How bad is May 2015 so far...

[Weather-history]

These two time-lapses sums up this May for me. A lot of partial days either cloud in morning then some sun or vice versa.

[damianslaw]

Snow forecast on higher ground this evening and overnight - indicative of how cold the air is at the moment. Not too unusual for this time of year, but still not something you want to see forecast as we hit June.

[Richard2901]

An atrocious 21 days with measurable rain here plus 4 trace days making it one of the most dire and unsettled May’s on record. It wouldn’t surprise me if some places in North Aberdeenshire, more exposed to the unceasing vile NW winds, had measurable rain every single day.

 

It was the 8th May out of 10 with above average rain days, fitting with my belief that we can now expect worse than average weather 80% of the time instead of just 50%.

 

It was the windiest May I can recall with zero days of calm/light winds. Average pressure was below 1010mb for the fifth May since 2000 compared to just 11 times in 138 years from 1862-1999, again showing how our weather is getting worse and more low pressure dominated.

 

Lack of warmth was terrible with the lowest monthly max since 1983 and several cold days in the first half. Maxes were near average in the 2nd half but temps went into single figures during the near daily soakings and in any case even seemingly acceptable temperatures felt cold because of the unseasonably strong wind.

 

The Sunday weather was ridiculously bad with 29.8mm of rain – nearly 40% of the well above average monthly total - falling across the 5 days and just 14.5 hours sun. Ghastly and worse than you’d expect at any time of year never mind what is supposed to be the best time of year.

 

Sunshine total was nowhere near as bad as last May, at 95% of average, but a lot of it was wasted as the horrid NW pattern meant it was typically clear from 5am to 9am then cloudy with showers until the evening. Least amount of sunshine on the sunniest day since 1979 – just 11.7 hours.

 

Two very poor May’s with bad weekend weather on the trot now. It seems that the execrable summer patterns of 2007-12 are now spreading further into the year which is depressing in the extreme.

 

[Great Plum]

Just spent a week in Dawlish and barring one morning, was largely dry and often sunny - ok, not that warm but very useable, much like the month in the South east where I live usually... What's the fuss?

[karyo]

I haven't turned the heating on since early April. It felt like an average May to me so I can't see why some found it so cold.

[cheese]

I haven't turned the heating on since early April. It felt like an average May to me so I can't see why some found it so cold.

Because it wasn't an average May - the daily maximum in Manchester has been nearly a degree colder than the 1981-2010 average.

[Great Plum]

I haven't turned the heating on since early April. It felt like an average May to me so I can't see why some found it so cold.

Like you, we haven't had the heating on since the first week in April

[stainesbloke]

Like you, we haven't had the heating on since the first week in April

You must have a really warm house then lol. Only had the heating on a few evenings this month but have felt really cold pretty much every night.

[AderynCoch]

Just spent a week in Dawlish and barring one morning, was largely dry and often sunny - ok, not that warm but very useable, much like the month in the South east where I live usually... What's the fuss?

It's called living in a different part of the country where we're more exposed to nagging NWerly winds.

[Wildswimmer Pete]

I've seen over sixty Mays and this has been one of the worst (if not the worst) Mays I've endured with that now permanent cold NWesterly wind.  The first May I can remember when maxima barely reached 16C let alone 20C.  Looks like June is carrying on in the same vein with last night very cold.

 

Looks like we could well be entering the expected Grand Minimum with the possibility of even more chilly "summers" for the foreseeable future.

[Mokidugway]

Heating on 10 c windy and wet ,seen warmer wet days in November ....

[summer blizzard]

Had to open the windows in the April heat and largely kept the bedroom window open during May. There have been times (especially when windy) that i've needed to close them though. 

[Mokidugway]

Lol, it's now June !!.

[Weather-history]

I personally don't think May 2015 has been that bad here, not in league with some past stinkers. Not the best but the second halves of May 2006 and 2007 were poorer than any period during this May. It hasn't been total washout nor cloudfests. A lot of days have managed some sunshine but no day has produced appreciable warmth.

[Mokidugway]

Been a lot more dry weather than wet here near the coast ,but we can thank the endless northwesterly for that ..

[Snowyowl9]

Seemed like a well below average may as it felt cold most of the month not overly wet except the first week.

There were 2 or 3 pleasant warm days buts that all.

It shows as the trees are not fully in leaf,ash are bare yet most of them.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Snowyowl9

[The PIT]

Coldest May since 2013 wettest since 2009 10th wettest on record 16th coldest. That's since 1955.

Edited June 1, 2015 by The PIT

[Terminal Moraine]

The coldest May since 1996 here but only fractionally colder ( 0.05c ) than 2013 which had a lower mean minimum.

The wettest only since last May but the 5th wettest in the last 38 years.

The dullest May since 1983, although there was only 1 completely sunless day.

[damianslaw]

In Cumbria its been the coldest May since 1996, min temps not quite as cold but certainly maxima on a par. Its been dull and very wet.

[Stargazer]

Definitely depends on where you are. Haven't compiled my stats yet, but my general impression of the month here has been mediocre rather than dreadful. A bit colder than average and rather windy but nothing like most of May 2012. And then there was that absolutely dire late May Bank Holiday in 2007 when it only reached 7C in parts of the SE. Nothing like that anyway.

I've just checked the Reading University website - in fact it was sunnier than average with rainfall fractionally below normal.