Rainfall in Scotland well above average for May

May was an exceptionally wet month in Scotland, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.

The rainfall of 186mm was more than twice the figure for an average year, although it followed a very dry April.

The wettest part of Scotland was Argyll. The city of Aberdeen was one of the few places drier than usual.

The Scottish figures were in contrast with other parts of the UK, with southern and eastern countries experiencing unusually dry conditions.

The north and west of Scotland saw most of the rain.

At 144mm, Glasgow's rainfall was almost double the average for May.

Argyll had three times as much rain as would be expected in a more typical year.

Even Aberdeenshire had more rain than usual, although the city of Aberdeen bucked the trend. With 44mm of rain in May, it was drier than its average, of 60mm, for the month.

The conditions in Aberdeen were more typical of southern parts of the UK.

Across England and Wales, the Met Office said it was the second driest spring since 1910.

Most affected was East Anglia, which had only a fifth of the rain which would normally fall in March, April and May.

The National Farmers' Union has warned that parts of England may experience localised crop failures.

Much of the weather in May came in from the Atlantic.

BBC Scotland forecaster Christopher Blanchett said: "It was a very wet May for parts of Scotland thanks to a succession of low pressure systems sweeping into us.

"A blocking weather pattern on the near continent - an area of high pressure - meant a lot of the fronts, that bring rain, were focused on us and not affecting other parts of the UK.

"In effect we were in the firing line for the rain and unsettled conditions while parts of England and Wales were crying out for some rain.

"A kink in the jet stream also invigorated the low pressure systems and its position fed them into Scotland on a regular basis during the month."