End of Month Reports

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

November 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

November 2019 brings more Wetter than Average Weather

The autumnal transition continued over the course of November. However, air temperatures remained relatively warm throughout the month, rising to over 20°C on most days. Daytime highs followed typical patterns. Nighttime lows were particularly warm, however. At 20.7˚C, daytime highs exceeded the norm by only a fraction of a degree. At 19.4˚C, nights were just more than a degree warmer than average. Temperatures were fairly consistent over the past four weeks. November air temperatures ranged from a pleasant maximum of 25.9˚C to a cool minimum of 11.6˚C.

The 129.3 mm of rain measured last month exceeded the 93.6 mm expected in November of a typical year. This was the result of spells of bad weather brought about by unstable weather patterns which traversed the central Mediterranean on a consistent basis. The 14 days of rain and 3 days of hail observed last month were greater than the average for this time of year. The 4 days of thunder conformed with the climate average.

Averaging at 10.0 km/h, the wind speed was weaker than the norm. Weaker winds have been a dominant feature of autumn so far. The month’s windiest day was the 25^th, when a gust of 61.2 km/h (Force 8) blowing from a Northwest direction.

Atmospheric pressure was lower than the norm, perhaps due to the intense low pressure of a Mediterranean Tropical-Like Cyclone on the 11^th and 12^th.

Last mnth’s highlight was a Mediterranean Tropical-Like Cyclone on the 11^th and 12^th. It was responsible for most records this month. It accounted for the only single occasion when the air temperature varied considerably from one day to the next. The margin from the 11^th to the 12^th was of 5˚C. More than half of November 2019’s rain fell over a span of the two days. The highest 24 hour rainfall was measured at 47.8 mm on the 12^th. The severe gale-force winds and heavy rain from the system caused disruption and some light damage.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

October 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

Warmer but Wetter October 2019

October air temperatures ranged from a pleasant maximum of 27.7˚C and a cool minimum of 15.7˚C. They were recorded towards the start and the end of the month respectively. With a mean air temperature of 22.2˚C, October was warmer than average. At 25.0˚C, daytime highs almost conformed with the norm. At 19.4˚C, nights were much warmer than average. Overall, temperatures were consistent throughout October, with no notable heat or cold spells.

The 106.0 mm of rain measured last month exceeded the 83.3 mm expected in October of a typical year. More than half of October 2019’s rain fell in the last week of the month. This was the result of showers and thunderstorms produced by an unstable air mass which remained almost stationary over the central Mediterranean. The 11 days of rain and 8 days of thunder observed last month were greater than the average for this time of year. The highest 24 hour rainfall was measured at 24.6 mm on the 28^th, during a set of thunderstorms. The 7^th, with a total of 24.1 mm, came in at a close second. A notable pattern observed throughout October were the long periods of dry weather in between equally long periods of wet weather.

Averaging at 7.9 km/h, the wind speed was lower than the norm by half. Weaker winds have been a dominant feature of autumn so far. The month’s windiest day was the 8^th, on which a maximum gust of 59.5 km/h blowing from an easterly direction was recorded.

Atmospheric pressure was in line with the norm.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

September 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

Warmer but Wetter September 2019

A warmer than average September brought summer 2019 to a close. The mean temperature was calculated at 25.5°C, 0.9°C higher than the climate norm. Nights were particularly warm. Temperatures were consistent throughout September, with no extreme values. The warmest day was the 3^rd with a high of 29.9°C. The coolest temperature was recorded at 18.6°C, during a thunderstorm on the 11^th.

September 2019 produced 78.4 mm of precipitation at our weather station in Għarb. The first half of the month was especially wet, with 99% of the month’s rainfall falling during the initial two weeks. The second half of the month was practically completely dry. The highest 24 hour rainfall was measured at 44.7 mm on the 10^th, during a heavy thunderstorm. Another notable rainfall event this month was a thunderstorm on the 2^nd. The striking feature in this particular storm was the incessant lightning that affected the Maltese Islands, particularly Gozo. There were 8 days of rain in September 2019. 4 of these were accompanied by thunder. Some hail was observed on 1 of these.

Humidity was also low when compared to the norm. This was due to the higher than average temperatures. Another contributing factor was the plentiful sunshine that characterized the final two weeks of September 2019.

