July hottest month in Bahrain since 1902

Manama : The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications’ Meteorological Directorate reported in their monthly weather summary that the month of July 2017 goes on record as the hottest July ever experienced in Bahrain since 1902.

Hot and humid weather dominated the entire Gulf region including the Kingdom of Bahrain from the 3rdof July until the end of the month due to the collapse of seasonal Shamal winds which are locally known as (Al-Barreh) and which was replaced by humid easterly to northeasterly winds.

The mean temperature of the month was 36.9°Cwhich is 3.0°C above the long-term normal and goes on record asthe highest mean monthly temperature for July since 1902 and broke the old record of 36.0°C recorded in July 2012 and 2016.

The mean maximum temperature of the month was 42.1°C which is 4.1°C above the long-term normal and goes on record as the highest mean maximum temperature for July since 1946 with the old record being 41.4°C recorded in July 2002.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 46.0°C which was on the 3rdof July at Bahrain International Airport. This goes on record as the fifth highest maximum temperature for July since 1946 with the previous record recorded on the 12thof July 2004 and 21stof July 2011 and exceeded by the 15thof July 2000 and 13thof July 2010 with a temperature of 47.4°C, 22ndof July 2002 at 46.5°C, 21st July 2001 and 26th July of 2008 at 46.2°C and 11thof July 2007 at 46.1°C.

The highest temperature during the month at Durrat Al Bahrain was 46.9°C which was recorded on the 18thof July.

During the month, Bahrain experienced 22 days with maximum temperaturesexceeding 40°C. This goes on record as the highest number of days with maximum temperatures exceeding 40°C during the month of July since 1946 which is the same as July 2002.

The mean minimum temperature of the month was 32.6°C which goes on record as the third highest mean minimum temperature for the month of July since 1946 which is the same as July 2010 and 2015 and only exceeded by July 2016 with a temperature of 33.2°C and July 2014 at 32.7°C.

The lowest temperature recorded was 30.7°C which was on the 1st and 29thof July at Bahrain International Airport, howevera temperature of 27.8°C on the 2ndof July was recorded at Durrat Al Bahrain.

The mean relative humidity for July was 52% whereas the mean maximum relative humidity was 76% and the mean minimum relative humidity was 27%.

The prevailing wind was 31% from the east direction with Northwesterly winds accounting for 13% of the observations with gusts reaching 28 knots on the 12thof July at the Bahrain International Airport but recorded 31 knots on the same day at Durrat Al Bahrain and 30 knots at King Fahd Causeway.

Haze affected the Kingdom on the 8th and 9thof July which reduced visibility to 3000 meters at the airport.