IF YOU thought the average air temperature in May was slightly cooler than normal, you would be right.

According to the Bermuda Weather Service, the average maximum temperature for May was 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit below normal for this time of year.

In fact, two new daily record lows were reported when the mercury dropped to 62.8 degrees on May 22 — the previous recorded daily low was 63 degrees in 1974.

May 25 had a minimum recorded temperature of 61.9 degrees, beating the previous low of 64 degrees in 1990.

Meteorologist Declan O'Connell told the Mid-Ocean News that May 24 was also considerably colder than in previous years with a recorded high of only 68.2 degrees Fahrenheit.

"The average low for May 24 is 69 degrees, so on this day the absolute maximum temperature was less than the average low," he said, adding that this made it the the coldest May 24 in the last ten years.

The reason? The Bermuda Azores high that would normally bring winds of a more southwesterly nature were split by persistent low pressure to the east of the island.

"This has brought winds from a northwest, through easterly direction to Bermuda through much of the month and winds from these directions typically bring cool air to the area," Mr. O'Connell explained.

Those brave enough to swim would also have noticed the chill and Mr. O'Connell pointed out that sea surface temperatures in the Bermuda area had been trending below average.

Sea surface temperatures during May were about 2.5 to 3.5 degrees below average.

"However, we can't link short-term fluctuations to long-term trends, so we can't link the cool temperatures to any global trends, or global warming," he added.

Mr. O'Connell pointed out that while it was cooler in Bermuda last month, New York saw temperatures peak in the 90s — ten degrees above average for the time of year.