May started off where April left off, grey and wet, but it soon perked up by the end of the first week of the month. Sunny skies and warm temperatures blessed the area on Friday and Saturday, setting the stage for summer within a few weeks.
The average temperature for the first week of May was 9.7 degrees Celsius, a pretty good start to the month for which the normal average temperature is 14.4 degrees for the whole period.
There was 20 mm of rain at the beginning of the week, which is about normal if it repeats for each of the remaining three weeks of the month. But the ground is still wet below the surface, as is evidenced by the tile drains still running, and the water levels in the streams and rivers are still high.
So, fieldwork will be delayed for a few more days as the soil warms up slowly – 10 degrees Celsius at night and up to 15 degrees during the day. Lots of time to cut the lawn, which is now growing like crazy, and the forecast calls for a good two week stretch of sunny yet coolish weather before any rain arrives. Daytime highs will be plus or minus 18 degrees Celsius over the next two weeks.
