Updates

A zone of high pressure which has been stationary over southern and southeastern Europe will intensify yet again. Temperatures will shoot up again, marking this summer’s third heat wave. Daytime highs will be in the region of 36°C to 41°C on weekdays, before levelling off at 35°C for the weekend. Nighttime lows will be extremely warm, varying from 26°C to 30°C. Winds will be light to moderate from a predominantly westerly direction. Needless to say, the sky will be sunny throughout. As things stand, August 2021 is a staggering 3.5°C hotter than average ed-hrvatski.com. Given that temperatures are to remain very hot on most days, August 2021 stands a chance of ending up being the hottest August on record.

ENGLISH/INGLIŻ

A third heat wave is just round the corner for the Maltese Islands. A ridge of high pressure developing across the central Mediterranean will drag another plume of hot to very hot air from north Africa towards our region in the coming days. August 2021 is on course to become one of the hottest Augusts ever experienced across the Maltese Islands. Starting on Monday 9/8, and lasting for just under a week, maximum temperatures will be at or above 37°C. Minimum temperatures will be in the region of 26°C to 29°C. This will push sea surface temperatures further up, as it edges closer to reaching a record-breaking 30°C. The wind will blow at light to moderate speeds, from a predominantly northwesterly direction. This will help mitigate the heat along the coast. The first half of August is statistically the hottest part of summer locally. Since it coincides with the feast of Saint Lawrence, the locals often refer to this period of hot weather as ‘il-ħruq ta’ San Lawrenz’. Many viewers are asking us two questions at the moment:

• Will temperatures cool down in the second half of August? Inevitably, the hottest temperatures will be behind us then. Having said that, we expect the temperatures to remain significantly hotter than average throughout the month. The extremely warm sea will increase levels of humidity across the islands, leading to even more suffocating real-feel temperatures.
• Is there a hint of the first rain? No, there is no sign of any imminent first rain. It’s way too early to even be talking about that. It is likely though, that when it does happen, it will be intense.

MALTI/MALTESE

It-tielet mewġa ta’ sħana tinsab wara l-bieb għal Gżejjer Maltin. Firxa ta’ pressjoni għolja se tiżviluppa madwar iċ-ċentru tal-Mediterran. Din se terġa ġġib magħha massa ta’ arja sħuna ħafna minn l-Afrika ta’ fuq lejn ir-reġjun tagħna. B’dan ir-ritmu, Awwissu 2021 jaf ikun l-aktar wieħed jaħraq li qatt esperjenzajna fil-Gżejjer Maltin. Għandha tibda nhar it-Tnejn 9/8, u se tkopri ftit anqas minn ġimgħa. L-ogħla temperaturi se jkun ta’ 37°C jew ogħla, filwaqt li dawk minimi se jkunu fir-reġjun ta’ 26°C sa 29°C. Din se twassal biex it-temperatura tal-wiċċ tal-baħar tkompli togħla, biex b’hekk toqrob aktar lejn ir-rekord ta’ 30°C. Ir-riħ se jkun ħafif għal moderat mill-Majjistral fil-maġġoranza tal-ħin. Din se tgħin biex ittaffi xi ftit is-sħana lejn il-kosta. L-ewwel nofs ta’ Awwissu huwa statistikament l-aktar parti sħunu tas-sajf, u peress li jaħbat mal-festa ta’ San Lawrenz ħafna jafuh bħala ‘l-ħruq ta’ San Lawrenz’. Ħafna segwaċi qed jistaqsuna żewġ mistoqsijiet partikolari bħalissa:

• Meta se tiffriska xi daqsxejn it-temperature? Bla dubju ta’ xejn, l-aktar temperaturi estremi se jkunu għaddew sat-tieni nofs ta’ Awwissu. Minkejja dan, xorta waħda nibqgħu nistennew li t-temperaturi jkomplu jkunu ħafna ogħla mill-medja. Il-baħar sħun ħafna se jgħin biex tkompli tielgħa l-livell ta’ l-umdita’ u b’hekk l-arja tkun tinħass ħafna aktar sħuna u mdellka.
• Hemm xi ħjiel ta’ l-ewwel xita? Le, ma hemm l-ebda sinjal ta’ xita. Għadu kmieni wisq biex nitkellmu dwar dan. Iċ-ċans huwa li meta tiġi, din se tkun intensa.

