The sun shone brightly last month – so brightly, in fact, that it was the sunniest June since 1938.

According to the Malta Airport Met Office, the sun shone for an average of 12 hours and 36 minutes every day; one hour and 42 minutes more than the climate norm.

It was also warmer than the climate average temperature for the month, with the mean air temperature at 25.6°C, or 2.6°C more than the norm. With the exception of the first eight days, where the maximum temperatures were within the norm, maximum temperatures were well above the mean this June.

The maximum temperature started to rise after June 8, until it qualified as a heatwave from June 18 to 23 when the maximum temperatures were 5°C or more above the norm of 27.5°C for six consecutive days, the Met Office said.

The highest air temperature of 36.1°C was registered on June 21, the first day of summer, but this did not exceed the record of 40.1°C on June 13, 1997.

Last month’s lowest minimum temperature was 15.7°C – recorded on June 7 – and the coolest June night since 1947 was on June 7, 1975 at 12.6°C.

The average sea surface temperature last month was 23.3°C, which is 2.4°C above the norm for June.

Humidity was lower than the climate norm of 71 per cent, at 64 per cent.

June also had one day of fog, on June 15, when visibility at Malta Airport dropped to 200 metres.

The Malta Airport Met Office urged the public to be more attentive to the UV index forecasts, which were reaching high levels.