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Malta shivers in cold January temperatures |
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January 2012 was colder and slightly drier than average with the mean monthly temperature at Balzan of 12.5°C being 0.7°C below average. The cold temperatures were mainly noticeable during the day with the mean maximum monthly temperature of 14.6°C being 1.4°C below average. Rainfall was only slightly below average with 88.3mm compared with the average of 94.5mm. There were 17 days of rain and 5 thunderstorm days. Hail was reported on the 6th and on the 11th. The highest temperature was only 17.7°C on the 2nd, while the lowest was 5.4°C on the 27th and a corresponding grass minimum temperature of -2.0°C. This was the coldest ever January grass minimum temperature. The highest ever temperature in January was of 22.2°C in 1988, while the coldest ever was or 3.9°C on 7th January 2002. The average wind speed in January at Zebbug Malta was 12.6 km/h and the most frequent direction was NNW. The highest wind gust at Zebbug (Malta) was 77.7km/h at around 9am on the 6th. A much higher gust of 104.5km/h was measured at around the same time at Mellieha.
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Force 9 winds cause slight damage |
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Billboards and trees were toppled in a number of areas and walls collapsed at the Mellieha By-pass and at Chadwick lakes on 21st December 2011, but no other serious damage was reported as Force 9 winds affected the Maltese Islands due to an intense low pressure system moving southeasterly over Sicily. Maximum wind gusts were: Mellieha 104.6km/h, Rabat 83.7km/h, Nadur 82.0km/h, Zebbug 80.4km/h, Naxxar 74.2km/h, Mgarr 74.0km/h, Zejtun 72.4km/h and Attard 70.8km/h. Photo of rough sea at Dwejra Gozo below taken by Andrea Muscat. 
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