Updates

A ridge of high pressure will extend from north Africa to cover the central Mediterranean this week, marking a return to summer weather. A week of mainly sunny or partly cloudy skies is on the cards for the Maltese Islands. Temperatures will climb substantially, as hot air from over the Sahara Desert will be fanned across the central Mediterranean. We’re expecting daytime highs to reach 30°C + again. Nighttime lows will range from 22°C to around 25°C. Winds will be mainly light from predominantly westerly to southwesterly directions. No significant rainfall is likely over the course of this week.

ENGLISH/INGLIŻ

A ridge of high pressure will extend from north Africa to cover the central Mediterranean this week, marking a return to summer weather. This ridge of high pressure is expected to lead to drier weather and a gradual rise in temperatures. Starting from Monday 13/9, and lasting for around a week, daytime highs will once again rise to 30°C + (possibly up to 34°C / 35°C on the hottest days). Some nights will be noticeably very warm too. Levels of humidity will be high too, as a predominantly southwesterly wind will advect moisture from the very warm sea over land. This will lead to significant real-feel values on a number of days. The weather will take a turn to drier conditions too, with any significant precipitation being unlikely over the course of this week.

MALTI / MALTESE

Firxa ta’ pressjoni għolja se testendi minn l-Afrika ta’ fuq biex tgħatti iċ-ċentru tal-Mediterran matul din il-ġimgħa, u b’hekk timmarka r-ritorn ta’ temp sajfi. Din il-firxa ta’ pressjoni għolja se twassal għal temp niexef u temperatura aktar sħan. Minn nhar it-Tnejn 13/9, u għal minn ta’ l-anqas ġimgħa, it-temperaturi massimi se jerġgħu jibdew jilħqu 30°C + (u possibilment jilħqu 34°C / 35°C fl-aktar jiem sħan). Xi ljieli se jkunu notevolment aħan ukoll. Il-livelli ta’ umdita’ se jkunu għoljin ukoll, hekk kif riħ isfel se jkun qed jimbotta arja umda minn fuq il-baħar sħun lejna. Din għandha twassal biex it-temperaturi jergħu jinħassu sħan ħafna f’xi jiem. It-temp ukoll se jaqleb għal kundizzjonijiet aktar nexfin, biċ-ċans ta’ xita sinifikanti ikun wieħed baxx ħafna għal matul il-ġimgħa li ġejja.

00:00 to 03:00 – variably cloudy with the possibility of isolated thundery showers; 23°C to 22°C; East Northeast to East Force 2 to 3
03:00 to 06:00 – variably cloudy with the possibility of isolated thundery showers; 21°C / 22°C; East Force 2 to 3
06:00 to 09:00 – variably cloudy with the possibility of isolated thundery showers; 22°C to 25°C; East Force 3 to 4
09:00 to 12:00 – variably cloudy with the possibility of isolated showers; 25°C to 28°C; East Force 3 to 4
12:00 to 15:00 – variably cloudy; 27°C to 28°C; East Force 3 to 4
15:00 to 18:00 – variably cloudy; 28°C to 25°C; East Force 3 to 4
18:00 to 21:00 – variably cloudy; 25°C to 24°C; East Force 2 to 3
21:00 to 00:00 – variably cloudy with the possibility of isolated showers; 24°C to 23°C; East Force 2 to 3

Victory Day recalls the end of three historical sieges: the Great Siege of Malta by the Ottoman Empire ending in 1565, the Siege of Valletta by the French Blockade ending in 1800, and, the Siege of Malta during the Second World War by the Italian army ending in 1943. This day also coincides with the commemoration of the birth of the Virgin Mary, better known as the Nativity, which is celebrated in the villages of Senglea, Naxxar and Mellieha in Malta, and Xagħra in Gozo. The traditional regatta featuring boat races in the Grand Harbour is held on Victory Day.

