‘Like a lid on a pot’ – Heat dome to cause extreme temperatures in Malta this week
Get ready for the third heatwave of the summer, as the Maltese Islands enter another period of high temperatures starting today – and it’s going to be a doozy!
In what weather analysts Severe Weather Europe are calling a ‘massive heat dome’, southern Europe will be hit with excessive heat this week, with the topmost temperatures expected across Italy, Malta and Greece towards the middle of the week.
Likening the heat dome to “a lid on a pot”, the analysts at Severe Weather Europe explain that “the large dome is trapping a very warm air mass at all levels underneath, especially at the lowest elevations.
The result? Extreme heat, with daily maximum and average temperatures well above normal. This also raises the threat of wildfires, the likes of which have hit parts of Turkey and Italy in recent weeks.
“It will be extremely hot in places, potentially very near or even above 45°C locally. Thanks to very warm temperatures through the lowest levels of the atmosphere, lack of any strong winds, and very dry air mass advection from northern Africa,” they warn.
According to the Meteorological Office at Malta International Airport’s seven-day forecast, this week will certainly be a scorcher, with high temperatures topping at 41°C and 40°C on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Feels like temperatures are expected to reach 42°C on both days.
UV Indexes are also high, ranging between UV10 and UV9 in the coming days, so remember to be mindful, wear skin protection and avoid direct sunlight in the middle of the day.