Met Office warns of strong winds, colder temperatures
December rainfall was below average
The MIA Met Office on Wednesday warned of strong winds for the coming few days as it also reported that December was slightly warmer than normal and rainfall was below average.
It said that the coming days are expected to be characterised by strong northwesterly winds, which may at times reach gale force, particularly over the weekend.
Westerly to northwesterly winds began strengthening on Wednesday, prompting the issuing of a warning, especially for coastal areas where winds are expected to be strongest. This warning is likely to be renewed in the coming days, the Met Office said.
The unsettled weather conditions are being caused by a low-pressure system that has developed over southern Italy and is gradually moving eastwards across the Mediterranean.
The office said the westerly-northwesterly winds are expected to strengthen further on Thursday, reaching Force 6 to 7. Isolated showers are also forecast throughout the day.
Sunny intervals are expected to return on Friday and Saturday; however, winds will remain strong. On Friday, winds are forecast to reach Force 5 to 6 from the west-southwest, strengthening further on Saturday when they are expected to reach Force 6 as they veer back to a west-northwesterly direction.
The most unsettled and windy day is expected to be Sunday, when the weather will be marked by showers and very strong northwesterly winds, which may again reach Force 6 to 7. This will be the result of another low-pressure system moving from the British Isles towards the Baltic states by Sunday.
The Met Office said temperatures are also expected to drop, with daytime highs ranging between 16°C and 14°C, while overnight temperatures are forecast to fall between 12°C and 10°C. The strong northwesterly winds will make temperatures feel colder.
December was drier than average
The Met Office also reported that December failed to reach its monthly rainfall quota of 104.8 mm. It recorded a total of 99.4 mm of rain. Three thunderstorms were recorded near the Maltese Islands during the month, which was one less than the monthly average.
The average temperature for December was 15°C, slightly higher than the climatic norm of 14.3°C. The warmest day of the month was the 17th at 20.4°C. The coldest night occurred on the first day of the month, when temperatures dropped to 9.2°C.
The average wind speed throughout the month was 7.5 knots (compared to the norm of 9.1 knots). The strongest wind gust, measuring 42.1 knots, was recorded on the fourth day of the month, blowing from the west-northwest