Washout Bank Holiday weekend ends stunning weather, as Northern Ireland records sunniest spring ever with 150 extra hours of blazing light
Weeks of stunning weather are due to come to an end with a washout Bank Holiday weekend, after Northern Ireland recorded its sunniest ever spring.
Rain was set to move in overnight, with the Met Office stating the province is in for a grey, blustery and wet extended weekend.
But even as Ulster mourns the end of balmy blue skies and bright days, we can rejoice in the knowledge that we’ve just enjoyed the sunniest spring Northern Ireland has ever recorded.
And there’s some hope of a slight return of the good weather next weekend – though forecasters cautioned that it’s too early to tell for sure.
According to a Met Office spokeswoman, figures show that by Friday morning (23rd) the province had experienced 580 hours of sunshine over March, April and May so far.
The previous record for the full three months was 559 hours, set in 2020 – so even though May isn’t over yet, the record has been thoroughly smashed.
Indeed, the average is 432 hours over the whole of spring, so sun-worshippers have been able to bask in 134% of the sunshine they could usually expect.
Despite the impression the last few weeks might have given, balmy days couldn’t last forever, and as clouds arrived over the course of Friday a few people still hit parks and pavement cafes, beaches and beer gardens in a bid to enjoy the last of the rapidly fading good weather.
The Bank Holiday weekend is forecast to be a much less pleasant experience, with blustery conditions moving in over Friday night and Saturday morning that were predicted to last well into the week.
The weekend won’t actually be that cold – temperatures mostly hovering around the mid-teens, only a little below average for this time of year, with a maximum of 19°C on Saturday. But with winds kicking up and regular showers moving in from the west, it’ll certainly be a noticeable difference to the past few weeks.
Said the Met Office spokeswoman: “It’ll certainly be a shock to the system for everyone who’s got used to just stepping outside without thinking.”
Rain is set to ease off a little on Sunday, though the spokeswoman warned to expect showers while winds will get worse, hitting around 35mph to 40mph – “It’ll be really quite blustery,” she said.
The weekend is likely to feel humid as well, both during the day and at night.
Bank Holiday Monday is to see broadly similar conditions, with temperatures around 14°C to 15°C, something the spokeswoman said would “feel chilly” after the last few weeks of blazing sun.
Moving ahead, long-range forecasts indicate that the week to come will be overcast, with scattered sunny intervals and showers.
There’s a glimmer of hope for next weekend, however, with the spokeswoman it could bring May to a close with a return of some of the sun Northern Ireland enjoyed for weeks.
"It’s early days and too soon to say for sure, but there is a chance of brighter weather,” she said.