Published on May 2, 2024 at 8:46 p.m.
A big absentee in May, see which one. Forecast.
In short:
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Two words to describe May: clouds and storms;
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May will be neither beautiful nor completely ruined;
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Despite everything, the amounts of rain would not be excessive.
A big absentee
Expectations are high in May. This transition month should lead us towards a summer-like temperature regime. In addition, the hope of good weather is reborn with the arrival of the last month of spring. This year, a very different scenario awaits us: dominant clouds. Indeed, the play of air masses risks tracing a fairly busy route of disturbances.
“The changeable nature of May this year will be more so than in normal times,” estimates Réjean Ouimet, meteorologist. This is an ideal situation to see the clouds multiply. A blockage with continued good weather is less likely to occur than in recent years in May. Understand a month less sunny than usual. »
Thunderstorms in sight
Thunderstorms are difficult to predict. Depending on the prevailing atmospheric context, it seems that the situation is conducive to stormy potential. Disturbances from the west and south and rising humidity from the southern United States would be behind this stormy trend. Will we relive the famous derecho of May 2022 this year? Note that this is a line of large-scale violent thunderstorms producing very strong gusts. These violent episodes are very rare, especially in Quebec.
“In total, the amount of rain during the month should remain below normal,” indicates Réjean Ouimet. It will not be abnormally high. Floods of more than 100 mm observed in 2023 should not be repeated this year. On the other hand, days with storms are likely to be more frequent than usual. We already observed this trend in April. Not to mention the abnormally high number of tornadoes south of the border. »
A big absentee
The big absentee would obviously be the sun. That doesn’t mean we won’t see it at all, but extended stretches of good weather may be rare this year. Given the anticipated disrupted regime, the less frequent presence of solar rays would be remarkable during the month. Year after year, Quebec records a period of around ten consecutive days with good weather.
“In May, we can count on sunnier weather than in previous months,” notes Réjean Ouimet. On average, there are 229 hours of effective sunshine in Montreal and 212 hours in Gaspé. We have 15 beautiful days, one in two with at least eight hours of visible sunshine. A more difficult order to achieve this year. »
