There was one day in November when Malta saw only half an hour of sunshine, according to meteorological data.

November 17 was the bleakest day of the month, and it was also the wettest one.

Taking a snapshot of the past month, the Meteorological Office said that dry and calm weather in the first half of the month gave way to wet and windier days as November progressed.

November’s air temperature peaked on the fourth day at 23.7°C as the islands experienced unseasonable autumn weather in the first half of the month, commonly referred to as is-Sajf ta’ San Martin or Indian summer.

At 17.7°C, November’s average air temperature was 0.1°C higher than the climate norm, while the average sea surface temperature surpassed the climate norm of 21°C by 1°C.

The month’s mean cloud cover of 3.1 oktas was lighter than expected at this time of year. November’s 186.5 hours of sunshine were in line with the climate norm, with the sunniest day of the month clocking up 9.8 hours of sunshine.   

In contrast, a fleeting half an hour of sunshine was recorded on November 17. With 27.7mm of rainfall collected in 24 hours, the day was also the wettest in an otherwise drier-than-average November.

The 77.1mm of precipitation collected throughout the month failed to measure up to November’s rainfall quota of 101.7mm. 

In November, the Met Office reported three thunderstorms in the second half of the month and shallow fog on six days.

The month was generally much calmer than the norm, maintaining a mean wind speed of 6.6 knots rather than the expected 8.3 knots. The windiest day was the 28th of November, producing the month’s maximum gust of 35 knots blowing from a south-east by south direction.