COL = Climatological Observers Link
PWS = Personal weather station
MO = Met Office
NRW = National Resources Wales
EA = Environment Agency
est = estimated
inc = including
poss = possible
cf = compared with
srb = since records began
CC = Chiffchaff
WW= Willow Warbler
ST = Song Thrush
BB = Blackbird
BBs = Bluebells
VW = very wet, W = wet, RW = rather wet, A = average, RD = rather dry, D = dry, VD = very dry
Mixed start to May:
Fri 1st very warm and sunny much of Mids, more cloud Marches & Wales: maxima Wellesbourne 25.0c, Cov & Nott 24.7c, Shobdon 17.1c, Lwn 16.8c, Trawsgoed 14.2c, CC 12.8c.
Second week scattering of showers but many missing the worst:
Fri 8th scattered showers, isolated thunder Marches evening.
Sat 9th again scattered showers with isolated thunder. Llanelli/ Pembrey areas affected afternoon these giving over an inch in under 2 hours very locally according to radar estimates. However the Pembrey Sands gauge narrowly missed then with just 0.4mm while a mile or 2 south was getting near an inch. Out of the region Llangurig NRW caught 30mm today (most in one hour). Very little rain here of late at Lwn as we dodged the showers.
Mon 11th frost in places, minima Lwn -1.1c, Trawsgoed +0.1c. Shobdon 0.5c, Cov 3.4c, MH 6.3c. First air frost of the month here at Lwn (chance of another this week).
Cool and showery mid month, some frosts, hail and thunder in places:
Tue 12th widespread frost, minima South Newington (near Banbury) -2.7c, Lwn -1.9c, Wellesbourne -1.4c, Swydd -1.0c, CL -0.1c, Nott 2.8c, MH 6.4c.
Wed 13th cool and showery, hail and thunder in places.
Thu 14th widespread Cb's and showers, hail and thunder in places, Mids especially. In spite of the rash of showers today totals were modest generally under 5mm, with some spots bone dry, CC wettest just 12mm. CL only 0.2mm to 0900 15th. LL caught some heavy hail showers with radar suggesting 5mm there (KN just 1mm). Lwn max 11.2c the coolest for mid/ late May since 2021 (max 9.5c 21st). Cool for all most places 12 to 14c, maxima CC 9.7c, Aberporth 10.9c, MH 13.3c, Pershore 15.5c, CITE 15.6c.
Fri 15th frost in places, Tirabad -0.1c, Swydd, Trawsgoed and Winchcombe (Cotswolds) +1.1c, Lwn 2.3c (poss GF), Pershore 2.7c, Sutton Bonington 5.8c, Aberdaron 7.8c.
First half of May 2026: average or rather cool temperatures; most dry or very dry; sunshine dull to average.
Just up to average very locally where isolated downpours occurred...
Rainfall totals 1st to 0900 16th: Trawsgoed 25mm (dry), Lwn 19mm (very dry), PS 19mm (v dry), MH 14mm (v dry), Cov 13mm (very dry), Pershore 14mm (v dry)
Sunshine totals 1st to 15th: Llanwnnen est 67 hours Rather dull), Cov 81 hrs (near ave), Shobdon 64 hrs (dull).
Cool spell abated after mid month with a heatwave final week:
Fri 22nd sunny periods and warm to hot, maxima Wellesbourne 28.2c, Astwood Bank, Nott & Sutton Bonington 28.0c, Cov 27.7c, Lwn & Trawsgoed 1.9c, Aberdaron 15.5c (as some coasts cooler).
Sat 23rd less warm generally, maxima Coleshill 25.2c, Cov 24.8c, Lwn 21.8c, cool some coasts, Aberdaron max just 13.9c. It was appreciably cooler at Tregaron Bog this afternoon cf our garden (Swyddffynnon max 18.7c). Midlands saw near unbroken sun (Nott 14 hrs, Cov 13.2 hrs), WW sunny spells (Lwn est 7.5 hrs).
Sun 24th thick fog overnight and early morning here at Lwn. Very warm or hot day with sunny periods. Max here 28.4c a new May record (beating 28.2c from 2017). Other max Kew Gardens (UK hot spot) 32.4c, Astwood Bank 29.4c, SB 28.4c, Cov 28.3c, Llysdinam (Powys) 27.6c, Cardiff BP 27.5c (official Wales hot spot), Nott 26.8c, Whitechurch 26.1c, Trawsgoed 24.5c, Valley 18.8c. Unbroken sun widely (Shawbury 15.3 hrs, Nott 15 hrs, Lwn 13 hours after the foggy start).
