It’s the peak of summer, the weather’s hot, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky – and yet, the air seems weirdly hazy. Makes no sense, right?

Well, actually, it kind of does.

Local weather page Maltese Islands Weather attributes these whacky weather conditions to a mildly annoying phenomenon known as a ‘heat dome’.

“As per the norm, high pressure is present over the Sahara Desert. The difference in pressure between this and a zone of lower pressure over western Europe has helped to set-up a stream of air from the Sahara Desert across the Mediterranean and into Europe,” the weather page wrote.

“This has helped blow very hot and dry air from the Sahara Desert across the central and southern Mediterranean. This state of affairs has resulted in what we refer to as a heat dome,” it continued.

The presence of a heat dome over the Maltese islands was predicted by a number of weather stations last week. This phenomenon serves to trap and compress air coming in from the Sahara Desert – “much like when you put a lid on a saucepan.”

With the heat dome in place, therefore, winds above the islands can’t move around freely, leading to hot weather, a hazy atmosphere, and grey skies.

maltairport.com

“The heat dome has caused air pollution, desert sand, and moisture to become stagnant, leading to the choked-up atmosphere,” Maltese Islands Weather concluded.

As previously predicted, the effects of the heat dome started to be felt on the islands from this morning, although they’re set to persist for the foreseeable future.

The Malta International Airport’s meteorological office forecasts temperatures to feel as hot as 37°C every single day, starting from tomorrow up until next Wednesday. The UV Index will also remain at a steady 11 until Monday, subsiding to 10 on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Stay hydrated out there!

Maltese Islands Weather / Facebook