The anticyclone that has dominated the meteorological scene across the central Mediterranean for weeks has weakened. We’ve already seen this over the weekend, as the first showers in months drenched parts of the Maltese Islands. The atmosphere above our region will become increasingly unstable and signs of the arrival of autumn will become more apparent. The coming week is set to be marked by two episodes of instability, one towards its start and another towards its end. Rain in the form of isolated showers possibly heavy and thundery at times may occur on up to five days. There will still be plentiful sunshine in between showers. Temperatures will also be noticeably cooler. Daytime highs will be in the region of 28°C / 29°C. Nighttime lows will vary from 21°C to 23°C, expect for during nighttime showers, when it may dip further. This will be the first week since mid-June to not feature 30°C + temperatures. The wind will be light to moderate from a predominantly easterly direction. Stronger gusts are possible in the event of isolated thunderstorms.

Wednesday 1st September will mark the start of meteorological autumn. Most days over the coming days will feature partly cloudy skies. One or two days may see a little rain reaching a few localities. Any possibility of such showers will be indicated in forecasts on a day-by-day basis. Maximum temperatures will start a gradual fall, with values likely to vary from 29°C to 33°C. Nighttime lows will remain stable at 23°C / 24°C. The wind will be light to moderate, with direction alternating between a westerly and southeasterly.

The weather this week will feature mainly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will be stable, with daytime highs of 33°C / 34°C and nighttime lows in the region of 22°C / 23°C. A warmer night halfway through the week cannot be ruled out, however. The wind will be light to moderate from a predominantly westerly direction. Sunday saw a localized shower drench a few localities across central Malta. There may be a few more on one or two days this week clique neste link. Rain of this nature normally only affects central Malta, with coastal zones rarely affected. Gozo is typically missed completely. Any possibility of such showers will be indicated in forecasts on a day-by-day basis.

The zone of high pressure covering the central Mediterranean will weaken slightly, allowing a stream of cooler air from the north to infiltrate our region. This will ensure cooler temperatures across the central Mediterranean, and therefore the Maltese Islands, over the course of this week. We’re expecting daytime highs in the region of 31°C to 34°C. Nighttime lows will hover at a cooler 24°C / 25°C. We’re expecting all days this week to be characterized by sunny to mainly sunny skies. The weakening of high pressure across the central Mediterranean will allow strong winds to develop. A strong wind from the West Northwest, with gusts of up to Force 7, will characterize our weather from Tuesday 17/8 through to Thursday 19/8. The remaining days are to feature light and variable winds.

ENGLISH/INGLIŻ

With an average maximum temperature of 35.0°C and an average minimum temperature of 26.7°C, August 2021 has so far been some 3.5°C warmer than average. Half-way through the month we can safely say that the hottest part of summer is now behind us. Long-term weather maps are consistently showing that no further intense heat waves are to be expected this year. Heat waves are periods of at least three consecutive days with maximum temperatures at 5°C or more than the climate average. Although maximum temperatures are expected be cooler than those recorded over the past few weeks, they are still forecast to reach 33°C / 34°C on the hottest days, and will thus still be above average for the month of August. As was mentioned in several updates, we still can’t see any sign of when rain will return to our shores, although we’re likely to know more about that in the coming week.

MALTI/MALTESE

B’temperatura massima fil-medja ta’ 35.0°C u temperatura minima fil-medja ta’ 26.7°C, Awwissu 2021 sa issa kien 3.5°C aktar sħun minn normal. Wasalna nofs triq f’dan ix-xahar, u sa fl-aħħar nistgħu ngħidu li l-aktar parti sħuna tas-sajf tinsab warajna. Il-mapep tat-temp fit-tul qed jindikaw b’mod konsistenti li ma għandna nistennew l-ebda ‘heat waves’ oħra din is-sena. ‘Heat wave’ hija perjodu ta’ minn ta’ l-anqas tlett ijiem konsekuttivi b’temperaturi massimi ta’ 5°C jew aktar ogħla mill-medja klimatika. Għalkemm jidher li t-temperaturi massimi se jkunu anqas sħan minn dawk li rajna fl-aħħar ġimgħat, xorta waħda qed inbassru li se jkomplu jilħqu 33°C / 34°C fl-aktar jiem sħan, u b’hekk xorta waħda se jibqa jkollna temperaturi ogħla mill-medja ta’ Awwissu. Kif semmejna f’diversi aġġornamenti riċenti, sa issa mhux qed naraw sinjali ta’ l-ewwel xita, għalkemm jaf ikollna ideat aktar ċari dwar din matul il-ġimgħa li ġejja.

