values were 0.2 Celsius (32F) on the 14th and 0.8 Celsius (33F) on the 15th.
The sea temperature slowly rose from 8 or 9 Celsius (46-48F) at the beginning of March to 10 Celsius (50F) during the last week of the month.
Frost
There were no air frosts during March. That was 2 below average for the month. There were 9 grass frosts, and that was 1 below average. The lowest grass temperatures were minus 5.0 Celsius (23F) on the 14th, minus 4.4 Celsius (24F) on the 15th, and minus 3.9 Celsius (25F) on the 29th.
Rain
Rainfall in March amounted to 21.6 millimetres (0.85 inches), which was 36% of the 10-year monthly average. Measurable rain fell on 9 days, which was 7 days below normal for March, and wet days (when 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.), or more, of rain falls) numbered 7, which was 5 days below average for the month. Rain fell on the first day of the month, but it only amounted to 2 millimetres (0.08 ins.), and the following 4 days were dry. Drizzle and rain during the afternoon and evening of the 6th produced 4.2 millimetres (0.17 ins.), and rain on the 10th added 5.0 millimetres (0.2 ins.) to the monthly total. A similar amount fell on the 12th, and those days were the joint wettest of the month. The remainder of the month was generally dry with only 4 days having measurable rainfall. Only 2 of these days recorded more than 1 millimetre (0.04 ins.) of rain. The 15th and 24th had 1.6 and 2.2 millimetres (0.8 and 0.9 ins.) respectively.
Hail
Soft hail (graupel) occurred in showers during the afternoon and early evening of the 25th.
Thunder
No thunder was heard in this part of Shoreham.
Snow
No sleet or snow was observed in this part of Shoreham.
Wind
Pressure was higher than average during March, and with the centres of high pressure varying in location, no dominant wind direction occurred. For much of the month, winds were light or moderate in strength, although stronger winds from between northwest and southwest occurred during the last week of March. At Shoreham Airport, south-southwesterly winds gusted to 31 knots (35 mph) late in the morning on the 1st, but the next breezy day was not until the 12th, when southwesterlies increased steadily during the day, and peaked at 41 knots (47 mph) during the late evening. Winds died down around dawn on the 13th, but not before a gust of 40 knots (46 mph) occurred just after midnight. Strong southwest winds on the afternoon of the 15th gusted to 34 knots (39 mph) in the early evening before dying down, and it was southwest winds that strengthened on the evening of the 24th, reaching 38 knots (43 mph) before midnight. Northwesterly winds blew on the 25th, and with several cumulonimbus clouds helping to add to the squally nature of the wind. The highest gust of 47 knots (54 mph) occurred in the late afternoon. It was a squally northwest wind that produced an isolated gust of 38 knots (41 mph) late in the afternoon of the 28th, with southwesterlies gusting to 35 knots (42 mph) late in the afternoon on the 29th. There were no further gusts above 30 knots (34 mph).
Fog
Dense fog, occasionally breaking or lifting into low cloud, occurred for most of the day on the 9th.
Statistics for March 2026
| Reporting Site | Highest Temp | Lowest Temp | Rain Total (mm) | Wettest | Rain days |
| Shoreham A/P | 17.4 | -2.3 | 17 | 3 | 15 |
| Thorney Island | 17.8 | -0.2 | 22 | 6 | 15 |
| Gatwick A/P | 18.0 | -2.4 | 31 | 7 | 15 |
| Herstmonceux | 17.6 | -0.3 | 22 | 4 | 14 |
| Bournemouth (Hurn) | 20.0 | -2.7 | 27 | 7 | 14 |
| Middle Wallop | 18.5 | -0.7 | 35 | 11 | 16 |
| Dieppe | 18.9 | 1.6 | 30 | 11 | 15 |









