The hot spell that has made everyone complain incessantly over the past few days is expected to ease off shortly and less warm weather is expected for the forthcoming long weekend that begins with the feast of St Peter and St Paul, better known as Mnarja, on Friday.

Contacted yesterday, Saviour Porter, meteorological services manager at Malta International Airport, confirmed that the temperatures registered during the past two weeks were above average. The highest temperature this month was recorded yesterday at 4pm, when the heat index climbed to 39.4 degrees Celsius.

Today, the maximum temperature is not expected to go up further than 36 to 37 degrees Celsius, while markedly cooler weather is expected tomorrow, with maximum temperatures only expected to reach about 34 degrees Celsius.

The mercury will drop by a further two to three degrees Celsius by Friday, when many people will be enjoying the start to the long weekend.

Mr Porter explained that what is commonly referred to as a “heat wave” is considered to be 10 degrees above the monthly mean temperature, which happens to be 28.5 degrees Celsius for the month of June.

Over the past 30 years, the highest temperature ever registered for the month of June was in 1997, when a maximum average temperature of 40.1 degrees Celsius was recorded on 13 June.

This was, however, a single-day heat wave, since the worst long heat wave in June occurred in 1998, when maximum temperatures of between 39.7 and 42.6 degrees Celsius were recorded on four consecutive days – between 30 June and 3 July 1998.

Last June, the hottest temperatures in 30 years were also registered, when almost nine consecutive days with a maximum temperature of 39 degrees Celsius were recorded.

Last weekend will probably be remembered as the hottest for June this year, with maximum temperatures of 36.2 degrees Celsius and 39.2 degrees Celsius being registered on Saturday and Sunday respectively.