Jump to content
Snow?
Local
Radar
Cold?
IGNORED

Cold Bank Holiday Mondays - May Day weekend


damianslaw

Recommended Posts

Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

With the prospect of heavy rain throughout and maxima of 6 degrees this coming Monday, anyone have any stats coldest May Day Bank Holiday Monday - chance we might rival it this year!

I think 1979 was a cold one, 1997 possibly, or did the snow fall the day after?

Fells could see a decent cover of late season snowfall!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire

In 1997 the snow fell the day after, but maxima on the Bank Holiday Monday were lower in many parts of the UK because it was dull and wet, whereas Tuesday 6 May 1997 had plenty of sunshine.  I think May Day 1979 was right at the end of a succession of days with wintry showers, but it was not as cold by then as it had been in the first five days of the month.  Certainly those two are candidates.

Edited by Thundery wintry showers
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Basingstoke
  • Weather Preferences: In summer, a decent thunderstorm, and hot weather. In winter, snow or gale
  • Location: Basingstoke

I remember snow falling on 6th May in 1997, the tuesday after.  It had reached about 27c here the Friday before!

Going back, hazy memories, but I think the bh monday in 1994 was very cold and windy with wintry showers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
5 hours ago, SummerShower said:

I remember snow falling on 6th May in 1997, the tuesday after.  It had reached about 27c here the Friday before!

Going back, hazy memories, but I think the bh monday in 1994 was very cold and windy with wintry showers

Off topic but need to check dates remember every cold northerly late May 94.. felt like January on the fells...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine, convective precipitation, snow, thunderstorms, "episodic" months.
  • Location: Lincoln, Lincolnshire

SummerShower might be remembering Easter Monday 1994, which was indeed cold and windy with wintry showers.  May Day 1994 was fairly warm, though there was indeed a spell of cold north-easterlies leading up to the second May Bank Holiday in 1994, with some unusually cold nights over that weekend as high pressure moved close to the west with a slack northerly flow.

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Penrith Cumbria
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, snowy winters and warm sunny summers
  • Location: Penrith Cumbria

It wasn't a Bank Holiday but by far the coldest May day I have ever known was 2nd May 1979 in South Birmingham. The day was wet and cold maximum 4c as a shallow depression crossed the Midlands and behind this exceptionally cold northerly winds moved south. In the unstable Arctic air snow showers formed over the Cheshire Gap and moved south east into the Birmingham area during the early evening. I remember the sky going dark around 6pm then heavy snow swept in from the north west, settling quickly. 6cms had fallen by 9pm, a frost followed and snow was still lying 5cms deep at 9am the following day with a Christmas card scene under a clear blue sky. Remarkable weather for May and not seen anything like it since.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Continental winters & summers.
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset

2009 and 2010 May Day bank holidays were both chilly affairs. 2009 a cold cloudy windy westerly, only reached 11C here, and 2010 a showery northerly with cold nights. 

2019 was also a cold start to the Monday but the daytime temperature recovered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
11 hours ago, Penrith Snow said:

It wasn't a Bank Holiday but by far the coldest May day I have ever known was 2nd May 1979 in South Birmingham. The day was wet and cold maximum 4c as a shallow depression crossed the Midlands and behind this exceptionally cold northerly winds moved south. In the unstable Arctic air snow showers formed over the Cheshire Gap and moved south east into the Birmingham area during the early evening. I remember the sky going dark around 6pm then heavy snow swept in from the north west, settling quickly. 6cms had fallen by 9pm, a frost followed and snow was still lying 5cms deep at 9am the following day with a Christmas card scene under a clear blue sky. Remarkable weather for May and not seen anything like it since.

Was that the same day general election.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Penrith Cumbria
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, snowy winters and warm sunny summers
  • Location: Penrith Cumbria
17 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Was that the same day general election.

The election was on Thursday 3rd May, a cold miserable day, perfect weather to welcome Maggie and 18 years of Conservative rule  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

During the May Day Bank Holiday weekend in 1985, there was a 75th anniversary rally at the Crystal Palace organised by the Girl Guide Association where, due to the very cold weather and a lot of standing around without coats, several participants had to be taken to hospital with severe hypothermia. An inquiry was held afterwards leading to a change in uniform. I remember the day well and it was beastly cold in South London, with frequent sleet and even snow showers.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Shrewsbury
  • Location: Shrewsbury

May Days have never really stuck in my mind most of the time, probably because I went to schools that ignored it being a holiday from the age of 11, and then worked most of them in my 20s and 30s, so for a long time it was just a random Monday. I do remember the switcharounds in 1995 and 1997 but not much else. Also the one in 2013 for being warm and sunny (on the Monday at least) in an otherwise cold spring. 

The worst bank holiday for weather I remember was the Jubilee one in 2012, weather like today's over the whole weekend (it was June), and the fact that the week before when it should have been was glorious. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl
  • Location: Windermere 120m asl

Met Office saying coldest max temp recorded for May Day bank holiday, not surprised... a very poor day, comes on the back of the very cold Easter Monday... let's hope we don't have a hatrick of cold Bank holidays 31 May!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Edinburgh (previously Chelmsford and Birmingham)
  • Weather Preferences: Unseasonably cold weather (at all times of year), wind, and thunderstorms.
  • Location: Edinburgh (previously Chelmsford and Birmingham)
21 minutes ago, damianslaw said:

Met Office saying coldest max temp recorded for May Day bank holiday, not surprised... a very poor day, comes on the back of the very cold Easter Monday... let's hope we don't have a hatrick of cold Bank holidays 31 May!