Mon 25th last night minimum 19.4c at Kenley airfield near London a new May record warm night. Hot from the off reached 27c by 10am here at Lwn then broke the May record from yesterday an hour later (up to 28.6c and rising). Trawsgoed on 29.2c at 1100 BST. Llanwnnen then topped 30c by midday and Trawsgoed an hour later. Close to all time Wales May record (30.6 Newport 29/5/1944)...Lwn above that by 1300. Exceptional day max 31.6c over 3 degrees above yesterday's record and a touch above the June record (31.4c in 2028). Most of England & Wales saw a May record today. Other Max Kew Gardens 34.8c, Wellesbourne 33.3c, Nott 32.3c, Hawarden airfield 32.2c, Cov 31.9c, CL 31.8c, Trawsgoed 31.6c, Gogerddan 30.7c, Shobdon 30.5c, Aberporth 29.4c, CC 28.5c, MH 25.9c. Unbroken est 15 hours sun here at Lwn (also Valley 14.8 hrs).
Tue 26th Tropical night in a few spots...Kenley airfield 21.4c, Pennerley (Stiperstones) 19.7c, Aberdaron 19.4c, Astwood Bank 19.0c, MB 17.5c, Cov 16.6c, Shobdon 12.7c, Trawsgoed 11.8c, Lwn & South Newington 10.8c.
After the warmest May night on record (min 16.6c) Coventry broke its date record before 1100 already up to 28.6c. Llanwnnen up to 27.7c by 10am and Trawsgoed on 27.1c so will challenge yesterdays records. Lwn peaked at 31.1c 1245 today with a bit of a sea breeze thereafter pegging it back to around 28c. Aberporth was at 22c during the early hours then attained max today at 0800 thereafter 23c during afternoon. Exceptionally hot widely again with most of the Mids over 31c scattering of lively thunderstorms broke out late afternoon for N and E Mids in particular. Maxima Kew Gardens 35.1c, Heathrow 35.0c, Wellesbourne 34.1c,Cardiff BP 32.9c, Cov & Pershore 32.7c, CITE 32.6c, CL 32.1c, Shawbury & Shobdon 31.2c, Swyddffynnon 29.5c, Trawsgoed 29.1c, MH 28.5c, Pennerley 28.4c, Aberporth 25.6c. Valley 25.0.
Distant inter-cloud lightning from a Cb east of Montgomery some 50 miles NE of here at dusk. Lightning also visible from Coventry from storms over the E Mids & Beds this evening. Thorpe Satchville (EA) south of Melton Mowbray caught 53mm today.
Wed 27th tropical night parts of the SW, minimum 21.4c at Cambourne (Cornwall). Models were having it cooler for today but very hot again if not exceptionally so. Isolated slow moving thunderstorms persisted many hour over Beds with the massive Cb visible on the Cov webcams. However Mids was less hot today, CL a mere 23c by 1100 BST with an E breeze (this giving us a Foehn effect in the lee of the Cambrians. Maxima Whitchurch 31.8c (hottest in UK), Almondsbury (near Bristol) 30.3c, PS 29.3c, Aberporth 29.5c, Lwn 29.4c, ROW 29c, Hereford & Pershore 27.4c, CL 25.3c, CITE 25c, Nott 22c.
Large cluster of active storms moved N over Pembs mid afternoon. Driving to Somerset we set off mid afternoon as the Pembrokeshire storms edged toward Newcastle Emlyn, stopped a couple of times but no definite audible thunder (LAS workers banging). Stopped again at Morrisons where new storms tracking just west with several rumbles and flashes. Thundery showers and storms widespread across WW during the evening. Very spectacular storm and Cb observed 2230 from Strowlands to the NW with lightning every second or 2, this storm was over 40 miles away above the Swansea area. Got back to the hotel and the radar showed lots of active storms over Wales these passing Llanwnnen quite closely (nearest sferics at 4 miles). Radar suggested 2 inches locally although some of this rain was evaporating before reaching the ground as most stations under 10mm. Lwn caught just 3mm late evening.
Thu 28th spectacular thunderstorms affected the Mids during the early hours inc Coventry. Corley (EA) caught 26mm, Bablake 9mm, it missed Rugby (CL nil). Whitestone PWS near Nuneaton 48mm corroberated by other ones nearby around 40mm. Criccieth NRW 33mm. Coleshill wettest MO stn today with 27mm. Hot day for England but WW cooler though still warm. Maxima Heathrow & Wellesbourne 30c making an unprecedented May run of 6 days above this, Almondsbury, Cardiff BP, Cov & Pershore 29c, Trawsgoed 25.5c, Lwn 24.7c, Aberdaron 18.6c.
