Climate type
Mediterranean
Usually classified as hot-summer Mediterranean, or Csa.
Malta Guide · 08
ClimateWeather & Seasons
The Mediterranean sets the rhythm
Long, dry summers. Short, mild winters. A lot of sun — but not always gentle weather.
Malta’s climate is easy to summarise and much more interesting to live through.
Climate, not today’s forecast
Malta runs on a Mediterranean climate.
Malta has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate: summers are long, bright and usually very dry, while most of the year’s rain arrives between autumn and winter. Spring is short and changeable; autumn often stays warm enough for the sea long after the strongest summer heat has passed.
The surrounding Mediterranean moderates winter cold but also keeps humidity high. That is why a 13°C winter day can feel sharper than the number suggests, while hot summer nights can remain warm and sticky well after sunset.
Climate profile
The Maltese climate at a glance.
Long sunshine hours, a short rainy season and a sea that strongly shapes how the islands feel.
Annual rainfall
≈543 mm
A recent MIA climatic norm; totals vary markedly from year to year.
Winter mean
≈13°C
The long-term winter mean quoted by Malta’s Meteorological Office.
July norm
31.6°C
Climatic average maximum quoted by the Meteorological Office.
July sea norm
24.7°C
Warm enough for long swims; late summer can be warmer still.
July sunshine norm
364 h
About 11.7 hours of bright sunshine per day.
Prevailing wind
North-westerly
The Majjistral is one of the islands’ most familiar winds.
Dry season
June–August
Rain is often negligible, especially in June and July.
Month by month
The same islands, twelve different moods.
These are practical climate descriptions rather than a forecast: individual years can be much hotter, colder, wetter or drier.
01Winter
January
Coolest stretch · roughly mid-teens by day
Often Malta’s wettest-feeling month: mild by northern European standards, but wind, humidity and stone buildings can make it feel colder.
02Winter
February
Mild · changeable
Winter is still in control, although sunny days can already feel spring-like. Cold snaps remain possible and the sea is near its annual minimum.
03Spring
March
Warming · unsettled
Longer days and stronger sun arrive quickly, but low-pressure systems can still bring cool, wet or windy interruptions.
04Spring
April
Pleasant · increasingly dry
One of the most comfortable months outdoors. Warm sunshine is common, but showers, thunderstorms and Saharan haze can still appear.
05Late spring
May
Warm · bright · drying fast
Summer begins to show itself. Rain becomes uncommon, daylight is long and exposed inland walks start feeling hot around midday.
06Summer
June
Hot · very dry
Blue skies dominate. The climatic sunshine norm is about 328 hours and normal rainfall is only a few millimetres.
07High summer
July
Hottest core · normal max around 31.6°C
Long, intensely bright and usually almost rainless. Heatwaves can push well beyond the climatic average and nights stay warm.
08High summer
August
Hot · humid · sea at its warmest
Air temperatures remain high while the Mediterranean stores summer heat. Muggy nights are common and thunderstorms can begin to reappear late in the month.
09Early autumn
September
Still summery · storm risk rising
The sea remains warm and days can still feel like midsummer, but the first major downpours and thunderstorms may return abruptly.
10Autumn
October
Warm · increasingly unsettled
Often one of the best months for warm sea and gentler air, although autumn lows can produce intense rain, lightning and strong wind.
11Autumn
November
Mild · wetter
Autumn finally feels established. Sunny, soft days can alternate with heavy rain and rough seas; November’s climatic rainfall norm is close to 90 mm.
12Winter
December
Cool · mild winter begins
Days shorten and winter systems return, but long bright spells remain common. The sea releases stored heat and helps soften temperature extremes.
Four seasons
Malta has seasons. They just do not divide the year evenly.
Summer dominates; spring and autumn behave more like transitional windows around it.
Winter
Mild, wetter and windier.The long-term winter mean is around 13°C. Rainfall is concentrated here, but even winter can deliver long runs of sunshine between fronts.
Spring
Fast-moving and short-lived.Green landscapes, flowers and comfortable daytime temperatures give way quickly to the dry season. Rainfall falls sharply as May approaches.
Summer
Long, hot, dry and intensely bright.June and July can be almost rainless. High UV, warm nights and heatwaves are the main climate realities rather than thunderstorms.
Autumn
Warm sea, unstable sky.The Mediterranean remains warm while cooler air begins returning aloft — a setup that can produce sudden thunderstorms and heavy downpours.
Rain & storms
Malta is dry. Its rain can still be dramatic.
Low annual rainfall does not mean gentle rain: much of the total can arrive in short, intense Mediterranean episodes.
Most rain falls in the cool half of the year.
