End of Year Reports

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

2024 Compared to the Climate Means

Month-by-Month Summary for 2024

January 2024 – Warmer and Drier

February 2024 – Warmer and Drier

March 2024 – Warmer and Drier

April 2024 – Warmer and Drier

May 2024 – Warmer and Wetter

June 2024 – Colder and Drier

July 2024 – Warmer with Average Rainfall

August 2024 – Warmer and Drier

September 2024 – Warmer and Drier

October 2024 – Warmer and Drier

November 2024 – Warmer and Wetter

December 2024 – Warmer and Drier

2024: Dominated by Drier and Warmer than Average Weather 

A staggering eleven months of twelve were marked by warmer than average temperature. A total of nine months recorded less precipitation than normal. Counting July, a typically bone dry month, raises the tally of dry months to ten months.

Overall, 2024 was 0.7˚C warmer than the norm. Both the mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures surpassed the average by 0.7˚C. A late start to summer allowed June to be the year’s only month with temperatures below the average.

2024 was also the third consecutive year to register less rainfall than is expected. With a total of 366.5 mm, 2024 was also the driest year since 2016 and the second driest year since 2010. Total monthly rainfall exceeded the climate norm in two months; May and November. Being the third and final month of meteorological spring, May is typically dry and doesn’t take more than a single rainy day to meet the norm. November was the only month of the year to see the 100 mm mark being reached at our weather station. The highest 24-hour rainfall total was also very poor. An extremely inactive autumn meant that heavy rainfall events were very few and far between.

Numerous showers and a thunderstorm during the first half of January made for a wet start to 2024. The year may have started with a splash, but January’s total precipitation – which amounted to 55.0 mm – did not measure up to the climate norm. The national mean was at an even lower 44.2 mm. Apart from being drier than the climate norm, the month was also a full degree warmer than expected. Overall, February was a continuation of the long-standing warmer and drier than average trend set by all previous autumn and winter months. The third and final month of meteorological winter was marked by frequently changing meteorological conditions due to the passage of several areas of low pressure across our region. That month’s meteorological highlight, a hailstorm, struck central localities of Malta at around lunchtime on the 11^th. This hailstorm coincided with the Sunday celebrations of Carnival. The hail was fairly large and abundant. The town of Mosta was particularly hard hit. March extended the trend of consecutive drier than average months to seven. The second half of the month was particularly warm, particularly due to a prevailing southerly wind. This blew desert sand from over the Sahara Desert towards our region. This sand led to widespread dense haze during Holy Week, from the 26th through to the 29th. April, the second month of meteorological spring, was characterized by changeable meteorological conditions. Temperatures fluctuated throughout the month. The opening day of the month, April Fool’s Day, was the month’s warmest day. The mercury soared to 28.3°C. Various localities across central Malta recorded values of around 30°C on that day. The month’s first few days led many to believe that an early summer was the cards for the Maltese Islands. This notion was short-lived. As a low-pressure system settled over the islands, the weather became increasingly windy and unstable. In fact, the second half of the month was largely dominated by instability; with mild temperatures, strong winds and also some showers being experienced. Warm temperatures in May were not complemented by bright sunshine and light winds. Airborne fine desert sand was present in the skies above the central Mediterranean on a total of 12 days. There were also 4 days with rain and 2 days with thunder. June 2024 was off to a rather bleak start. Light rain showers accompanied by loud thunder were observed on three days in the opening week. This was accompanied by temperatures well below the climate norm. Meteorological conditions took a more seasonal turn over the course of the second week, as summer slowly gained momentum. In fact, a very interesting feature in June was the persistence of airborne fine desert sand. A staggering 23 days were characterized by a thick blanket of haze from over north Africa. The fresher June temperatures continued into the first week of July. This came to an abrupt end around the 9^th. A heat spell with sweltering temperatures lasted from the 9^th through to the 22^nd. This corresponded with a rapid rise in mean sea surface temperature. August 2024 lived up to the local saying “Awwissu x-xemx taħarqu u x-xita tmissu”. This is a local Maltese proverb describing August as being a very hot month, but also the month when we get the first rain. This was true, at least for some localities. The first two and a half weeks of the month lived up to their expectation of being the year’s hottest period. August 2024 was characterized by one main episode of instability and several localized showers. The day of the 28^th saw isolated thunderstorms popping around the Maltese Islands. Referred to as “popcorn” or “pop-up” cells, these clouds formed spontaneously due to ground heating under an unstable atmosphere. This was followed by a more active thunderstorm in the evening. 3000 lightning strikes were registered across the central Mediterranean in two hours. The eighth month of the year, September, kicked off on a stifling note. Hot temperatures coupled with very high levels of humidity and a sticky southerly wind made conditions across the Maltese Islands very uncomfortable. This was brought to an end by outbreaks of instability which brought a series of showers, some of which included localized thunderstorms, to the central Mediterranean. Whilst most localities experienced moderate showers, a handful were affected by downpours. October brought generally dry warm weather to the Maltese Islands. This was the third consecutive year with a very dry October. It was also one of the driest on record. There was only one major rainfall event. After a day of near misses, an evening downpour on the 19^th struck the northern half of Gozo with up to 70 mm in the villages of San Lawrenz and Għarb. Surrounding localities also received a decent share of rain. An extensive area of high pressure (anticyclone) prevailed over eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. Troughs of low pressure (storm systems) remained stuck over the western Mediterranean and northwestern Europe. This helped maintain a persistent easterly air flow across the central Mediterranean. Apart from making October the second consecutive month with the South Southeast as the predominant wind direction, it ensured that warm air was constantly advected from regions of the Sahara towards the central Mediterranean.  November brought a long-standing pattern of drier than average months to an end. With a total of 131.3 mm of rainfall measured at our Gozo weather station, November 2024 was the first month since February 2023 to bring significant rainfall to our islands. This rain was spread over 10 days, with the vast majority of it falling in a cluster from the 8^th till the 13^th due to instability being locked over the central Mediterranean. Apart from a few days with light rain, the only other day with significant precipitation was the 30^th. No extreme rainfall events were recorded, although some brief flooding was observed from a handful of downpours. December 2024 became the tenth consecutive drier-than-average December. Nationally, there were 18 days when at least one shower was measured in one part or another of the island. That is a staggering amount, when considering that rainfall totals were so poor. This is because rain came from isolated showers rather than extensive, widespread rain-bearing low pressure systems. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day shared the title for the lowest maximum temperature. At 13.2°C, it is also the lowest maximum temperature for the whole of 2024.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

