Winds could reach force 8 on the Beaufort scale on Tuesday, meteorologists have warned as they issued a weather warning on the first day of February.

The Malta International Airport weather forecast on Tuesday issued an ‘orange warning’ for the strong winds, along with a warning how the West-Northwest wind will later veer North Northwest and expected to reach force 8 in certain areas. 

Force 8 winds are classified as 'gale force' on the Beaufort scale used to classify wind speeds. They can reach speeds of up to 74km/h, breaking twigs off trees and leading to moderately high waves of greater length in the sea. 

Hail dots the ground - and cars - in Floriana on Tuesday.

Temperatures on Tuesday could feel as low 10° Celcius, the MIA weather station said.

Strong winds expected to last until Wednesday. Photo: Malta International Airport

All Malta-Gozo fast ferry trips on Tuesday and Wednesday have been cancelled due to the bad weather. Gozo Channel ferry crossings between Ċirkewwa and Mġarr were still operational at the time of writing. 

Different localities experienced hailstorms on Tuesday.

A number of localities in Malta and Gozo also experienced hailstorms and large storm clouds on Tuesday. 

Yet it was not all gloom, as a group of young students at St. Paul's Bay Primary school played and found joy in the results of the bad weather.

The strong winds are expected to last until Wednesday.

By Thursday, the wind will die down to a North-North-westerly force 5 to 6, becoming force 4 throughout the day and backing Southwest force 3 overnight. 

A MIA spokesperson said strong winds and rain showers are typical for this time of year. 

“Although windy conditions are to be expected in February, it is worth noting that between 23 and 24 February 2019, gust winds blowing from a North-easterly direction reached 54 knots, becoming the strongest winds to be registered on the Maltese Islands in February in recent years.”

The highest wind gust on record for February was registered on February 4, 1955, reaching 70 knots, equivalent to approximately 130km/h.