The amount of rain falling in May was double the normal amount for that time of year, with six storms - compared to the one normally expected - making the month the worst since 1951.

The Met Office said that while April was relatively dry, May literally took Malta by storm, showering the Islands with 19.2mm, more than double the expected 8.5mm.

Despite the fact that May was a generally calm month, winds reached a maximum gust of 48 knots with a SE direction on the 4th of the month.

The total 289.7 hours of sunshine recorded during May fell 10 hours short of the expected 299.1 hours for this time of year, although the islands still basked in an average of 9.3 hours of bright sunshine every day.

While May started off on a cool note, seeing air temperatures drop to a low of 10.1°C on May 8, the sun quickly thawed the islands, leading the air temperature to reach a maximum of 26.7°C on May 29.

The average air temperature was over one degree lower than the climate norm of 19.8°C, standing at 18.3°C.

Similarly, the average sea temperature for the month stood at 17.9°C, which is also slightly lower than the climate norm of 18°C.

May's weather by the numbers. Image: Malta International Airport