The meteorological spring was cooler than average, except for May, which was unexpectedly warmer and ended with a sizzling temperature of 31.2°C on its last day, the Met Office said on Thursday.

It said the season was generally slightly cooler than expected, having had an average air temperature that was 0.6°C below the seasonal norm of 16.8°C.

The lowest air temperature this spring was 6°C,  registered during a significantly cooler-than-average March. This trend extended into April, which maintained an average air temperature that was 0.6°C lower than the norm, but was reversed in May, whose average temperature of 20.5°C was 0.5°C higher than the monthly climate norm.

While the mean sea surface temperature for May was 1°C higher than the norm, at 19.4°C, it was still cooler than the average air temperature.  

Following two months that were not as sunny as expected, May outshone the monthly quota of 307.2 sunshine hours by 18 hours on the back of a cloud cover that was slightly lower than the climate norm. A total of 717.2 sunshine hours were clocked during the meteorological spring, making the season less sunny than the 30-year climate norm of almost 785 sunshine hours.

Rainfall was way below the norm

Unlike the previous two spring months, May was wetter than usual. The month yielded 16.8 mm of precipitation, with May 28 delivering more than half of the month’s total rainfall. May’s rainfall brought the precipitation total for the meteorological spring up to 42.6 mm, which total did not measure up to the seasonal norm of 68.6 mm.

While both March and April were windier than expected, May brought along calmer days and maintained an average wind speed of 8.8 knots, which was in line with the climate norm.

May’s strongest gust of 37 knots blowing from the East-Southeast direction was measured on the fifth day. The season’s strongest wind gust was recorded in March, blowing at 47 knots from the East-Southeast direction, the MIA said.