Latest news with #MayWeather
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Irish Times
Ireland weather: May recorded as being much warmer, drier and brighter than normal
May proved to be much warmer, drier and brighter than normal with some weather stations recording their sunniest months since records began and average temperatures climbing significantly higher than historical norms, provisional figures from Met Éireann suggest. Temperatures across Ireland in May were the sixth highest on record with the average of 12.54 degrees exceeding the 20th century norm by almost two degrees. The data is in line with a trend of consistent May warming with the top seven highest average temperatures for the month having been recorded since 2008. Blocking high pressure, positioned mostly to the north of Ireland, dominated for the first three weeks with Atlantic low pressure breaking through in the final week. READ MORE The abundant sunshine and slack easterly airflow intensified the marine heatwave off the south and west coasts that had been building through April. May was 1.85 degrees above the 20th century average for the month and 1.21 degrees above the long-term average for the most recent climatological reference period of 1991-2020. Mean temperatures were as much as 14.2 degrees at Shannon Airport , Co Clare – its warmest May on record – while the month's highest temperature was reported at Newport, Co Mayo , on Tuesday, May 13th, which had a temperature of 24.8 degrees. Average rainfall was measured at 56mm, representing 70 per cent of the month's long-term average from 1991-2020. That ranks the month as the 23rd driest May since 1941 and the fourth consecutive year to have below the long-term average rainfall for the month. A total of 20 weather stations across the country recorded climatological dry spells – periods of 15 or more consecutive days with less than 1.0mm of rainfall – from the end of April into May. [ Q&A: What should we do about multiple climate risks threatening Ireland? Opens in new window ] Monthly rainfall values ranged from 31 per cent at Roches Point, Co Cork , to 104 per cent at Finner, Co Donegal . Total hours of sunshine from all available locations were above the long-term average for 1991-2020, with two stations recording their highest ever monthly sunshine totals, and a couple of others their highest totals for May. Record levels of sunshine were recorded at Shannon and Cork airports with Shannon basking in 288.9 hours of sun and Cork recording 290.4 hours. Johnstown Castle in Wexford had 298.8 hours of sun while Gurteen in Co Tipperary recorded 267.2 hours – their sunniest Mays on record. Elsewhere, Valentia Observatory in Co Kerry had its sunniest May since May 1961.
Associated Press
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Associated Press
Uncommon May nor'easter brings rain and snow to New England states just before Memorial Day weekend
BOSTON (AP) — An unusual May nor'easter was pulling away from New England on Friday after soaking the region and setting some record cold temperatures. Massachusetts and Rhode Island received the most rain, getting at least several inches. The coastal town of Kingston, Massachusetts, received 7.13 inches (18.1 centimeters) of rain in a 24-hour period ending early Friday, the National Weather Service said. Drivers were stuck in floodwaters in Cape Cod and fallen trees blocked some streets. There were no reports of injuries. Some higher elevations saw snow, with New Hampshire's Mount Washington reporting 3.4 inches (8.6 centimeters) as of Friday morning. 'Would it really be May in Maine without a little rain — and even a touch of snow — for Memorial Day Weekend?' Sugarloaf Mountain posted online. It delayed opening day for its golf club from Friday to Sunday. High temperatures for Thursday were about 20 degrees lower than usual. At least two cities — Concord, New Hampshire, and Portland, Maine — had record cold high temperatures. In Concord, it reached 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8.3 degrees Celsius) for Thursday. That broke the previous record on that date of 51 degrees set in 1939. Portland got up to 49 degrees (9.4 degrees Celsius), breaking the 50-degree record set in 2011. A nor'easter is an East Coast storm that is so named because winds over the coastal area are typically from the northeast, according to the weather service. They usually arrive in the end of fall and winter and bring high winds, rough seas and precipitation in the form of rain or snow. It's rare to see them in May.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
What defines a heat wave?
Minnesota is in the midst of a sizzling stretch of summer-like weather. Something unique for this time of year. A packed Nokomis Beach, soaked in sunshine and steaming close to 90 degrees, would make you think it's a mid-summer day. But it's just mid-May. Several beachgoers WCCO talked with described the day as hot but bearable thanks to a lake breeze. Still, temperatures that feel like late July for a four-day stretch had them calling it a heat wave. What defines a heat wave? "I think it's in the eye of the beholder," said Ken Blumenfeld, a senior climatologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a heat wave is a "period of abnormally hot weather generally lasting more than two days. Heat waves can occur with or without high humidity." There was no specific temperature listed, but the NWS added that a heat wave often involves dangerously hot weather that could harm people. Blumenfeld looks at heat waves from a statistical perspective. "In climatology it's just extreme warmth relative to the time of year," he said. May 11 to May 14, the daily high temperature hit or was forecasted to land around 90 degrees. The average high for this time of year is around 67 to 68 degrees according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). That means the Twin Cities is running least 20 degrees warmer than usual. "If it's supposed to be like 60 right now but right now, we're having all this heat, it's gotta be a heat wave," said Ambuskah Little Voice while at the beach with friends. Blumenfeld also understands that public health workers have their own definition. "[They] might consider a heat wave to be something that could cause human bodies to have problems keeping itself cool naturally," said Blumenfeld. That's usually in peak summer when high humidity combines with high temperatures, creating dangerous conditions leading to heat stroke and exhaustion. "Heat during late May and even late September and October tends to be really dry compared to the kind of heat you get in July and August," said Blumenfeld. If nights are comfortably cool, is it still a heat wave? "That's where it gets a little iffy," Blumenfeld said. A heat wave in mid-summer could have nights in the 70s while the air remains thick. In May, the daily low temperatures have settled in the 60s and even 50s, creating a difference of 25 to 30 degrees, even larger during this current heat wave. The air also pleasantly dry. Could you have a heat wave in the winter? Beachgoers said both yes and no. Heat isn't a word typically associated with the coldest time of year, but there's no denying that it still arrives in surprising fashion. "We can have heat waves in winter if you're looking at it statistically," Blumenfeld said. Consider late December 2023, the Twin Cities hit 55 degrees on Christmas Eve, then 54 degrees on Christmas day along with relatively high humidity. That's extreme warmth for the holiday season, heating up the debate on how to label these steamy stretches. "Defining a heat wave really kind of depends on who's asking," Blumenfeld said. The most recent extreme heat for the month of May came in 2018. That's when much of Minnesota hit 100 degrees on Memorial Day.
