MaltaMedia.com

Posted on September 1st, 2009

maltaweather.com has reported that August 2009 was warmer than average especially at night. In fact, August nights were the warmest ever since temperature records began at Balzan in 1987. The mean monthly minimum temperature of 24.9°C equalled the previously-held record in 1999. The mean grass minimum temperature of 21.5°C also broke the record and was the warmest ever for August.

The mean monthly maximum temperature of 32.1°C was only slightly above average with the mean monthly temperature of 28.5°C being warmer than average by 0.8°C. August 2009 was the hottest August since that infamous August of 2003.

Despite registering a hotter-than-average August, there were no extremes with the highest temperature ‘only’ going up to 34.8°C on the 2nd August. The highest August temperature ever recorded at Balzan was 43.0°C on 10th August 1999. In August, thermometer hit its lowest point at 23.6°C on the 9th August. This was also a record! The coolest August night since records began was on 23rd August 1997 when the temperature hit a low of 18.0°C.

There was only a trace amount of rain measured at Balzan, but other places got some rain, especially Zabbar on the 29th August with 37.4mm during a local thunderstorm which affected mainly the Cottonera area! The light northeasterly sea breeze met the light westerly gradient wind just above this area.

The average wind speed in August reached 8km/h at Zebbug Malta with the highest gust ‘only’ reaching 42.6km/h from the west on the 11th August. In fact, August 2009 was very humid with light winds for most of the month. The most frequent wind direction was the southwest.

More weather information and weather forecasts can be found on www.maltaweather.com