Watch: From Hot to Hotter Demystifying Heatwaves in Malta’s Mediterranean Clime
Malta’s high temperatures have us all in a rut, so we’d do well to get some facts straight about the causes of the blazing temperatures and cruel heatwaves plaguing the Mediterranean (and a big chunk of the globe, for that matter).
Malta’s MET Office constantly posts weather facts, forecasts and warnings on their social media pages. As expected, a prolonged heatwave and fluctuating air temperatures were the stars of the show this season.
Check this out!
So, at what point do we call high temperatures a heatwave?
Heatwaves occur when air temperatures are at least 5°C higher than the monthly norm for over three consecutive days. MET Office records show that Malta reached an all-time high in August 1999, when temperatures shot to a whopping 43.8°C.
When was Malta’s longest heatwave?
Remember those 12 mercilessly sweltering days between June and July of 2021?That was the heatwave that lasted the longest in Malta in the last 10 years.
Ok, what about the super hot weather?
Very hot weather in Malta and Gozo is usually due to a high-pressure area over Northern Africa (known as the African Anticyclone) which brings clear skies and high temperatures by suppressing cloud formation with sinking, warming air and light winds.
What makes the weather feel hotter than it is?
You guessed it, Malta’s besties; humidity and wind are the culprits for this one.
Get your 7-Day Forecast here and follow Malta Met Office on Instagram
Tag a summer lover!
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