This month has been the wettest May since 1983 but it is unlikely to have any impact on the drought that has been hitting the region for the last 18 months. We have been experiencing well below average rainfall and had two particularly dry winters. May has been named 'Monsoon May' because of the higher levels of rainfall than normal. Relentless rain and below average sunshine has made this month very unseasonal.

A changeable southwesterly type developed from the 15th, and a series of unusually vigorous depressions crossed the UK between the 17th and 22nd bringing frequent heavy rain and unseasonably strong winds, gusting at times to 50-60kn along the English Channel and Bristol Channel coasts.

Temperatures for the whole month were marginally higher than the thirty-year average, the mean average was 16.1°C which was 0.7°C higher than normal, attributed by 181 hours of sunshine. The highest rainfall in a twenty-four hour period was recorded on the 19th where 19mm of rain fell, this helped to account for the total of 122 mm monthly fall, which was 210% of the norm. It was not the highest recorded precipitation for May, that was back in 1967 where 139 mm fell.