Gibraltar unaffected by ‘hottest’ month on earth

Although July was found to be the ‘hottest’ month on record on earth, for Gibraltar it was far from the record.

The EU’s Climate Monitoring Service recently confirmed that July 2019 was the hottest month since records began, with global temperatures pipping the previous record set in July 2016 by 0.04C.

Stephanie Ball, Chief Meteorologist at MeteoGib told the Chronicle the temperatures have been relatively normal.

“This came hot on the heels of the second heat wave this year to grip many parts of Europe, with many countries setting new all-time temperature records,” Ms Ball said.

“Even in the UK, where summers are not always reliable, a new all-time record of 38.7C was set in Cambridge Botanical Gardens, beating the previous record of 38.3C in Faversham, Kent in August 2003.”

Ms Ball added that records were also “smashed” in Germany, France, Holland and Belgium to name a few, with a sizzling 45.9C registered in Southern France at Gallargues-le-Montueux.

Even further North, Greenland has witnessed record Summer glacier melt caused by unseasonably warm temperatures.

“June and July have seen daily maximum temperatures close to normal across the Rock, with just a handful of days breaking that all-important 30 Celsius mark,” Ms Ball said.

Ms Ball added that last week highest temperatures recorded this summer in Gibraltar were slightly down compared to previous years.

Recent weather reached 32C to become the hottest day of the year so far.

“Although still some way short of the all-time record for Gibraltar which stands at 40.6C in July 1994,” Ms Ball.