Fri 29th thunder heard Cov & parts of Warks this morning, there were sferics on the Oxon/ Warks border mid morning as a weak cold front edged east. Still warm for many, maxima ROW 24.6c, Pershore 24.3c, Cov 24c, Almondsbury 22c, Lwn 21.8c, Trawsgoed 19.5c, CC 16.3c.
Nature notes
Sat 2nd Forestry (remnants) Cuckoo on arrival at layby usual fields, WWs and CCs, 2 Stonechat.
Sun 3rd early evening 20 + HM and 3 or 4 Swift feeding on insects washed down by the rain over the gardens.
Mon 4th S Forestry: Plenty of WW especially shrubby area by the gate, several Tree Pipit and Stonechat and I think Whinchats? Lots of Ticks!
Wed 6th 2 Swift dusk, very few arrivals still. Neuadd BBs at peak. First hay fever proper after hints of it during late April. Never used to get it until June.
First week local country BBs at peak.
Sun 10th 3 screaming Swift recent days, with the bulk yet to arrive.
Thu 14th next door Starlings fledged (most seen was 3 sticking out yesterday). Last year they left 11th.
Mid month most trees (inc Ash) in full leaf. Laburnums starting to bloom by the forestry. Cool spell of late slowed down the Spring flowers thankfully so still plenty of BBs. Laburnum out Drefach farm lane.
Thu 21st getting late in the month and the recent cool damp weather has prolonged blooms of Bluebells, Stitchwort, Cow Parsley and Red Campion (especially where shaded). Poor month though for insects and butterflies due to poor weather mid month. As of 21st still few Swifts about (most seen 5 in one go).
S Forestry: Cuckoo(s) heard briefly twice. Dozen or more WW, Wood Warbler, Tree Pipits, Stonechats, Swallows, CCs, Blackcap.
Llanybydder car park after sunset: c 15 screaming Swift 2 entries to far end of warehouse seen from beneath. Fresh influx with start of the good weather!
Sat 23rd Tregaron Bog distant Cuckoo heard twice. Over a dozen WW, CCs, Blackcaps, Garden Warbler, Stonechats, Reed Buntings, Great White Egret from hide. 2 ladies had been photographing Green Hairstreaks at the further point (near WS) but we did not see any, another lady told us of her studies here for her Masters on the Large Heath (neither did we see any of these).
Tregaron evening, several Swift at least heard, Swallow very low flying and sometimes settling on the road by the car park entrance.
Drive back (the back way): good show of BBs still (considering late on) especially between Llanddewi and Llanfair. Also much Campion and Stitchwort.
Lampeter: 8 or 10 screaming Swift over the town and Uni.
Some fields had a hay cut other side of the Grannell.
Sun 24th Hornet flew over end of garden checking out the Apple trees.
Mon 25th Starling family been about past week (ours?). This evening heard them close by so looked out and they were in the gutter attempting to drink and bathe but it may have dried up, there were 3 chicks and one adult they all flew off looking very healthy. .
Mon 25th Aberduar chapel half dozen screaming Swifts, then Rhyd y Bont another half dozen or so, with some prospecting a loose fascia. Also plenty of HM (dozen plus) with about 10 near or completed nests. Swallow nest side porch as last few years
S Forestry: on top the rough track through the felled areas, one of which was the Darragh's work that was cleared in the Winter. 2145 Njar churring close by soon followed by a Cuckoo. Cuckoo called for 10 minutes at 200 metres, Nightjars very active with much churring, bubbling ang wing clapping at very close quarters until 2210. They were silent as we moved away towards the upper gate and lane. Down the lane a spectacle of Laburnums by flashlight! They have suddenly bloomed after barely being out a week ago. Back at the bottom gate another Njar churring quite close by in near darkness at 2230.
Tue 26th female Sparrowhawk alighted from the holly when I was walking past.
Visit to Somerset end of May (Days, Sedgemoor again):
Thu 28th WSM plenty of Swifts particularly in the Quantock Rd/ Royal Sands (fine building) area (dozen screaming) then about 4 in a dilapidated apex just past the Grand hotel (?) (entries made here). Walking some nice streets from the station along Jubilee abundance of Sparrows chirping away and many properties with holes in.
Fri 29th Cettis Strowlands evening.
Sat 30th Burnham on Sea walked about 6 miles from Highbridge railway station through Apex lakes where several Cettis and Reed Warbler, also some Swallows. Then all along the front and around the town and back to Highbridge.
Sun 31st a few broken egg shells hall (hatched chicks?).
Summary May 2026
Very warm; rainfall ranging from very dry to average; sunshine average or quite sunny.
After a mediocre first 3 weeks (barely above average at that point) the unprecedented heatwave turned it into a very warm May (some 2c above average).
Coventry ended up second warmest May, (the mean temp of 14.3c equal with 1992).
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