• 50 mm of rainfall were measured during spring, making for a drier-than-average season
• Almost 761 hours of sunshine were clocked during the season
• Highest air temperature peaked at 27.3°C; lowest was recorded in March at 7.9°C

The meteorological spring came to a wet close as May produced 8.2 mm of rainfall more than the monthly norm of 10.2 mm. May’s above-average rainfall together with April’s 28.6 mm of precipitation did not fully compensate for March’s paltry 3.0 mm, with the season ultimately failing to reach the rainfall quota for spring.

Spring was punctuated by three thundery days and 14 rainy days as unstable weather resulting from low-pressure systems persisted well into May. While May had the most rainy days, April accounted for spring’s wettest day, which fell early in the month when 17.8 mm of rainfall–which are almost equal to a typical April’s worth of rain-descended on the Maltese Islands.

During the season, the Maltese Islands also enjoyed their fair share of sunny weather, with almost 761 hours of sunshine clocked. While March and April were considerably sunnier than their respective climate norms, May’s 236.8 hours of sunshine made for a much gloomier spring month than expected. This can be partly explained by the month’s mean cloud cover, which stood at 4.0 oktas rather than the norm of 3.0 oktas.

While the weather in May was rather unseasonal, the season’s highest air temperature was reached during this month at 27.3°C. On the other hand, the lowest minimum temperature was recorded in March at 7.9°C. A look at the mean temperatures for each of the three meteorological spring months shows that March was warmer than the norm, while April was cooler and May maintained an average air temperature that was in line with the norm.

As spring wore on, the sea began to get warmer, with the average sea surface temperature gaining 2.2°C between March and May to reach 18.4°C during the latter month. May’s average sea surface temperature was in line with the monthly climate norm, while March and April both surpassed their respective norms.

Throughout the season, the Meteorological Office issued 43 wind warnings to the public, with 20 of these warnings being issued in May. May was, in fact, much windier than the norm, maintaining an average wind speed of 10.1 knots rather than the expected 8.8 knots. May’s strongest gust was recorded thirteen days into the month, blowing at 43 knots from the Southeast.

Published on 20.06.2023