Gale-force winds expected on Friday, MET Office says

The MET Office has forecasted gale-force winds for Malta and Gozo this Friday, with strong wind warnings expected to persist until Saturday.

“The Malta International Airport's three-day forecast indicates winds from the east-southeast at Force 7, which will decrease to south-southwest at force 5-6 by evening,” the MET office told MaltaToday.

The weather will remain predominantly cloudy, featuring isolated rain and hail showers that may be thundery and gusty, transitioning to a cloudier evening with isolated showers.

Sea conditions are predicted to be very rough, with waves potentially reaching up to four metres and low northeast swells becoming moderate east. A strong wind warning remains in effect at force 6, with a gale warning likely to be issued at force 8, along with a marine warning for swell.

"A trough of low pressure currently extends from Algeria towards the Central Mediterranean. Tonight, a low-pressure system will develop over the Gulf of Gabès, intensify, and move north-northeast over Tunisia, mainly impacting the Central Mediterranean," the MET office reported.

This is expected to continuously move toward Sardinia and the Tyrrhenian Sea, affecting the region through Sunday, 19 January, before weakening, they said.

On Saturday, winds are expected from the south-southwest at force 5-6. The weather will continue to be cloudy with isolated showers, which will become partly cloudy later in the day.

The sea state is expected to remain rough to very rough, with waves up to three metres and moderate east swells. The marine warning may still be in effect for the swell.

“Climatic norms for January indicate an average temperature of 12.9°C, a mean minimum temperature of 10°C, a mean maximum temperature of 15.7°C, and a mean wind speed of 8.9 knots,” stated the MET Office.

The MET Office has advised the public to exercise caution due to the anticipated strong winds and rough sea conditions as this weather system develops.