The water may have been “cold” and “fresh” on Friday but people on Sliema’s beaches described how good it felt to be swimming in December, as they welcomed the unseasonally warm weather. 

As mainland Europe comes out of an arctic chill, the island has experienced warm temperatures throughout the week, with a maximum of 22.6 degrees Celsius on Friday.

When I swim all my stress ebbs away... I feel reborn- Simone Restall

A spokesperson from the Meteorological Office said warm air was flowing from the Sahara towards the central Mediterranean.

The mercury reflected this, with 20.2 degrees Celsius reported on Monday followed by 19.9 degrees on Tuesday, 21.2 degrees on Wednesday and 22.3 degrees on Thursday.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Friday could have become the warmest December day in 60 years but the temperature did not quite reach that level. The official highest temperature for December recorded by the Met office was 24.3°C in 1963.

'The water is so refreshing'

Still, under a cloudless sky, eager bathers were at the seaside hoping to top up their faded summer tan. They were rewarded with calm sea on the east coast.

“I was in Amsterdam a few days ago, freezing,” Luis Sanchez from Venezuela said after taking a dip at Exiles.

“The water is fresh but you soon get used to it after a few minutes.”

Simone Restall took a few hours’ leave for the occasion and so did her friend.

“When I swim all my stress ebbs away... I feel reborn,” she said.

As they dried off, Francesca Soster and Julian Galea said the water was “fresh and crystal clear”.

Soster even spotted an octopus on the seabed.

They both preferred a December swim to the summer.

“The water is so refreshing and the beaches are empty,” they said.

Temperature to go back to normal 

Matthew Camilleri, a 30-year-old real estate consultant and mindset coach, said swimming in winter made him feel alive and connected with nature.

“The cold water is also great for the immune system,” he added.

Friday's weather was a far cry from three weekends ago when high waves engulfed the east coast and force 10 winds and heavy rain damaged property.

But it’s not going to last long.

The temperature is set to drop to a maximum of 20 degrees on Saturday and the forecast maximum temperature until Thursday will hover around the norm for December, according to the Met Office.