These clouds usually start appearing towards mid-August, around the feast of Santa Marija, giving this phenomenon its Maltese name.
The phrase gherejjex ta’ Santa Marija is a familiar one to all festa lovers across Malta and Gozo but for those who do not know, the phrase refers to the rain that commonly occurs during the lead-up or on the day of the celebrations of the Santa Marija feast on the 15th August.
It is a scary phrase as it means that the work of all the festa enthusiasts won’t be fully appreciated in the way it deserves due to the inclement weather.
However, according to the local Facebook weather page ‘Maltese Islands Weather’, it doesn't look like we'll be getting any rain this year!In fact, temperatures are expected to climb higher than what we’ve seen in recent weeks, with 'real feel' readings forecast to range between 38°C and 40°C.
Were you looking forward to experiencing rain this week?