MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY – MAY 2016

That May 2016 goes on record as the fourth hottest May ever experienced in Bahrain since 1902.

The mean temperature of the month was 32.0°C. This is 2.2°C above the long-term normal and exceeded by May 2012 which was 32.8°C, May 2014 & 2015 which was 32.4°C and May 2011 which was 32.2°C.

The mean maximum temperature of the month was 36.6°C. The highest temperature recorded in the month was 41.7°C set on the 12^th May at Bahrain International Airport. But recorded 46.7°C on the 30^th May at Sitra Island.                     

The mean minimum temperature of the month was 28.5°C. This goes on record as the fourth highest mean minimum temperature for May since 1946. This is same as May 2015 and exceeded by May 2012 which was 29.1°C, May 2014 which was 28.7°C and May 2011 which was 28.6°C.

The lowest temperature recorded was 24.7°C set on the 1^st May at Bahrain International Airport. But recorded 21.4°C on the 1^st and 2^nd May at Durrat Al Bahrain.

The mean relative humidity for May was 45%. The mean maximum relative humidity for the month was 66% and the mean minimum relative humidity for May was 25%. 

May 2016 was the Second sunniest month for all May’s since the sunshine records began in 1968. The total hour of sunshine for the month was 354.1 hours and exceeded by May 2014 which was 356.8 hours.

Only trace amounts of precipitation was reported on 9^th, 10^th and 11^th May at the Bahrain International Airport. Note that the long-term average for May is 1.1 mm. The highest monthly rainfall ever recorded in May was 12.7 mm which occurred on May 1907. 

Shamal winds accounted 50% of the observation with gusts reached 36 knots on the  25^th May at the Bahrain International Airport. But recorded 37 knots at Durrat Al Bahrain. 

Dust haze reported on the 25^th May. Visibility dropped to 3000 meters at Bahrain International Airport.