July 2020: Hottest July in Bahrain since 1902

Last month was the hottest July ever experienced in Bahrain since 1902, equaling July 2017 in mean temperatures, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications’ Meteorological Directorate has said.

“The mean temperature of the month was 36.9°C, 3.0°C above the long-term normal for July and this goes on record as the highest mean temperatures for July since 1902,” the directorate said in its monthly weather summary.

The mean maximum temperature of the month was 41.8°C, 3.8°C above the long-term normal and this goes on record as the second highest mean temperatures for July since 1946. 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 that exceeded 40°C, going on record as the highest number of days with maximum temperature that 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 on July 12 at Bahrain International Airport. It was the eighth highest temperature for July since 1946. The highest temperature recorded for July at Bahrain International Airport was 47.4°C on July 15, 2000 and July 13, 2010.

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

The mean minimum temperature of the month was 33.6°C, 3.2°C above the long-term normal, going 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 July 2 at Bahrain International Airport. It was 28.2°C on July 1 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 July 2 and the minimum relative humidity was 8% recorded on July 5.

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

A thundery shower with strong gusts was reported at Hawar Island on July 22, due to convergence between humid air mass in the low level which was feeding for a few days from the Arabian Sea and other dry air mass from central Saudi Arabia. Heating from the surface helped to cause these Cumulonimbus clouds 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 July 28, 2008.

The month was humid due to prevailing easterly to southeasterly winds that 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 that reached 28 knots on July 13 at Bahrain International Airport but recorded 36 knots on July  22 at Durrat Al Bahrain.

Northwesterly winds accounted for 17% of the observation.