weather experts.

By yesterday evening 9.09 inches of rain had fallen on the Island, slightly less than the February record of 9.8 inches in 1972.

Last month's downpours were the worst for at least four years, and twice the average for February, which is 4.3 inches.

Saturday evening's torrential rain and thunderstorms almost took February 1993 into the record books.

The rain caused widespread flooding of roads and the Fire Service was called out to a flooded living room of a house in Scenic Heights, Southampton, and to the Church of God in Pembroke.

Weather forecaster Petty Officer Walter Beck, at the US Naval Oceanography Command Facility, explained the reasons for the month's bad weather.

Mr. Beck said that troughs high in the atmosphere create unstable weather and one of these weather systems had been over Bermuda and the US East Coast throughout the month. He added: "It is just short of the record. It is over twice the normal rainfall for February.'' Mr. Beck said there is no cycle to this type of weather condition. The average air temperature for the month has been 66.5 degrees, down slightly from the 67.4 average.

The daily high temperatures have dipped below the Tourism Department's 68 degree guarantee eight times.

Bermuda's lowest ever temperature in February was 44 degrees in 1958, and while gusts have taken the wind chill factor lower than that this year, temperatures have not dipped below 50 degrees.