Climate

The local climate in Malta is Mediterranean temperate with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Effectively there are only two seasons, which makes the islands attractive for tourists especially during the drier months. Water supply poses a problem on Malta, as the summer is both rainless and also the time of greatest water use, and the winter rainfall often falls as heavy showers and runs off to the sea rather than soaking into the ground. In January 2007, International Living chose Malta as the country with the best climate in the world.

In Valletta, (elevation 70 m), on the east coast of Malta island, average temperatures are at their lowest in January and February at 12°C (with a minimum of 10°C and a maximum of 15°C), and their highest in August at 26°C (with a minimum of 23°C and a maximum of 29°C). Rainfall averages from 0 to 11 cm a month, with the greatest amounts falling between October and February (over 5 cm a month), with the least (less than 1 cm) falling between June and August. Between November and February, the city receives 5 or 6 hours of sunshine a day; sunlight hours reach their peak in June to August, with 11 or 12 hours per day. Humidity is fairly constant all year round; it is at its lowest between May and September (65 to 69%), rising to a high 71-73% the rest of the year.