May 2022

SUMMARY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL READINGS AT DURHAM UNIVERSITY OBSERVATORY

Temperatures (all temperatures in degrees Celsuis; all averages 1991-2020)

Mean daily maximum: 16.4 Difference from average: +1.0

Mean daily minimum: 8.4 Difference from average: +1.9

Mean air temperature: 12.4 Difference from average: +1.4

Absolute maximum: 21.8 (14^th)

Absolute minimum: 3.2 (8^th)

Mean grass minimum: 6.4 Difference from average: +1.8

Absolute grass minimum: 0.9 (8^th)

Mean concrete minimum: 8.5

Absolute concrete minimum: 4.1 (8^th)

Number of ground frosts: 0 Difference from average: -4

Number of air frosts: 0 Difference from average:

Mean soil temperature at 300 mm depth: 13.6

Mean soil temperature at 1000 mm depth: 11.8

Rainfall (all totals in millimetres; all averages 1991-2020)

Total for the month: 51.2 Difference from average: +6.7

Percentage of the average: 115

Wettest day: 11.6 (15^th)

Number of rain days (>0.1 mm): 17 Difference from average: +3

Number of wet days (=>1.0 mm): 13

3-month total rainfall to 2022 to 31^st May 2022: 119.2 Difference from average: -40.2

6-month total rainfall to 2022 to 31^st May 2022: 265.8 Difference from average: -88.9

12-month total rainfall to 2022 to 31^st May 2022: 591.8 Difference from average: -89.2

Sunshine (all totals in hours; all averages 1991-2020)

Total for the month: 162.1 Difference from average: -24.9

Percentage of the average: 87 %

Mean daily sunshine: 5.2 Difference from average: -0.8

Sunniest day: 8.8 (14^th)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 1

Note that the monthly sunshine total is now calculated from the UKMO E&NE regional total. Daily sunshine totals quoted here and in the data summary are uncorrected.

Wind (kph; all data from the West Building roof, Lower Mountjoy campus)

Average wind speed:

Maximum gust:

Comments on May 2022

Of course, no sooner than Durham weather and climate since 1841 (Burt & Burt, OUP) was published earlier this month, records were bound to be broken. Whilst there were no heatwaves – 79 Mays have had higher absolute maxima – the temperature was notably high, especially at night. The mean maximum is the equal 18^th highest since 1844, whereas the mean minimum is the highest on record, beating the previous record set in 2017 (8.0 °C). Taken together, the mean air temperature is the equal 4^th highest on record (with 1952). There were no ground frosts this May; the average number is four.

Rainfall was close to average, but there were three more rain days than usual. All long-period rainfall totals are now well below average. There was less bright sunshine than normal.

This was the 4^th warmest spring on record at Durham since 1844 (9.5 °C); only 2011 (9.7 °C), 2017 and 2004 (both 9.9 °C) have been warmer. Nevertheless, the absolute maximum was only 21.8 °C 14^th May. The mean maximum (13.8 °C) was the equal 7^th highest on record while the mean minimum (5.1 °C) was the equal 4^th highest. Despite a duller than normal May, totals sunshine hours this spring were well above average (526.2; +64.5), the 9^th sunniest spring since 1880. It was a dry spring (119.2 mm), but not exceptionally so, the equal 69^th driest on record.

Emeritus Professor Tim Burt

Department of Geography

Durham University

[email protected]