Sunnier than average weather carries on into November

Last month was one of the sunniest Novembers in the past 80 years, the Meteorological Office at the Malta International Airport said.

The balmy weather followed the sunniest last 10 days of October in the last 60 years, with an average of nine hours and 54 minutes every day.

November had an average of seven hours and 24 minutes of sunshine a day, the Met. office said. The sunniest November was that of 1963 with an average of eight hours and 18 minutes.

The brightest day last month was November 8 with 10 hours and six minutes of sunshine while the dullest day was November 6 when there were only six minutes of sunshine. The average night temperature stood at 15°C, warmer than the 84-year average. However, the office said, there were another 29 Novembers which were warmer. The warmest November was that of 1926 when the average night temperature was 17.4°C.

The coolest nights last month were November 5, 6 and 12, when the temperature went down to a mere 11.5°C. The coldest November night on record was that of 1995 when at dawn of the 23rd the mercury settled at five degrees above freezing point.

The Met. office said average daytime temperatures last month were only slightly higher than normal. The highest temperature was registered on November 2 at 23.3°C. The warmest November day since 1922 was November 6, 1998 when the thermometer climbed to 28.2°C.

Last month's rainfall was 33 millimetres short of the average. A total of 57 millimetres of rain fell in 10 days, with the heaviest downpour - 18.4 millimetres - falling during a thunderstorm that lasted throughout the night between Monday and Tuesday. The wettest November since 1922 was that of 1999 when 420.3 millimetres fell.

Wind was considered "quite slack" with an average speed of 6.2 knots.

More information is available on the Met. office's webpage at www.maltairport.com/weather