A study published by the National Statistics Office reveals that Malta’s annual mean temperature has risen by around 1.5 degrees Celsius since 1952.
With air and sea temperatures climbing steadily over the years, humidity and rainfall became more of a rare occurrence on the island. Here is everything the report by UOM associate professor Charles Galdies found.
Sunshine duration increased: 6 minutes more sunshine every 10 years, with the report finding that winter months showed the sharpest rise in sunshine since 1961.
Less cloudy: decrease of 0.1 oktas per decade, with an okta being a unit of measurement describing the amount of cloud cover at any location.
Air getting warmer: highest maximum temperature increasing by 1.2°C since 1952. The annual mean, maximum, and minimum air temperatures show a clear upward trend starting from 1952.
2016 saw the highest annual mean ambient air temperature at 20.1 degrees Celsius since 1952. This is just above that of 2001 at 19.9 degrees Celsius.
The highest maximum ambient temperature has increased by 1.2°C since 1952.
Less rain: 24 hour rainfall decreased by 0.3mm per decade since 1952. 2016 had the least rainfall, followed by 2001 and 2020. Between 1952 and 2020, rainfalls decreased by 10.3mm per decade.
More thunderstorms: Days with thunderstorms increased between 1952-2020. Autumn is Malta’s most thundery period, whereas the month of November saw the biggest increase of thunderstorms.
Less wind: Wind speed declining at 0.8 knots over past 60 years. The winter season saw the steepest overall wind speed reduction, with north-westerly winds being the most common across all seasons.
Hot water: highest mean sea temperature in August 2020 at 28.0 °C, which was also resisted in August 2003. Around 60% of all 20 maximum sea temperatures happened n the last 20 years. Malta is also getting less humid, with a negative trend being noted. A declining trend of around 0.8 percentage points per decade.
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Photo Source: Mercury Holidays