How to Survive the Cold of Malta

Every year between the months of December and March, airplanes disgorge unwitting tourists onto the tarmac at Luqa, their bags crammed with bikinis, beach towels and sun cream.  They soon discover that the beach is off the agenda, and that it actually gets pretty chilly this time of year (in fact the week after Christmas this year featured temperatures plummeting to close to zero degrees celcius, which is almost unheard of).

Fortunately for the tourists, all but the most miserly of hotels will feature some sort of heating for their guests.  

However, this is not necessarily the case for many of the residents on the island.  Homes are made of porous limestone, often featuring large windows and high ceilings over stone tiled floors.  Perfect for summer, but not so much for those pesky winter months.  

So how best to keep warm?

Indian Summer in Malta

Yes, it is the middle of October and Yes, it is still warm enough to swim in the sea.

Or to lie on the beach, or do any of that other good summer weather stuff.

Scattered Storms and Lots of Sunshine

The island was bounced around by some pretty noisy thunderstorms at the beginning of October, with lightning splitting the skies on the weekend of October 4th.

Monster Storm in Malta

Dramatic late night lightning strike! (just out of shot)

No rain for months, but the weather gods have certainly made up for that in the past 24 hours or so.  If there is a (living) person on the island who wasn't awoken by the storm last night, then they obviously had quite the party on Sunday.  I have never seen so many simultaneous bursts of lightning, rendering any 'one-Mississippi' counting until the thunder rumble a waste of time.  It was an impressive affair, and accompanied by a considerable downpour.

 I've noticed parallels between the way Malta deals with rain and Ireland deals with an inch of snow.  In both cases, the country descends into

People Sighted on Maltese Beach!

I didn't think it would take long, and sure enough... sunbathers!  And it's only the 3rd of March.

Okay, now I admit that you have to examine this photograph rather closely in order to discern said sun-worshippers, but they are there.  This is St George's beach, and in the middle of summer you will struggle to find a place to lay your towel, but this is what you may call the first buds of springtime emerging from the cold.  I went for a walk earlier and it is definitely pretty warm, although I am not going to start splashing around in the sea anytime soon.  But a coffee in a street-side cafe is definitely on the agenda.

Malta: It's Getting Warmer... (and warmer)

Now the title above does not refer to global climate change caused by industrialisation, but rather to the fact that winter is drawing to a close and thoughts are gradually turning beachward again.

Not that people are lounging about on the beaches working on their tans just yet - I will keep you posted on early sightings - but spring has definitely sprung.  There are more tourists sitting on outside tables sipping cappacinos, jackets are being discarded, and there is a rumour circulating that the temperature may be approaching 17 degrees by the weekend.

Now whatever happened to that beach-towel?

blue skies over Malta

http://www.howtomalta.com/2012/03/people-sighted-on-maltese-beach.html

Malta: Cold in Winter!

This is Malta in December... looks deceptively warm

Stop the presses.  Despite what you may have heard about Malta having the best climate in the world, you will be sorely disappointed if you rock up here in the middle of January, bags stuffed with swimwear and sun-cream.  Because Malta is pretty chilly at this time of year.  Temperatures range from (average) lows of about 9 or 10 degrees celsius up to highs of 16 or 17 degrees from December to March.  Or to translate for those people who speak Fahrenheit, thats lows of 49 to highs of about 60.  Now this does not seem cold to, let's say, somebody from Northern Europe where winter temperatures regularly dip below zero.
The problem here though is that Malta is not adapted for the cold.  Very few of the houses have heating or are insulated, and so they are not the warm havens us Northern Europeans are accustomed to.  That's why we spend a lot of our free time sitting on the couch under assorted blankets.  You also have to remember that this is a very small island and as such is more likely to be buffeted by winds.  Somebody compared Malta to a very large ship out here in the middle of the sea, except one which does without the benefit of heating systems.  Not too far off the mark.

January

On the plus side, there's not a lot of rain here, and much more sunshine than you would expect just about anywhere else in Europe.  And on those sunny winter days it's actually pretty warm if you find a patch of sunlight and don't move out of it.  But the best advice is that if you're coming to Malta during the winter leave the beach clothes at home.  You will still get lots of blue-sky photos to take home with you, but you'll probably be wearing a jacket when you take them.