If the air-conditioning system in your car could not keep up with the heat and your ice cream appeared to melt faster, it was no illusion.

The temperature hit a maximum of 38.7°C yesterday, the highest recorded so far this summer, according to Malta International Airport’s Meteorological Office.

The hot weather scorching the central Mediterranean was prompted by a ridge of high pressure extending from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Libya.

The heat was, however, partly mitigated by a north-westerly wind that was expected to pick up speed in the evening.

The Met Office said temperatures were expected to gradually drop from today, although the seven-day forecast still puts the mercury above 30°C.

Even if yesterday’s temperature was high, it was not the highest ever recorded in July. The record goes back to July 9, 1988, when the mercury hit a whopping 42.7°C. At the time, it set the Maltese record as the highest temperature ever.

But according to the Met Office, the July 1988 record lost the top spot 11 years later when Malta registered its highest-ever maximum temperature of 43.8°C on August 9, 1999.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com