Weather log for May 2020

[Note.
Due to illness, the first seven days of this month were missed for some Manilla values. No actual values were noted for cloud or soil temperature. Daily maximum and minimum air temperatures were estimated by regression on values from Tamworth Airport Automatic Weather Service.]

May weekly mean temperatures were slightly below normal, except in the final days.
The weather varied with three rainy periods about the 1st (20.0 mm), 10th, and 21st. At these times, skies were cloudy, dew points were high, nights were warm and days cold. The daily maximum temperature on the 23rd (10.7°) was the lowest for May in the new century. The first frost came on the 11th May, near the median date for it.

Comparing May months

The climate this May marked a return to the cool and moist conditions of May 2015. It was quite different from May 2018, which was warm and dry, and from May 2019, which was warm and wet.

While the mean monthly temperature (13.0°) was rather low, the mean daily maximum (19.9°) was the lowest on record for May. The mean daily minimum (6.0°) was normal.
The rainfall total of 38.4 mm was at the 59th percentile for May, which was near the average (41 mm). Early morning dew point (4.8°) was also near normal, while moister climate was shown by high cloudiness (42%) and narrow daily temperature range (13.9°).

Drought

I will report separately on the on-going drought.

Data. A Bureau of Meteorology automatic rain gauge operates in the museum yard. From 17 March 2017, 9 am daily readings are published as Manilla Museum, Station 55312.  These reports use that rainfall data when it is available. Recording resumed on 20 July 2019. The gauge failed again during February (25/02/2020 ), but was repaired on 11/3/20.
My estimates of early morning dew point have drifted anomalously low. From August 2019, I use data from the Tamworth Airport published graphs.
All other data, including subsoil at 750 mm, are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.