AVERAGE OF 10.8 HOURS OF DAILY SUNSHINE BRIGHTEN AUGUST’S DAYS

• August’s highest air temperature reaches 38.1°C
• Sea temperature ranges between 26°C and 28.7°C
• Just over 334 hours of sunshine enjoyed during the month

2017’s August weather in Malta was hotter than expected, delivering mean air and sea temperatures that were 1.2°C and 1.5°C higher than the climatic norm for this time of year.

August’s air temperature peaked at 38.1°C on the first Saturday of the month. However, this maximum temperature was 5.7°C lower than the most extreme August temperature on record, registered back in 1999, and slightly lower than last July’s hottest temperature.

The temperature dipped to the lowest minimum of 21.1°C on the fifteenth day, bringing a welcome mid-month break from August’s wave of sultry weather. The 23rd of August was the month’s only rainy day, producing a total of 4mm of precipitation.

The sea was warm throughout the month, with temperatures ranging between 26°C and 28.7°C, and a mean surface temperature standing at 27.3°C.

Tourists visiting the islands in search of sunny August weather in Malta were certainly not disappointed, as days in August were bathed in an average of 10.8 hours of daily sunshine. Moreover, at 0.8 oktas, the mean cloud cover for the month was lower than the norm of 1.2 oktas.

While the 25th of August was the month’s brightest day, enjoying a full 12.3 hours of sunshine, the dullest day was the 12th of August, during which the sun shone for 6.3 hours. On this day, the Meteorological Office recorded a maximum gust of 33 knots blowing from a north-westerly direction.

Generally speaking, the month was not as windy as expected, with the average wind speed blowing at 6 knots rather than the norm of 6.5 knots.