Retrospectives

May 2007 -a late Spring storm

Later in the day the strong winds would move east, with 71mph reported at Brixham (South Devon). By 16Z the deep low was located inland South of St Malo in Brittany, circa 989mbs and slowly filling. Large pressure rises around its southern and western flank were driving gusts above 60kt into the Bay of Biscay and around Southern Brittany Heavy rain now covered much of England and Wales, some particularly heavy rain moving into central southern England .  In the clearer air further south west thunderstorms affected the Channel Islands and the north French Coasts. The rain continued into the evening and night across England. By 18Z Monday 48 hr rainfall amounts included St Catherine's Pt 81mm , High Wycombe 64mm and Benson 62mm.   

The Bank Holday Monday was a cold day with midday temperatures at High Wycombe just 4.9C and mid afternoon temperatures in Central London standing at just 7.4C making for a miserable cold and wet Bank Holiday for many in the SE.  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. Some notably low afternoon maxes were reported including 6.6C at Kenley & 6.8C at Charlwood, about 9-10C below the late May normal average, in fact the temperature at Heathrow was one of the coldest May days on record despite the fact it was so late in May. All in all then not a Bank Holiday that would go down in history for the right reasons.