2023 Compared to the Climate Means

Month-by-Month Summary for 2023

January 2023 – Warmer and Drier

February 2023 – Colder and Wetter (REGISTERING ONE OF THE WETTEST FEBRUARY DAYS EVER)

March 2023 – Warmer and Drier

April 2023 – Colder and Wetter

May 2023 – Colder and Wetter

June 2023 – Colder and Wetter

July 2023 – Warmer with Average Rainfall (WARMEST ON RECORD) (EQUALLED THE RECORD FOR THE WARMEST JULY DAY EVER) (REGISTERING ONE OF THE WARMEST JULY NIGHTS EVER)

August 2023 – Colder with Average Rainfall

September 2023 – Average Temperature and Drier

October 2023 – Warmer and Drier (WARMEST AND DRIEST ON RECORD) (REGISTERING ONE OF THE WARMEST OCTOBER NIGHTS EVER)

November 2023 – Warmer and Drier (AMONG THE WARMEST ON RECORD) (REGISTERING ONE OF THE WARMEST NOVEMBER DAYS EVER)

December 2023 – Warmer and Drier (REGISTERING ONE OF THE WARMEST DECEMBER DAYS EVER)

2023: The Year of Storm Helios and Heatwave Cerberus

2023 was a year that saw long-standing temperature and precipitation records fall. Numerous phenomena worth mentioning were observed.

