The Climate of
Malta
Watchtower on the city wall, Valletta
What is the climate of Malta like?
Malta is an island nation in the central Mediterranean, south of Italy, and east of Tunisia. The islands are small, low-lying, and flat. The weather and climate are strongly influenced by the sea and have a very characteristic Mediterranean flavour, similar to that found in southern Italy or southern Greece.
Winters are mild, with only rare occurrences of cold weather brought by north and northeast winds from central Europe. The average winter temperature is 13°C (55°F), with January being the coldest month. Summers are warm, dry, and very sunny. The average summer temperature is 28°C (82°F), with temperatures peaking at midsummer (July to August). Daytime temperatures in summer are usually mitigated by cooling sea breezes, but in spring and autumn a very hot wind from Africa occasionally brings unpleasantly high temperatures. This is the sirocco, which also affects Italy and Greece; in Malta the air is usually rather drier because of the short sea track from the African coast.
Annual rainfall in Malta is rather low and the length of the dry season in summer is longer than in southern Italy. Most rainfall occurs between November and January, and average rainfall is approximately 560 millimeters (22 inches) per year. Malta has a very sunny climate with an average of five to six hours of sunshine a day in midwinter and over twelve hours a day in summer.
| Climate data for Valletta (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 15.7 (60.3) | 15.7 (60.3) | 17.4 (63.3) | 20.0 (68.0) | 24.2 (75.6) | 28.7 (83.7) | 31.7 (89.1) | 32.0 (89.6) | 28.6 (83.5) | 25.0 (77.0) | 20.8 (69.4) | 17.2 (63.0) | 23.1 (73.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.9 (55.2) | 12.6 (54.7) | 14.1 (57.4) | 16.4 (61.5) | 20.1 (68.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.5 (81.5) | 24.9 (76.8) | 21.8 (71.2) | 17.9 (64.2) | 14.5 (58.1) | 19.5 (67.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) | 9.5 (49.1) | 10.9 (51.6) | 12.8 (55.0) | 15.8 (60.4) | 19.6 (67.3) | 22.1 (71.8) | 23.0 (73.4) | 21.2 (70.2) | 18.4 (65.1) | 14.9 (58.8) | 11.8 (53.2) | 15.9 (60.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 79.3 (3.12) | 73.2 (2.88) | 45.3 (1.78) | 20.7 (0.81) | 11.0 (0.43) | 6.2 (0.24) | 0.2 (0.01) | 17.0 (0.67) | 60.7 (2.39) | 81.8 (3.22) | 91.0 (3.58) | 93.7 (3.69) | 580.7 (22.86) |
| Source: Meteo Climate | |||||||||||||
When is the best time to visit Malta?
High simuner can be very hot, but there is usually a light breeze. Winters are mild, and an equable climate can be enjoyed throughout the year.
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
Malta
In summary:
The climate of Malta is typically Mediterranean, with fairly hot, dry summers and rainy, mild winters. The average winter temperature is 9°C (48°F); the average summer temperature, 31°C (88°F).
Rainfall occurs mostly between November and January and averages about 560 mm (22 in) per year.