Malta is bracing for gale-force winds on Friday, with gusts of up to Force 9 forecast for the afternoon.

Virtu Ferries has cancelled all trips to Sicily tomorrow and the fast ferry service between Gozo and Valletta has also been cancelled. 

Malta International Airport's three-day forecast for mariners predicts cloudy skies with thundery and gusty showers with hail, becoming cloudy with showers of rain and hail. The sea is forecast to be moderate becoming very rough.

Source: Windfinder.com

According to Windfinder.com, which provides detailed wind, wave, and weather data, wind speed will start at Force 5 in the early morning, before getting even stronger as the day goes on.

By midday, winds could reach Force 8, with powerful gusts up to Force 9. The windiest period is forecast to be between 10am and 4pm.

Facebook page Malta Weather attributes Friday's bad forecast to a "developing low-pressure system over the Gulf of Gabes that will contrast with a strong high-pressure system over continental Europe", that could cause waves up to eight metres high.

The weather should improve by the weekend, with partly cloudy skies, breezy Force 4-5 winds and highs of 15°C expected on both Saturday and Sunday.