May was warmer than average (13.3°C versus an average of 11.5°C), with rainfall equal to the average (43.80 mm) and winds calmer than average (a wind run of 1898 miles versus an average of 2825 miles).
The maximum temperature in the month was 25.4°C at 16:17 on the 7th, the highest temperature since 27.3°C was recorded on July 6th 2017. It was also the highest May temperature since 25.7°C was recorded on May 24th 2012. The minimum temperature was 1.3°C at 02:25 on the 1st. The average temperature in the month was 13.3°C, the highest May average and 1.8°C above the mean. The average daily maximum temperature was 18.5°C, a May record, with the average daily minimum temperature being 8.2°C. The warmest day was the 7th with an average of 18.9°C, with the coldest day being the 1st with an average temperature of 7.9°C. There were no frost days in the month.
The highest dew point was 17.6°C at 18:28 on the 31st, with the minimum dew point being -1.1°C at 04:16 on the 14th. The monthly average dew point was 9.0°C. The high wind chill was 25.4°C at 16:17 on the 7th, with the low wind chill being 1.3°C at 02:25 on the 1st. The average monthly wind chill was 13.1°C. There were 268.57 hours of sunshine, with the sunniest day being the 14th when 12.1 hours was recorded.
Rainfall in the month totalled 43.8 millimetres, exactly the same as the May average. Rainfall was recorded on only 9 days, a record low for May. The wettest day was the 30th when 15.4 millimetres was recorded, with 13.4 millimetres being recorded on the 2nd. The highest rain rate was 38.8 millimetres recorded at 10:40 on the 30th. The yearly rainfall total is now 280.6 millimetres, slightly under 140% of what is normally expected by the end of May.
The highest barometric pressure was 1029.4 millibars at 23:52 on the 16th. The lowest barometric pressure was 997.0 millibars at 09:20 on the 2nd. The average pressure in the month was 1017.4 millibars. The highest humidity was 96% and the monthly average humidity was 77%. The lowest humidity was 31% at 15:27 on the 14th.
Winds were very light in May. The highest wind gust in the month was 25 mph recorded at 01:19 on the 2nd. The average gust speed in the month was 4.6 mph, a low for May, mean 7.0 mph. The average wind speed was 2.6 mph, another May low, mean 4.2 mph. The maximum wind speed was 12 mph at 13:18 on the 27th, 5.8 mph below the mean. The total wind run was 1879.8 miles, with the predominate direction being 139°.
The maximum high solar radiation recorded at 11:50 on the 29h was 1139 w/m², the highest since 1146 w/m² was recorded on August 4th 2017. The average solar radiation for the month was 232 w/m². The highest U.V. Index was 5.5 set at 13:00 on the 29th, the highest since 5.7 was recorded on August 12th 2017.
