Cork weather station records driest May in more than 30 years

A CORK weather station recorded its driest May in over three decades last month, according to Met Éireann’s weather statement for May 2022.

Monthly rainfall totals last month ranged from 32.6 mm at Sherkin Island off the southwest coast of Cork to 107mm at Newport in Mayo.

The figure at Sherkin marked 44% of its Long-Term Average (LTA) and the driest May on the island since 1991.

Sherkin had a dry spell — a period of 15 or more consecutive days none of which is credited with 1mm or more of precipitation — between Thursday, April 21 to Sunday, May 8.

This marked the island’s second dry spell of 2022.

The national weather forecaster said that the percentage of LTA rainfall values were variable across the country in May.

Percentage of monthly rainfall values ranged from 43% (monthly rainfall total of 35.7 mm) at Cork Airport to 128% (monthly rainfall total of 74.8 mm) at Malin Head in Donegal.

The number of rain days ranged from 14 days at Roche’s Point in Cork to 22 days at a few stations.

The number of wet days — a day with 1mm or more of rainfall — ranged from eight days at Sherkin to 20 days at Malin Head.

All mean air temperatures across the country were above their 1981-2010 LTA for the month.

Deviations from mean air temperature ranged from 0.8C (12.5C mean temperature) at Sherkin to 2.1C (12.9C mean temperature) at the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

However, all available monthly sunshine totals were below their LTA.

Percentage of monthly sunshine values ranged from 95% (monthly sunshine total of 176.6 hours) at Casement Aerodrome in Dublin to 97% (monthly sunshine total of 175.8 hours) at Shannon Airport in Clare.

The highest number of daily sunshine hours recorded last month was 15.2 hours at Cork Airport on Saturday, May 28.