Air Temperature

Highest Maximum 38.3°C 9th July 2019
Lowest Maximum 10.6°C 4th January 2019
Highest Minimum 26.2°C 9th July 2019
Lowest Minimum 3.9°C 23rd February 2019

 

Mean Maximum 22.6°C
Mean Minimum 16.4°C
Mean 19.5°C

 

 

Relative Humidity

Highest Relative Humidity 100% Several Days
Lowest Relative Humidity 14% 9th July 2019

 

Mean Relative Humidity 63.8%

 

 

Atmospheric Pressure

Highest Atmospheric Pressure 1030.5hPa 14th February 2019
Lowest Atmospheric Pressure 987.1hPa 25th January 2019

 

Mean Atmospheric Pressure 1016.2hPa

 

 

Wind

Highest Gust 101.0 km/h (Force 10) 24th February 2019

 

Mean Wind Speed 16.2 km/h
Most Frequent Wind Direction West Southwest

 

Precipitation

Total Rainfall During 2018 559.2 mm

 

Highest 24 Hour Total 47.8 mm 11th November 2019

 

Rain Days 92 days
Thunderstorm Days 31 days
Hail Days 20 days

 

 

Rainfall Events

03/01/2019 1.3 mm Light Rain/Hail
06/01/2019 2.5 mm Light Rain/Hail
09/01/2019 12.1 mm Showers
10/01/2019 1.0 mm Light Rain
11/01/2019 2.0 mm Light Rain
12/01/2019 0.3 mm Drizzle
13/01/2019 2.0 mm Showers
14/01/2019 7.9 mm Showers
17/01/2019 2.4 mm Showers
19/01/2019 3.6 mm Showers
20/01/2019 6.6 mm Thundery Rain/Hail Showers
22/01/2019 2.8 mm Showers
23/01/2019 0.8 mm Light Rain
24/01/2019 8.4 mm Rain/Hail Showers
25/01/2019 6.4 mm Rain/Hail Showers
26/01/2019 1.7 mm Shower
27/01/2019 0.3 mm Drizzle
29/01/2019 2.3 mm Thundery Rain/Hail Showers
30/01/2019 0.5 mm Drizzle
03/02/2019 3.2 mm Thundery Rain/Hail Showers
04/02/2019 10.2 mm Showers; Steady Rain
05/02/2019 11.6 mm Thundery Rain/Hail Showers; Steady Rain
07/02/2019 0.6 mm Shower
09/02/2019 0.9 mm Shower
16/02/2019 0.8 mm Shower
23/02/2019 6.9 mm Rain/Hail Showers
24/02/2019 2.8 mm Rain/Hail Showers
28/02/2019 3.0 mm Shower
02/03/2019 0.5 mm Isolated Shower
06/03/2019 0.5 mm Heavy Dewfall
10/03/2019 0.3 mm Heavy Dewfall
12/03/2019 0.3 mm Light Rain Shower
15/03/2019 2.0 mm Light Rain
18/03/2019 0.3 mm Heavy Dewfall
21/03/2019 27.4 mm Thunderstorm
22/03/2019 2.5 mm Light Rain
24/03/2019 0.3 mm Heavy Dewfall
27/03/2019 22.7 mm Thunderstorm
04/04/2019 1.8 mm Light Rain
05/04/2019 19.1 mm Thunderstorm
07/04/2019 4.3 mm Isolated Showers
14/04/2019 2.0 mm Isolated Showers
22/04/2019 0.3 mm Light Thunderstorm
03/05/2019 7.8 mm Showers
04/05/2019 0.5 mm Light Thunderstorm
12/05/2019 2.5 mm Light Thunderstorm
13/05/2019 0.3 mm Drizzle
14/05/2019 2.3 mm Light Rain
16/05/2019 5.6 mm Thunderstorm
26/05/2019 1.8 mm Light Thunderstorm
30/05/2019 0.3 mm Light Rain
16/07/2019 1.3 mm Shower
29/08/2019 0.2 mm Light Rain
01/09/2019 1.0 mm Light Rain
02/09/2019 17.9 mm Thunderstorm
04/09/2019 6.7 mm Thunderstorm
05/09/2019 0.5 mm Light Rain; Distant Thunder
09/09/2019 1.5 mm Isolated Shower
10/09/2019 44.7 mm Thunderstorm with Hail
11/09/2019 5.4 mm Isolated Showers
22/09/2019 0.7 mm Light Rain
07/10/2019 24.1 mm Thunderstorm; Steady Light Rain
08/10/2019 1.4 mm Isolated Shower
09/10/2019 15.0 mm Thunderstorms
10/10/2019 0.3 mm Isolated Shower
16/10/2019 4.8 mm Thunderstorm
25/10/2019 13.9 mm Thunderstorm
27/10/2019 6.4 mm Thunderstorm
28/10/2019 24.6 mm Thunderstorm
29/10/2019 10.0 mm Thunderstorm
30/10/2019 4.5 mm Thunderstorm
31/10/2019 1.0 mm Isolated Shower
01/11/2019 11.4 mm Thunderstorm
06/11/2019 3.6 mm Steady Light Rain
07/11/2019 5.4 mm Steady Light Rain
08/11/2019 TR mm Drizzle schweiz-libido.com
09/11/2019 5.5 mm Isolated Showers
10/11/2019 0.8 mm Drizzle
11/11/2019 47.8 mm Thunderstorms
12/11/2019 24.7 mm Rainy
13/11/2019 1.8 mm Light Rain
17/11/2019 0.1 mm Drizzle
19/11/2019 1.5 mm Light Rain
24/11/2019 12.4 mm Thunderstorms
25/11/2019 14.0 mm Thunderstorms
26/11/2019 0.3 mm Drizzle
09/12/2019 0.2 mm Drizzle
10/12/2019 9.2 mm Rain/Hail Showers
11/12/2019 0.3 mm Drizzle
12/12/2019 11.0 mm Intermittent Rain/Hail
13/12/2019 3.5 mm Isolated Showers
14/12/2019 0.8 mm Drizzle
22/12/2019 1.0 mm Drizzle
23/12/2019 0.3 mm Drizzle
30/12/2019 2.8 mm Rain/Hail Showers
31/12/2019 5.5 mm Rain/Hail Showers

 

 

 2019 Compared to the Climate Means

  Climate Mean 2019 Anomaly
Mean Maximum Temperature 20.8°C 22.6°C +1.8°C
Mean Minimum Temperature 15.6°C 16.4°C +0.8°C
Mean Temperature 18.2°C 19.5°C +1.3°C
Mean Relative Humidity 76% 63.8% -12.2%
Mean Atmospheric Pressure 1016.5hPa 1016.2hPa -0.3hPa
Mean Wind Speed 16.4 km/h 16.2 km/h -0.2 km/h
Most Frequent Wind Direction West Northwest West Southwest -45°
Total Rainfall 585.6 mm 559.2 mm -26.4 mm
Total Rain Days 84 days 92 days +8 days
Total Thunderstorm Days 26 days 31 days +5 day
Total Hail Days 8 days 20 days +12 days

 

 

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 9th July, when the mercury soared to 38.3˚C at the height of a heatwave. The coldest night in 2019 was to be 23rd 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 11th 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 15th, 17th and 18th of February. It reached 1030 hPa on all three days. The lowest value of atmospheric pressure, on the other hand, was taken on 25th January. It dropped to 987hPa for some moments.

2019’s highlight was without a doubt the record-breaking Gregale on 23rd and 24th 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.