A strong North Eastern wind was battering Malta and temperatures remained low this morning, with the Met Office in the early hours reporting a temperature of four degrees degrees which felt like two.

The mercury later crept up but readers reported heavy rainfall in Gozo, where strong waves also washed away a car parked closed to the shoreline at Qbajjar near Marsalforn. No one was injured.

Difficult conditions were also reported on the Coast Road and the Sliema front.

The picture above was taken by Savour Brincat in Sliema this morning.(mynews@timesofmalta.com).

The cold end-of-year and the cyclone in November were the weather highlights of 2014, which was otherwise 'moderate' according to weathermen.  

By the time of writing, when the data for December had yet to be factored in by the Meteorological Office, the lowest temperature recorded last year was 7˚C on March 12.

On the other hand, the highest temperature recorded was ‘just’ 34.7˚C on August 14, which was way below the record registered in 1999 when the mercury soared to 43.8˚C. 

Charles Galdies, university lecturer and former chief met officer, told Times of Malta that, judging by Met Office reports and observations, 2014 was on average warmer and drier than the norm (calculated between 1961 and 1990). “In fact, all months were warmer than the norm as reflected in the highest and lowest temperatures,” Dr Galdies said.

“Of particular relevance was September, which was warmer and drier than expected, with an average maximum temperature of 2.2˚C above the norm, and zero precipitation (compared to a climate norm of 40mm).”

Met Office data till the end of November indicates that rainfall was also below the norm, with the wettest month being November with 88.6 mm. This is still very low considering that, in 1999, a total of 420.3mm of rainfall was measured during the month.