May is the warmest month of spring, but also the most unstable. There can be many days with temperatures above 30 degrees, but also endless rains, like in November. When did it snow in May at an altitude below 1000 meters? When was it more than 40 degrees? What do the records look like for the last 135 years? When was the record rainfall in Sinai set?

Brief information

• The oldest weather record in May, which is still valid, was recorded in 1886: -1 C at the Filaret weather station: – 1 C

• Only once in May was it above 40 degrees Celsius, at a weather station in a commune called Merculesti, in the County of Calaras, in 1950. In Slobozhania on the same day it was +39.9 C.

• The year 1940 brought the lowest May temperatures both in the mountains and in populated areas: -16 C in Oma and -9.6 C in Câmpulung Moldovenesc.

• May 1970 was unusual in that it was the wettest on record. In addition, on the 1st, it snowed in Brasov, 4 cm of snow fell. Also then, a layer of snow fell on Tg Secuiesc.

• May 2003 brought 10-13 days with highs above 30 degrees Celsius in many cities across the country, with temperatures exceeding 37 degrees in Calarasi. Very rarely in the warmest parts of the country, nighttime lows do not fall below 20 C in May.

• On May 14, 1980, a layer of snow fell in Suceava, and snow fell in Merkurja-Chuk, Bistrica and Josena. It also snowed in Bacau, Piatra Neamts, Kotnara and Tg Neamts.

• May 2018 was the warmest in the last decade, the average temperature was +2.4 C above normal. Only May 2003 was warmer. May 1991 was extremely cold.

• May 7 and 8 were special because a layer of snow fell in Josen, Baraolt and Zalau. It snowed for a short time in Fagarashi and Baia Mare.

Years when May gave exceptional weather

1886 year

In Bucharest, Filaret was -1 C, the record still stands.

1889 year

It was 35 degrees in Satu Mare.

1896 year

It was +38 degrees in Alba Iulia.

1915 year

In Brasov it was -3.3, in Buzău – 2, and in Bucharest -0.2.

1924 year

It was +32.5 degrees Celsius in Cluj

1935 year

It was -3.5 C in Cluj, and -3 in Iasi. It was even colder in Timișoara: -5 C. It froze even in Galaţi (-0.1 C)

1938 year

It was -2 C in Kraiów.

1940 year

On May 14 and 15, Omu had -16 degrees, the lowest temperature ever recorded in Romania. In Kimpulung-Moldovenesk on May 1 it was -9.6°C.

1941 year

Another record for May at Omu, a record that still stands. 367.6 mm of precipitation fell during the month.

1943 year

It was -4 C in Oradea.

1950 year

On May 27, Merculesti in Kelerasi County had +40.8 degrees Celsius, which is the absolute maximum recorded for the fifth month in the country. What other extremely high temperatures were recorded then? +39.9 C in Slobozia, +39.1 C in Zimniche, +38.8 C in Turna Magurele, +38.4 C in Chernavod, +38.2 C in Urzichen.

Also that year it was +36.6 in Bucharest, +37.5 in Tuzla, +32.6 in Brasov and +28 in Predial.

But it was also cold in May 1950. In Constanta at the beginning of the month, it was one degree Celsius. On May 2, it was -5.7 C at Intorsura Buzăului.

1952 year

In Kalafat, it was only +1.6 C. On May 22, it was -5.9 C in Predyal

1953 year

It was -2.4 C in Devi.

1963 year

It was -3.6 C in Sibiu.

1965 year

On May 4, it snowed in Tirgu-Secuescu

1969 year

It was +36.9 degrees in Constanta, +38 degrees in Valul-lui-Trayan. It was almost 37 degrees in Calafat.

1970 year

It was the wettest May in the country in the entire history of observations

On May 1, it snowed in Brasov, 4 cm of snow fell. Also then, a layer of snow fell on Tg Secuiesc.

1973 year

It was +32.1 C in Sibiu.

1976 year

It was -1.6 degrees Celsius in Tirgu Mures.

