MAY 1996
Though it was a cold month, with the mean monthly temperature 0.9°C below average, it was sunny - especially the first half - with 34.2% more sunshine than normal for May. It was also a wet month, with 36.0% more rainfall than usual. Most of the rainfall fell during the second half of the month. Lerwick, not much further north, recorded 17% less rainfall than normal!
 | Daily Data |
| Synoptic Review |
| Weather Diary |
Monthly Data
1996 Day 1974-95 1996 Day 1974-95
Mean Max Temperature 8.9 9.4 Highest Max temp 12.5 31 17.7
Mean Min Temperature 4.5 5.8 Lowest Min temp 0.6 7 -1.6
Mean Sea Temperature 8.6 8.6 Lowest grass minimum -6.1 11 -7.6
30 cm Earth temperature 7.9 8.3 Days with ground frost 7 3.3
100cm Earth temperature 7.1 7.3 Days with air frost 0 0.3
Total Rainfall (mm) 53.2 39.1 Days with snow/sleet 8 2.5
Wettest Day (mm) 10.5 24 10.1 Days snow cover 09hr 0 0.0
Rain Days (0.1mm +) 19 13.6 Days with hail 5 3.1
Wet Days (0.9mm +) 14 8.6 Days fog during 24hrs 5 9.2
Total sunshine, hrs 266.1 198.3 Days with fog at 09hrs 1 2.0
Sunniest day, hrs 14.1 9 14.7 Days with NIL sun 3 4.9
Mean wind speed, kts 12.4 13.2 Days with gale 1 0.7
Maximum gust, kts 53 31 47.9 Days with thunder 0 0.3
Mean Sea Level pressure 1014.9 1015.7 Days with aurora 0 0.1
Wind Direction%
North 29.0 13.2 S. West 3.2 8.4
N. East 16.1 13.2 West 6.5 10.6
East 6.5 12.9 N. West 12.9 10.6
S. East 19.4 16.0
South 6.5 13.5 CALM 0.0 1.5
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Synoptic Review The month began with a complex low pressure system over Biscay and an anticyclone over Scandinavia, bringing cold north-easterly winds to the Northern Isles. As a low centre moved out of Biscay towards southern Norway the NE'lies increased in strength - bringing wintry showers to the north of Scotland.
By the 4th, with a complex area of low pressure developing over the north-east Atlantic, the winds eased for a time. N'ly winds developed on the 6th as the low pressure moved south- east into southern Norway.
By the 8th an anticyclone, developing over Faeroe, reinforced the feed of cold N'lies. The high then built across to Scandinavia, cutting off the N'lies. As the winds fell light, the month's lowest grass minimum of -6.1°C was recorded on the 11th. However, with light and variable winds, temperatures did recover to near or a little above normal. During the 14th a cold front, associated with a depression over the north Baltic, swept south over Shetland bringing a return of the cold N'lies. As the low moved south into southern Norway the northerly winds became quite strong for a while before easing as the low filled.
A vigorous low, developing over south-west England, tracked slowly northwards on the 19th to become slow-moving to the west of Scotland. However, high pressure to the north delayed the weather fronts and the Northern Isles enjoyed a couple of pleasant days with light winds and plenty of sunshine - despite patchy fog. Kirkwall was the sunniest place in the UK on the 21st and 22nd with 15.4 hrs and 12.8 hrs sunshine respectively. With the depression still slow-moving to the west of Scotland on the 23rd, the SE'ly winds became strong as the weather fronts moved east across the Northern Isles. The low then became complex across the north of Scotland - giving Fair Isle its wettest day of the month with 10.5 mm.
By the 26th things were improving, as the low pressure moved away into the Baltic, leaving a slack ridge of high pressure over the north of Scotland. Fair Isle was the sunniest place in the UK with 11.4 hours sunshine, and again on the 27th with 11.7 hours. A stronger ridge moved east on the 28th, followed by strong SE'ly winds and rain, as frontal systems associated with a deep Icelandic low swept eastwards. This then introduced a milder mobile westerly regime across the British Isles. The 29th was bright and showery, but another low tracking quickly NE to the west of Scotland on the 30th brought a wet and windy end to the month, with strong SE'ly winds increasing to gale force as they veered SSW'ly.
May 1996
Weather Diary not presently available
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