MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY –MARCH 2020

The Ministry of  Transportation and Telecommunications’ Meteorological Directorate reported in their monthly weather summary that the month of  March 2020 was warmer than normal in temperatures with below average relative humidities and wind speed.

The mean temperature of the month was 22.1°C which is 1.1°C above the long-term normal for March.

The mean maximum temperature of the month was 26.2°C which is 1.5°C above the long-term normal. The highest temperature recorded during the month was 31.2°C which occurred on the 15th March at Bahrain International Airport but recorded 32.1°C on the 18th March at Bahrain International Circuit and on the 29th March at Durrat Al Bahrain.

The mean minimum temperature of the month was 19.2°C which is 1.4°C above the long-term normal. The lowest temperature recorded was 15.6°C set on the 6th March at Bahrain International Airport but recorded 12.4°C at same night in Durrat Al Bahrain.

A total of 6.4 mm of precipitation was reported in March 2020 at Bahrain International Airport. Trace amounts were recorded on the 14th, 18th and 28th March. Note that the long-term average total precipitation for March is 14.0 mm. The highest monthly total precipitation ever recorded during March at Bahrain International Airport was 139.2 mm which occurred in 1995.

Thundery showers were reported at Bahrain International Airport on the 21st March accumulating daily total precipitation of 6.4 mm and the visibility dropped to 1000 meters. Also moderate thundery showers with hail reported in some areas around Bahrain.

Light rain was reported in some areas on Sunday 15th March.

The total precipitation recorded for March 2020 at Bahrain International Circuit was 16.0 mm whereas the total precipitation at Durrat Al Bahrain was 14.8 mm, at King Fahd Causeway was 7.2 mm and at Sitra Island was 2.4 mm.

The mean relative humidity for March was 62% whereas the mean maximum relative humidity was 79% and the mean minimum relative humidity was 40%.

March 2020 was the third sunniest March since the sunshine records began in 1968 whereby the monthly total hour of sunshine recorded was 287.4 hours and exceeded by March 2018 with a record of 324.3 hours and March 2013 with a record of 291.3 hours.

The Northwesterly winds accounted 25% with gusts reaching 48 knots on the 21st March at Durrat Al Bahrain. Southeasterly winds accounted 16% of the observation with gusts reaching 37 knots on the 14th March at Bahrain International Airport.

Fog affected the Kingdom on the 11th March reduced the visibility to 100 meters at Bahrain International Airport. This phenomenon had not occurred in March since the year 2002 where fog patches reported on 11th March 2002 reduced the visibility to 800 meters at the Airport.

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