After the wet and cold month of April, May 2012 was warmer and drier than average. With a mean temperature of 12.5C, it was 0.7C above the long-term average. There were cold days at the start of the month with maxima of only 8.2C and 9.5C on the 3rd and 4th respectively when the mean maximum is 17.3C. However, several very warm days were enjoyed during the last week when a maximum of 27.6C was recorded on the 23rd and 27th. There was only one minimal air frost when the thermometer briefly dropped to -0.2C on the 16th. A record was set on the 25th when the the highest minimum was noted at 14.7C. The previous high was 13.9C in 1989 and 2001.
Although it was the wettest May for 4 years the total rainfall of 52.4mm was 90% of the long-term average. There were 18 dry days with the wettest being the 7th when 13.7mm was recorded.
The evapotranspiration total was 83.1mm, which meant a net loss to the atmosphere of almost 31mm. Solar energy was 89% of the figure for last year and the total for bright sunshine of 322.7 hours was also down on 2011 with 90% of that figure.
The mean temperature for spring 2012 was 9.3C, which is 0.4C above the long-term average. The total rainfall was 221mm, which was also above the long-term average at 126%.
The weather station of Marlborough, Wiltshire
