Daytime temperatures last month, with a mean of 31.7°C, were 1.3°C higher than the average of the past 85 years. The hottest day last month was the 24th when the thermometer climbed to 39.1°C, the Meteorological Office reported yesterday.

Five consecutive days, from 21 to 25 July, were the closest to what one might term a “heat wave”, when the highest temperatures on each of those days was at least five degrees higher than the average for the time of year. In the past 30 years, only one other occasion had a longer heat episode and that was 20 years ago, in July 1987, when the daily maximum temperature fluctuated between 38°C and 41°C for seven consecutive days.

The highest July temperature ever recorded since the Meteorological Office started keeping records in 1922 was 42.7°C on 9 July 1988.

The night with the lowest temperature last month was that of the 7th when 17.8°C was registered around dawn. This was the coolest July night of the past 10 years. The lowest night time July temperature ever recorded was that of 2 July 1923 when a refreshingly cool 13.9°C was reached.

The average sea surface temperature last month was 25.7°C, which is 1.3°C warmer than the norm.

For 93 per cent of the time, the wind at Malta International Airport last month was in the light to moderate category with an average speed of 7.1 knots (8.2 mph or 13.1 kilometres per hour). The most frequent direction was northwest by west and the strongest gust was 34 knots (39 mph or 63 kilometres per hour) from a west northwesterly direction, on the 5th of the month. The strongest July gust at Malta International Airport since records started there in 1947 was 47 knots (54 mph or 87 kilometres per hour) from the northwest on 2 July 1954.

With an average of 12 hours and 42 minutes of bright sunshine a day, July was sunnier than average by one hour. The sunniest days were the 6th, 16th, 17th, 19th and the 26th when the sun shone brightly for 13 hours, while the “dullest” was the 2nd with 11 hours and 6 minutes of sunshine.

The Malta International Airport Meteorological Office once again urges the public to take heed of its UV Index forecasts, as these are still reaching the very dangerous levels of 10 or more and to seek shade and apply adequate sunscreen protection if one needs to venture out in the sunshine especially between the critical times of 11am and 4pm.

The World Health Organisation recommends that everyone be aware of the UV index and to keep taking sun safety practices when the UV Index is three or higher.

More information is available at www.maltairport. com/weather