Overall, 2023 was only a fraction of a degree warmer than the climate norm. There’s more to it than meets the eye, however. A cooler than average first half of the year ended up balancing out a warmer than average second half of the year. The greatest difference from the climate mean was registered in minimum temperatures. With a mean minimum temperature of 16.3˚C, nights in 2023 were overall 0.3˚C warmer. If we look at 2023 from a month-by-month point of view, however, we notice that it was indeed a year of two faces. Four of the first six months (February, April, May and June) were colder than average. 2023 started off with bright sunshine, warm temperatures and calm. This was the product of a persistent anticyclone that had covered the central Mediterranean since the start of meteorological winter. The anticyclone faded away slowly, with the second week of January 2023 registering the first gale of the year. An abrupt cold snap bringing typical wintry weather started overnight on the 19th and lasted till the end of the month. This was the result of deep low pressure extending from mainland Europe towards the Mediterranean. It brought colder temperatures and eleven consecutive days with at least one shower being recorded at some point during the day. The year’s coldest night was to be that of January 24^th. The mercury that night dipped to a chilly 4.9°C. February’s mean minimum temperature was also calculated at a chilly 8.7°C. February 2023 proved to be a very eventful one too. 149.4 mm of rain were measured over the course of last February. 95% of this were measured in a staggering 35 hours of incessant rainfall from later in the afternoon on the 8th through to the predawn hours of the 10th. The 9th will be remembered for being the wettest February day on record. This was produced by Storm Helios, an intense Mediterranean cyclone which developed over the central Mediterranean. These 35 hours of intense rainfall also accounted for the two days of thunder and one day of hail recorded last month. The rest of the month was relatively stable. Persistent anticyclonic conditions that encompassed much of March proved to be a false spring. The months of April through to June were characterized by colder and wetter conditions. Unseasonal anticyclones persisted over the British Isles and Scandinavia throughout the month, deflecting zones of instability towards our region of the Mediterranean. This instability brought with it frequent blasts of colder air from the north, allowing temperatures to remain colder than average throughout, especially during daylight hours. The fact that showers persisted into the first half of June had a noticeable impact on most meteorological parameters. The rain recharged the soil with moisture. Subsequent sunshine evaporated this, elevating levels of humidity. In fact, relative humidity was a staggering 10% higher than the norm during spring. This prevented air temperatures from soaring to extreme levels early in the season In fact, no heat spells were registered till the end of June. The rain was also heavy enough to cause runoff from roads and valleys. This created an influx of colder fresh water in most bays, cooling down the sea slightly. The late showers also had a visible impact on vegetation. Wild small trees and bushes were given that much-needed boost of surface water ahead of the dry season. Mature trees would utilize this later on in the season. June 2023 was in fact a breath of fresh air from the previous two record-breaking Junes.

It didn’t take long for this state of affairs to change, however. Mean temperatures in Malta in July were overall a staggering 3.5°C over the climate average. This made it officially the hottest July on record. This was down to an intense heat wave dubbed Cerberus. Lasting from 16th July through to 25th July (both days included), it proved to be record-breaking too. Whilst the temperature peaked at 39.8°C across Gozo, the maximum temperature across central Malta spiked to 42.7°C on the 24th. This was the joint hottest temperature measured during July along with the record set back on 9th July 1988. A deeper look into readings from central Malta show how the air temperature exceeded 40°C on a record-breaking six consecutive days. These are 41.0°C on the 20th, 40.2°C on the 21st, 41.1°C on the 22nd, 42.3°C on the 23rd, 42.7°C on the 24th and 40.0°C on the 25th. July’s long-lasting heat wave also broke the record for the warmest night. The minimum temperature on the night between the 24th and 25th remained at a hot 30.6°C at the airport. This heatwave occurred as a result of a heat dome. A heat dome is a phenomenon in which high-pressure atmospheric conditions trap air coming in from the Sahara Desert. The trapped air heats up at an alarming rate as it is compressed, like what happens under the lid on a saucepan. In normal conditions, winds are able to move a heat dome around, but because this particular heat dome stretched high into the atmosphere, it wasn’t easy to move about. This led to the persistent heatwave. The heat dome caused air pollution, desert sand and moisture to become stagnant, leading to a choked up atmosphere. August 2023 proved a breath of fresh air for the Maltese Islands as no heat waves were experienced and temperatures were not as intense. August 2023 also brought about two separate rainfall events.

