May sees record-breaking heat
By Castlegar Source
May 2018 was the warmest May on record, according to Ron Lakeman, weather forecasterwith the Southeast Fire Centre.
“The cool and wet pattern which prevailed during the past three months made a sudden shift during May,” Lakeman said. “An upper ridge of high pressure built over southern BC for dry and unseasonably warm conditions during the initial seven days of the month and prevailed again between (May) 12 and 28.”
He said the average daily maximum temperature was 4.8 degrees warmer than normal. The mean monthly temperature was 16.9 degrees, which is almost one degree warmer than the previous warmest May of 1993. New record daily maximum temperatures of 30.8 and 31.6 degrees were set on May 14 and 15 respectively.
“The number of days in which measureable rain was recorded was only half of the normal 16,” he added. “The most significant rainfall was 19.6 millimetres on the 9th and 10th, as a large Pacific system slowly pushed southeastward across southern B.C. A localized thundershower produced a rapid 13.4 mm of rain during the afternoon of the 24th.
“An upper trough of low pressure prevailed for cooler and unsettled conditions during the final few days of the month. The total monthly rainfall was 72 per cent of normal.”
