Malta braces for scorching week as temperatures set to feel above 40°C
UV index to reach 11 on Wednesday, Malta Airport weather station warns
Malta is heading into a sweltering spell next week, with temperatures forecast to feel well above 40°C for consecutive days, according to Meteorological Office forecasts.
Following a relatively mild period in Malta, the mercury is expected to climb sharply from Monday, with real-feel temperatures reaching desert-like levels.
Although the air temperature is forecast to range between 32°C and 40°C, the Met Office said it will feel around 40°C on Monday, peaking at 42°C on Tuesday, before dipping slightly to 40°C on Wednesday and rising again to 41°C on both Thursday and Friday.
That is considerably higher than the forecasts made a few days ago, when meteorologists were expecting temperatures to feel as hot as 38°C.
The average daily high in Malta in mid-July is around 31-32 °C.
According to the Malta Weather website, the coming heatwave is expected to be atypical in its formation. Rather than being driven by the usual compression of air under high pressure, this heat event is the result of a jet stream undulation drawing in a hot tropical continental air mass directly from the desert. As a result, the islands may see a hazy, milky sky caused by desert dust suspended in the atmosphere.
The UV index is expected to reach an extreme level of 11 on Wednesday.
In recent years, similar heat waves have led to electricity outages, as demand for air conditioning systems soars.
While July temperatures regularly hover in the 30s, Malta has so far been spared the kind of scorching conditions recorded in previous years. In July 2023, the temperature exceeded 40°C for six straight days, with a high of 42.7°C, just shy of the all-time record of 43.8°C set in August 1999.
Residents are advised to stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activity during peak hours, and remain alert to public health warnings throughout the week.
Southern and central Europe are currently grappling with a punishing wave of heat. Spain has seen more than 1,180 heat‑related deaths between mid‑May and mid‑July, dwarfing last year’s 114 fatalities. UK and France endured their hottest Junes on record, with London hitting 34.7 °C.
Scientific analyses affirm a growing trend: Europe is warming at roughly twice the global average, resulting in longer, more intense summers, sometimes extending into autumn.