Temperatures are forecast to increase to 33°C on Wednesday, making June 21, the first day of summer, the hottest day so far this year, according to the Meteorological Office.
Between Wednesday and Friday, temperatures are expected to reach highs of 33-34°C, but it will feel like 35°C. The climate norm for the month of June is 28.8°C.
Until Sunday, the highest temperature reached in 2023 was 30.3°C, recorded on June 18, a spokesperson for the Met Office said.
The good news is that so far there are no heatwaves on the horizon, with the temperature expected to cool down to 29°C.
For a period of hot weather to qualify as a heatwave, air temperatures must be at least 5°C higher than the norm for a particular month for three or more consecutive days.
The last heatwave to hit Malta stretched between June 23 and 28, 2022, making it the only one for 2022. Temperatures reached a maximum of 38°C.
The highest temperature for June ever recorded was in 2021, when Malta experienced two record-breaking days of heat in a row. Temperatures rose to a blistering 41.5 on June 30.
Until June 26, the Met Office is forecasting generally fine conditions with light and light to moderate wind. However, the wind is expected become moderate to rather strong (F4-5) West-Northwest for some time on Sunday.
Is the unsettled weather over?
The hot temperatures come after weeks of unsettled weather that saw rain, wind and sun in the same week.
Unsettled weather at the beginning of June is not as uncommon as one might think. The climate norm for June is 6mm of rainfall, whereas June 2023 has, so far, produced 3.4mm of rainfall.
“Looking at June data for the past 30 years shows that June 2007 was the wettest, having produced 76.2mm of rainfall, followed by June 2016 with 32.8mm of rainfall. Data for the past 30 years also shows that six Junes during this period had two days with thunderstorms, while seven Junes during the same 30-year period had a day with thunderstorms,” the Met Office said.
The UV index is forecast to rise to 11 this week, meaning there is a very high risk of harm to unprotected skin.
Health experts advise people to wear UV-blocking sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat and protective clothing.
People should stay inside near midday, reduce their time in the sun and avoid staying outdoors between 10am and 2pm.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the maximum temperature for June 2022 was 41.3°C. In fact, the highest temperature was 38°C. A temperature of 41.5°C was reached in June 2021.