The temperatures picked up from the end of April and abundant sunshine characterized the 2nd, the 3rd and the 4th of May. During this period, the weather was warm by day but cool at night. Winds moved to a westerly direction between the 4th and the 7th, but another anti-cyclone brought southerly winds from North Africa, making the weather very warm for the time of year, but also quite humid. The 8th was warm and sunny, but the humid weather caused a thunderstorm to break at 2.30am on the 9th May. After a fine day, a low pressure ridge arrived from the North-East making both the 10th and 11th both cool, wet and overcast.

Another anti-cyclone arrived and this time there was no humidity or thunderstorms. No rain fell at all between the 12th and the 24th, as pressure rose, and the whole of the UK were covered by the anti-cyclone by the middle of the month. The afternoon of the 14th was warm and sunny, after a dull morning, and the period between the 15th and the 19th was glorious, with gentle breezes, dry air, brilliant sunshine and cloudless blue skies. The reign of this type of weather ended on the 20th when westerly winds took over, but conditions were still settled, if cooler and cloudier. Indeed, the afternoon of the 23rd turned chilly.

The next few days brought a mixed bag of weather. Cold fronts travelled south on the 25th and the 26th introducing a cold northerly airflow. The 25th was overcast and very windy. The 24th was a fine, sunny day but heavy rain fell on the mornings of the 28th and 29th.

The month ended with an oppressive morning but a fine afternoon with sunny spells. Temperatures were above average in a largely quiet month. It was the warmest and driest May recorded since 1992, which was the warmest of the 20th Century. May 1998 was equally as warm as May 1989, which was also one of the warmest Mays of the 20th Century.

Wet Mays were recorded in both 1993 and 1994 in the 1990's. In May 1995 the weather was warm and sunny up to the 6th, then cool and unsettled for the rest of the month. May 1996 was the second coldest May of the 20th Century.

The sunniest day of the month this May, and possibly the year, was recorded on the 17th May with 15 hours of sunshine.

Kevin Phillips - 7.40pm - Thursday 4th June 1998.