Sunniest October period in 60 years

The last 10 days of October were the sunniest for 60 years, with the sun shining for an average of nine hours and 54 minutes every day.

The dullest last 10 days of any October were those in 1993 with barely four hours of sunshine a day.

October nights, with a mean minimum temperature of 18.8°C, were almost 1°C warmer than the average of the past 30 years.

The warmest night last month was that of the 3rd/4th with the thermometer showing 23°C at its lowest point. The 17th night of the month was the coolest, as the mercury crept down to 16.1°C.

The chilliest October night was that of 1978 when at dawn of the 30th the temperature dropped to just 8°C.

The average 24.8°C daytime temperatures last month were actually slightly cooler than those of the past 30 years. The October with the coolest days on record was that of 1936 with an average maximum temperature of 22.1°C. The October with the warmest days was in 2001, with an average high of 27.4°C.

The highest temperature for October was 28.6°C on the 25th of the month. The hottest October day on record was that of October 27, 1999 with a sweltering 34.5°C.

Last month, 90.4 mm of rainfall was measured by the Met Office - 18.1 mm more than the 30-year average.

The wettest October since 1922 was that of 1951 when 476.5 mm drenched the Maltese Islands.

On seven of the last 10 days of the month copious amounts of mist formed, lowering visibility to 50 metres on one occasion.

www.maltairport.com/weather