MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY –JULY 2020

The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications’ Meteorological Directorate reported in their monthly weather summary that the month of  July 2020 goes on record as the hottest July ever experienced in Bahrain since 1902 and it is equaled to July 2017 in mean temperatures.

The mean temperature of the month was 36.9°C which is 3.0°C above the long-term normal for July and this goes on record as the highest mean temperatures for July since 1902. This is the same as July 2017.

The mean maximum temperature of the month was 41.8°C which is 3.8°C above the long-term normal and this goes on record as the second highest mean temperatures for July since 1946. Note that the highest mean monthly maximum temperature for July was 42.1°C recorded in 2017.

During the month Bahrain had 23 days with maximum temperature which exceeded 40°C and this goes on record as the highest number of days with maximum temperature exceeded 40°C for July since 1946. The old record was 22 days recorded in July 2002 and 2017.

The highest temperature recorded during the month was 45.5°C which occurred on the 12th July at Bahrain International Airport and this goes on record as the eighth highest temperature for July since 1946. Note that the highest temperature recorded for July at Bahrain International Airport was 47.4°C which occurred on 15th July 2000 and 13th July 2010.

The highest temperature recorded in the month at Bahrain International Circuit was 47.6°C on the 5th July and at Durrat Al Bahrain was 47.2°C on the same day.

The mean minimum temperature of the month was 33.6°C which is 3.2°C above the long-term normal and this goes on record as the highest mean minimum temperatures for July since 1946. The old record was 33.2°C recorded in July 2016.

The lowest temperature recorded was 31.0°C set on the 2nd July at Bahrain International Airport but recorded 28.2°C on the 1st July at Durrat Al Bahrain.

The mean relative humidity for July was 51% whereas the mean maximum relative humidity was 71% and the mean minimum relative humidity was 28%. The maximum relative humidity was 86% recorded on the 2nd and the minimum relative humidity was 8% recorded on the 5th.                  

July 2020 was the seventh sunniest month for all July’s since the sunshine records began in 1968. The total hours of sunshine for the month was 363.5 hours. Note that the highest monthly total hours of sunshine for July was 377.8 hours recorded in 1974.

A thundery shower with strong gust was reported at Hawar Island on the 22nd July, due to convergence between humid air mass in the low level which was feeding for few days from The Arabian Sea and other dry air mass from central Saudi Arabia. Heating from surface helped to cause these Cumulonimbus cloud to form. Rain was not reported in the summer season for more than a decade. The last rain was reported at Bahrain International Airport was only trace and that was on  28th July 2008.

The month was humid. This was due to prevailing easterly to southeasterly winds which brought humid air to the Kingdom from the Arabian Gulf.

The Mean wind speed for July was 7 knots. The prevailing wind was 42% from the East-Southeast direction with gusts reached 28 knots on the 13th July at Bahrain International Airport but recorded 36 knots on the 22nd July at Durrat Al Bahrain. Northwesterly winds accounted for 17% of the observation.