Atmospheric pressure was in line with the norm. A relatively stable second half of the month compensated for the instability experienced in the first half of September 2019.

The wind was stronger than usual. Despite this, no extremes were measured. The strongest gust was measured at only 48.3 km/h from the Northwest on the 7^th.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

August 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

Hotter August 2019

The intense above-average summer heat showed no signs of cooling off in August. In fact, the average temperature exceeded the climate average of 27.1°C on a total of 26 out of 31 days. The maximum temperature for August was registered at the height of a heat spell starting in July and spanning into August, when the mercury hit 35.8°C on the 1^st. The 14^th and 29th, on the other hand, proved to be a breath of fresh air to the Maltese Islands, when the maximum temperature remained below 30°C. A strong wind characterised the former, whilst some rain was measured on the latter.

Our weather station in Għarb recorded precipitation on one day, the 29^th. A total of 0.2 mm were measured. This fell in a brief light rain shower. Total rainfall in August was 8.4 mm lower than average. It is quite common to experience a completely dry August.

Humidity was also low when compared to the norm. This was due to the higher than average temperatures over the course of this month.

Atmospheric pressure was fractionally lower than what one would expect in August. This may be attributed to the fact that two zones of low pressure affected us this month. Anticyclonic conditions dominated the rest of the month.

The wind was also stronger than usual. This is the result of lower than average atmospheric pressure. The strongest gust was measured at 53 km/h from the Northwest on the 19^th, during an unstable patch in the middle of August.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

July 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

Hotter July 2019

2019’s July weather was characterised by air temperatures that were higher than the climate norm. Standing at 27.5°C, the mean air temperature was a solid 1.0°C higher than the norm. The average maximum temperature was calculated at 31.4°C, a marginal 0.2°C higher than the average for a normal July. The average minimum temperature, at 23.5°C, exceeded the climate value by a significant 1.7°C. Using the national criteria for a heatwave, we can say that no heat waves affected the Maltese Islands in July 2019. Several heat spells did though. The hottest day was the 9^th, when the maximum temperature soared to 38.3°C. The sea offered little respite from the intense heat, as its temperature shot up to a maximum of 27°C on some days.

Our weather station in Għarb recorded precipitation on one day, the 16^th. A total of 1.3 mm were measured. This fell in a heavy rain shower which lasted for only a minute. Rain in July is rare, but not unheard of. Thunder was also heard on one day. This was in the form of a rumble or two of thunder as an isolated thunderstorm skimmed past the Maltese Islands early on the 15^th.

Humidity was also low when compared to the norm. This was due to the higher than average temperatures over the course of this month.

Atmospheric pressure was lower than what one would expect in July. This may be attributed to the fact that three zones of low pressure affected us this month. Two of these were quite intense for this time of year.

The wind was also stronger than usual. This is the result of lower than average atmospheric pressure. The strongest gust was measured at 51 km/h from the West Northwest on the 16^th, during an unstable patch in the middle of July.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

June 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

June 2019 was the Hottest June on Record

With a monthly average temperature of 26.1°C, June 2019 was the hottest June on record in the Maltese Islands. It broke the record set in June 2003. The average maximum temperature was calculated at 30.7°C, a solid 2.5°C higher than the average for a normal June. Nights were also rather warm. The average minimum temperature of 21.5°C was 2.2°C warmer than what one would expect in a typical June. Using the national criteria for a heatwave, we can conclude that the Maltese Islands experienced two heatwaves during this month. The first lasted for a period of four days, from 09/06/2019 to 12/06/2019. The maximum temperature measured during the first heatwave was of 37°C on 09/06/2019. The second heatwave also lasted for four days, from 21/06/2019 till 24/06/2019. The maximum temperature measured during the second heatwave was of 35°C on 24/06/2019. Despite this, it was the persistence of above average temperatures, rather than the hot temperatures themselves, that led to this June becoming the hottest on record. Another thing worth noting was the unseasonably cool first week of June. With an average temperature of just 20.9°C, the first week of June was the coolest on record.

For the first time in a number of years, June 2019 was also completely dry. Not a drop of rain was measured at our weather station in Għarb. Thunder was not heard at any point in June.

Humidity was also extremely low when compared to the norm. This was due to the relentless intense heat over the course of this month.

Atmospheric pressure conformed with the mean for this time of year, as normal anticyclonic behaviour was noted.

