Warmest ever May recorded on Isle of Man

Ronaldsway Met Office said the month comfortably beat previous records

The Isle of Man has experienced its warmest May on record, meteorologists have confirmed.

Ronaldsway Met Office said the average temperature for the month of 10.6C (51.08F) was "comfortably" above the previous record of 9.8C (49.64F) set in 2022.

Observer Gary Salisbury said that while daily temperatures were "significantly above average", it was the "lack of cold nights that contributed most".

A dry and warm spell mid-month was also good news for dark sky watchers, as it coincided with an "unusually strong" showing of the Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights, on 10 May.

The month saw saw a strong showing of the Aurora Borealis over the island

The average 24-hour temperature across May was 13.1C (55.58F), exceeding the previous record of 12.9C (55.22F) from 2008, making it 2C (35.6F) above the 30 year average from 1991 to 2020.

Figures from the met office showed that 18 May was the warmest of the month with 20.9C (69.62F) recorded at Ronaldsway.

The month also saw a total of 2.69in (6.8cm) of rainfall, which Mr Salisbury said was "about 25% above average", most of of which fell over just four days.

The island also saw fairly little strong winds during the period, with speeds averaging 10mph (16km/h), the seventh lowest on record.

Recent weather on the island has seen April 2024 confirmed as the wettest on record, with the annual records for warmest year also being eclipsed in both 2022 and 2023.

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