Updated: May 31, 2023 07:56 AM
Awash: record rainfall inundated flood-prone Mill Creek Road last week (Photograph by Akil Simmons)
The wettest May in 74 years has been recorded by the Bermuda Weather Service.
A succession of “very large and wet” low-pressure systems kept a conveyor belt of rain pushing across Bermuda from May 22, according to Michelle Pitcher, the BWS director.
“Now we can say that this May is officially the wettest May on record since 1949,” Ms Pitcher said.
As of noon yesterday, the island had racked up 12.26 inches — three times the average — beating the next highest contender by more than half an inch.
Ms Pitcher said the downpour over the Bermuda Day holiday weekend “put us in record-breaking territory”.
A punishing week of rain made road conditions challenging for drivers (Photograph by Akil Simmons)
May 1997 was waterlogged with 11.70in of rainfall, followed by May 2008 at 10.21in.
“A series of low-pressure systems between Bermuda and the US East Coast has been sending tropical moisture through our area,” Ms Pitcher said.
“These systems have been very large and wet, maintaining measurable amounts of precipitation for over a week now.”
Flooding hit low-lying stretches of road around the island and caused enough potholes to prompt a warning to drivers from police.
The BWS said a stalled low-pressure system looming to the west of the island would continue to bring rain, humidity and occasional rumbles of thunder into the area, carried on a southeasterly wind.
Wet weather is to persist through the remainder of this week.
Bermuda recorded just under a half inch of rain on May 22, but the subsequent two days each scored the same precipitation figure: 2.48in.
The worst came for the Bermuda Day holiday last Friday, when 3in got dumped on the island.
“Cloudy and wet” was forecast to continue into Saturday — with the consolation of “possible brief sunny breaks” later in the day.
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