1980 year

On May 14, a layer of snow fell in Suceava, snow fell in Merkurya-Chuk, Bistrica and Josena. At this time, it also snowed in Bacau, Piatra Neamts, Kotnar and Tg Neamts (where a layer of snow of 4 cm also fell).

1982 year

In May, the snow layer was 59 cm in the Paltinis resort near Sibiu (1454 m above sea level).

1984 year

On May 1, 40 cm of snow fell in Sinai (altitude 1,500).

1985 year

It was hot in Timisoara on May 1, but the maximum temperature during the day was +17.6 degrees Celsius.

1986 year

It was the driest May since complete weather records exist. It was +16.6 degrees on Ohm.

1987 year

On May 9, it snowed for a very short time in Brasov, Cluj, Petrosani and Vojnias. In Cluj, the minimum temperature was 0.7 degrees Celsius.

1989 year

May 7 and 8 were special because a layer of snow fell in Josen, Baraolt and Zalau. It snowed for a short time in Fagarashi and Baia Mare. In Josena on May 8, the snow layer was 5 cm, the minimum was 0.2 C, and the maximum reached 8 degrees, so the snow melted quickly.

1990 year

It was -14 C at the top of Mount Omu, the lowest temperature recorded in May in decades.

1991 year

It was the coldest May on record, with a national average temperature of 11.5C

On June 1, there was still a thin layer of snow in Predial – 4 cm. Cooling and snow came on May 25, and on the 27th, the snow cover was 35 cm. It snowed in Predial for seven days in a row. Also in 1991, 53 cm of snow fell in Peltinish (Sibiu) on May 28, and the layer lasted until June 1 (16 cm).

1993 year

On May 24, 146.7 mm of precipitation fell at the Sinaia (City) weather station, which is a national record for May.

1995 year

In Sinai, at an altitude of 1,500, it was -5.9 C.

1997 year

On May 1, the snow layer was 21 cm in Stana de Vale and 35 cm in Predial.

2003 year

May was the warmest month since complete weather records have been kept. The average temperature in the country was 18.4°C. Calarasi was +37.5°C on May 3, and the average temperature for the month was +20.7°C, with 13 days when the maximum temperature exceeded 30 degrees. In Bucharest for 12 days it was +34.4, and the temperature exceeded 30 degrees.

Iasi had 13 days with highs above 30C, with absolute highs approaching 35C. The heat was also felt in the mountains, with Balea Lac only having six days with a layer of snow and Ome nine days.

2007 year

Unusually cold at the beginning of the month: -11.8 C in Cehlau – Toaca, -11.2 C in Kaliman, -7.7 C in Mercure-Chuk, -1.1 C in Bucharest Băneasa, -4.9 C in Satu -Mare and -3.7 C in Tirgu Mures.

2008 year

It was +35 C in Drobeta-Turnu-Severin on the 28th. It was +34 C in Craiova.

2011 year

On May 7, it snowed in Sibiu, the minimum temperature was +0.7 C. However, no layer of snow fell, the maximum temperature for the day was +15.2 C. On May 8, the last layer of snow fell on Intorsura Buzeului.

On May 6, it was -12.6 degrees Celsius, the maximum of the day was -7.1 degrees Celsius.

2017 year

On the morning of May 10 and 11, negative temperatures were observed: -5.1 in Merkurya-Chuka, -4.2 in Toplyka, -1.5 in Deža, -0.4 in Satu-Mare, -9 in Manchester.

2018 year

May was unusually warm across the country, with only 2003 having had a higher temperature.

2021 year

May was a bit cooler than usual. In Stana de Vale, the precipitation record was exceeded: 392.4 mm. The average temperature in May 2021 ranged from 0.5 °C at the weather station Vf.Omu to 17.9 °C at the weather station Zimnicea

2022 year

The fifth month was warmer than usual, especially in Banat, Krishan, Oltenia and Maramures. The average temperature in May 2022 ranged from 1.2 °C at the weather station Vf.Omu to 19.5 °C in Calafate.

source

ANM – Monthly climate characteristics

Statistical Yearbook of Romania, Geography, Meteorology and Environment Section.

National Meteorological Administration – Climate of Romania, Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2008

TuTiempo and Infoclimat platforms