October was unusually dry, in case you did not notice. It was actually the third driest on record, the MIA's Met Office said on Monday. Only 4.2 mm of rainfall was recorded, 73.6 mm short of the climate norm

The driest ever October was last year's when just 0.2 mm of rainfall was recorded.

71% of last month's rainfall (3.0 mm) occurred within 24 hours towards the end of the month. During the same period, three thunderstorms were recorded across the Maltese Islands, with the average for October standing at five thunderstorms. 

October was also slightly warmer than usual, with an average temperature of 22.5°C, this being nearly one degree above the norm for the month. The highest temperature recorded was 29.9°C on October 9th, while the coolest day of the month was October 30th, when night-time temperatures dropped to 16.2°C.

While the highest maximum temperature ever measured in October was recorded in 1999 (34.5°C), October 1978 recorded the lowest minimum temperature on record (8°C).

Overall, last month’s weather contributed to a sunnier October than average, with observers recording 227.3 hours of sunshine. The sunniest day was the first of the month, with 10.9 hours of sunshine recorded, while less than one hour of sunshine was measured on October 19th, confirming this to be the dullest day of the month. 

Wind conditions were aligned with the climate norm, with the strongest gust reaching 41 knots and blowing from a south-by-westerly direction on October 19th.