The wind was also lighter than usual. The strongest gust was measured at 50.0 km/h from the East Southeast on the 14^th, during a brief break in between the two heatwaves.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

May 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

Cooler and Wetter in May 2019

May 2019 was rather cool, as below-average temperatures were recorded throughout. The mean maximum temperature of 23.9°C was exceeded on only 4 days out of 31 days. Overall, the air temperature was 2.3°C colder than the norm. Once again, the biggest margin from the mean was registered by the daytime highs. May 2019 was infact one of the coldest ever. Unseasonal anticyclones over Scandinavia persisted throughout the month. This deflected bad weather towards the Mediterranean. This bad weather brought with it frequent blasts of cold air from the north, allowing temperatures to remain colder than average throughout.

Total rainfall measured at our weather station in Għarb, at 21.1 mm was above the mean for this time of year. The number of days with rain and thunderstorms, at 8 and 4 respectively, were also greater than the norm. This observation is also the result of prevailing anticyclones over Scandinavia, deviating bad weather to the south.

A number of windy days dotted May. Winds were significantly stronger than the average for May. The wind reached Force 6 or higher on 6 days. This was the consequence of air moving from high pressure over Scandinavia towards successive low pressure systems traversing the Mediterranean. The prevailing wind direction was the Northwest. The strongest wind gust was of 68 km/h, registered on the 6^th.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

April 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

Cooler and Drier in April 2019

The air was significantly cooler than average over much of last month. Overall, air temperatures were 2.3°C colder than normal. The biggest difference from the average was registered by the daytime temperature (2.6°C cooler than usual). Nights were not as cold (0.7°C cooler than the norm). This could attributed to the fact that April was characterised by several days of overcast skies and airborne fine desert sand. In this case, light from the Sun would be reflected off the clouds and airborne fine desert sand back into space, preventing the air at ground level from heating up. Finally, temperatures returned to normal in the final week of April. The hottest day was the 23rd with a 27°C high. Conversely, the coldest was at 10°C  on the 1st and 8th.

Total rainfall measured at our weather station in Għarb, at 27.5 mm was below the mean for this time of year. April started off promisingly with regards to precipitation. 25.2 mm (or 91%) of April’s rainfall total fell in the first week of the month. The rest fell in light showers which deposited copious amounts of fine desert sand.

A number of windy days dotted the month of April. Winds were significantly stronger than the average for April. The wind reached Force 6 or stronger on 10 days. This is the Maltese Islands were caught up between high and low pressure systems several times. The strongest gust was of 68 km/h, registered on the 19th. The prevailing wind direction was from the Southeast. This was the result of successive north African low pressure systems passing by us.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

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Precipitation

Rainfall Events

March 2019 Compared to the Climate Means

 Cooler Days but Warmer Nights in March 2019

Daytime highs last month were colder than normal (by 0.3°C at 17.0°C). Conversely, nighttime lows were warmer than average (by 1.1°C at 11.8°C). Overall, March 2019 was warmer than average by 0.4°C, with a value of 14.4°C. The warmest temperature in March 2019 clocked in at 22°C and was measured on a number of days, mainly in the first half of the month. The low of the month, of 10°C, was measured on three nights towards the end of the month.

For yet another month, winds were significantly stronger than average. It reached Force 8 on six days. The strongest was recorded at 85.0 km/h (Force 9) on March 13^th. Most days were characterised by a Northwest wind. This conforms with the climate mean.

Total rainfall measured at our weather station in Għarb exceeded the norm for this time of year. With a total of 56.8 mm, March 2019 was wetter than average by 40%. 50.1 mm of this fell during two major rainfall events. These consisted of a thunderstorm on the 21^st and periods of steady rain on the 27^th. Thunder and hail affected us only during the thunderstorm on the 21^st.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

February 2019 Compared to the Climate Means

February 2019 Sets New Records

The month of February was around average with regards to temperature. Averaging at 12.5˚C, the mean air temperature was only 0.1˚C colder than the norm. Rainfall in February was substantially below the mean at our Għarb weather station. Despite this, most localities in the Maltese Islands experienced a wetter February, particularly across central and southern Malta. The total of 39.1 mm fell over 9 days. Hail was observed on 4 of these. Thunder was heard on only 2 days, however. February set new records with regards to wind. 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.