MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY – FEBRUARY 2017

The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications’ Meteorological Directorate reported in their monthly weather summary that the month of February 2017 was cooler than normal in temperatures and above average precipitation.

The month was wet with 10 rainy days which accumulated 93.6 mm of precipitation at Bahrain International Airport which goes on record as the second highest monthly total rainfall for the month of February at Bahrain International Airport since 1902 and six times more than the long-term norm for the month which is 16.2 mm. Trace amounts were also recorded on the 1st, 20th and 23rd of February. It is worth noting that the highest monthly total rainfall recorded in February was 106.8 mm which occurred in February 1988.

This unsettled weather occurred due to a sharp upper trough which moved from the Mediterranean Sea towards the central parts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which produced moderate to heavy precipitation accompanied by thunderstorms and strong gusts at time.

The total precipitation recorded for February 2017 at King Fahd Causeway was 129.8 mm with the highest day of precipitation recorded 68.4 mm on the 16th of February. The total precipitation at Sitra Island was 86.8 mm with the highest day of precipitation recorded 24.4 mm on the 16th of February as well. The total precipitation at Durrat Al Bahrain was 60.6 mm with the highest day of precipitation recorded 18.8 mm on the 14th of February.

The mean temperature of the month was 16.6°C which is 1.3°C below the long-term norm for February which is 17.9°C. The mean maximum temperature of the month was 19.1°C with the highest temperature recorded in the month being 23.7°C which was on 10th of February at Bahrain International Airport and on the 27th and 28th at Durrat Al Bahrain.

The mean minimum temperature of the month was 14.1°C with the lowest temperature recorded 7.8°C on the 3rd of February at Bahrain International Airport. This goes on record as the second lowest temperature for February since 1946 with the lowest temperature ever recorded for February being 7.2°C which occurred on the 11th of February 1949 and 8th of February 1950.

The lowest temperature at Durrat Al Bahrain was 6.4°C on the 14th February, 6.6°C at Sitra Island on the 3rd of February, and 6.8°C at King Fahd Causeway on the 3rd of February.