2003 second wettest since 1947

Last year was the second wettest since records began to be kept in 1947 by the Meteorological Office.

In an overview of 2003, the Met Office, which now forms part of Malta International Airport, said a total of 899.1mm of rain fell last year, second only to 1951 with its record of 955.6mm. The driest year on record was 1961, with just 274.2mm.

There were 96 days of rain in 2003. Twenty of them were in February alone.

The highest amount of rainfall in a 24-hour period was 100.8mm on September 14/15.

Despite the impression that may have been given by the amount of flooding during that period, it was not a record. The highest ever 24-hour rainfall was 162.5mm on November 10, 1988.

It rained every month last year, but the month with most rainfall was September when, spread over 14 days, 260.1mm of rain was measured. The driest month was July when a shower lasting barely two minutes recorded just a trace.

There were 34 days when thunder was heard, 10 of them in September alone.

On nine days, the rain was accompanied by hail and almost half of those were in February.

The average temperature last year was 19.5°C - this is slightly more than half a degree warmer than the average for the past 30 years. However, the warmest year ever was 1999, with a mean of 19.9°C.

The coldest month was February, with a mean temperature of 10.4°C. In the 57 years that the Met. Office has been operating at the airport, only February 1965 has been colder, with 9.9°C.

The lowest temperature recorded last year was 4.7°C on February 8. On January 29, 1981 the thermometer plunged to its lowest point ever, 1.4°C.

The warmest month last year was July, with a mean temperature of 28.8°C, followed closely by August with 28.7°C.

July last year was also the warmest July since records began at the airport 57 years ago.

The highest temperature recorded last year was 39.8°C on July 1 but this was nothing like the record high of 43.8°C experienced on August 9, 1999.

The sea temperature averaged 20.6°C for the whole year, which is one degree higher than the 30-year average.

The sea temperature in 2001 was even higher with a mean of 20.9°C. The year with the coolest average sea temperature was 1978 with 18.8°C.

The average wind speed for the whole year was 7.1 knots (or 13 kilometres per hour or eight miles per hour). This is about 1.6 knots (or 3 kph or 1.8 mph) lighter than the average for the past 30 years. The highest wind gust was from a north-westerly direction and reached 44 knots (or 81 kilometres per hour or 51 mph) on February 5.

Very poor visibility associated with fog affected the airport on a total of nine days, four of which were in October.

On average we enjoyed eight hours of bright sunshine a day, which is exactly what we experienced during the past 30 years.

2003 was also a warm year

The average temperature was slightly more than half a degree warmer than the average for the past 30 years.

July was the warmest July since records began being kept at the airport 57 years ago.

The sea temperature average was one degree higher than the 30-year average.

We enjoyed an average of eight hours of bright sunshine a day, exactly what we experienced during the past 30 years