January registered above-average temperatures and drier-than-usual conditions, the Meteorological Office said Thursday. In fact, the average temperature for the first month of the year stood at 14.5°C, which is 1.6°C higher than the climatic norm.

The month's highest temperature, 19.4°C, was recorded on January 27^th. However, despite being relatively warm, the record for the highest January temperature remains 25.8°C, measured in 2021.

On the other hand, the coldest night was registered on January 16^th, when temperatures dipped to 7.2°C. Still, the coldest January temperature on record remains that of 1981, when the mercury plunged to 1.4°C.

The warm weather was accompanied by mostly stable conditions, bar mid-January, when a low-pressure system in the central Mediterranean brought strong winds and thunderstorms to the Maltese Islands.

Throughout the month, the Meteorological Office measured 69.2 mm of rainfall, 10.1 mm less than the January norm, while two thunderstorms were recorded, two fewer than the monthly average.

The average wind speed aligned with the climatic norm (8.9 knots). The windiest day of the month was January 17^th, when winds reached gale force. On that day, the strongest gust of the month was also recorded, blowing at 45 knots from a southeasterly direction.

That same day, along with January 4^th, was also the darkest of the month, with less than an hour of sunshine recorded. Conversely, the brightest day was January 27^th, with 8.9 hours of sunshine measured.

Photo: Ian Noel Pace