The first showers and thunderstorms over recent days have signalled the arrival of autumn and winter, marking the start of a new precipitation year.

Over the past twelve months, Malta International Airport’s Meteorological Office said it recorded a total of 249.8 mm of rainfall, making the 2023-2024 precipitation year the second driest on record.

It said that this total was 295.5 mm below the climatic norm. Rainfall was registered on 58 out of the 366 days, with only one year -1948 – being drier, with just 230.7 mm of precipitation measured.

The Met Office noted that from September 2023 through to July 2024, every month recorded below-average rainfall. The only exception was August, when 13.2 mm of rain fell on August 22nd, surpassing the monthly norm by 3.5 mm. This brief downpour confirmed the meteorological summer of 2024 as slightly wetter than the norm, despite July being the driest month of the year, with no rain recorded at all.

October 2023 also stood out, becoming the driest October in the Meteorological Office’s history, with only 0.2 mm of rain. However, November – the wettest month of the year – offered some relief, with 53.6 mm of rain providing much-needed hydration for crops after a dry start to the rainy season. November 22nd also marked the wettest day of the year, with 26.4 mm of rainfall.

In addition to rain, the Maltese Islands experienced 14 thunderstorms and even saw hail on three occasions: November 24th 2023, January 6th 2024, and February 29th 2024.

File photo: Gozo News/Alain Salvary

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