December outshone the climate norm of 156.3 hours of sunshine by 36.9 hours, bringing the year to a brighter-than-expected close.

While November was the dullest month last year, July was the brightest one, treating islanders to just over 365 hours of summer sunshine, the Meteorological Office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Sunny and practically cloudless, July days registered some very hot air temperatures, with the mercury shooting up to the year's highest maximum of 38.7°C on the 13th.

Averaging at 56%, July's humidity levels were the lowest for the year, which has gone down on record as the least humid since 1951.

A windswept January had breezed in with a cold snap, with the temperature dipping to the year’s lowest minimum of 4.2°C on three occasions.

But, on the whole, the year was slightly warmer than the climate norm, maintaining a mean air temperature of 19.2°C. The average sea temperature ranged between August’s 27.3°C and February’s 15.3°C.

Meteorological records show that the year had 24 thundery days - six of which were in January - and two hail occurrences, one in January and one in December.

On December 19, the air temperature was the month’s lowest minimum of 6°C; a full 5°C lower than the 30-year average on record for this time of year.

Also lower than the climate norm for December was the month’s total rainfall, which amounted to a paltry 44.8mm when compared with the expected 104.8mm.

Last year’s wettest month was October contributing over 23% of the year’s total rainfall of 432mm. Although not as dry as 2016, 2017 was the 23rd driest the Maltese islands have experienced in the past 94 years.