What a sunny May
Ireland much drier & hotter than normal
MAY was hotter and drier than normal for Ireland, with one area having its lowest rainfall for the month since 1991.
Nearly all the weather stations around the country reported below long-term average rainfall for last month but there were a few exceptions.
The least fell at Casement Aerodrome, Co Dublin, were 16.8mm came down, the driest May since 1991, while at Sherkin Island, Co Cork, it was a 93mm washout.
The number of rain days ranged from nine days at Mullingar, Co Westmeath, to 21 days at Sherkin Island.
And Met Eireann yesterday revealed all mean air temperatures across the country were above their long-term average for the month. The highest was recorded at Shannon Airport, Co Clare, on the 29th when it hit 26.3C.
And all stations had above average sunshine ranging from 104% at Cork Airport to 118% at Casement Aerodrome.
The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded last month was 16 at Malin Head, Co Donegal, on the 29th.
The number of dull days ranged from two at Knock Airport, Co Mayo, to six days at a few stations. Met Eireann said May was generally dry, sunny and warm with the weather getting better as the month went on.
The statement added: “An anticyclone developed early on the third week bringing a drier and more settled spell.
“However, the intrusion of a slow moving wave occlusion yielded the wettest spell of the month on the 20th and 21st.
“A blocking high over Scandinavia gave a largely fine and dry latter part of the month.
“A slack easterly continental type airflow prevailed giving warm sunny conditions, though high temperatures did cause thundery showers to breaks out in places.”
While it was a mostly sunny month more than half of Met Eireann’s stations still reported ground frost. Both the month’s lowest air and grass minimum temperature were recorded on the 12th at Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon, at -1.2C and -5.1C respectively.