End of Month Reports

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

March 2020 Compared to the Climate Means 

March 2020 eases winter’s drought

With 33.3 mm of rain, March 2020 was wetter than both January 2020 and February 2020 combined. Only 6.4 mm were measured in the previous two months combined. The total of 33.3 mm still means that last month was, albeit by a narrow margin, drier than average. Some localities around the Maltese Islands had a wetter March though. It was down to the spatial variation in heavy rain cells on the 25^th and 30^th. The 10.3 mm measured on the 10^th was the highest 24 hour total since last 11^th December  All in all, March 2020 helped ease the drought that has gripped the Maltese Islands since the beginning of December 2019.

A glance at data reveals that the Maltese Islands experienced a typical March temperature-wise. The mean temperature of 14.2°C was only a marginal 0.2°C above the climatic average. Daytime highs averaged 16.8°C, 0.2°C below the norm. Delving deeper, however, will reveal that nighttime lows were on the whole more than half a degree warmer than usual. Values of air temperature varied evenly over the course of March 2020. A notable observation is the lowest maximum temperature of 13.3°C, measured on the 30^th. No day was as cold in either January 2020 or February 2020.

March is typically one of the windiest months locally. March 2020 was much calmer, with only one day of gale-force winds. This was the 26^th, when the month’s highest wind gust of 72.4 km/h from the Northwest was measured.

Atmospheric pressure clocked in at an average 1015.5hPa, slightly below the average for this time of year. This was a stark contrast to atmospheric pressure readings in January 2020 and February 2020. Both months were characterised by extremely high atmospheric pressure. It was the result of a strong positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The pattern flipped during March. A strong high pressure developed close to the British Isles. This expanded to cover a large part of central and northern Europe. The high pressure over those regions deviated the storm track south, encouraging low pressure systems to reach the central Mediterranean.

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Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

February 2020 Compared to the Climate Means 

February 2020 was the Driest February on Record

With a mere 0.5 mm of rain – registered in a brief isolated light rain and/or hail shower on the 5^th – February 2020 has become the driest on record. It broke the record set in 2016. According to climate data, February is normally one of the year’s wettest months. The amount of rain measured over the course of this year’s exceptionally dry February is more comparable to the values usually registered during the summer months. In fact, past data reveals that February 2020 was drier than July 2019.

With regards to air temperatures, the Maltese Islands experienced a very mild February. The mean maximum of 16.6°C was just over a degree above the average. The mean minimum of 11.4°C exceeded the norm by almost two degrees. The first ten days of the month registered all of February 2020’s extremes. With an 18.9°C high, the first day of the month was also the warmest. A few days later, on the 7^th, our weather station measured February 2020’s lowest temperature of 8.1°C. From 10^th February onward, under persistent anticyclonic conditions, the temperature stabilised.

February is typically the windiest month, locally. February 2020 was much calmer, with only one gale. The highest wind gust of 74.0 km/h, from the Northwest, was registered on the 5^th. The wind did not exceed the 50.0 km/h mark for the rest of the month. Calm nights were a common occurrence.

Atmospheric pressure clocked in at an average 1023.2hPa, a full 6.6hPa greater than the norm for this time of year. The maximum atmospheric pressure reading of 1034.7hPa came very close to breaking the all time record for our weather station. A strong positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) prevailed throughout the month. A stronger than usual Azores High in combination with a deeper than normal Icelandic Low was reflected by data gathered at our weather station in Għarb. Anticyclones characterised our weather in February 2020. All low pressure systems, with the exception of one, originating over the Atlantic were forced northwards. This meteorological situation meant that the Maltese Islands experienced complete dryness and milder temperatures in February 2020.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

Wind

Precipitation

Rainfall Events

January 2020 Compared to the Climate Means 

January 2020 was one of the Driest on Record

The month of January was extremely drier than average. In fact, it came close to breaking a decades old record for the driest January ever. The measly 8.9 mm measured over the course of this month was just 10% of the total we normally receive in a typical January. In terms of dry weather, January 2020 continued the trend set at the beginning of December 2019. Only 4 days of rain were recorded. With the exception of a brief hailstorm in Mellieħa, no thunder or hail was observed across the Maltese Islands this month. All rain this January came in brief isolated showers, a weather pattern we often experience in late spring.

With regards to air temperatures, the Maltese Islands experienced a mild January. Daytime highs, at a mean of 15.7°C, were only slightly above the average. The average nighttime low of 11.1°C, however, was a solid 1.2°C greater than the mean for this time of year. A brief cold spell towards the start of the month registered January 2020’s coldest minimum temperature of 7.3°C. No other cold spell was observed over the course of the month. The rest of January 2020, especially its second half, was marked by warmer than average temperatures.

January is typically a windy month, locally. January 2020 was overally quite breezy, with winds reaching the Force 4/5 mark on a number of days. However, it was marked by the complete abscence of gale-force winds. The highest wind gust last month was of only 56.3 km/h, from the North Northwest.

A very strong positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) was present throughout the month. A stronger than usual Azores High in combination with a deeper than normal Icelandic Low left its impact on the data gathered by our weather station in Għarb. Anticyclones characterised our weather in January 2020. Low pressure systems coming in from the Atlantic were forced northwards. This meteorological situation meant that the Maltese Islands experienced some very dry weather and milder temperatures throughout the month of January 2020. This was confirmed by atmospheric pressure gathered at our weather station in Għarb. The mean value of 1025.5hPa exceeded the climate average significantly. The maximum atmospheric pressure reading of 1034.5hPa came very close to breaking the all time record.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

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Precipitation

Rainfall Events

December 2019 Compared to the Climate Means 

Warmer and Drier December 2019

Temperatures throughout the last month of 2019 followed the trend set in previous months. Daytime highs exceeded the norm by just less than half a degree. Nighttime lows, on the other hand, were almost a solid 2˚C warmer than average. December 2019 started on a very warm note, with maximum temperatures of around 20˚C throughout the first week. Nighttime lows never dipped below the 16˚C mark for the duration of the first week. A few days with cooler than average temperature values followed. This didn’t last long, however, as warm conditions returned to the Maltese Islands by mid-December. These prevailed till after Christmas, when the first cold snap of winter gripped the central Mediterranean. It was at this time, that the coldest day and night were measured, with temperatures of 12.0˚C and 6.5˚C respectively.

In a stark contrast to the previous autumnal months, December 2019 was very dry. The 34.6 mm accumulated during the month were a full 75 mm short of the climate average. A typical December is the wettest month of the year. This was the result of anticyclonic conditions that prevailed over the central and eastern Mediterranean. These acted as a barrier, deviating the majority of storm systems to the north. The 10 days of rain and 3 days of thunder observed last month less than the average for this time of year. The 4 days of hail exceeded the climate average, however.

Averaging at 14.0 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 14^th, when a gust of 82.1 km/h (Force 9) blowing from a Northwest direction was recorded.

Atmospheric pressure conformed with the norm.

Last month’s highlight was a severe Mistral on the 14^th. A depression (980hPa) formed over the Gulf of Genoa, and migrated across Italy and into central/southern Adriatic Sea. Simultaneously, a ridge of high pressure developed to its east, over France. The pressure difference generated a severe gale from the Northwest across the central Mediterranean. The depression was derived from one which had produced a windstorm across the British Isles and northwest Europe some days before. This was only the second gale in an otherwise unusually calm autumn. The bulk of last month’s precipitation was produced by this system. The severe gale-force winds and heavy rain from the system caused disruption and some light damage.

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

Atmospheric Pressure

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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

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Atmospheric Pressure

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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.

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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.