Malta sets new heatwave record with three days above 42°C
Temperatures are expected to ease from Thursday after seven consecutive days of extreme heat.
Malta has recorded three consecutive days with temperatures of 42°C or more, setting a new record.
On Wednesday, Malta and Gozo entered the seventh day of the heatwave, with temperatures reaching 42°C at about midday. The temperature reached 42.7°C on Tuesday and 42.3°C on Monday.
The Met Office told Times of Malta: “In this current heatwave, we now have a new record of three days in a row when the thermometer at Luqa Airport read 42.0°C or above, as per the list of heatwaves going back to 1991.”
It said the previous record was set during the July 2023 heatwave, when temperatures reached or exceeded 42°C on two consecutive days.
That heatwave also included a record six consecutive days when the temperature reached 40°C or more.
This year, Malta has been experiencing a heatwave since July 16, when the temperature reached 38.1°C.
A heatwave is declared when the temperature exceeds 30°C and is at least 5°C higher than the climatic mean maximum temperature for three consecutive days or more.
The climatic mean maximum temperature for July is 31.7°C.
Temperatures over the last weekend also exceeded the previous July maximum, reaching 43.3°C on Saturday.
This surpassed the previous July record of 42.7°C, registered in 1988 and 2023, and was 0.5°C below the August record of 43.8°C, set in 1999.
The Met Office said the heatwave was caused by “a bulge of high pressure stretching from North Africa across the central Mediterranean, sandwiched between two cooler low-pressure systems.”
It added: “Meteorologists call this weather pattern an Omega Block because on weather maps it resembles the Greek letter Ω. It is a slow-moving system, which is the reason why the hot, dry weather continued over the central Mediterranean for such a prolonged period of time.”
Health authorities have advised the public to limit sun exposure, drink enough water and monitor elderly and vulnerable people closely.
The Public Health Superintendence warned that high temperatures can rapidly dehydrate the body.
People aged over 75 who have diabetes or chronic kidney disease, as well as those taking lithium, may book a place at cooling centres.
Eligible people should have received an SMS from Public Health with details on how to reserve a place through a helpline.
Temperatures are forecast to ease from Thursday onwards.
Prime Minister Robert Abela on Tuesday apologised to those affected by recent power cuts.
In his apology, the prime minister cited "the effects of climate change are showing, and temperatures are constantly rising and lasting longer."