This month has generally been rather cool and dry - at least until Wednesday, when warm moist air came up directly from the Gulf of Mexico and started a couple days of rainy weather. We really need the moisture, being over 2 inches short this month, and most of the time it was rather gentle rain which can soak into the soil rather than running off or flooding. However, there were 7 confirmed tornado touchdowns in the area Wednesday evening, though I've seen no reports of significant damage.

The sun is peeking out now, and it's getting quite humid. Tomorrow's forecast is "steamy" - highs around 90F/32C and very humid. Time for that "air you can wear." Whew!

Down here it is still rather dry & cold though it can be pleasant at noon & early afternoon. The early mornings are in single digits Celsius, though across the mountains & inland it is more like - 2 C or even -4 C. Yesterday it was even raining, to remind us Winter isn't far away. 

@coracle: And the following day I had my new heat pump installed. It replaces a very old one that didn't work well on the coldest days.

I'm glad to hear it, as I can imagine it gets really chilly in Christchurch, even more so than Melbourne or Hobart? It is time to overhaul air conditioning, & even an old clothes dryer, which for years we really didn't need, but suddenly needed, yesterday, when we weren't watching the weather as well as we should have been doing. Only to find that the clothes dryer, bought sometime in 1985, I think, is fairly useless now.    

The winter weather we've been mentioning has finally come. Suddenly I remember the effects of cold wet weather on daily routines. I need to wash my clothes from the last week, and they will mostly have to be dried indoors on airing racks. The lawns, which I hoped would get mown yesterday by the 2-weekly gardener, were too wet after overnight rain, so I hope he will be able to fit them in his schedule on a drier day.

I enjoy my warm lounge but worry about the cold bedrooms during the day.  At least the garden will get its winter rest.

Update: transformed into sun and blue sky - but still cold!

Today the weather is being very shifty, with gloomy overbearing clouds one hour, and small breaks of sunshine the next. It's a bit annoying, considering I go out to do the groceries dressed warmly, but finding that a few hours later that the sky has decided to cheer up.

My dad remarked a few days ago about the absence of squirrels or chipmunks running around in our yard. I wonder if it has to do with the weather? There's tons of hawk-like birds circling around though, so perhaps they have good reason to burrow away.

There are plenty of squirrels in our part of the world, High King Pete.

Our weather is so confused - yet typical for this time of year here. A few days ago it was pushing 90F/32C and humid; today it's very wet and 42F/5C, with frost advisories posted north of here.

(The latest measurable snow on record here is May 28, and we're pushing that. Snow is possible to our north tonight but it is unlikely to reach this far south).

@stargazer

Haha! not to get off topic but your mentions of 'our part of the world' and 'our weather' for some reason reminded me of that quote from LWW “Did you hear what he said? Us Lions. That means him and me. Us Lions. That’s what I like about Aslan. No side, no standoffishness. Us Lions. That meant him and me.”  - What Happened About the Statues, LWW  

It's still a bit gloomy today, but the weather has been very generous! Somehow in the high 80's and 90's without the sun actually have come out, just very humid. Maybe the sun is working virtually? lol

I'm hoping for two dryish days this week. My guttering has had leaks forever, was probably put up incorrectly, and a plastic bucket at the front door is not elegant. 

The tradesman due to replace it all last week got sick, so I need a balance this week of him feeling better and the rain holding off for two days. 

After that I won't mind rain so much this winter.

Update: our province is now having 2-3 days of heavy warning, which is already filling rivers and causing some flooding. My street looks okay to go out in this morning. 

I hope you get those dry-ish days, @coracle!

Do you like the humidity, @highkingpete? Or not?  

Ditto to all the squirrels and chipmunks here! Abundant and so much fun to watch. We have quite a number of hawks too, though.

Posted by: @stargazer

Our weather is so confused - yet typical for this time of year here.

Hear-hear! It went from frost every night a few weeks ago to hot, humid July-like weather the week of May 17, then this past week has been very comfortable, except ... we have a risk of frost tonight, which is concerning, as everyone, including farmers, has planted, so here we will be doing some covering and protecting of the more tender plants. It is quite unusual to have the temp so cold this late in May—not that I'm complaining (morning walks are glorious: the clouds this morning at sunrise was stunning, at just below freezing)—but we would prefer not to lose any recently planted flowers or veggies to frost.

