• October clocked 51 sunshine hours in excess of the norm
• The maximum temperature peaked at 28.6°C, while the lowest dipped to 15.7°C
• Last month became the tenth driest October on record; only 18.6 mm of rainfall were measured
• Wind speed averaged at 5.9 knots rather than the norm of 7.4 knots

October brought generally dry and sunny weather to the Maltese Islands, with the total sunshine hours clocked during the month exceeding the climate norm of 217.7 hours by just over 51 hours. This can be partly explained by the month’s low cloud cover, which averaged at 1.8 oktas rather than the expected 3.7 oktas.

While October’s sunniest day was bathed in 10.6 hours of sunshine, the gloomiest day clocked just 0.4 hours of sunshine, as the month’s only thunderstorm hit the Maltese Islands and produced heavy rainfall. On the day, the Meteorological Office measured 18.4 mm of rain in Ħal Luqa.

Having produced just 18.6 mm of precipitation, October was significantly drier than the climate norm, which stands at 77.6 mm of rainfall. Last October’s rainfall amount was similar to that collected in October 1944 (19.3 mm), 1987 (19.2 mm) and 2004 (19.8 mm), and put down the month as the tenth driest October on the Meteorological Office’s records.

Warm temperatures were another facet of October’s unseasonable weather, which resulted from a persisting ridge of high pressure over the Maltese Islands and most of the Mediterranean Sea. Seventeen days in October registered maximum temperatures that were higher than the norm, with the month’s mean maximum temperature exceeding the climate norm of 25.0°C by 0.4°C. While October’s maximum temperature peaked at 28.6°C, the minimum temperature dipped to 15.7°C on two consecutive days.

October was also a much calmer month than expected at this time of year, with the wind speed averaging at 5.9 knots rather than the norm of 7.4 knots. October’s maximum wind gust measured 33 knots and blew from the Northwest.

Published on: 17.11.22