Malta basks in record sunlight amid warmest and driest 2023

Malta went through a warmer than usual year in 2023, offering tourists a blissful escape from harsh winters.

Last year stood out with temperatures consistently surpassing monthly averages, making it one of the warmest and driest in recent history, the Malta Airport's Meteorological Office reported.

The Met Office measured 3,020 hours of sunshine, with seven months being brighter than the norm.

July took center stage as the Meteorological Office declared it the warmest month since 1922.

With an average temperature of 29.6°C, the month marked an exceptional heatwave lasting 10 days, peaking at a scorching 42.7°C.

Multiple extreme heat warnings were issued, cementing July's place in the records for its unprecedented warmth.

The trend of elevated temperatures persisted throughout the year, even extending into December.

Opening the winter season with an average temperature of 15.9°C, December exceeded the climatic norm by 1.4°C.

February, however, was an exception, recording the coldest day of the year at 5.3°C.

May and June aligned closely with climatic norms, providing a brief reprieve from the above-average temperatures.

The precipitation year spanning September 2022 to August 2023 saw Malta receiving 554.8 mm of rain, surpassing the annual average.

February stood out as the wettest month, with almost one-third of the annual rainfall, mainly attributed to storm Helios.

In contrast, July remained entirely dry, and autumn failed to bring the expected rain. October, in particular, became the driest on record, receiving only 0.2 mm of rainfall, 77.4 mm less than the climatic norm.

Despite the variations in rainfall, Malta experienced above-average wind speeds in eight months.

April and May emerged as the windiest, boasting an average speed of 10.1 knots. November featured the most potent gust, reaching an impressive speed of 53 knots from the northwest.