The Cold May Of 1996 Compared To The Warm May Of 1992

[Weather-history]

In contrast to May 1992, which had a CET of 13.6, May 1996 had a CET of just 9.1C. It was the coldest May since 1902 and one of the coldest Mays on record. Winds were frequently from the north and east and this often pulled down cold pools of air from Scandinavia. Consequently maxima were often well below average, sometimes below 10C even in the south and there were ground and air frosts at night. It wasn't until the end of the month did maxima finally break 20C. Snow did fall at times but this was generally over the hills and was not disruptive.

Here's a comparison between mean maxima for the Mays of 1992 and 1996

Stornoway

May 1992: 14.5C

May 1996: 10.8C

Aberdeen

May 1992: 15.5C

May 1996: 11.7C

Glasgow

May 1992: 16.8C

May 1996: 13.2C

Manchester

May 1992: 18.7C

May 1996: 13.5C

Birmingham

May 1992: 19.3C

May 1996: 13.6C

Heathrow

May 1992: 21.0C

May 1996: 15.1C

Cardiff

May 1992: 18.0C

May 1996: 13.5C

Belfast

May 1992: 16.1C

May 1996: 12.9C

Temperatures recorded during May 1996 in Manchester. Maximum first value, minimum second value. The second values in bold is the maximum and minimum recorded during May 1992.

1. 12, 7 10, 6

2. 8, 6 13, 5

3. 10, 2 15, 4

4. 10, -2 14, 7

5. 13, 0 13, 8

6. 15, 2 16, 8

7. 13, 5 17, 10

8. 13, 2 10, 5

9. 11, 4 9, 4

10. 12, 4 12, 3

11. 10, 4 13, 4

12. 13, 5 16, 13

13. 16, 2 21, 12

14. 18, 3 26, 11

15. 11, 6 18, 6

16. 10, 1 19, 5

17. 10, 3 19, 5

18. 12, 3 20, 7

19. 11, 6 24, 10

20. 15, 5 23, 11

21. 14, 5 19, 11

22. 14, 7 23, 8

23. 14, 9 23, 10

24. 16, 9 24, 12

25, 15, 6 24, 12

26. 14, 8 24, 12

27. 15, 10 22, 12

28. 14, 6 22, 14

29. 18, 13 18, 14

30. 23, 12 18, 12

31. 17, 10 21, 11

Edited April 25, 2006 by Mr_Data

[Weather-history]

I wish I had started recording forecasts earlier than I did, so I would have had the forecasts from May 1992.

Here's the forecast from the 1st of May 1996 and a sign of what was to dominate this month.

[Weather-history]

Here's the 2nd of May 1996 forecast

Here's the 4th May 1996 forecast and look at the predicted minima

[Weather-history]

9th May 1996 and the nagging winds from the north and east continuing

[Scorcher]

Luckily I can barely remember May 1996- it looks like it was a very unpleasant month for warm weather fans. Thankfully the weather improved for the start of Euro 96.

[damianslaw]

Thanks for the footage. Remember May 1996 very well. It was a distinctly chilly month with showery spells of cold rain, a nagging north, northeast or easterly wind for much of the time, some very cold nights, and a generally preety unspringlike month all round. Indeed spring came very late in 1996 after the cold March and average April. I think SST's over N Sea were very cold for the time of year, and scandanavia was also very cold for the time of year, part of the reason why temps were so abysmal. Compare May 1996 with the second half of March 2012, we really were hard done by that May. However, the summer was a preety good one, with a shortlived heatwave early in June.

What is also interesting watching the 2nd and 4th May forecasts, is how the 2nd failed to show the shallow low pressure system that developed in the northerly flow as shown on the 4th.

Indeed I think we could easily see a shallow low feature develop this Saturday which could bring a more organised band of sleet/snow to scotland, often the models struggle with such features as they usually turn up out of the blue, if it was winter they would be called 'polar lows'.

[Weather-history]

Poor audio quality with this one but you can see a temperature table and Newcastle at 6C?!

11th May 1996

12 May 1996 Countryfile forecast, its the middle of May and they are predicting it turning colder later...

[Weather-history]

The 16th May 1996 forecast

17th May 1996

[Thundery wintry showers]

I was hoping to see those forecasts for around the 16th/17th May. Usually in May an east to north-easterly regime brings grey drizzly weather to the Tyne and Wear area, or perhaps dry sunny cold conditions with showers restricted to inland areas due to the relative lack of instability over the North Sea (the latter is more likely if it's an easterly with a "northerly" source). However on the evening of the 16th May 1996 a fairly intense hail shower moved in off the North Sea and then the 17th had sunshine and showers for most of the day, with some hail.

[Weather-history]

19th May 1996

23rd May 1996 and the Atlantic is in control

[Weather-history]

At last a warm day

Bill Giles confirms how cold May 1996 was

[North-Easterly Blast]

May 1992 may have been a very warm month but in actual fact the warmth didn't kick in until the second half of the month. The first half was largely unsettled and not especially warm, and it was the 13th / 14th before it turned warm. The CET in May 1992 up to the 12th was only 10.0*C, yet it finished up at 13.6 by the end, which shows how warm the second half was.

We had a May CET of 15.1 in 1833, but no other May has ever finished above 14*C. April 2011 was just about the "April version" of May 1833 with the temperature as equally above average. I wonder if we, and when we will see a May CET above 14*C. It is certainly possible judging how warm May 1992 was when the first 12 days of that month wern't that warm. May 1833 must certainly have been one of the most magnificent months ever recorded in the UK, which it was also a very dry month too.

[AderynCoch]

May 1992 may have been a very warm month but in actual fact the warmth didn't kick in until the second half of the month. The first half was largely unsettled and not especially warm, and it was the 13th / 14th before it turned warm. The CET in May 1992 up to the 12th was only 10.0*C, yet it finished up at 13.6 by the end, which shows how warm the second half was.

We had a May CET of 15.1 in 1833, but no other May has ever finished above 14*C. April 2011 was just about the "April version" of May 1833 with the temperature as equally above average. I wonder if we, and when we will see a May CET above 14*C. It is certainly possible judging how warm May 1992 was when the first 12 days of that month wern't that warm. May 1833 must certainly have been one of the most magnificent months ever recorded in the UK, which it was also a very dry month too.

A May combining 1st-12th May 2008 and 13th-31st May 1992 would have a CET of 15.6C.

May 1833 was certainly a ridiculous month, considering how no other May has even reached 14C. Furthermore, May 1992 is the hottest May since 1848 but is still a full 1.5C behind May 1833.