Autumn 2023 was to be an overall disappointing affair. There were two distinct episodes of instability during September 2023. The first was the one associated with Storm ‘Daniel’ from the 5th through to the 9th whilst the next was on the 25th and 26th. Both missed the Maltese Islands by a whisker. The former caused a natural disaster on Libyan shores. The second month of meteorological autumn, October 2023, was the warmest in decades and the driest in a century. A spell of very warm temperatures was also recorded from the 18th till the 21st. Temperature values at the MetOffice in Malta International Airport were warm enough to be classified as a heatwave. The night from the 19th through to the 20th broke the record for the warmest October night on record. This was down to an anticyclone which spanned much of the Mediterranean and persisted for weeks. The first half of November 2023 brought very warm temperatures to the Maltese Islands. The first day of November was the hottest day of the month ever recorded. This was accompanied by the continuation of a shortage of rain that had gripped the Maltese Islands throughout October. The situation took a more seasonal turn as November came to a close. Temperatures cooled down and precipitation returned to our shores, bringing the first widespread rainfall since springtime. The 86.0 mm of rainfall measured that month fell just short of the climate mean. This seasonal state of affairs was to be short-lived, however. December 2023, the final month of the year and the first month of the meteorological winter, continued the trend of warmer and drier than average weather set by previous months. There were only three episodes of instability; one at the start of the month, another halfway through the month and another just before Christmas Day.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

2022 Compared to the Climate Means

Month-by-Month Summary for 2022

January 2022 – Colder and Drier (REGISTERING ONE OF THE COLDEST JANUARY DAYS EVER)

February 2022 – Colder and Drier (AMONG THE DRIEST ON RECORD)

March 2022 – Colder and Drier (THE COLDEST IN DECADES)

April 2022 – Colder and Drier

May 2022 – Average Temperatures but Wetter

June 2022 – Warmer and Drier (HOTTEST ON RECORD)

July 2022 – Warmer with Average Rainfall

August 2022 – Warmer and Wetter

September 2022 – Warmer and Wetter

October 2022 – Warmer and Drier (NOTICEABLY CALM)

November 2022 – Warmer and Wetter

December 2022 – Warmer and Drier (WARMEST AND DRIEST ON RECORD)

2022: A Year that Shattered Records

2022 was a year that saw long-standing temperature and precipitation records fall. Numerous phenomena worth mentioning were observed.

2022 was significantly warmer than the climate norm. The mean temperature of 19.6˚C was 1.4 ˚C warmer that the norm. The greatest difference from the climate mean was registered in maximum temperatures. With a mean maximum temperature of 23.0˚C, days in 2022 were overall a staggering 2.2˚C warmer. The margin for mean minimum temperatures was of a far lower, but nonetheless significant, 0.6˚C. If we look at 2022 from a month-by-month point of view, however, we notice that it was indeed a year of two faces. The first four months (January to April) were colder than average. January’s mean minimum temperature was calculated at a chilly 8.9°C. January 25^th accounted for 2022’s coldest night. The mercury that night dipped to a frosty 2.9°C. This was the coldest night in seven years. The day of January 25^th also marked the first time in five years that the maximum temperature failed to reach the 10°C level. With a mean maximum temperature of 15.5°C and mean minimum temperature of 9.4°C, March 2022 was the coldest March in decades. The chilly 3.9°C recorded in the early hours of March 25^th, made that night one of the coldest March nights on record. The synoptic situation for the first quarter of 2022 was marked by persistent high pressure across western Europe and successive zones of low pressure over the Balkans. This meteorological setting caused a series of cold snaps to traverse the central and eastern Mediterranean. This persistent cold also had implications on precipitation. The cold air masses that dominated our region prevented zones of low pressure from reaching our shores. Consequently, the first quarter of 2022 was drier than average by a wide margin. Rainfall was particularly scarce during February, causing it to be one of the driest on records.