The first half of this week will see the ongoing heat wave across the Mediterranean reaching its peak. Daytime highs will reach up to 40°C on the first few days of the week, before dipping slightly by the weekend. Even then, they will still be hotter than average at the level of 33°C to 35°C. Nighttime lows will be in the region of 28°C / 29°C at the start of the week. These will experience a marginal decrease by the weekend, when values should average 25°C. Whilst the wind will be mainly light, a brief strong breeze from the Northwest is possible, particularly on Thursday 5/8 or Friday 6/8. The mainly westerly winds may make the sweltering temperatures that bit more bearable, mainly along the coast. Needless to say, the sky will be sunny throughout libido-de.com/. It will be hazy on the hotter days.

ENGLISH/INGLIŻ

The Maltese Islands will swelter in this season’s second intense heat wave. Maximum temperatures will be at or above 37°C on all days from Thursday 29/7 onward. This heat wave will last for at least a week. Any hope of sleep in comfortable temperatures has evaporated too, with nighttime temperatures set to be vary from 26°C to 29°C throughout. By definition, a heatwave is a spell of three or more consecutive days with daytime highs exceeding the mean maximum temperature for that particular time of year by 5°C or more. This heat wave will bring temperatures more than 10°C the average for this time of year at times. Exactly as expected at this time of year, this heat wave will be caused by an extension of the Sahara Desert high pressure system across the central Mediterranean. This will drag very hot air from over north Africa. These temperatures can lead to some dangerous heat disorders with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity in the heat. Sea surface temperatures will gradually rise to 29°C as the heat wave progresses. This would be some three degrees above the norm for this time of year.

The UV Index will be at a very high 10. This means an extreme risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. Take all precautions because unprotected skin and eyes can be damaged in minutes. UV is highest in the early afternoon.

The landscape is parched. Some spots are covered in tall dry grass. Many valleys are covered in reeds. The extreme heat will elevate the risk of grass fires in the coming days. As a result, The Fire Weather Index is at an extremely high level locally.

Be careful and follow these precautions to minimize the risk of any of the hazards mentioned earlier. Precautions include:

– Shut windows and pull down the shades when it is hotter outside. Open again when cool.

– Stay in the coolest part of any building if possible.

– Stay out of the sun and don’t go out between 11am and 4pm.

– Have cool baths or showers.

– Drink cold drinks regularly, such as water or juice. Avoid tea, coffee and dehydrating drinks.

– If outdoors, seek shade and wear protective clothing.

– Check up on friends, relatives and neighbors who may be less able to look after themselves.

– Seek medical attention in case of heat-related symptoms.

– Wear SPF 30+ sunscreen and sunglasses.

– Watch out for bright surfaces, like sand and water, which reflect UV and increase exposure.

– Keep all pets and possibly stray animals in a cool area.

– Do not take pets out for walks in the sun (you may have shoes to protect your feet but their paws are in contact with the hot ground).

– Never leave anyone (including pets) in closed vehicles.

– Be more careful with materials conducive to fires (such as BBQs, cigarettes, glass disposal, garden litter etc …)

– Be careful extremely careful with fireworks, especially burning debris falling from the sky.

Remember that babies, young children, people with underlying conditions, pregnant women, the elderly and others whose job includes being physically active are at a greater risk.

MALTI / MALTESE

Il-Gżejjer Maltin se jgħaddu mit-tieni perjodu ta’ sħana qawwija ħafna ta’ dan l-istaġun. It-temperaturi se jilħqu 37°C jew aktar fil-jiem kollha mill-Ħamis 29/7 ‘il quddiem. Din il-mewġa ta’ sħana se tkopri minn ta’ l-anqas ġimgħa. Il-lejl ftit li xejn se jġib soljev. L-anqas temperaturi billejl se jvarjaw minn 26°C sa 29°C matul l-iljieli kollha f’din il-mewġa ta’ sħana. Id-definizzjoni ta’ mewġa ta’ sħana hija tlett ijiem konsekuttivi jew aktar b’temperaturi massimi li jaqbżu l-medja għal dak iż-żmien tas-sena b’5°C jew aktar. Din il-mewġa ta’ sħana se ġġib magħha temperaturi li se jkunu 10°C ogħla mill-medja kultant. Bħal ma hu mistenni f’dan iż-żmien tas-sena, din il-mewġa ta’ sħana se tkun ikkawżata minn pressjoni għolja li se testendi minn fuq id-deżert tas-Sahara lejn parti kbira tal-Mediterran. Din se ġġib magħha sħana qawwija minn fuq l-Afrika ta’ fuq. Dawn il-valuri jistgħu iwasslu għal numru ta’ kundizzjonijiet assoċjati ma’ sħana qawwija ħafna. Dawn jinkludu ‘heat cramps’, ‘heat exhaustion’ u ‘heat stroke’ f’każ ta’ strapazz u attivita fiżika waqt l-aktar partijiet sħan tal-ġurnata.

