Yesterday was the coldest day of the year so far and substantially cooler than the average for this time of the year, the Meteorological Office.

February 2006 continues to register the lowest maximum temperature in the previous 20 years - 8.7°C - as opposed to yesterday's 10.5°C.

Duty forecaster John Darmanin said the maximum temperature yesterday was, nevertheless, about five degrees lower than the average for this time of the year.

The effect of the wind could not be underestimated, he explained. It made the weather feel much colder. In fact, if the temperature were lower than it was yesterday but the wind was not as strong, it would not have felt so cold, Mr Darmanin explained. The wind has the effect of making the temperature feel about four degrees lower than it actually is.

The minimum temperature yesterday was 7°C and was expected to drop further into the night, down to about 4°C, depending on cloud cover, Mr Darmanin said. Lower minimum temperatures have been registered in previous Februaries - 4.9°C last year and 3.8°C in 2006. The lowest for February was 1.7°C in 1956, he said.

According to Malta Weather Services, yesterday was the coldest day in over 20 years, since it started keeping temperature records at Balzan in 1987.