I saw that too. Surprised as a top temperature of 14°C doesn't seem that low for early May?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
20 hours ago, A Face like Thunder said:

During the May Day Bank Holiday weekend in 1985, there was a 75th anniversary rally at the Crystal Palace organised by the Girl Guide Association where, due to the very cold weather and a lot of standing around without coats, several participants had to be taken to hospital with severe hypothermia. An inquiry was held afterwards leading to a change in uniform. I remember the day well and it was beastly cold in South London, with frequent sleet and even snow showers.  

I think that was probably the weekend before, the last weekend of April 1985. I recall the Saturday of that weekend being bitter and snow falling in the evening and it was the Steve Davis v Dennis Taylor final weekend, I was up til after midnight watching that the following night.

NOAA_1_1985042718_2.png

It had warmed up by the following Bank Holiday weekend. 

NOAA_1_1985050418_2.png

 

Edited by Weather-history
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: East Lothian
  • Weather Preferences: Not too hot, excitement of snow, a hoolie
  • Location: East Lothian
On 03/05/2021 at 09:09, A Face like Thunder said:

During the May Day Bank Holiday weekend in 1985, there was a 75th anniversary rally at the Crystal Palace organised by the Girl Guide Association where, due to the very cold weather and a lot of standing around without coats, several participants had to be taken to hospital with severe hypothermia. An inquiry was held afterwards leading to a change in uniform. I remember the day well and it was beastly cold in South London, with frequent sleet and even snow showers.  

We didn't have ours until June, but even then it was still cold standing about with a wind off the Trent in a thin cotton blouse. Thank goodness for current warm Hoodies (and optional Gilet for Remembrance parade in snow/icy rain).

Early May Bank holiday Monday 2021 -5.9C Kinbrace overnight, +14C London and Shoeburyness by day,. Jersey +15.3C  but many places only 9-11C. Yellow wind warning over southern Britain

Plenty of rain Capel Curig 50.8mm and a gust of 76mph. Dumfries & Galloway 48mm , Strathclyde 38.4mm, Murlough NI 34.8mm  and Kielder 25.8mm. Ruined any outdoor plans for meetups as lockdown eases but farmers and growers very grateful for the rain after such a dry spell in April

Also covering of snow for Scottish mountains, tops of Pennines and Cumbrian Fells. 

1975.png

0503BHrain.png

0503BHsnow.png

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: East Lothian
  • Weather Preferences: Not too hot, excitement of snow, a hoolie
  • Location: East Lothian
12 hours ago, Relativistic said:

I saw that too. Surprised as a top temperature of 14°C doesn't seem that low for early May?

I can only see "coldest early May bank holiday" coming from BBC weather but no detail. The express mention the -5.9C overnight but nothing from Met Office

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Perth, Scotland
  • Location: Perth, Scotland

I’d certainly say this May Day holiday was definitely the coldest I’ve experienced although 1997 could potentially be a close contender. However I can’t remember it well enough. Maximum of only 5.C and howling wind and heavy rain all day legit felt like January again. 
 

Wasn’t the late May bank holiday in 2007 one of the coldest on record as well. Remember it being especially cold with some very strong winds and maxima widely of around 9-10.C.

Edited by Harry233
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Continental winters & summers.
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
6 minutes ago, Harry233 said:


 

Wasn’t the late May bank holiday in 2007 one of the coldest on record as well. Remember it being especially cold with some very strong winds and maxima widely of around 9-10.C.

Yes, it was horrific! Only a few days earlier, it had been nearly 25C and sunny down here, so it was quite a shock.

The same Monday in 2008 was also dire down here, perhaps not so further north, but 34mm of rain and a maximum of 11C.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Basingstoke
  • Weather Preferences: In summer, a decent thunderstorm, and hot weather. In winter, snow or gale
  • Location: Basingstoke
1 hour ago, MP-R said:

Yes, it was horrific! Only a few days earlier, it had been nearly 25C and sunny down here, so it was quite a shock.

The same Monday in 2008 was also dire down here, perhaps not so further north, but 34mm of rain and a maximum of 11C.

Yes these are by far the worst 2 may bank holidays I remember, both worse than any early May one.  2007 had northerly gales as well as 48h continuous rain sun into Mon.  Yesterday was actually OK in daylight hours despite the wind.

And as for the summers that followed both, let's just hope no repeat this year!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
  • Weather Preferences: Continental winters & summers.
  • Location: Cleeve, North Somerset
7 minutes ago, SummerShower said:

Yes these are by far the worst 2 may bank holidays I remember, both worse than any early May one.  2007 had northerly gales as well as 48h continuous rain sun into Mon.  Yesterday was actually OK in daylight hours despite the wind.

And as for the summers that followed both, let's just hope no repeat this year!

Yeah the May Day bank holiday in 2007 was windier here with standard westerly fayre, but at least it was bright during daylight hours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • UK Storm and Severe Convective Forecast

    UK Severe Convective & Storm Forecast - Issued 2024-03-29 07:13:16 Valid: 29/03/2024 0600 - 30/03/2024 0600 THUNDERSTORM WATCH - FRI 29 MARCH 2024 Click here for the full forecast

    Nick F
    Nick F
    Latest weather updates from Netweather

    Difficult travel conditions as the Easter break begins

    Low Nelson is throwing wind and rain at the UK before it impacts mainland Spain at Easter. Wild condtions in the English Channel, and more rain and lightning here on Thursday. Read the full update here

    Netweather forecasts
    Netweather forecasts
    Latest weather updates from Netweather

    UK Storm and Severe Convective Forecast

    UK Severe Convective & Storm Forecast - Issued 2024-03-28 09:16:06 Valid: 28/03/2024 0800 - 29/03/2024 0600 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH - THURS 28 MARCH 2024 Click here for the full forecast

    Nick F
    Nick F
    Latest weather updates from Netweather
×
×
  • Create New...