L-indiċi UV se tkun f’livell estrem ta’ 11+. Dan ifisser riskju estrem ta’ ħsara mix-xemx. Ħudu kull prekawzzjoni peress li ġilda u għajnejn mhux protetti jistgħu isofru ħsara f’ħin qasir. Il-UV tkun l-ogħla kmieni wara nofsinhar.

Il-kampanja bħalissa niexfa. Xi nħawi huma miksija b’ħaxix twil ħafna u niexef. Il-widien ikunu mimlija qasab. Is-sħana estrema se twassal biex ir-riskju ta’ nirien ikun elevat.

Oqgħodu attenti u segwu dawn il-messaġġi ta’ prekawzjonijiet biex tnaqqsu r-riskju tal-perikli msemmija hawn fuq.

– Agħlqu t-twieqi u l-blinds/shutters fl-eqqel tas-sħana. Erġa iftaħ x’ħin jiffriska.

– Oqgħodu fl-aktar parti friska tal-bini.

– Evitaw li toqgħodu fix-xemx bejn 11am u 4pm.

– Inħaslu b’ilma frisk.

– Ixorbu xarbiet kesħin ta’ spiss. Pruvaw evitaw te’, kafe’ u alkoħol.

– Jekk tkunu barra, sibu d-dell u lbsu lbies addattat, kappell u nuċċali tax-xemx.

– Iċċekjaw li qraba, ħbieb u ġirien li ma jistgħux jieħdu ħsieb tagħhom infushom, ikunu sew.

– Ikkonsulta tabib f’każ ta’ sintomi marbuta ma’ kundizzjonijiet ta’ sħana

– Użaw SPF 30% sunscreen u nuċċali tax-xemx.

– Żommu l-annimali tagħkom u anke dawk tat-triq jekk possibbli f’post frisk.

– Toħorġux lil klieb jimxi fix-xemx (intom għandkom żarbun jipproteġikom mil-art tikwi, l-annimali ma għandhomx).

– Qatt tħalli lil ħadd, inkluż annimali, f’vetturi.

– Użaw materjali fjammabbli b’aktar reqqa (bħal BBQs, sigaretti, ħġieġ, kimiċi tal-pool, skart organiku etc …).

– Oqogħdu attenti mill-logħob tan-nar.

Ftakkru li trabi, tfal żgħar, nies b’kundizzjonijiet li ma jidhrux, nisa tqal, xjuħ u nies li jaħdmu fuq barra għandhom riskju akbar.

ENGLISH/INGLIŻ

The peak of the summer heat is at the door. A plume of hot to very hot air will rise from north Africa and expand across the Mediterranean in the coming days, marking the start of this season’s second heatwave. Maximum temperatures will be at or above 37°C from Thursday 29/7 onward. This heat wave will likely last for at least a week. The hottest days will be the ones around the beginning of August. One or two days with a daytime high of 40°C + is highly likely. Minimum temperatures will vary from 26°C to 29°C, meaning nights will offer little to no relief. Yet another jump in sea surface temperatures is also expected. It is projected that sea surface temperatures will rise from 27°C to 29°C by the end of this heat wave. The wind will blow at light to moderate speeds, from a predominantly northwesterly direction. This will help mitigate the intense heat along the coast. The first half of August is statistically the hottest part of summer locally. Since it coincides with the feast of Saint Lawrence, the Maltese refer to this period of intensely hot weather as ‘il-ħruq ta’ San Lawrenz’.

MALTI/MALTESE

L-aqwa tas-sajf qiegħed wara l-bieb. Massa ta’ arja sħuna ħafna minn l-Afrika ta’ fuq se testendi lejn il-Gżejjer Maltin fil-jiem li ġejjin, u b’hekk timmarka l-bidu tat-tieni ‘heatwave’ għal dan l-istaġun. It-temperaturi massimi se jkunu ta’ 37°C jew ogħla mill-Ħamis 29/7 ‘il quddiem. Din il-mewġa ta’ sħana se ddum għal minn ta’ l-anqas ġimgħa. L-aktar jiem jaħarqu se jkunu dawk lejn il-bidu ta’ Awwissu. Hemm possibilita’ għolja li jkollna ġurnata jew tnejn b’temperatura ta’ 40°C + matul din il-mewġa ta’ sħana. It-temperaturi minimi se jvarjaw minn 26°C sa 29°C, bl-iljieli joffru ftit li xejn soljev mis-sħana qawwija. Nistennew ukoll qabża oħra fit-temperatura tal-baħar. It-tbassir juri li din għandha titla minn 27°C għal 29°C sa tmiem il-mewġa ta’ sħana. Ir-riħ ikun ħafif għal moderat mill-Majjistral fil-maġġoranza tal-ħin. Din se tgħin biex forsi ttaffi xi ftit is-sħana lejn il-kosta. L-ewwel nofs ta’ Awwissu huwa statistikament l-aktar parti sħunu tas-sajf, u peress li jaħbat mal-festa ta’ San Lawrenz ħafna jafuh bħala ‘l-ħruq ta’ San Lawrenz’.

