Current conditions across the islands, read from live observations and refreshed through the day, with the forecast for the days ahead.
- Fri4 SepCloudy29° 28°17
- Sat5 SepClear32° 27°170.6mm
- Sun6 SepClear32° 26°19
- Mon7 SepClear31° 26°16
- Tue8 SepClear32° 26°9
- Wed9 SepClear31° 26°110.2mm
- Thu10 SepClear32° 26°12
- Fri11 SepClear33° 27°11
- Sat12 SepClear31° 27°6
Most of Malta is free to walk into. A few sites need booking and they fill up.
Reading Maltese weather
Wind matters more than temperature
Wind decides where you can swim. Temperature almost never does. The islands have coast facing every direction, so there’s nearly always somewhere sheltered. You need to know which side to go to.
It also closes boat trips and Comino crossings at short notice, which is why one flexible day belongs in every trip.
Which bay is sheltered today
The sea warms up two months late
The sea is coldest around March and warmest around September, which is the opposite of what most people assume. May can be hot with the water still cold. October can be cooler with the water still warm.
It’s comfortably swimmable for most people from about June to October, and from May well into November if you’re used to it.
What each month feels like
Storms are short and they pass
The rain comes between October and March, usually in short heavy bursts rather than all-day drizzle, and the sun is normally back within hours. Grigal (the north-east wind) is the wind that makes the eastern harbours rough.
The islands are small enough that a storm on one coast can leave the other flat calm the same afternoon.
What to do when it rains
The named winds
Maltese has its own name for each wind direction. You’ll hear them in forecasts and in conversation.
Wind by direction
- Majjistral, north-west
- The most common wind. Exposes the whole north-west coast, including the popular sandy bays, and leaves the south and east calm.
- Grigal, north-east
- The one that closes the Comino boats and makes the eastern harbours choppy. Often strong and cold in winter.
- Xlokk, south-east
- The sirocco. Warm, humid and hazy, carrying dust from Africa. Uncomfortable rather than dangerous.
- Lbic, south-west
- Exposes the south-western cliffs and bays.
- Tramuntana, north
- Cold and clear, usually in winter.
Knowing it’s blowing eighteen kilometres an hour from the north-west doesn’t tell you where to swim. The beach picker uses the current wind, the direction each bay faces and the distance the wind has crossed open water. It then ranks every bay on the islands. It answers the real question: where should you swim today?