Bahrain sees warmer, wetter than usual January

The mean temperature of the month was 18.1°C, which is 1.1°C above the long-term normal for January.

The mean maximum temperature of the month was 21.0°C which is 1.0°C above the long-term normal.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 29.2°C which occurred on the fourth at Bahrain International Airport and goes on record as the third highest maximum temperature for January since 1946. It was exceeded only by January 23, 1953 with a record of 31.7°C and January 31, 2015 with a record of 29.7°C. 

The mean minimum temperature of the month was 15.4°C which is 1.3°C above the long-term normal.

Although the temperatures were above the normal in general, Bahrain was affected on January 23 - 28 by a cold wave accompanied by a noticeable decrease in temperature with fresh to strong Northwesterly winds.

This was due to a movement of a low upper trough that holds a cold air mass towards the northern parts of the Arabian Peninsula and the Arabian Gulf.

The Northwesterly winds had a noticeable effect on the feeling of cold weather, where the lowest temperature was recorded at Meteorological Directorate stations was 10.8°C in Bahrain International Airport, 9.9°C at Sitra Island, 10.1°C at Bahrain International Circuit, 10.4°C at King Fahd Causeway on January 26.

However, the apparent temperatures were lower than the temperatures recorded due to the influence of the wind.

The lowest temperature recorded at Durrat Al Bahrain was 10°C on January 31.

Climate statistics for January of previous years indicate that Bahrain had experienced similar cold waves in which temperatures decreased to 10°C or less during January, including in 2018, 2016, 2012, 2009 and 2008.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Bahrain was 2.7°C on January 20, 1964 at Bahrain International Airport.

January was wet with five rainy days, accumulating 23.4 mm of precipitation at Bahrain International Airport, approximately one and half times more than the long-term normal for January which stands at 14.5 mm.

The highest monthly rainfall ever recorded during January was 135.9 mm that occurred in 1959.

The highest day with precipitation was 12.6 mm on January 5 at Bahrain International Airport while the highest daily rainfall ever recorded in January was 49.1 mm that occurred on January 22, 1959 at Bahrain International Airport.

The total monthly precipitation recorded for January 2020 at Sitra Island was 23.2 mm, at King Fahd Causeway 21.8 mm, at Bahrain International Circuit 19.2 mm and at Durrat Al Bahrain 12.8 mm.