Warm and sunny
Last year, Switzerland experienced the second warmest May since measurements began in 1864. Locally, a record number of summer days were recorded and in some cases, new May records for daily maximum temperatures were also recorded (see
climate bulletin
). Last year’s May and the very warm summer of 2022 in general are probably also contributing factors to the fact that some people currently perceive the weather as particularly gloomy. May could well be different, as a look into the past shows.
While in May 2022 people preferred to look for a shady spot, currently people are more often looking for a dry spot.
While in May 2022 people preferred to look for a shady spot, people are currently looking for a dry spot more often. (Daniel Gerstgrasser)
May records: maximum temperature, summer days and sunshine duration
The highest temperature in May to date was measured on May 25, 2009 in Sion at 35.1 degrees. In the lowlands, the highest temperatures measured in May on both sides of the Alps are between 30 and 34 degrees, with most records dating from the end of May 2009.
On the northern side of the Alps, the maximum number of summer days in May is around 10 to 15 days, depending on the location, and on the southern side of the Alps it is 15 to 17 days.
The sunniest months of May in the lowlands
on both sides of the Alps have around 280 to 300 hours of sunshine. The sunniest month in Switzerland was May 2011.
The following graph shows the national average May temperature since measurements began. The significant fluctuations both upwards and downwards are striking. Cold months are therefore no exception and occur again and again.
The May temperature in Switzerland since measurements began in 1864. The red dot shows May 2022 (11.5 degrees). The green dashed line shows the 1991−2020 norm (8.9 degrees), the red line the 20-year moving average.
The May temperature in Switzerland since measurements began in 1864. The red dot shows May 2022 (11.5 degrees). The green dashed line shows the 1991−2020 norm (8.9 degrees), the red line the 20-year moving average. (MeteoSwiss)
Summer days are also anything but a given in May. On average, there are between three and six summer days in the lowlands, depending on the region, but Mays without a summer day also occur.
Cold and wet
We also don’t have to go far back in time to see that cold and wet romania phone number library weather in May is nothing unusual. May 2021 (see
climate bulletin
), but May 2019 and 2013 were also extremely cool. The national monthly average in these years was 2.3 and 2.4 degrees below the norm still in use at the time (1981-2010). But cold does not necessarily mean wet, because in May 2019, some regions also had significantly less precipitation than the long-term average. For example, May was particularly rainy in 1983 in southeastern Switzerland, in 1999 in northeastern Switzerland, and in 2002 on the southern side of the Alps.
May records: lowest daily maximum and minimum temperatures, highest rainfall and lowest sunshine duration
The lowest daily maximum temperatures recorded
in May in the lowlands on the northern side of the Alps are what will you do with artificial intelligence? between 4 and 6 degrees. However, the record values were all set a while ago. Records from early May 1967 or 1987 are often present. At the mountain stations, some records date from May 2019.
The lowest temperatures recorded in germany cell number the lowlands are between -1 and almost -6 degrees. The lowest temperature was recorded on May 1, 1962 in Zurich / Kloten at -5.9 degrees. On the south side of the Alps, -2 degrees were recorded in Magadino / Cadenazzo on May 2, 1962.
The most precipitation in May in 2002 was at the Magadino / Cadenazzo station in central Ticino, with 805 mm. In Ticino and Misox, the record values date mainly from 1983 and 2002, with widespread precipitation ranging from 400 to over 600 mm. On the northern side of the Alps, in wet years, around 180 to 280 mm of rain fell in May.
May was particularly grey in 1983 and 1984. In the lowlands, only about 70 to 100 hours of sunshine were observed.
How has May been so far?
In a survey, the majority of participants would probably answer: “cool, grey and wet”. A summer day has so far only been measured in Geneva, Sion, Basel and at a few stations on the south side of the Alps. The number of hours of sunshine has not been great either. Depending on the region, around 50 to 89 hours of sunshine have been measured to date. However, contrary to the subjective perception of many, the average monthly temperature is still slightly above the long-term average.