The month of May was the only month with temperatures around norm. From then on, the atmosphere’s thermostat switched. The summer months were off to a sizzling start. With the mean temperature at an astounding 2.4°C warmer than the climatic mean, June 2022 broke the record for the hottest June on record. The rest of summer maintained the same warmer than average trend. Despite the intense heat, the summer months were lacking the persistent stability we are accustomed to. Cloud cover was greater than the norm throughout. The first rains came earlier too. The months of August 2022 and September 2022 both reported rainfall values higher than the climate norm. Towering cumulus clouds featured on the vast majority of days. The air closer to the surface was hot and humid. Simultaneously, cold air was present in the upper levels of the atmosphere. On numerous occasions, the hot and humid air was forced to rise. Upon reaching the colder air aloft, moisture within the air mass condensed to form dense clouds. These clouds typically start forming in the late morning and dissipate by the late afternoon, peaking in the mid-afternoon. They generated some intense downpours across parts of the Maltese Islands. Whilst temperatures remained very warm heading into autumn, October 2022 failed to deliver its promise of plentiful rainfall. November 2022, the third and final month of meteorological autumn was the wettest month of the year, registering more rain than double the amount of a typical November. Out of November’s 14 rainy days, the 26^th was to produce last year’s most notable event. A severe thunderstorm produced very large hailstones of  up to 2 centimetres diameter in Ħ’Attard. Damaging wind gusts were also recorded by weather stations in neighboring localities. The month of December 2022 rounded off a year of extremes by becoming the warmest and driest on record. The mean temperature of 16.2°C broke a decades-old record set in the 1960s by a fraction of a degree. Moreover, not a single day last month registered maximum temperatures at or below the climate norm of 17.1°C. December is statistically the wettest month of the year locally, but in 2022, even August would turn out to have produced more precipitation. December 2022 broke an almost century-old record set in the 1920s to become the driest December yet.

2022 will also be remembered for the unprecedented periods of calm it registered, especially in the later months. Wind in the Maltese Islands is very common because it is an island in the middle of the mid-latitude depressions’ path and in a band of pressure difference. On average, 92% of all days experience winds of at least Force 2. This means that only 25 days a year are windless. For a total of 15 consecutive days, in October, the wind speed averaged 1.7km/h (Force 1). No wind gusts were reported for days on end. A similar pattern was observed during Christmastime. The calm spell in late December was accompanied by incredibly high levels of humidity. The mean humidity in December was a damp 85.4%, with its levels failing to drop below the 80% mark on almost half of all days. Unsurprisingly, these humid conditions caused a lot of days with mist or fog patches and dewfall. Dewfall was heavy enough to measure on a staggering eight days.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

2021 Compared to the Climate Means

Month-by-Month Summary for 2021

January 2021 – Warmer and Drier (REGISTERS WARMEST EVER JANUARY DAY)

February 2021 – Warmer and Drier (AMONG THE DRIEST ON RECORD)

March 2021 – Cooler and Drier

April 2021 – Cooler and Drier

May 2021 – Warmer and Drier

June 2021 – Warmer and Drier (THIRD HOTTEST ON RECORD)

July 2021 – Warmer with Average Rainfall

August 2021 – Warmer and Drier

September 2021 – Warmer and Drier

October 2021 – Cooler and Wetter (AMONG THE WETTEST ON RECORD)

November 2021 – Warmer and Wetter

December 2021 – Cooler and Drier

2021: A Year of Meteorological Extremes

2021 was an eventful year. It was a year of extremes.

