May 2016 was a month of above average temperatures and light winds. Rainfall totals were well below average. The end of the month finished on a very cold theme. The maximum temperature of 10.3°C, recorded at 14:10 on the 25th, was the lowest maximum temperature ever recorded here in the last week of May. The maximum temperature of 11.8°C, recorded at 11:39 on the 31st, was the lowest maximum temperature ever recorded here on the last day of May.
The average temperature in the month was 11.7°C, 0.6°C above the mean, only 2014 being warmer at 11.8°C. The maximum temperature recorded was 24.2°C at 15:57 on the 6th, the highest since 25.2°C was recorded on August 23rd 2015, and the minimum was 1.9°C at 06:26 on the 1st. The average daily high temperature was 16.2°C, the highest recorded in May, and the average daily low temperature was 7.2°C. There were no frost days.
The high wind chill was 24.2°C at 15:57 on the 8th, with the low being 1.9°C at 06:26 on the 1st. The average wind chill for the month was 11.3°C. The maximum dew point was 14.9°C at 14:02 on the 8th, with the minimum dew point being 0.8°C at 03:53 on the 14th. The average dew point was 8.1°C. There were 235.2 hours of sunshine in the month, with the sunniest day being the 5th when 11.43 hours were recorded.
Rainfall in the month was 32.8 millimetres, well below the average of 45.2 millimetres, and the second driest May on record, beaten only by the 25.6 millimetres recorded in 2010. The wettest day was the 10th when 9.6 millimetres was recorded, and there were 11 rain days. The yearly total up to the end of May was 212.8 millimetres. The highest rain rate was 19.6 mm/hr at 15:33 on the 2nd.
Winds in May were much lighter than usual. The highest recorded gust was 27 mph at 13:18 on the 2nd, with the highest average wind speed being 14 mph at 09:18 on the 3rd, both May records. The average wind speed for the month was 3.65 mph, with the average gust speed being 6.1 mph. The total wind run was 2679.4 miles and the predominant wind direction was 150°.
The highest barometric pressure in the month was 1026.4 millibars at 01:38 on the 4th. The lowest barometric pressure was 1000.7 millibars at 14:50 on the 18th. The average pressure in May 2016 was 1014.1 millibars. The average humidity for the month was 80%, with the highest being 97% at 04:06 on the 16th, and the lowest 42% at 18:41 on the 5th.
On the 16th at 12:47, the solar high was 1229 w/m², the highest since 1266 w/m² was recorded on July 21st 2015. At 13:37 on the 21st, the U.V. index reached 5.6, the highest since 5.8 was recorded on August 9th 2015.
