Spring ends drier than usual despite wet March
Above-average rainfall in March was not enough to cover the shortfall
Spring was drier than usual, with below-average rainfall in April and May that scuppered gains made in a wetter March.
The Met Office said that over the three spring months it measured a total of 60.4 mm of rainfall, with more than three-quarters of this amount recorded during March.
Although 46.2 mm of rainfall was measured in March, 6.5 mm above the monthly quota, that was not enough for spring to reach its climatic norm of 68.7 mm, as both April and May recorded below-average rainfall.
In April, the Meteorological Office measured 11.0 mm of rainfall, the majority of which was recorded around the Easter period, while only 3.2 mm of rainfall were recorded during May, which was 7.1 mm below the monthly quota.
Average temperatures during the three spring months were close to the climatic norm. The average temperature for spring stood at 17.3°C, which was 0.5°C above the climatic average.
The Met Office said summer seems to be making its presence felt, with the first week of the meteorological summer being characterised by sunny and warm weather, with maximum temperatures ranging between 30°C and 32°C. For the remainder of the week, the air temperature is expected to continue to vary between a maximum of 32°C and a minimum of 21°C.
UV index levels are also rising, having reached level 10 by the end of last week, which is considered very high. The UV index is set to remain at level 10 until tomorrow, following which it will decrease to level 9 until the end of the week.