As Holy Week celebrations begin across the Maltese Islands, the Meteorological Office said the coming days are expected to be characterised by strong winds and occasional rain showers.
As devotional pilgrimages take place tomorrow in several localities across Malta and Gozo to mark the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, weather conditions are expected to be dominated by strong West-Northwest winds. These will begin strengthening overnight, reaching Force 7 before gradually easing to Force 5 to 6 in the afternoon. Rain showers are possible throughout the day.
Saturday is expected to bring similar conditions, with strong to rather strong Northwesterly winds (Force 5 to 6). Winds are forecast to increase to Force 6 in the afternoon, before easing again overnight into Sunday.
Conditions are expected to become more favourable on Palm Sunday, offering some relief for localities holding the first Good Friday processions. The day is forecast to be partly cloudy, with rather strong to strong Northwesterly winds (Force 5-6) becoming strong to rather strong by the evening.
A brief look ahead to the first days of Holy Week indicates continued windy conditions, particularly on Tuesday and Wednesday. A more detailed forecast for Good Friday and Easter Sunday will be issued in the coming days. The public is encouraged to visit maltametoffice.com for the latest updates.
February Relatively Dry and Warmer Than Average
Despite February typically being considered a rainy month, last month was relatively drier and warmer than the climatic norm.
During the month, the Meteorological Office recorded 17.2 mm of rainfall, which is 51.8 mm below the monthly average. No thunderstorms were recorded over the Maltese Islands, whereas typically around three occur during February.
The average temperature for the month stood at 14.7°C, which is 2.1°C above the climatic norm. The highest temperature reached 20.4°C on 6th February, while the coldest night was recorded on 23rd February, when temperatures dropped to 9.0°C.
While rainfall was below average, the same cannot be said for wind conditions. February was windier than usual, with an average wind speed of 12.8 knots (climatic norm: 9.4 knots). The strongest gust reached 52 knots, recorded on 12th February from the west.