MANAMA — August 2020 was the fourth hottest August in Bahrain since 1902 with only August 2015 equaling it in temperatures. Bahrain's Meteorological Directorate said that the mean temperature of the month was 36.1°C, 2.1°C above the long-term normal for August, the Bahrain News Agency reported on Tuesday. Only August 2017 with a record of 36.6°C, August 1998 with a record of 36.5°C, and August 2016 with a record of 36.4°C had higher temperatures in 118 years. The mean maximum temperature of the month was 40.2°C, which is 2.2°C above the long-term normal, and the eighth-highest mean temperatures for August since 1946. The highest mean monthly maximum temperature for August was 41.4°C recorded in 2017. During the month, Bahrain had 12 days with temperatures that exceeded 40°C. The highest temperature recorded during the month was 43.8°C on Aug. 8 at Bahrain International Airport. The mean minimum temperature of the month was 33°C, which is 2.5°C above the long-term normal and the second-highest mean minimum temperatures for August since 1946. This is the same as August 2016 and is exceeded only by August 2017 with a record of 33.2°C. The lowest temperature recorded was 30.0°C set on Aug. 27 at Bahrain International Airport. Durrat Al Bahrain recorded 27.4°C on the same night. The mean relative humidity for August was 50 percent whereas the mean maximum relative humidity was 69 percent and the mean minimum relative humidity was 30 percent. The maximum relative humidity was 88 percent recorded on the 22nd and the minimum relative humidity was 12 percent recorded on the 8th and 30th. August 2020 was the sunniest month for all Augusts since the sunshine records began in 1968. The total hours of sunshine for the month was 362.4 hours. The old record was 359.9 hours in August 2015. Scattered rain was reported at Hawar Island on Aug. 30. The only measured rainfall ever recorded during August was 1.0 mm recorded on Aug. 7, 1998, at Bahrain International Airport. Although the temperatures were above normal, the relative humidities were below normal, except in some days due to the persistence of Northwesterly winds. The mean wind speed for August was 9 knots. The prevailing wind was 41 percent from the northwest direction with gusts reaching 27 knots on Aug. 11 at Bahrain International Airport but recorded 30 knots on the 6th and 10th at Durrat Al Bahrain. Haze was reported on Aug. 1 and visibility dropped to 2,500 meters at Bahrain International Airport.