While today and tomorrow are still well below the norm for this time of year, the coming week is gradually creeping up to more seasonable weather again, with some good rain in the forecast towards next weekend. Speaking of rain, yesterday we had what we all longed for—a full day of rain, very much needed. Grateful!

@jo

I'm ambivalent to it Jo! My sister (queenlu) hates summer and humidity with a passion, as you may know lol. I should get her to write a post here about why someday.

It's now very cold here too! I'm surprised that the rain has been so heavy for late may, but on the upside there's lots of fog in the early morning, which is beautiful to view.

Posted by: @highkingpete

@jo

I'm ambivalent to it Jo! My sister (queenlu) hates summer and humidity with a passion, as you may know lol. I should get her to write a post here about why someday.

It's now very cold here too! I'm surprised that the rain has been so heavy for late may, but on the upside there's lots of fog in the early morning, which is beautiful to view.

It depends on which hemisphere you are in. It is rather chilly here today. Winter has set in, & starts officially on Tuesday. It is still dry but hibernation sounds nice at the moment. Midday temperatures might be passably bearable but minimums are freezing. Canberra had -2 Celsius, Melbourne 2 Celsius, Hobart 3C, whilst Sydney is about 6C this morning. 

My province has had a weather 'event' that was mostly rain in great quantities! Two days of solid rain, roads flooding, bridges washed out, farms badly damaged and many people evacuated to safer places. (We have a town called Springfield, which once won a giant donut statue in a Simpsons contest, population 100 - they were all evacuated!)

Everything is very wet, after months of dryness. It was caused by an unusual weather pattern. 

Posted by: @highkingpete

I'm ambivalent to it Jo! My sister (queenlu) hates summer and humidity with a passion, as you may know lol. I should get her to write a post here about why someday.

Interesting. High-five to you, @queenluthevaliant! While I know we are greatly in the minority , this fact is no less the truth. Give me Autumn or winter any day! Invigorating and fresh. I am a deep-down cool-cold weather person. Anything above around 20 Celsius max and I'm done. Also, being a big snow and cloud person only adds to the strong allure of cooler times of year. I tend to 'die' in the summer, but come alive in the following two seasons.  

Posted by: @highkingpete

but on the upside there's lots of fog in the early morning, which is beautiful to view.

That sounds really lovely, Pete! I enjoy walking when mists are in the lower areas of the fields. Mysteriously pretty.

I am really sorry to hear of the evacuations from flooding, @coracle. So many people and their livelihoods affected.  

We had light frost the past three nights, which means we worked diligently every evening covering up our many gardens. A lot of work, but worth it! However, no frost in the forecast from here on in ... probably not until into September now.

This week's temperatures are manageable, then moving to warmer later in the week with increasing humidity. Ugh. Next week, apparently, a heat wave is arriving, as we are then into our first full week of June. Starting to count the days until Autumn, yet aiming to not waste summer days, even when my 'get-up-and-go' is much depleted in the heat.  

@jo

I don't like summer because there are a lot of bugs and it is so hot I can't stand it! When you want to swing on the swing you need to check everything so there are no spiders and they give you bug bites when you go out play and also parents always want you to play outside and when you go outside you get really hot and then you get tired. I like to play but in the summer you get hot and in the winter you don't and at the beggining of spring it's nice because it is still a little cold, fresh and a sort of nice weather to go walking.

On a cool day you can feel refreshed and if you feel a little cold then you could wear a sweater. In the winter it is SOOOO FUN to play in the snow.

"Now winter isn't all bad there is ice skating, and snow ball fights oh and Chrismas"-  Lucy in The Lion Witch and The Wardrobe

In the winter it is my birthday and it's right before chrismas! ? ? ? 

@queenluthevaliant

Summer can be too hot and humid here in Michigan. I prefer the spring and autumn seasons— especially the flowers and color in the trees. They are the best seasons of the Great Lake state.  The weather can change very fast here so if you visit our state be prepared for it.  We have more clouds than most areas of the country, but occasionally we do have a clear day.  🙂

I think it would be fun to visit Michigan! If I went, I would pack for all the seasons, because it gets cloudy and maybe a little cold like you said. I also like clear days as long as it's shady and a little hot. I'd definitely visit in the winter.