May brought a noticeable shift in weather patterns, replacing April’s mostly stable conditions with wetter, more unsettled days.
The change was driven by a low-pressure system that developed over Algeria and moved across the central Mediterranean, resulting in a storm that hit the Maltese Islands mid-month.
The Meteorological Office reported 36.6 mm of rainfall for May, exceeding the month’s average by 26.3 mm. This made May the third wetter-than-usual month of the year so far, alongside February and March. In contrast, January and April were drier than expected.
The bulk of May’s rainfall occurred on the 15th, when a thunderstorm accompanied by strong winds lashed the islands. That same day also saw the lowest amount of sunshine, with just one hour recorded.
Windy conditions were frequent throughout the month. The average wind speed reached 9.3 knots, slightly above normal, and the strongest gust, measured at 35 knots from the south-southeast, also occurred on the 15th.
Temperatures were warmer than average for the season, with May recording a mean of 21.6°C, which is 1.6°C higher than usual. The highest temperature, 28.7°C, was observed on the 5th, while the lowest dropped to 15.1°C during the night of the 3rd.
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