On 14 May 1802, Dorothy Wordsworth wrote in her diary: “A very cold morning – hail and showers all day…. William tired himself with seeking an epithet for the cuckoo”.
Many of us will sympathize with William Wordsworth, as there have been several days in the last month when it has been very cool, accompanied by frequent showers. Small hail fell in the showers on May 19 and thunder was heard on May 3.
On two days in the month the thermometer did not rise above 10C during the majority of the day (May 15 and 19.) However, the coldest day occurred on May 14 when a maximum of 8.5C was the best that was recorded before mid-afternoon. Comparing those days with the long-term (1984 to the present) monthly average for May of 16.6C, indicates how cool some days were during the past month.
It was notable that there were no air frosts during the month although several ground frosts did occur. The very cool nights meant that many plants in Marlborough gardens were not badly frosted, but have been somewhat stunted in their early growth.
The frequent showers produced a total of 83.1mm, which is 139 per cent of the long-term average or plus 47mm. It is interesting to note that the amount of moisture evaporating into the atmosphere from the ground, from water sources and from plant matter matched this total of 83mm.
Strong sunshine totalled 116 hours, which is some 70 hours less than the splendid April just past. The UV level for May was the lowest over the past 6 years, even though the levels were in the ‘High’ category towards the end of the month.
At times the past month has been a little depressing but not quite as bad as that described by Horace Walpole on 28 May 1774: “We are almost freezing here in the midst of beautiful verdure with a profusion of blossoms and flowers: but I keep good fires, and seem to feel warm weather while I look through the window, for the way to insure summer in England, is to have it framed and glazed in a comfortable room.”
Looking back at the three months of Spring, the mean temperature was 0.2C above the long-term average, the warm April offsetting the cool May. Rainfall for the three months totalled 129mm, which is just 72 per cent compared with the 32-year average, a deficit of 50mm.
Manton’s ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ entry boosted by Area Board grant
