Malta braces for gale-force winds on Monday

Updated 5pm

Malta is bracing for gale-force winds on Monday as the Met Office forecasts winds of up to Force 8, indicating choppy seas and blustery conditions across the islands.

The start of next week is forecast to be windy, with southeasterly winds climbing from Force 6 to 8 on the Beaufort Wind Scale over the course of the day, according to the Malta International Airport website.

The Met Office forecast shows wind speeds reducing over the course of next week. Graphic: Met Office.

The Met Office told Times of Malta that a mean speed of force 8 is equivalent to 34 to 40 knots. Gusts over 40 knots are expected for Monday and Tuesday.

Asked about the cause of such strong winds, the Met Office said that on Monday, an area of low pressure over Algeria, extending to the Central Mediterranean, is set to intensify and move over Tunisia, while an area of high pressure will sit over the Balkans. 

Popular weather website Windfinder also shows the maximum wind speed reaching 34 knots by the early hours of Monday morning, steadily climbing throughout the day to reach a high of 47 knots.

Meteorologists classify wind speeds of between 34 and 47 knots (62–87 kilometres per hour) as a gale, placing the expected conditions firmly within that category.

Gale force winds can break twigs off trees and “generally impede progress” on land while causing wave crests to break off into sea spray, according to the UK Royal Meteorological Society. Stronger gales risk structural damage and increased spray.

Graphic: Windfinder.com.

Weather conditions should improve by Tuesday, while continuing to ease across the rest of the week, with the Met Office forecasting Force 3 by Thursday.

Aside from strong winds, Monday is expected to feel like 16°C, with highs of the same temperature and lows of 13°C. Isolated showers are expected throughout next week.

Facebook page Maltese Islands Weather also noted the strong winds, which it said would be followed "by a period of possibly heavy and persistent rain... indicating a good amount of rainfall for January".

The Met Office urged the public to heed its warnings issued in the coming days.

"Civil wind/precipitation/thunderstorm warnings are expected to be issued. These will be colour-coded according to the severity of impact.

"For example, if Force 8 or above is expected to affect the Maltese Islands, a red wind warning will be issued. The Met Office also expects to issue marine wind warnings."

Cancelled ferries

Virtu Ferries has announced it will be cancelling all trips on Monday "due to inclement weather"and will be organising extra voyages on Sunday between Pozzallo and Malta.