IF YOU GOT soaked in one of the hailstorms on Thursday, and you’re thinking, why is this happening in May? The warmer weather we’ve been having is actually to blame.

The Journal spoke to Met Éireann about the sudden change in weather, and they explained that the clouds that cause these showers are actually formed in warmer temperatures.

The clouds, called cumulonimbus, form when heat causes more moisture in the air and from the sea. They are the big, extra puffy white clouds you can see in the sky.

They usually form as one big cloud, explaining why these showers are sharp and intense but relatively short.

This head causes the water particles to rise further in the atmosphere and freeze, resulting in the hail we saw on Thursday. 

The clouds also generally cover one specific area. 

Met Éireann said though these clouds “can form at any point in the year, we often see thunderstorm activity more often in summer”.

That cold north/north-westerly wind we’ve been feeling may also be contributing to these sudden showers, according to Met Éireann.

They said this with these winds the clouds are “often an unstable air mass (either polar maritime or arctic maritime)”.

“In summer with the warmer temperatures at the surface, as this air moves over the country it becomes more unstable. So that’s why we see thunder and hail activity more frequently in summer.”

The good news is Met Éireann is forecasting a temperature increase and more sunny spells from the middle of next week.