We will experience the build-up of a heat dome across the central Mediterranean this week. The high pressure system over the Sahara Desert will expand north to cover the entire Mediterranean. This will herald the start of the season’s second heat wave. Temperatures will rise to extreme levels. Daytime highs will soar from 35°C at the start of the week to possibly 40°C by the weekend. Nighttime lows, on the other hand, will warm up from 25°C at the beginning of the week to 28°C by its end. The fall of further temperature records cannot be ruled out yet. The wind will be light to moderate throughout. The mainly westerly winds may make the sweltering temperatures that bit more bearable. Needless to say, the sky will be sunny throughout.

A brief episode of instability that characterized the Mediterranean region over the weekend will move away, as high pressure will once again take hold. The wind will die down by dawn on Monday 19/7. The wind will be light on all days this week, with wind speeds stronger than Force 4 being highly unlikely. The westerly will be the predominant wind direction. It will take till at least early on Wednesday 21/7 for the north coast to calm down for good, however. Temperatures will climb gradually over the course of this week. Daytime highs will rise from a cooler-than-average 30°C at the start of the week to a hot 35°C by the weekend. Nighttime low will also follow this trend, warming up from 22°C at the start of the week to 25°C by the weekend. The weather will be sunny to mainly sunny.

ENGLISH/INGLIŻ

An area of low pressure will expand across the Mediterranean, as an anticyclone over the British Isles strengthens. This will bring about a brief break from the heat to our area. Starting from late on Thursday 15/7, and lasting for some four to five days, the Maltese Islands will experience a moderate to strong northwesterly wind and average to cooler than average temperatures. We’re expecting the northwesterly winds to reach up to Force 7 at its peak, particularly on Saturday 17/7. Daytime highs will hover at 29°C to 32°C, with nighttime lows likely to be at 22°C / 23°C. The potential for another heat spell towards the end of this month remains.

MALTI/MALTESE

Roqgħa ta’ pressjoni baxxa se tespandi madwar il-Mediterran, filwaqt li antiċiklun fuq il-Gżejjer Brittaniċi se jissaħħaħ. Dan se jġib miegħu waqfa qasira mis-sħana lejn ir-reġjun tagħna. Minn tard il-Ħamis 15/7, u sa erbgħa jew ħamest ijiem wara, il-Gżejjer Maltin se jesperjenzaw riħ moderat għal qawwi mill-Majjistral u temperaturi mal-medja jew ftit anqas mill-medja. Qed nistennew li r-riħ mill-Majjistral jilħaq sa massimu ta’ Forza 7 fl-aqwa tiegħu, speċjalment is-Sibt 17/7. L-ogħla matul il-jum se tvarja bejn 29°C u 32°C, filwaqt li l-anqas billejl se tkun fil-livell ta’ 22°C / 23°C. Il-potenzjal ta’ mewġa ta’ sħana oħra lejn tmiem ix-xahar tibqa hemm.

A ridge of high pressure across the central Mediterranean will weaken slightly over the course of this week, allowing the meteorological situation to turn a bit unstable. Whilst the weather will be sunny or mainly sunny throughout, temperatures are likely to dip slightly, particularly towards the weekend. The marginally warmer than average 33°C / 34°C daytime highs at the start of the week will give way to a cooler 29°C / 30°C by the weekend. Nighttime lows will be fairly stable, in the region of 22°C to 24°C ed-hrvatski.com. Weekdays will be characterized by a largely light westerly wind. The wind should then turn northwesterly and strengthen by the weekend, possibly reaching Force 6.

Temperatures across the Maltese Islands will be more bearable this week. As expected, the heat wave schweiz-libido.com. We’re expecting daytime highs to vary from 32°C to 35°C. Nighttime lows will be in the region of 23°C to 25°C. These values are hotter than average, but much less than those experienced in the recent heat wave. The weather will be characterized by plentiful sunshine and blue skies. This week will mark the return of a strong northwesterly wind on some days. The Northwest wind may reach up to Force 6 on two or three days. These are likely to be on Monday 5/7 and at the weekend.