00:00 to 03:00 – clear; 27°C to 26°C; Calm
03:00 to 06:00 – clear; 26°C to 25°C; Calm
06:00 to 09:00 – sunny; 25°C to 29°C; Northwest Force 2 to 3
09:00 to 12:00 – sunny; 29°C to 33°C; Northwest to West Northwest Force 3 to 4
12:00 to 15:00 – sunny; 33°C / 34°C; West Northwest to West Force 3 to 4
15:00 to 18:00 – sunny; 33°C / 34°C; West Force 2 to 3
18:00 to 21:00 – clear; 33°C to 27°C; Calm
21:00 to 00:00 – clear; 27°C to 26°C; Calm

Also known as the Feast of St. Mary, this day is celebrated in various villages around Malta and Gozo. There is a great devotion to the St. Mary emerging from the remembrance of a convoy that arrived in the Grand Harbour just in time to save Malta from starvation at the end of the Second World War.

ENGLISH/INGLIŻ

The world’s most popular meteor shower of the year is finally here! The Perseids, as it’s called, reaches its peak in the first half of this week. The peak nights will be in the extremely early hours of Friday 13/8 and Saturday 14/08. With typical rates of up to 80 meteors an hour, it is one of the most active meteor showers of all. The Moon is still in its early crescent phase, and since it sets in the evening, the late night sky is completely dark. This provides ideal viewing conditions. If you wish to enjoy this celestial event to the full, make sure you find yourselves a spot as far away as possible from light pollution. Go to a dark area in the countryside, and prepare to sit outside for a few hours. It takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to completely adjust to the dark, and the longer you wait, the more you’ll see. These meteors will appear to radiate out of the constellation Perseus, hence their name. This constellation appears in the night-sky towards the North-east. Looking directly overhead will maximize your chance to observe the meteors. A meteor shower consists of pieces of comet debris heating up whilst entering the atmosphere and burning up in a bright burst of light, streaking a vivid path across the sky as they travel at 59 km per second. When they’re in space, these pieces of debris are called meteoroids, but when they reach Earth’s atmosphere, they’re designated as meteors.

MALTI/MALTESE

L-aktar episodju ta’ stillel feġġejja popolari madwar id-dinja reġa wasal. Il-Perseids, kif inhuma magħrufa, se jilħqu l-aqwa tagħhom fl-ewwel nofs tal-ġimgħa li ġejja. L-aqwa ħinijiet se jkunu fis-siegħat bikrija tal-Ġimgħa 13/8 u s-Sibt 14/8. B’rata ta’ madwar 80 stilla feġġejja fis-siegħa, il-Perseids huma waħda minn l-aktar episodji ta’ stillel feġġejja attivi. Il-Qamar għadu fl-istadju tal-bidu, u peress li jinżel matul filgħaxija, is-sema jkun mudlam għal kollox billejl. Jekk tridu tgawdu dan l-avveniment ċelestjali tridu ssibu post il-bogħod kemm jista jkun imdallam. Morru f’post imdallam fil-kampanja, u stennew biex toqgħodu hemm għal xi ftit siegħat. L-għajnejn idumu madwar 30 minuta biex jakklimatiżżaw. Aktar ma tistenna, aktar se tara stillel feġġejja. Dawn se jkunu jfeġġu mill-konstellazjoni Perseus. Din il-konstellazjoni tidher lejn il-grigal. L-aħjar mod hu li tħares dirett il-fuq. Stillel feġġejja huma biss frak ta’ debris li tħalli warajja kometa. Dawn jinġibdu mid-dinja. Huma u deħlin fl-atmosfera jisħnu u jinħarqu. Dawn jidhru bħal linja ta’ dawl għal ftit sekondi, peress li jkunu għaddejjin b’veloċita ta’ madwar 59 kilometru fis-sekonda. Meta jkunu għadhom fl-ispazju, dawn l-hekk imsejjħa stillel feġġejja ngħidulhom metjoriti.