Spring overall (March to May) was the second driest and second warmest in our 45 years of records: we had a total of 68.6mm of rain, less than half the long term average of 149.6mm, and a mean temperature for the period of 11.1°C, some 1.6°C above the long term average. Both of these records were set in Spring 2011 with 30.1mm and 11.3°C respectively.

As for May itself, well, we left April with the weather set fair, thanks to a blocking high pressure system, and this hung around for most of May. The result was that we equalled the longest dry spell in our 45 years of records, thirty days without rain, matching that of November 1989. This dry spell stretched from 24th April to 23rd May inclusive. There were five days on which it rained, the third fewest for May in our records, and the monthly total of 18.2mm was our fourth driest May.

It was another warm month: the overall mean was 14.1°C, equalling the second warmest May in our records and just 0.1°C below the record set last year. It is concerning that the three warmest Mays on record are three of the past four years.

The highest and lowest temperatures for the month, as well as the average day maximum, average day minimum, lowest day maximum and warmest day minimum were all above the long term average. Indeed, the highest overnight minimum of 15.3°C equalled the warmest May night in our records (set in 2001).

The warmest days neatly book-ended the month, with 27.8°C on the 1st and 28.0°C on the 31st.

Unsurprisingly the barometer remained fairly high through May, with an mean pressure above the long term average, and no significant lows registering.

The winds were mostly gentle, with the highest gust coming at the weather breakdown on the 25th, at 25mph (force 6), compared with an average for May of 30.8mph in our records. The direction shows how the weather patterns changed: from an easterly or north-easterly direction whilst the high pressure was established to the north of Britain, and a switch to south-westerlies in the last week.

Finally the sunshine… We only have two years of comparable records, but this May had 201 hours of sunshine, half as much sunshine again as last May, which supports the Met Office reports of one of the sunniest Mays on record for East Anglia.

So is that it for fine weather – will we pay through the summer, or will settled conditions return in June? Visit us next month to see the details of our June weather.