TROPICAL temperatures have heralded the start of summer this week.
But records from Huddersfield University show the good weather has been building up for the past month.
Weather watchers at the University say May was the driest month since last October.
It was also the fourth driest May since the University's records began in 1990.
Rainfall was well below average, with a total of 34mm of rainfall recorded.
This was well below the average for May of 47.75mm.
Temperatures during May were also slightly above average for the time of year.
The monthly mean temperature was 12.94ºC compared to the average for May of 12.6ºC.
The warmest day was May 16, when temperatures averaged 17.6ºC and the top temperature in some areas was 23.4ºC.
The coldest day of the month was May 4, with an average temperature of 7.9ºC.
Windspeeds for May were also well below average.
The mean windspeed for the month was 3.92km/hr, making it the calmest May since the records began.
The prevailing wind direction for the month was south-west.
