Met Office observes driest October in Malta since 1922

October marked an unprecedented period of dry and warm weather in Malta, becoming the driest month on record with a mere 0.2mm of precipitation, significantly below the monthly norm of 77.6mm. This dry spell was coupled with unseasonably high temperatures, as a stagnant area of high pressure settled over the Mediterranean.

The mean air temperature for October soared to 23.9°C, a remarkable 2.2°C higher than the monthly norm. Despite the highest temperature for the month reaching 31.7°C on the 18th, the warmest October day remains in 1999, when temperatures hit 34.5°C on the 27th.

The lowest temperature for the month dipped to 17.8°C on the 15th of the same month. The sea surface temperature also exceeded the climate norm, registering 25.7°C.

Accompanying the warmth were 259.3 hours of sunshine, surpassing the monthly norm by 41.6 hours. The sunniest days were the 9th and 14th of October, each boasting 10.2 hours of sunshine.

In contrast, the 25th became the dullest day with zero recorded hours of sunshine. The mean cloud cover of 1.8 oktas was notably lower than the norm of 3.7 oktas.

Despite the warm and dry conditions, October maintained a lower-than-average mean wind speed of 6.5 knots, which is 0.9 knots less than the norm. The maximum gust of 29 knots occurred on October 20th, blowing from a South by West direction.