February was warmer, sunnier than usual, but wetter than expected

February was brightened by just over 183 hours of sunshine and colourful Carnival celebrations, which were uninterrupted by the 8.4 mm of rain showering the islands on the 26th and 27th of the month, the Met Office said yesterday.

But in stark contrast with 2016, when February was worryingly dry, last month was wetter than expected. Fifteen wet days produced 62.7 mm of rain, surpassing the expected total for this time of year by 5.8 mm.

The 7th of the month was both February’s wettest and dullest day, accounting for 15.9 mm of the total rainfall and enjoying just 1.6 hours of sunshine. The day was also particularly blustery, with gusts of wind equalling 34 knots or more registered during its course.

On the 6th and 9th of the month, the islands were again hit by strong winds, which reached a maximum speed of 48 knots on the latter day. However, it was definitely not all wind and gloom in February, as meteorological records show that, on the whole, the month was less windy and brighter than usual.

Days in February enjoyed an average of 7.1 hours of sunshine and a normal mean cloud cover of 4.1 oktas. The brightest day of the month was the 21st, enjoying no less than 10.7 hours of sunshine. Bright days were accompanied by warmer air and sea temperatures.

At 13.6°C, the average air temperature was a significant 1.1°C higher than the norm. The 25th was the warmest day, with temperatures reaching a maximum of 18.8°C, while the 17th registered the lowest temperature of 6.9°C.