2021 was warmer than normal. With a mean temperature of 19.8˚C, the annual average was exceeded by 1.6˚C. The greatest difference from the climate mean was recorded in maximum temperatures. The months of March, April, October and December were the only ones with temperatures below the norm. A number of temperature-related records were broken over the course of last year. Saturday 9th January, on the second weekend of 2021, broke Malta’s national record for the warmest temperature ever measured in January. A very warm air mass advecting across the central Mediterranean from the Sahara Desert caused the temperature at our weather station in Għarb to shoot up to 23.6°C. An even warmer value of 25.8°C was measured at the airport in Luqa. That same day also broke the record for the warmest January night ever. The minimum air temperature that day dipped to only 17.1°C. The corresponding value at the airport in Luqa was of 19.4°C. More records were to fall in June. With a monthly average temperature of 25.8°C, June 2021 was a solid 2.0°C hotter than the climate norm. It was also the third hottest June on record in the Maltese Islands. Only those of 2019 and 2003 were hotter. A heat wave that characterized the meteorological scene in June broke records as well. Lasting from 20th June through to 30th June (both days included), it ended up being the longest heatwave experienced locally. The previous record of 10 days was set in August 2017. The heat wave’s final day, 30th June, was to break the record for the hottest June day ever. The temperature at our weather station in Għarb soared to 40.8°C on that day. An even higher value of 41.5°C was recorded at Malta International Airport. This heatwave occurred as a result of a heat dome. A heat dome is a phenomenon in which high-pressure atmospheric conditions trap air coming in from the Sahara Desert. The trapped air heats up at an alarming rate as it is compressed, like what happens under the lid on a saucepan. In normal conditions, winds are able to move a heat dome around, but because this particular heat dome stretched high into the atmosphere, it wasn’t easy to move about. This led to the persistent heatwave. The heat dome caused air pollution, desert sand and moisture to become stagnant, leading to a choked up atmosphere.

The coldest night of 2021 came in mid-February. The thermometer dipped to a chilly 5.9˚C on 15^th February. This was during one of two brief cold snaps experienced in 2021.

2021 was a an average year in terms of rainfall when viewed overall. A total of 558 mm was measured. That is only marginally below the climate average. More records were to be broken where rainfall is concerned. Rainfall was below average in a staggering ten months. Only 77.4 mm (or just under 14%) of the total rainfall in 2021 was measured over the course of the first nine months. Rain particularly scarce in February 2021. In fact, it was among the driest ever Februaries. Some places around the Maltese Islands did not see a drop of rain from 5^th April through to 4^th September 2021. No rain was registered in a number of localities for a total of 151 consecutive days. The months of October and November accounted for three quarters (or 428.1 mm) of the total rainfall measured throughout the entire year. October 2021, by far last year’s wettest month, became the third wettest October since record keeping began a century earlier. From early October 2021 throughout to mid-December 2021, the Maltese Islands experienced frequent rainy episodes (43 days of rain), with at least eight of these being events of very heavy rainfall. A handful of storms dumped in excess of 100 mm of rain over a number of localities. The ones which struck in the early hours of 3^rd October, 11^th November and 25^th November were particularly dangerous. Cars were carried away by flash floods, and people had to be rescued from the flooding. The autumn of 2021 was the wettest in over 20 years. The very warm sea that surrounded the Maltese Islands after the very warm summer played an important part in creating an excessively wet autumn. As summer transitioned into autumn, cooler air from over Europe started infiltrating the central Mediterranean. The sharp difference between local and incoming air greatly destabilized the atmosphere above the Maltese Islands, leading to the formation of successive vigorous bad weather systems. In addition to this, a greater amount of moisture was available to be advected into these systems as a result of the very warm sea, leading to larger amounts of rainfall.

Averaging at 17.3 km/h, the wind was marginally stronger than in a typical year. The highest gust last year was registered at 78.9km/h from the Northwest, during a gale on 7^th February.

Overall, the average atmospheric pressure was slightly higher than the norm. The first half of the year was dotted by a series of blocking anticyclones. These are areas of high pressure that remain stationary over an area for several weeks. Bringing long days of uninterrupted bright sunshine, these anticyclones were responsible for the dry weather experienced at the start of 2021. The highest value of atmospheric pressure was recorded on the 23^rd of February. It reached 1035.2hPa. The lowest value of atmospheric pressure registered, on the other hand, was on 21^st March. It dropped to 998.3hPa, as an intense low pressure system traversed the central Mediterranean.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

2020 Compared to the Climate Means

Month-by-Month Summary for 2020

January 2020 – Warmer and Drier (SECOND DRIEST ON RECORD)

February 2020 – Warmer and Drier (DRIEST ON RECORD)

March 2020 – Warmer and Drier

April 2020 – Warmer and Drier

May 2020 – Warmer and Drier (Wetter in areas due to severe thunderstorm on 27^th)

