Be the first to comment!November recorded as the wettest month in a drier-than-average 2019
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The Met Office’s weather round-up for 2019 noted that the year ended on a rather chilly note as the air temperature dropped to a lowest minimum of 7.6°C on the last two days of the year and hail pelted parts of the islands.
However, December as a whole was generally warmer, sunnier and considerably drier than the climate norm.
2019 started with a wetter-than-average January, which produced 99.8 mm of much-needed precipitation. Having drenched the islands in 107.4 mm of November rain and contributed circa 19% of the year’s total rainfall, the eleventh month of the year was the wettest of 2019.
Marked by a total absence of rain, on the other hand, the Met Office said that June was the year’s driest month as well as one of six months in 2019 to produce rainfall levels that fell short of respective monthly quotas.
Registering a highest maximum air temperature of 37.8°C amid the first heatwave of the meteorological summer, last June became the hottest one on record since 1923.
A second heatwave rippled across the island exactly a month later, when the mercury rose even further to hit 39.6°C and established the 9th of July as the hottest day of the year. Monthly sea surface temperatures were higher than average throughout the year, bar in May.
The 23rd of February was the year’s coldest day, seeing the air temperature dip to a frigid 3.7°C and a severe Gregale storm battered the Maltese islands with winds blowing at a maximum speed of 54 knots, the Met Office said.
A total of 47 thunderstorms were reported at the Met Office throughout the year, with October taking the title of stormiest month after having clocked up an above-average total of 11 thundery days.
There were a full 2992.1 hours of sunshine during the year, with July being the sunniest month, during which the sun shone for just over 368 hours.
The Met Office said that despite being the dullest month of 2019, December outshone the climatic norm by almost 14 hours, treating visitors and islanders to more sunshine than expected at this time of year.