Autumn and winter provide the bulk of Malta’s precipitation, while June and July often contribute almost nothing.
Year-to-year totals swing widely.
The annual norm quoted by Malta International Airport is about 543 mm, but individual precipitation years can finish far above or below it.
Flash flooding matters more than the annual number.
Short, heavy downpours can overwhelm roads and low-lying urban areas because rainfall intensity can be high even in a generally dry climate.
The thermometer only tells part of the story.
Malta rarely experiences severe winter cold, but exposed limestone, strong wind and relatively humid air can make cool days feel surprisingly raw. Many older buildings were designed to shed summer heat rather than retain winter warmth, which can amplify that impression indoors.
The reverse is true in summer: high humidity and warm nights can reduce overnight relief even when the daytime maximum is not record-breaking.
Wind exposureCoasts, headlands and high ground can feel much colder than sheltered streets.
HumidityThe surrounding sea keeps moisture in the air through both summer and winter.
Building fabricTraditional stone construction can feel cool and damp during prolonged winter weather.
Sea & sunshine
The Mediterranean is Malta’s giant heat reservoir.
It warms slowly, cools slowly and helps explain why Malta’s seasons lag behind the calendar.
January’s climatic sea-surface norm. The sea is usually coldest later in winter or early spring.
July’s climatic norm. Actual late-summer water temperatures can climb several degrees higher.
Roughly 11.7 hours of bright sunshine a day in the climatic norm.
Because the sea holds heat, September and October can be better swimming months than May, even when their air temperatures look similar on paper.
Winds
Eight directions, eight Maltese names.
Malta’s traditional wind rose names every main compass direction. The direction matters because the islands are small enough for one coast to be rough while the opposite side remains relatively sheltered.
North-west
A familiar summer wind that can roughen Malta’s exposed north-western bays while bringing a fresher feel.
North
A northerly flow, often associated with clearer and colder-feeling winter weather.
North-east
Can become strong in the cool season and build rough seas along exposed north-eastern and eastern coasts.
West
Westerly weather exposes the western coastline while eastern shores sit on the more sheltered side of the islands.
East
An easterly maritime airflow, with the eastern coastline taking the more direct wind and swell exposure.
South-west
The Lbiċ exposes the south-western cliffs and bays and can make that side of Malta noticeably rougher.
South
Southerly air arrives from the North African side of the Mediterranean and tends to favour warmer conditions.
South-east
The sirocco-type wind: warmer, humid and sometimes hazy, with Saharan dust reaching Malta on some episodes.
North-west
A familiar summer wind that can roughen Malta’s exposed north-western bays while bringing a fresher feel.
North
A northerly flow, often associated with clearer and colder-feeling winter weather.
North-east
Can become strong in the cool season and build rough seas along exposed north-eastern and eastern coasts.
West
Westerly weather exposes the western coastline while eastern shores sit on the more sheltered side of the islands.
East
An easterly maritime airflow, with the eastern coastline taking the more direct wind and swell exposure.
South-west
The Lbiċ exposes the south-western cliffs and bays and can make that side of Malta noticeably rougher.
South
Southerly air arrives from the North African side of the Mediterranean and tends to favour warmer conditions.
South-east
The sirocco-type wind: warmer, humid and sometimes hazy, with Saharan dust reaching Malta on some episodes.
A changing climate
The Mediterranean baseline is shifting.
Malta’s adaptation planning treats climate change as a cross-cutting issue for water, health, infrastructure, ecosystems and the coast.
More heat stress
Rising temperatures increase the burden of hot days and warm nights, especially in dense urban areas and during heatwaves.
Greater water pressure
Long dry spells and high evaporation matter in a country that already has limited natural freshwater resources.
Rain can become harder to manage
A drier climate does not remove flood risk: intense short-duration rainfall can still create damaging runoff and urban flooding.
Coasts remain exposed
Sea-level rise, storm surge and coastal erosion are long-term pressures for infrastructure, beaches and low-lying shorelines.
Ecosystems feel the squeeze
Drought, heat and changing rainfall patterns affect garrigue, agriculture, soil moisture and already-fragmented habitats.
Health is part of adaptation
Malta’s climate-adaptation framework explicitly includes human health, civil protection, surveillance, education and contingency planning.
Further reading
Go straight to the climate sources.
Meteorological observations, climatic norms and Malta’s climate-adaptation framework.
Malta International Airport · Meteorological OfficeObservations, weather information and climatic context.
MIA · Annual Weather Round-upUseful reference for rainfall, temperature and sunshine norms.
Climate-ADAPT · MaltaEuropean profile of Malta’s adaptation policy and reporting.
Environment & Resources AuthorityMalta’s environmental policy, water and climate-related material.