June 2020 – Cooler and Drier

July 2020 – Average Temperature and Rainfall

August 2020 – Warmer and Drier

September 2020 – Warmer and Wetter

October 2020 – Cooler and Drier

November 2020 – Warmer with Average Rainfall

December 2020 – Warmer with Average Rainfall

2020: An Overall Warm and Dry Year

2020 was warmer than normal. With a mean temperature of 19.8˚C, the annual average was exceeded by 1.6˚C. The greatest difference from the climate mean was recorded in minimum temperatures. The months of June, July and October were the only ones with temperatures not above the norm. No month this year broke any temperature records. The hottest day in 2020 was to be 15^th August, with a 35.8˚C maximum. On that same day, the mercury soared to 38˚C across central Malta. The coldest night of 2020 came in the first week of the year. The thermometer dipped to 7.3˚C on 5^th January. A colder 5˚C was measured at the airport on the same night.

2020 was a very dry year overall. A total of 381.7 mm was measured. That is a staggering 200 mm below the climate average. January 2020 became the second driest January on record. February 2020 broke the record for the driest February ever. In fact, with just 0.5 mm of rain, it was as dry as June, July and August. By the end of June, or halfway through the year, only 57.5 mm of rain were measured. A reasonably wet autumn in the second half of 2020 eased the drought. The highest 24-hour total in 2020 was of 112.1 mm on 14^th September. Much of this fell in a heavy thunderstorm that went on uninterrupted for some four hours. This value accounted for just under 30% of the year’s total rainfall. Earlier in the year, on 27^th May, the central and southern stretch of Malta experienced a severe thunderstorm. There was heavy rain, large hail, damaging wind gusts and also a waterspout.

Averaging at 16.8 km/h, the wind speed conformed with the value of a typical year. A pattern worth noting was the higher frequency of windy days (Force 5 to 6), but the lower incidence of gale-force winds (Force 8 to 9). The highest gust last year was registered at 74km/h from the Northwest, during a gale on 5^th February.

Overall, the average atmospheric pressure was slightly higher than the norm. The months of Janaury and February were characterised by persistent blocking anticyclones. These are areas of high pressure that remain stationary over an area for several weeks. Bringing long days of uninterrupted bright sunshine, these anticyclones were responsible for the extreme drought experienced at the start of 2020. The highest value of atmospheric pressure was recorded on the 9^th of February. It reached 1034.7hPa. The lowest value of atmospheric pressure, on the other hand, was recorded on 25^th March. It dropped to 995.6hPa, as an intense low pressure system traversed the central Mediterranean.

2020’s highlights were without a doubt the severe thunderstorm on 27^th May and the heavy thunderstorm on 14^th September.

At least two thunderstorms drenched Malta on 27^th May. The second of these, which struck in afternoon, was confirmed as having been severe. It produced wind gusts of up to Force 8 (over 62 km/h), hailstones with a diameter of around 2.5 centimetres (the size of a €2 coin) and a confirmed waterspout (dissipated over the beach) close to Armier Bay. Total rainfall ranged from 6.4 mm (Birżebbuġa) to 41.2 mm (Għargħur). On the day, an upper-level low pressure system over the central Mediterranean brought relatively cold air from the Balkans over a warm central Mediterranean, creating a great deal of instability with towering cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds that sparked heavy showers and thunderstorms. The wind was very light at all levels of the troposphere, allowing the storms to build up gradually as a result of diurnal heating. Colder air in the upper levels of the atmosphere increases instability. This is because the warmer air at ground level, being lighter and more buoyant, tends to rise. This vertical movement cools the rising air, causing the moisture within to condense and form clouds.

