Wet whitsun Bank Holidays in May

Along with the winds rain became extensive across England with overnight totals near or above 13mm across parts of the SW as temperatures struggled to reach double figures with most places seeing 9-12C - some 7C or so below average. Large pressure rises occurred on the western side of the low and a sting jet like feature seemed to affect the western and southern flank with gusts to over 60knts reported from the Celtic Sea SE towards Brittany. At 10Z a gust to 67mph was reported from the Isles of Scilly and an 81mph gust from the Seven Stones Light Vessel nearby. Later in the day the strong winds would move east, with 71mph reported at Brixham (South Devon).

By mid afternoon the deep low was located inland south of St Malo in Brittany, 989mbs and slowly filling as large pressure rises continued around its southern and western flanks. As well as this heavy rain now covered much of England and Wales, with particularly heavy rain moving into central southern England  and this rain continued into the evening and night across England. By Monday morning totals were over 3 inches (75mm) at St Catherine's Point, whilst the rain continued over the northern Home counties and London. Liscombe in north Devon also reported 54mm and Benson (Oxon) 46mm. Some localised flooding was reported in places.

The Bank holiday Monday saw the residual occlusion only slowly dying out as a new low developed over Germany, the original low continuing to fill over France, bringing a wet start to the French Open Tennis championships. By 18Z on Monday 48 hr rainfall amounts showed that St Catherine's Pt on the Isle of Wight had seen 81mm fall & High Wycombe (Bucks) 64mm, a wet weekend by any standard. It was a cold day too with midday temperatures at High Wycombe just 4.9C and mid afternoon temperatures in Central London standing at just 7.4C making and Sunday also saw the temp drop to -5.7C at Kinbrace in Sutherland. This was the lowest temperature so late in the year since 1899. Kenlay rose to just 6.6C some 10C below the late May average, in fact the maximum temperature at Heathrow was one of the coldest May days on record despite the fact it was so late in May.

All in all it was a Bank Holiday to remember for all the wrong reasons, though clearly an interesting one for meteorologists!