The weather in May

[paul tall]

A very warm, very dry and sunny month, although there was no particularly hot days, which you sometimes get in May. The mean temperature of 11.8ºC was 1.7ºC above the average for my area.

Average Maximum.......16.4ºC

Average Minimum.........7.3ºC

Mean Temperature.......11.8ºC

High Temperature........22.7ºC (16th)

Low Temperature..........2.3ºC (26th)

Thunder Days...............0

Days of Air Frost...........0

Days with snow lying.......0

Rainfall for Month...........20mm

Rain Days >1mm............7

Wettest day..................11mm (0900 20th - 0900 21st)

Although there was no really hot days, there was plenty of warm days, with the temperature exceeding 18ºC on 12 days, 4 of those days seeing 20ºC+. Half of the entire months rainfall fell (10mm) in half an hour on the afternoon of May 20th

[Shanice]

Report for May 2004 At Pollard's Hill, Surrey

May Max Temp Avg: 19.00c (+0.52 on the 1991-2003 Pollards Hill May Max Temp Avg of 18.48c) Highest 25.2c on the 18th.

May Min Temp Avg: 9.4c (+0.36 on the 1991-2003 Pollards Hill May Min Temp Avg of 9.04c) Lowest 5.4c on the 5th

May Mean: 14.2c (+0.44c on 1991-2003 the Pollards Hill May Mean Temp Avg of 13.76

Rainfall for May: 52mm (+3.19mm on the 1993-2003 Pollards Hill May Rainfall avg of 48.81mm) Highest 13mm on 4th May.

2004 So Far....

Highest 2004 Max Temp: 25.2c on 18th May

Lowest 2004 Min Temp: -3.4c on 27th February

Rainfall for 2004: 259mm (Highest 14mm on 18th of April)

[Thundery wintry showers]

Some Lancaster stats:

May was 1.1C above the long-term average, mean max 15.0C, mean min 7.9C. Surprisingly for a dry sunny month, the minima were high relative to the maxima.

It was the warmest and sunniest May since 2001, and the driest since 1994.

The first four months of 2004:

January was 1.4C above average, the dullest since 1996 and the wettest since 1999.

February was 1.1C above average, the 2nd sunniest since 1975 (after 2003) but it also managed to be rather wet due to the frontal rainfall of the first week.

March was the fifth consecutive March to be notably dry. Temperatures were 0.8C over the average and sunshine was near normal.

April was characterised by exceptionally high minima with a mean temperature anomaly of 1.5C, but the minima were more than 2C above average. Oddly, the month was the second dullest, and second driest, since 1997.

As for Paul Tall's Newton Aycliffe station, I'm wondering if it's the Durham University site that is giving questionable readings, as in March the mean maxima were again 1C higher than at Paul's site. Yet, in each of the first three months, Paul's site has produced similar temperature anomalies to the rest of the country, while the University site's averages have suggested an anomalous pool of warmth over the Durham area.

[paul tall]

There are lots of weather stations in my local area, some I consider reliable, some I consider not so reliable. The two most reliable ones, and I know they're reliable as I'm in contact with the owners of the stations, pretty much concur with my monthly readings, rather than your suggested figures for Durham.

[johnholmes]

hi

ref TWS comments about Durham figures. I'm not sure of site locations, but Durham University is near the town centre, so its quite likely the figures from them will be higher than a rural area?

jh

[johnholmes]

sunny donny in May?

average max=18.7C(16.2C)

average min = 7.8C(6.4C)

mean = 13.2C(11.0C)

days with rain =11(13)

just 1 ground frost(5)

no days with fog and just 1 day with thunder(2)

so, as for most of country=above average temperature and below average rain; the warmest day was 16th with 26.1C

figures in brackets are the long term averages for this area.

jh

[paul tall]

hi

ref TWS comments about Durham figures. I'm not sure of site locations, but Durham University is near the town centre, so its quite likely the figures from them will be higher than a rural area?

jh

Actually, its quite possible that you are correct, and possible that the urban heat island effect is possible at Durham University. But one thing you can be sure of, Durham Universities readings will be accurate. As for Durham recording on average 1ºC more than me, it could be twofold.....the variences in location, and quite possibly my sensors under-read to an extent. That said, I would rather under-read than over-read. Then again, I compare to a couple of other good local sites, who fall into line with my readings, rather than Durham's.

It is unlikely that all 3 sites are under-reading to the same extent, especially considering one is a Davis station, mine is an Oregon station, the other is traditional met office approved equipment.

[Andy Bown]

My starts for May 2004

Average max temp = 18.2c (Highest 25c on 15th)

Average min temp = 8.1c (Lowest 3c on 7th)

May mean temp = 13.15c

Dry days = 19 (inc. 15 in a row 11th-25th)

Rain days = 12

[Guest Phil_Uk]

Weather statistics for Birmingham : May 2004.....

Highest recorded temperature : 21ºc on 17th.

Average daytime temperature : 14ºc

Lowest daytime temperature : 10ºc on 5th and 8th.

Lowest night time temperature : 0ºc on 22nd.

Rain days : 16

Snow days : 0

Highest recorded pressure : 1031Mb (30.45in) on 15th and 16th.

Lowest recorded pressure : 974Mb (28.77in) on 4th and 5th.

Highest recorded wind speed : 20Mph on 8th.

Lowest recorded wind speed : 5Mph on 16th.

Highest recorded gust : 29Mph on 4th.

Lowest recorded humidity : 35% on 23rd.

Phil.