Around mid-September, at least four main thunderstorms struck the Maltese Islands. The first came in the early afternoon of Saturday 12/09. This drenched central and southern Malta. With 67.2 mm of rain, Luqa was the wettest locality. The second thunderstorm occurred in the morning on Sunday 13/09. This affected areas further north. Nadur and Mellieħa found themselves at the centre of this storm, with rainfall values of 40 mm each. The third and most intense storm struck at noon on Monday 14/09. It packed rainfall rates of up to 167 mm / hr, gale force winds and dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning. The island of Gozo bore the brunt of it all. It had to endure nothing less than four hours of torrential rain. In the end, the localities of Għarb and Xagħra had received the most rainfall, with 112.1 mm and 102.0 mm respectively. The 112.1 mm total from Għarb is equal to 1/5 of a typical year’s rain and almost three times the typical September’s rain. The sea surface temperature around the Maltese Islands last summer peaked at 29⁰C, a full 2⁰C warmer than the average. The high sea surface temperature contributed to increased rates of evaporation, which in turn, led to an increase in humidity levels. Around that time, a short-wave upper-level low pressure system passed across our region bringing relatively cold air over a very warm sea. This created a great deal of instability. In addition to this, a greater amount of moisture was available to be advected into these thunderstorms. The end product were the thunderstorms with intense rainfall. The absence of wind aloft meant that the entire zone of instability, along with all the individual thunderstorms within it, were extremely slow-moving. This exacerbated further the amount of rainfall dumped by the storms.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

 2019 Compared to the Climate Means

Month-by-Month Summary for 2019

January 2019 – Colder and Drier

February 2019 – Average Temperatures and Drier

March 2019 – Warmer and Wetter

April 2019 – Colder and Wetter

May 2019 – Colder and Wetter

June 2019 – Warmer and Drier

July 2019 – Warmer with Average Rainfall

August 2019 – Warmer and Drier

September 2019 – Warmer and Wetter

October 2019 – Warmer and Wetter

November 2019 – Warmer and Wetter

December 2019 – Warmer and Drier

2019: The Warmest Year this Decade

2019 was the warmest year in the last decade. With a mean temperature of 19.5˚C, the annual average was exceeded by 1.3˚C. The greatest difference from the climate mean was recorded in maximum temperatures. All spring months, along with January, were colder than average. Conversely, all months from June onward were warmer than average. June 2019 was record breaking. It was the hottest June to ever be experienced in the Maltese Islands. It broke the record set in June 2003. The hottest day in 2019 was to be 9^th July, when the mercury soared to 38.3˚C at the height of a heatwave. The coldest night in 2019 was to be 23^rd February, when the thermometer dipped to 3.9˚C ahead of the strongest wind storm since 1982.

Total rainfall over the course of 2019 was close to average. A total of 559.2 mm was measured last year. The wettest month last year was November, followed closely by October. The two months accounted for almost half of the total annual rainfall. Both spring and autumn were notably wetter than average. As usual, summer was extremely dry. The number of days with rain, thunder and hail were all greater than normal. The highest 24-hour total was of 47.8 mm on 11^th November. This broke no records, and was in fact, much lower than what one would normally expect in a typical year. There were no severe rainfall events in 2019.

Averaging at 16.2 km/h, the wind speed conformed with the value of a typical year. February set new records with regards to wind, however. February is typically a windy month. This year, it was certainly no different. The highest gust last month was registered at 101km/h from the Southeast. This was the strongest ever recorded at our weather station in Għarb. It was during the worst Gregalata since 1982.

Overall, the average atmospheric pressure was also very close to the norm. The highest value of atmospheric pressure was recorded on the 15^th, 17^th and 18^th of February. It reached 1030 hPa on all three days. The lowest value of atmospheric pressure, on the other hand, was taken on 25^th January. It dropped to 987hPa for some moments.

2019’s highlight was without a doubt the record-breaking Gregale on 23^rd and 24^th February. The system that produced the severe gale was a Mediterranean cyclone. The Mediterranean cyclone that formed late on Saturday 23/02 and lasted till late on Sunday 24/02, was the very first since the one in November 2014. A strong jet-stream blew some very warm and humid air masses from the Ionian Sea, the Gulf of Gabes and the Gulf of Sirte towards the central Mediterranean. Simulateneously, frigid air from over the Balkans penetrated the central Mediterranean, initiating the process of Mediterranean Cyclone development. This was the strongest wind since the year 1982. A gust of 101km/h (Force 10) broke the long-standing wind gust record at our weather station in Għarb. The storm-force winds left behind a trail of destruction.