North westerly winds end 10-day heatwave

Malta is in for some reprieve from blistering hot temperatures as north westerly winds blowing over the island bring an end to a 10-day heatwave.

The Meteorological Office at Malta International Airport has downgraded the red weather warning first issued on 18 July to a yellow warning.

The Met Office said the maximum temperature peaked at 42.7°C on 24 July, equalling the July 1988 record reached during a four-day heatwave. Six days registered air temperatures that were higher than 40°C.

It added that temperatures that are closer to the July norm are expected until Tuesday as cooler weather sets in.

Red weather warnings are issued when the forecast air temperature is expected to be equal to or higher than 40°C, as an advisory for people to protect themselves from dangerously high levels of heat. During the 10-day heatwave that has just washed over the Maltese islands, the air temperature exceeded the 40°C mark on six days, with temperatures in the high 30s being registered in the first four days of the heatwave.

The Met Office said the spate of significantly above-average temperatures resulted from a region of relatively weak or calm atmospheric conditions that extended from the Sahara Desert and stationed itself over the central Mediterranean.

“Due to weak winds, the same air mass stalled in one place for an extended period, with an air temperature build-up being observed in the meantime,” a spokesperson said.
The Met Office is now forecasting air temperatures that are closer to the July climate norm between today and the first day of August, as north westerly winds that are set to reach Force 6 by Wednesday evening bring about a change in air mass.

Over the next days, the maximum temperature is expected to range between 30°C and 34°C, while the minimum temperature will hover around the 26°C mark.

The prolonged heatwave led to a new record of electricity consumption over the past week and a country grappling with several power outages caused by increased demand and high heat.