May was an uneventful but mixed bag of weather which erred to the poor side of average, although no particular weather pattern developed for any significant period of time. Rain was never too far away, albeit never heavy and it was certainly mild - especially by night which has seen the highest monthly mean minimum for May having been recorded.

  However, day-time maxima were not as pronounced; there wasn't a warm spell during the month and only one day topped 20°c; it was more a case of steady and consistent but with a cool end to the month. From the 20th only two days topped the seasonal average for day-time maximums, but with the night-time minima remaining high during this time.

  Subsequently there was no issue with frosts, although of the two ground frosts during the month, the second of these on the 28th is (now) quite late in the season.

  Sunshine was at a premium with the final monthly totals being well below average.

  Overcast conditions prevailed for the first three days of the month with day-times temperatures on the low side. Rainfall was limited to the 3rd, falling in the early hours and then again early afternoon.

  High pressure (HP) then tried to exert itself, but with low pressure (LP) always nearby the weather never managed to settle. The 4-7th were generally cloudy but dry, a little rain between 16-19h on the 6th with day-time temperatures hovering just above 15°c.

  Pressure was at its highest for the month on the 7-8th (1030.2 MB) and whilst the 7th recorded a ground frost, the 8th just failed to do so (0.0°c) in spite of having the month's lowest minimum of 2.5°c. The 8th saw plenty of sunshine and temperatures perked up to 17.4°c.

  The next four days were unsettled with outbreaks of rain, the HP being shunted east by LP in the Atlantic which then pushed a series of fronts across the UK. The 9th was a wet day in the LDNP where Honister recorded the highest 24hr fall (65.4 mm) for the month anywhere in the UK. At Maulds Meaburn these four days were a mix of sunshine and showers with the main bands of rain arriving overnight. Temperatures were mild by night, but on the cool side by day, back to a maximum of 13.0°c on the 12th.

  HP quietened the weather 13-14th and brought a sunny second half to the latter. The HP then exited east with another area of LP approaching from the Atlantic. Trough lines from the south pushed north late on the 15th to bring showers late in the evening and rain overnight into the 16th. The 16th was then a wet day in the east and north of the county, the month's wettest day (9.3 mm) here at Maulds Meaburn, now with a more organised frontal system pushing up from the south.

  The 17-18th saw some heavy showers in the evening as LP remained to the west of Eire, although between frontal systems the 18th did see some sunshine, but which was also a windy day, gusting to 41 mph. In a warm southerly flow the 17th, whilst mainly cloudy did see the temperature rise to a month's high of 21.0°c.

  Despite the proximity of the LP, the 19th not only remained dry, but was also sunny. During the 20-26th LP tended to hold sway and whilst rainfall totals were insignificant, sunshine was at a premium with cloudy skies to the fore. Again, under cloudy skies night-time minima held up, but day-time maxima became somewhat suppressed, hovering either side of 15°c.

  The month then drew to a close on a cooler note. HP, initially from Biscay, moved north and became dominant to our west and introduced a cooler NW'ly flow down its eastern flank. Whilst dry 27-29th and with some sunshine, day-time temperatures struggled. With some sun the 28th managed 16.0°c, but the last three days really struggled at 12°c with the 30th only managing a maximum of 11.7°c.

  The cooler conditions coupled with clearer skies overnight into the 28th, had provided the conditions for a slight ground frost. However, whilst maintaining a slack pressure gradient, a broad area of LP lay over the UK 30th-31st and brought a spell of rain (6.3 mm) in the afternoon of the 30th and more showers during the afternoon of the 31st.

  MSLP of 1016.2 Mb was +1.3 MB above the local average for the month and overall a mean minimum of 7.61°c and a mean maximum of 15.29°c saw the temperature 1.21°c above the thirteen year average for this site.

  It was the warmest May since 2018 and since the record began in 2009, two have been warmer and eleven have been colder - the highest maximum temperature recorded during the month being 21.0°c (17th), the lowest minimum 2.5°c (8th).

  Rainfall of 69.7 mm (Maulds Meaburn North 66.9 mm -- Castlehowe Scar 81.9 mm) was 111.7% of average for 2008-21, making it the driest May since 2020. In a record that commenced in 2008, seven have been drier and seven have been wetter.

  During the month the following was recorded: there were no 'Days off' - the wind speed averaged 8.29 mph, with a maximum gust of 41 mph (18th).

  We had 0 Air Frosts in the month (year 32)          --          Grass Frosts totalled 2 (year 80).

  The 1 foot soil temp ranged from a low of 10.4°c on the 1st        to      a high of 13.8°c on the 19th     --      with a monthly mean of 12.5°c

  The 1 meter soil temp ranged from a low of 9.5°c on the 3rd      to      a high of 11.6°c on the 24th and 28-29th     --     with a monthly mean of 10.7°c

   This makes the Jan' to May period of 2022 1.08°c warmer than the average for 2009-21 and with 84.9% of average rainfall for 2008-21

  At the Met' Office site at Shap a mean minimum of 6.8°c and a mean maximum of 14.4°c saw the monthly mean temperature 1.2°c above average and made it the warmest May since 2018. In a record back to 2001 (one year missing), 1 has been warmer and 19 colder.

  Rainfall of 95.0 mm represents 96.3% of its average. It was the driest May since 2020 and in a record that commenced in 1989, 19 have been drier and 14 have been wetter.

  At Appleby in Westmorland rainfall of 65.0 mm represents 115.5% of its average (1857-2021) and made it the driest since 2020 - in a record that commenced in 1857, 113 have been drier and 52 have been wetter.

  Across the county percentage rainfall totals have varied quite widely, some locations being comfortably below average, with others above. Initially there appears to have been a slight bias to above average falls to the east of the county (115% at Appleby) with Warcop having the greatest percentage fall at 128.9%.

  However, it was a mixed bag and the Met' Office graphic doesn't really show this. The outer NW portion of Cumbria had above average totals from Workington to Abbeytown through to Carlisle; but inland through Thursby, Sedbergham and Keswick (a large portion of the area to the north and east in a line from Penrith to Keswick) falls were closer to 80-90%, but down at 72% at Thursby.

  The central and southern Lakes were just above average, but with the odd discrepancy (86% at Fisher Tarn) and another slight discrepancy was found at Seathwaite (106.4%) and Honister (117.2%) which whilst both finished with above average falls it was more markedly so at the latter. Curiously and despite their proximity, Honister was considerably wetter than Seathwaite (233.4 mm to 185.2 mm).

  Both Brothers Water and Shap finished above average even though all around them was above average, but the drier locations when expressed as a percentage appear to be at opposite ends of the county - Geltside in the NE was down at 77.3% and then down in the SW corner Walney recorded 81% of its average, but the driest location in the county was found nearby at Place Nook in Barrow where just 64% (36.1 mm) fell.

  Figures from the Environment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1991-2020)   ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)’:

  Kirkby Thore 46.0 mm -- (46.1 mm)

  Haresceugh Castle (Kirkoswald) 52.2 mm -- (61.6 mm)

  Brothers Water 125.12 mm -- (139.2 mm)

  Orton (Shallowford) 98.0 mm -- (86.4 mm [average for 1967-2021]) - making it the driest since 2020 and since 1967 when the record commenced, 20 have been drier and 35 have been wetter.

  Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale) 185.2 mm -- (174.0 mm [average for 1845-2021]) - making it the driest since 2020 and since 1845 when the record commenced, 103 have been drier and 74 have been wetter.