Rains fail during mild, cloudy May.

Weather conditions across Gungahlin and North Canberra during May were generally mild and cloudy, but again rainfall was well below normal.

Nights were cool to cold, with an average minimum of 3.1 degrees, well down on last May’s average of 5.4 degrees.  The warmest night for the month occurred on May 24, when the temperature was a mild 9.8 degrees, while on May 31 it dropped to a freezing -2.8 degrees.  In fact, the temperature in Gungahlin dropped to 0 degrees or below on 7 mornings during the month.

Days were generally mild, with an average maximum of 15.5 degrees, down on last May’s average of 16.3 degrees.  The highest temperature for the month was a pleasant 20.5 degrees, recorded on May 21, while on May 2, overcast skies and gusty NW winds combined to keep Gungahlin’s maximum temperature to just 9.7 degrees.

Gungahlin recorded 13 frosts during the month, and there were 3 fogs.

Winds at the Weather Centre averaged at 5.6 km/h during May, with the strongest gust for the month 54.7 km/h from the N, recorded on May 1.

The recent spell of dry weather continued in May, with Gungahlin receiving just 7.4mm of rain, over 6 days.  This brings the total so far in 2004 to 88.5mm, well below the 137.2mm that fell over the same period in 2003.

Gungahlin’s June Outlook: Current indications are for a slightly cooler than normal June, with days averaging at around 11 degrees and nights at 1 degree.  On a positive note, Gungahlin’s June rainfall is likely to reach, or slightly exceed, the longer term average of 57mm.