Local weather services have issued warnings of heavy rain and gale-force winds as thunderstorms are expected in the first half of the week.
Malta is set to experience some rough weather starting this afternoon and persisting till Wednesday morning.
Forecasters have issued warnings for a thundery and torrential rainfall as well as very strong winds going up to Force 8 or 9.
A spokesman for the Malta International Airport weather station said strong winds with thundery showers are forecast starting this afternoon and carrying into Tuesday morning. The spokesman said rainfall might become lighter on Wednesday, with strong winds persisting.
According to the MIA’s forecast the gale is predicted to start southerly and move south-easterly late on Monday, then move southerly and south-westerly on Tuesday. Strong westerly winds are also expected on Wednesday.
The spokesman also said there might be a chance of hail.
Private weather station Maltese Islands Weather issued a double warning for heavy rainfall and gale force winds, saying some forecast models also suggest the spell of bad weather may have the conditions to develop into a Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone, sometimes known as a Mediterranean hurricane or a ‘Medicane’.
“Regardless of whether it transforms into a Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone or not, it is almost certain that some very bad weather will be affecting the Maltese islands,” the forecaster said in a statement.
The heavy rain warning indicated that “a lengthy period of steady rainfall, which will be heavy to torrential at times”, could range from 30mm to 60mm in precipitation, with higher amounts possible across localised areas. The warning is valid until Tuesday at noon.
The gale-force wind warning, which Maltese Islands Weather said would be “the strongest since last February” is valid from 9am to 6pm today and from 3am to 6pm tomorrow.
Peak gusts reaching up to Force 10 at times are predicted to blow across the islands tomorrow afternoon and decrease to Force 5 to 6 by early Wednesday evening.
The forecaster also said the seas is expected to be very rough, with wave heights reaching up to eight metres at peak gusts.
Virtu' Ferries said it had cancelled a Monday afternoon crossing to Sicily, although the morning trip was still due to be performed.