the Forth Naturalist Historian - Forth Naturalist and Historian ...

Weather 1998 5
May Warm and mostly dry
The first three days were sunny and quite warm, but under clear skies night
temperatures fell and the last of the spring air frosts were recorded on the 1st
and 3rd. There were light showers on the 4th which heralded the start of an
unsettled spell. Rain fell in a south-westerly breeze over the following four
days but by the 9th the weather had changed to pleasantly warm and sunny.
On the 11th the weather turned dull with low cloud, and there were
thunderstorms and some remarkably high temperatures across southern
England. On the 16th the weather turned hot and sunny after early morning
fog. The daytime temperature topped 20.0°C over four days, and exceeded
25.0°C in Bridge of Allan on the 17th, 18th and 19th. This brief glimpse of
summer was interrupted on the 20th but the warm spell eventually continued
until the 24th. Temperatures fell away quickly in a fresh north-westerly wind
on the 25th and cold showery Arctic air dominated the weather for the
remainder of the month and there was some late snow on the Scottish hills.
There was continuous heavy rain on the last day of the month (10.9 mm).
June Cool and rather wet at times
Dull cloudy conditions gave way to sunny spells during the course of the
2nd. The 4th and 5th were sunny and warm days, but cloud and rain arrived
late on the 5th, and the 6th was cold, dull and very wet (16.9 mm). There was
further rain on the 8th and 9th, the 48 h total reaching 22.6 mm. Cold Arctic air
then resulted in three cold days with sunny spells and heavy showers, some of
which fell as hail. The weather improved a little from the 12th and, although
the pattern of sunny spells and intermittent rain continued, the air became
slightly warmer. After one more cold and wet day on the 15th, the weather
began to improve gradually. The 17th was a bright sunny day, but cloud
returned on the 18th and 19th. The daytime temperature topped 20.0°C
between the 19th and 21st with variable amounts of cloud. This proved to be
the only warm spell of the month. Unsettled weather took control again late on
the 21st and the end of the month was dominated by intermittent rain in a
fresh south-westerly wind.
July Warm at first, becoming cool and wet
The first seven days were generally warm and dry but there was a little light
rain on the 4th. Daytime temperatures exceeded 20.0°C for the first four days.
The weather became cool and damp from the 8th. There was a spell of
continuous heavy rain on the 12th (16.4 mm) which was the coldest day of the
month (13.4°C). The following few days were sunny and relatively warm, but
rain returned late on the 16th (11.3 mm). The unsettled pattern continued until
the end of the month, there being further very wet days on the 19th and 22nd,
and measurable rainfall on every day except the 31st. Sunday the 19th was a
particularly wet and windy day (20.3 mm). However, sunny spells became
more frequent and prolonged towards the end of the month and the 31st was
sunny and very warm (22.1°C).