Following the recent dry spell experienced across the Maltese Islands, the coming days are expected to bring the first signs of autumn, with cloudier skies, the possibility of showers, and temperatures closer to the seasonal norm, the Meteorological Office at the Malta International Airport said in a statement.

“In fact, as from Wednesday, a low-pressure system forming over Northern Italy will extend to the central Mediterranean; however, later on in the day, a ridge of high pressure will extend from the Bay of Biscay towards the Maltese Islands,” the statement read.

“This will create unsettled weather over the Maltese Islands, with isolated showers, possibly accompanied by thunder and strong gusts of wind, expected on Wednesday, before conditions improve later in the afternoon. The weather is likely to remain rather cloudy in the following days, with further rainfall possible over the weekend,” it added.

Even though the average rainfall for the month of September stands at 59.2 mm, the month has so far remained practically dry. While the forecast may still change, the coming days could provide some much-needed rain for fields.

Over the next few days, temperatures will remain relatively warm, with highs reaching 29°C before dropping slightly towards the weekend to around 27°C, as winds shift to a Northwesterly direction. Night-time temperatures are forecast to range between 21°C and 22°C. The average temperature for September is 24.9°C.

While September has so far remained completely dry, last month was somewhat wetter than usual, as the popular ‘għerejjex ta’ Santa Marija’ arrived just in time and did their part.

In fact, during the month of August, the Meteorological Office measured 10.8 mm of rainfall, which is slightly above the monthly norm of 9.7 mm. The highest amount of rainfall was recorded between the 16th and 17th days of the month, when two thunderstorms, more than the climatic average, passed over the Maltese Islands.

The mean temperature last month stood at 27.1°C, close to the climate norm of 27.5°C, with the highest temperature measured at 31.2°C and the lowest dropping to 20.2°C.