An orange weather warning is set to be issued for Saturday, with Malta set to face another bout of heavy heat in the coming days, the Meteorological Office said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Meteorological Office currently has a Yellow Heat Advisory in force, which is expected to be upgraded to an Orange Heat Advisory, the second-highest warning level.

From Wednesday, maximum temperatures are expected to reach 35°C, although the apparent or "feels like" temperature may approach 40°C.

Saturday, 8th August, is forecast to be the hottest day of the week, with temperatures expected to reach 36°C.

Temperatures are expected to remain close to 35°C during the following days, as the Santa Marija holiday period begins. Weather warnings may therefore be extended into next week, the Met office said.

The next seven days are expected to remain sunny and hot, with no sign yet of the Santa Marija 'għerejjex', which traditionally bring some relief from the intense August sunshine. Winds will shift from a west-southwesterly to a northwesterly direction from tonight onwards but are expected to remain generally light and are unlikely to provide much relief from the heat.

These high temperatures are being caused by a persistent ridge of high pressure currently dominating the Central Mediterranean and Libya.

"Nevertheless, at this stage, conditions are not expected to meet the criteria for a second heatwave, as temperatures are not forecast to exceed 37°C for three or more consecutive days. The climatic mean maximum temperature for August is 32°C," the Met office said.

The public is encouraged to continue following the advice issued by the health authorities, particularly by avoiding prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, drinking plenty of water, and taking extra care of vulnerable people, especially the elderly and young children.

Meanwhile, July, which brought a seven-day heatwave between 16 and 22 July, was almost 3°C warmer than the climatic average, with a mean monthly temperature of 29.7°C.

At the peak of the heatwave, the Meteorological Office recorded the highest temperature ever measured during the month of July: 43.3°C.  It also marked the first time on record that temperatures exceeded 42°C for three consecutive days. 

Sea surface temperatures were also exceptionally high, averaging 28.2°C, which was 3°C above the climatic average.