May鈥檚 weather theme song could very well be: 鈥楬ave You Ever Seen The Rain?鈥欌��

Compared to last year, especially, and based on the normal amount of precipitation that falls during the month on the Island, the rain was not seen much over the 31-day period.

鈥淢ay as a whole was more the beginning of meteorological summer than the end of spring as has increasingly become the case in recent years,鈥� noted Chris Carss, a weather observer/recorder for Environment and Climate Change Canada at his Chemainus home.

鈥淭emperatures were very changeable but averaged about four degrees above normal. The total accumulated rainfall was less than half the historical average, even though the total number of days with precipitation was near normal. With the meagre precipitation, the number of partly to mostly sunny days was nearly twice the normal.鈥�

The accumulated rainfall for May in Chemainus was 21.3 millimetres, less than half of the normal of 50.9 mm.

On Thetis Island, Keith Rush recorded just 17.4 mm of rain in May at his Foster Point Road residence. Last year鈥檚 total there during a wet May was a whopping 83.7 mm while the average May yields 37.4 mm.

Rush鈥檚 records show Thetis Island running about 80 mm below last year鈥檚 total amount of precipitation by the end of May.

Carss noted May 1-8 saw occasional showers, including a thunderstorm on May 5. Temperatures were mostly below normal.

May 9-21 was mostly sunny with above normal temperatures. May 22-31 brought a return of occasional light rain, becoming slightly more frequent towards the end of the month, but still mostly of light intensity while temperatures varied from near to above normal for the time of year.

The detailed breakdown of the statistics is as follows:

Temperature

Mean maximum 21.7 C, normal 18.1 C.

Mean minimum 11.2 C, normal 8.9 C.

Extreme maximum 31.5 C on May 14.

Extreme minimum 7.5 C on May 7.

Precipitation

Total days with rainfall (including mixed weather days) 10 (including one day with thunder), normal 11.

Accumulated rainfall 21.3 mm, normal 50.9 mm.

Sunshine

Days mostly or partly sunny and dry 21, normal 13.

Days with mixed weather (sunshine and precipitation) 6.

Total days mostly or partly sunny (including mixed weather days) 28.

Carss indicated early June is expected to remain sunny and dry with daytime highs between 20 and 23 C.

鈥淢id-June is expected to bring occasional to intermittent rain and highs about 18 to 21 C,鈥� he added. 鈥淟ate June should see a return to mostly sunny weather with highs near 20 to 23 C.鈥�

don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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