Cold, cloudy start to the new year with isolated showers expected

Malta is set to ring in the new year under cold and unsettled weather conditions, with the Meteorological Office forecasting cloudy skies, isolated showers and below-average temperatures through New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

According to the Met Office, Tuesday 31 December will be mostly cloudy, with the chance of isolated showers throughout the day. Maximum temperatures are expected to reach around 16°C, dropping to approximately 12°C overnight. Winds will be moderate to rather strong in the morning, blowing from the west-northwest at Force 4 to 5, before easing and turning light northerly by the evening.

Similar conditions are expected to usher in 2026 on Thursday 1 January. The weather is forecast to remain mostly cloudy, with isolated showers possible at times. Winds are expected to veer to an easterly direction and strengthen slightly during the day to Force 4–5, before easing to Force 3 as they shift to a south-easterly direction.

New Year’s Day is also expected to be particularly cold, as a cold air mass originating from Siberia is forecast to dominate over Italy and the central Mediterranean. As a result, daytime temperatures are not expected to exceed 15°C, falling to around 10°C by the evening.

The Meteorological Office said conditions should improve in the days following New Year’s Day, offering some relief for those planning to enjoy the remainder of the festive period. Between Friday 2 January and Sunday 4 January, the forecast points to partly cloudy weather with temperatures rising above the seasonal average. Overall, temperatures are expected to climb by around 3°C between Thursday and Sunday.

The Met Office also recalled some notable New Year weather extremes in recent years. The coldest New Year’s Eve on record occurred 11 years ago, when temperatures between the night of 31 December 2014 and 1 January 2015 dropped to 2.1°C, with light snowflakes briefly observed over the Maltese Islands. By contrast, New Year’s Day 2024 was the warmest of the past decade, with temperatures reaching 18.5°C.

The public is encouraged to keep up to date with the latest forecasts and weather warnings via the Meteorological Office website.