May was warmer, sunnier and drier than usual, carrying on a trend that has been apparent since the start of the year, Met Éireann has said.
Despite a recent unseasonal cold snap which saw near freezing conditions in some places, temperatures overall were well up, with most weather stations experiencing the warmest May for between six and nine years.
Temperatures at Kilkenny and Rosslare were up nearly 2 degrees, while other stations were an average of a half a degree higher than normal.
Rainfall was below normal except in the north and north-west, with stations in Leinster and Munster recording between 60 per cent and 80 per cent of normal rainfall.
It was an exceptionally sunny May, helped by six days of cloudless skies at the start of the month.
The bank holiday weekend is likely to see a mixture of sunshine and showers. However, significantly, temperatures are expected to be well up on recent days, with highs of 20 degrees forecast for Sunday and Monday.
Tomorrow will be humid and overcast, with the weather turning fresher and brighter on Sunday and Monday.
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