Climate in Malta – Weather, Rainfall, Temperature & Humidity

Located in the Mediterranean, Malta enjoys warm weather for most part and has approx. 3000 hrs. of sun per year. Due to the high levels of humidity, the annual climate in Malta can range from chilly during winter months, to dry and very hot during summer months.

Summer is extremely dry in Malta, at best you may see 2 to 3 days’ rainfall during the summer months. Winter ranges from mainly mild and dry days to wet spells depending on the amount of rainfall during those months and the current climate in Malta at the time.

In general, Malta weather is consistent year in year out, with records from Climate Data Malta weather forecasts showing showing little or no variation in weather patterns from one year to the next. There are odd spells of extreme weather conditions such as thunder and lightning storms. High winds have been known to batter the coastline in Malta, often resulting in a sea level rise and waves crashing onto the public promenade and into seafront properties, flooding costal roads in the process.

Climate in Malta – Precipitation, Malta Rainfall Averages and Malta Weather Records.

The average rainfall for the year in Malta is approx. 90 days overall. the majority of which falls between November and February. Wet days vary during these winter months but it’s not uncommon for December and January to see 15/16 days of rain per year. Gozo weather differs only ever so slightly to Malta weather in this respect.

During summer, i.e. between the months of June and August, it’s common not to see any rain at all, with the first ‘summer’ rain usually coming right at the end of August around the time of the festa in St. Julian's.

Average Monthly Rainfall Levels for Malta

 

Heatwaves and the Climate in Malta. High Humidity Levels Affect Malta Temperature All Year Round

The climate in Malta see’s an average temperature each year of approx. 23 °C (or 73 °F) in the daytime and approx. 16 °C (or 61 °F) during the night. This gives Malta one of the hottest temperatures throughout the year on average and it’s one of the warmest countries across the whole of Europe.

January is by far the coldest month in Malta, with the temperature as low as 12 °C (or 54 °F) to 7 °C (or 45 °F). The title of hottest month in Malta goes to August, where you can typically see temperatures get much warmer, soaring to 36 °C (or 97 °F) for days on end during heat waves. The highest temperature ever recorded in Malta was by Malta International Airport in Luqa and that was 43.8° Celsius or 110.8 °F back in August 1999.

Heatwaves in Malta are quite common and can feel even hotter due to the often high level of humidity and the presence of a tropical air-mass that is pulled across the Med, originating from the Arabian and Sahara deserts known as the Sirocco Winds. Each year Malta weather produces an average level of humidity that sits at approx. 73%

Average Monthly Humidity Levels for Malta

 

Climate Change Malta - The Climate in Malta and How the Government is Tackling Climate Issues

The current weather and climate in Malta suggests that even the smallest changes or fluctuations in temperature could make things very uncomfortable for the lives of its citizens. In 2009 to combat the effects of climate change, the Maltese government adopted a strategy towards reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions including promoting the use solar energy for a variety of applications.

They added to this strategy by adopting a Renewable Energy Plan and a National Energy Efficiency Plan, which set a target of cutting energy consumption by 9%. The University of Malta also opened their own Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, helping to research further areas of climate science such as global warming and global climate change by monitoring the atmosphere for pollution, carbon dioxide (Co2) emissions and other harmful greenhouse gases that affect the general climate in Malta.

In 2011 the government developed a strategy for the ‘Adaptation to Climate Change for Malta’ and also began tackling climate issues overseas. It made a total pledge of 800,000€ during the years 2010 to 2012 to various intergovernmental projects in Africa which focused on improving the environment and living conditions of people affected by climate change.