Sunday, September 12, 2010

The Weather

The Weather in Malta


The Mediterranean climate determines the character of the Maltese weather, which means dry and hot summers and mild winters. Malta is warmed by the sun during a relatively long period of day-time: a daily average of five to six hours sunshine in winter to more than twelve hours in summer. Whereas for most parts of Europe four seasons divide up the year, Malta hardly knows spring or autumn. Both summer and winter come fairly suddenly; The first starts with a sudden increase in temperature and the latter starts with a few tropical showers. However, annual rainfall is relatively low, averaging less than 600mm per year.

Day-time temperatures in August average around 31º C, but sea breezes often provide some cooling. The summer season usually lasts from May/June to October, longer than for example Italian summers. With sea temperatures of 24-26 º C, calm seas and hardly ever a drop of rain during the ‘summer months’, swimming offers some cool relaxation and there are plenty of beaches in Malta and Gozo to choose from!

The below table shows you the averages which give a good impression of the weather in Malta throughout the year.

Month          Hrs. of sun     Rain in mm     Temp range         Sea Temp
                                                                  C         F             C     F
January              5.5               90.2          10-15   49-59       15    58
February            6.4               60.3            9-15   49-59       15    58
March                7.3               45.2          10-17   50-62       15    58
April                   8.5               25.3          12-19   53-66      16     61
May                  10.0                8.5           15-23   59-73      18     65
June                  11.2                4.2           19-27   65-81      21    70
July                   12.2                1.1           21-30   70-86      25    76
August              11.4                8.7           22-31   71-87      26    78
September          9.0              39.4           20-28   69-82      25    77
October              7.2            120.7           17-24   63-75      22    72
November           6.5              75.7           14-20   57-6       20     67
December           5.2              96.2          11-17    52-62      17    62