Manama, Mar. 5 (BNA): The Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications’ Meteorological Directorate reported in their monthly weather summary that February 2020 was warmer than normal in temperatures and below-average precipitation.
The mean temperature of the month was 19.1°C which is 1.2°C above the long-term normal for February.
The mean maximum temperature of the month was 22.6°C which is 1.4°C above the long-term normal.
The highest temperature recorded during the month was 29.5°C which occurred on February 8 at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) but recorded 33.2°C on the 25th February at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).
The mean minimum temperature of the month was 16.0°C which is 1.1°C above the long-term normal.
Although the temperatures were above the normal in general but Bahrain had been affected during the period from February 11-15 by cold wave accompanied by a noticeable decrease in temperature with fresh to strong Northwesterly winds. This was due to a movement of a low polar trough followed by cold air mass towards the Arabian Gulf.
The Northwesterly winds had a noticeable effect on the feeling of cold weather, where the lowest temperature recorded was 10.0°C at BIA, 8.2°C at Sitra Island, 8.5°C at Durrat Al Bahrain, 8.9°C at BIC on February 12. However, the apparent temperatures were less than 5°C in all stations due to the influence of the wind.
The lowest temperature recorded at King Fahad Causeway was 8.7°C on February 13.
Climate statistics for February of the previous years indicate that the Kingdom had experienced similar cold waves in which temperatures decreased to 10°C or less during February, for example the years 2017, 2008 & 2005.
Note that the lowest temperature recorded at BIA for February was 7.2°C which occurred on February 11, 1949 and February 8, 1950.
Only 1.0 mm of Precipitation was reported in February 2020 at BIA. Trace amounts reported on February 20 and 26. Note that the long-term mean total precipitation for February is 16.2 mm and the highest monthly rainfall ever recorded during February at BIA was 106.8 mm which occurred in 1988.
The total monthly precipitation recorded for February 2020 at King Fahad Causeway was 0.2 mm whereas Sitra Island, Durrat Al Bahrain and BIC had no precipitation recorded.
The mean relative humidity for February was 64% whereas the mean maximum relative humidity was 81% and the mean minimum relative humidity was 45%.
February 2020 was the second sunniest February since the sunshine records began in 1968 whereby the monthly total hour of sunshine recorded was 262.8 hours and only exceeded by February 2016 with a record of 287.1 hours.
The Northwesterly winds accounted for 36% with gusts reaching 39 knots on February 25 at BIA.
Thick dust reported on Febraury 25. Visibility dropped to 600 meters at BIA.
SOURCE : BAHRAINNEWSAGENCY