The coming days are expected to be characterised by strong northwesterly winds, which may at times reach gale force, particularly over the weekend, the Meteorological Office at the Malta International Airport said on Wednesday.
Westerly to northwesterly winds began strengthening on Wednesday, 7th January, prompting the Meteorological Office to issue a warning, especially for coastal areas where winds are expected to be strongest. This warning is likely to be renewed in the coming days.
The unsettled weather conditions are being caused by a low-pressure system that has developed over southern Italy and is gradually moving eastwards across the Mediterranean.
On Thursday, 8 January, westerly-northwesterly winds are expected to strengthen further, reaching Force 6 to 7. Isolated showers are also forecast throughout the day.
Sunny intervals are expected to return between Friday and Saturday; however, winds will remain strong. On Friday, 9th January, winds are forecast to reach Force 5 to 6 from the west-southwest, strengthening further on Saturday, 10th January, when they are expected to reach Force 6 as they veer back to a west-northwesterly direction.
The most unsettled and windy day is expected to be Sunday, when the weather will be marked by showers and very strong northwesterly winds, which may again reach Force 6 to 7. This will be the result of another low-pressure system moving from the British Isles towards the Baltic states by Sunday.
Temperatures are also expected to drop, with daytime highs ranging between 16°C and 14°C, while overnight temperatures are forecast to fall between 12°C and 10°C. However, the strong northwesterly winds will make temperatures feel colder.
The Meteorological Office will continue to keep the public informed with the latest warnings and provide specific marine forecasts for mariners on its website: maltametoffice.com.
December slightly drier than average
As was the case with the first three months of the precipitation year, December also failed to reach its monthly rainfall quota of 104.8 mm, the Met Office said.
In fact, during the past month, the Meteorological Office recorded a total of 99.4 mm of rain. Three thunderstorms were recorded near the Maltese Islands during the month, which is one fewer than the monthly average.
The average temperature for December was 15°C, slightly higher than the climatic norm of 14.3°C. The warmest day of the month was the 17th, when the highest temperature for December 2025 was recorded at 20.4°C. The coldest night occurred on the first day of the month, when temperatures dropped to 9.2°C.
The average wind speed throughout the month was 7.5 knots (compared to the norm of 9.1 knots). The strongest wind gust, measuring 42.1 knots, was recorded on the fourth day of the month, blowing from the west-northwest.