MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY –MARCH 2023

The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications’ Meteorological Directorate reported in their monthly weather summary that the month of  March 2023 was warmer than normal in temperatures and below average precipitation.

The mean temperature of the month was 23.3°C which is 2.0°C above the long-term normal for March and this goes on record as the fourth highest mean temperature for March since 1902. Note that the highest mean monthly temperature for March was 24.6°C recorded in 2018.

The mean maximum temperature of the month was 27.1°C which is 1.6°C above the long-term normal and this goes on record as the sixth highest mean maximum temperature for March since 1946. This is the same as in March 2013. Note that the highest mean monthly maximum temperature for March was 29.6°C recorded in 2018.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 33.0°C which occurred on the 9th March at Bahrain International Airport but recorded 35.5°C on the 7th March at Bahrain International Circuit. 

The mean minimum temperature of the month was 20.3°C which is 2.2°C above the long-term normal and this goes on record as the third highest mean minimum temperature for March since 1946. This is the same as in March 2010. Note that the highest mean monthly minimum temperature for March was 20.7°C recorded in 2018.

The lowest temperature recorded was 16.4°C on the 2nd March at Bahrain International Airport but was recorded 13.5°C on the same night at Durrat Al Bahrain.

Note that the lowest temperature recorded at Bahrain International Airport for March was 7.8°C which occurred on 1st March 1959.

The mean relative humidity for March was 57% whereas the mean maximum relative humidity was 74% and the mean minimum relative humidity was 37%. The maximum relative humidity was 87% recorded on the 14th and 15th March and the minimum relative humidity was 20% recorded on the 6th March.

A total of 2.6 mm of precipitation was reported in March 2023 at Bahrain International Airport. Trace amounts of Precipitation were recorded on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 27th, 30th, and 31st March. Note that the long-term mean total precipitation for March is 14.7 mm and the highest monthly rainfall recorded during March at Bahrain International Airport was 139.2 mm which occurred in 1995. 

The total monthly precipitation recorded for March 2023 at the King Fahad Causeway was 4.0 mm, whereas the total precipitation at Sitra Island was 2.4 mm, at Durrat Al Bahrain was 2.4 mm, at Bahrain International Circuit was 2.4mm, at the University of Bahrain was 2.4 mm and at Horat A’ali was 2.2 mm.

March 2023 was the third sunniest month for all March’s since the sunshine records began in 1968. The total hours of sunshine for the month were 303.2 hours. This is the same as in March 2021. Note that the highest monthly total hours of sunshine for March was 324.3 hours recorded in 2018.

The Mean wind speed for March was 8 knots. The prevailing wind was 49% from the North to Northwest direction. Gust winds reached 35 knots on the 10th March at Bahrain International Airport but recorded 40 knots on the same day at King Fahad Causeway. The Easterly to Southeasterly winds accounted for 29% of the observation.