Nature watcher Vilis Bukšs has outlined the main weather trends in May.
Vilis Bukš writes: belief says that if the beginning of May is warm, then the end of the month is cool and vice versa. If the leaf month is wet and rainy, then June and September are dry. In May, on average, once every seven years, the “invasive coolness” repeats, when it is frosty at night, but during the day it rains, hails, and often it also snows “cuckoo snow”. Fog in May predicts a fruitful summer, and thunder predicts a rich one. If there is hail in the month of flowers, then the summer is cool and rainy.
In keeping with the main months of winter, January and February, as well as the first month of spring, March, May promises to be close to annual averages, but with a tendency to be warmer. A little warmer in the east of Latvia, but closer to the sea than usual. Precipitation distribution uneven, but generally more than average.
In the first half of May, until Jeremiah (May 14), mostly unstable and changeable weather. Sunny, warm and dry days will be mixed with cooler days and nights. The temperature at the beginning of the month ranges from plus 16 to plus 22 degrees during the day. The nights are also relatively warm. Later, around May 10, the temperature during the day might not exceed plus 10, plus 15 degrees, but on clear nights, slight frosts in some places. Precipitation during this time is short-lived, spring thunderstorms are also possible.
In the middle of the leaf month, the weather changes. The temperature could rise again and approach the plus 25 degree mark in apple blossoms around May 20. Precipitation short-lived and mostly dry.
In the second half of May, summer weather is possible with thunderstorms and heavy, gusty rain. Around Urbana (May 25) and later there will be days when the temperature may approach the plus 28 degree mark, but this may be followed by brief but heavy thunderstorms and possible hail.
Looking further, it appears that June and the following summer months will be mostly dry and warm, even hot, but with strong thunderstorms.
