SUNSEEKERS enjoyed a mild April with temperatures higher than average and one of the sunniest months recorded in the last 75 years.

Weymouth and Portland weatherman, Bob Poots, said: "The bright sunshine this month has only been bettered six times in the last 75 years - in 1938, 1954, 1969, 1984, 1990 and 1997.

"Bright sunshine during the month totalled 225 hours 36 minutes, which is 122 per cent of the average 185.2 hours. This brings our total sunshine to date for 2002 to 489 hours and 36 minutes."

Mr Poots also said the month started off very dry, but April showers set in towards the end.

He said: "April continued the dry run we experienced at the end of March, and we had a 24-day period with only 8.4 mm of rain. The next five days gave us 5.8mm, and the last five spoilt a relatively dry month.

"With an average rainfall of 47.6mm, this year April managed 42.7mm, 87 per cent of that normally expected.

"Four days accounted for most of the rain - April 2, 25, 27 and 30, with 6.5mm, 6.3mm, 9.6mm and 10.3mm respectively. This brings our total rainfall to date for this year to 246.3mm."

April, like February and March, was mild with temperatures higher than average. Mr Poots said: "The average maximum temperature was 13.5 C, 1.2 degrees above normal.

"The average minimum temperature was 7.2 C, which was 2.3 degrees warmer than usual, and the average mean temperature was 10.4 C. This was 1.8 degrees above normal."

There were no air frosts, but ground frost occurred on April 16.

Dorchester enjoyed its driest April for five years, despite bursts of heavy rain at the beginning and end of the month.

Weatherman John Oliver said the mild weather of March continued with temperatures one or two degrees Celsius above the average, with just four days failing to hit 13 C.

But the month kick started with a thunderstorm and finished with a flourish when winds hit 50 mph on the 29th.

Mr Oliver said: "The month began quite cloudy with sunny intervals and occasional rain or showers.

"A thunderstorm during the evening of the second was very active for the time of year and more typical of a summer heat storm with frequent bursts of lightning, heavy rain and hail."

The mean temperature for day and night was 9.8 C - 1.4 C above normal and the highest since 1993.

The weather was dry between April 3 and 25 apart from a little rain on the 17th and 20th.

Temperatures climbed to 18.4 C on April 4 and 18.2 C on April 23, while nights mid-month were cool.

Mr Oliver added: "Pressure fell quite dramatically on the 25th, heralding a change to very unsettled and often windy conditions during the last few days of the month.

"Rain fell on 11 days in Dorchester in April and it amounted to 63.3mm, making it the driest for five years."

He added: "The January to April period has been the warmest since 1990."