Hottest day of July saw mercury rise to 40.5°C

July delivered its trademark sweltering heat, tempered only by bursts of strong northwesterly winds that whipped up the sea and threw a wrench into festa preparations at the peak of the summer season.

The Met Office said the average temperature for July stood at 28.4°C, which is 1.5°C warmer than the climatic norm of 26.9°C. Both the mean maximum (33.2°C) and the mean minimum temperatures (23.7°C) were above their respective norms. Without a doubt, the hottest days occurred in the second half of the month, with the Meteorological Office even issuing red warnings, the highest level of alert, to inform the public about extreme temperatures that on some days exceeded 40°C.

The hottest day was the 22nd of July, when the mercury climbed to 40.5°C, while the lowest temperature, 21.4°C, was recorded on the 11 July.

Even the sea offered little relief, with sea surface temperatures averaging 27.4°C, which is 2.2°C above the climatic norm.

On certain days, particularly around the second Sunday of the month and towards the end, the northwesterly wind brought some respite and lowered temperatures slightly. While wind in July is nothing unusual, last month was windier than the climatic norm, with an average wind speed of 8.3 knots. The strongest gust was recorded on the 28 of July, blowing from the west-northwest and reaching 36 knots.

Santa Marija weather forecast

“If July left the fields completely parched, August normally brings a little relief thanks to the popular ‘għerejjex ta’ Santa Marija.’ In fact, the weather forecast for the long Santa Marija weekend, when many take their holidays, indicates the possibility of isolated showers on Sunday,” a Met Office statment read.

Festa enthusiasts in villages celebrating Santa Marija can rest assured that the weather is expected to remain hot and sunny until Saturday 16 August, with the maximum temperature forecast to reach 34°C.

Despite slightly cloudy skies and the possibility of rain, the temperatures are expected to vary between 24°C and 32°C on Sunday.