Rain ahead? ‘L-għarajjex ta’ Santa Marija’ and their unexpected rainfalls over Malta
Given Malta’s fame for its sunny days, visitors might be confused by the occasional cloud cover that pops up during August, but these clouds are actually so common at this time of the year that there’s a Maltese expression to describe them – ‘l-għarajjex ta’ Santa Marija’.
The singular term ‘għarixa’, as explained by Maltese Islands Weather, describes the clouds that form in central localities of the islands on sunlit days. These clouds usually start appearing towards mid-August, around the feast of Santa Marija, giving this phenomenon its Maltese name.
This year, it might happen even sooner than that, with local weather portal 'It-Temp Madwarna' predicting cloudy weather and even possible showers as early as Tuesday 8th (tomorrow) and Wednesday 9th August.
When cooler air meets the warm lands, the clouds are formed. If the temperatures are warm enough to have this process start in the morning (which anyone can agree, they have been), the clouds could reach substantial sizes, and might even cause some rain.
Have you ever experienced ‘l-għarajjex ta’ Santa Marija’?