Wednesday 1st December will mark the start of meteorological winter. The central Mediterranean will be traversed by a number of low pressure systems. This means a continuation of unstable weather for the Maltese Islands. The wind, which has now turned from the West, will be strong to very strong on most days. It may reach gale-force at times on up to three days. It will be strong on all other days. Temperatures will vary widely. We’re expecting daytime highs to be in the range of 15°C to 20°C. Nighttime lows will vary from 10°C to 15°C. They will likely feel colder due to the strong wind. Whilst no severe rainfall events are expected, there will be a number of isolated showers along the way, some of which will be with hail. There will be periods of bright sunshine too.

If someone asked you when each of the seasons occurs, how would you respond? Your answer may depend on whether you think of seasons in a more traditional, or a more weather-related way. The astronomical seasons are the ones most of us are familiar with because their start dates are listed on our calendars. They’re called astronomical because, like our calendar, the dates of their occurrence are based on the position of Earth in relation to the sun. Astronomical winter starts on December 20th/21st/22nd. Another way to define the seasons is by grouping the twelve calendar months into four 3-month periods based on similar air temperatures. Meteorological winter starts on 1st December.