Malta Or Dubai? Temperatures In Malta Came Surprisingly Close To The Desert City This Week

Anyone complaining that Malta felt like Dubai over the past week might not have been exaggerating by much.

The Maltese Islands experienced another spell of extreme heat this week, with the temperature climbing to 41.2°C on Wednesday, 26th August, the highest recorded in Malta this month.

For comparison, Dubai, a city internationally known for its intense desert summers, recorded temperatures of around 43°C on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before dipping to around 40°C on Friday and returning to approximately 43°C on Saturday. Sunday's maximum was forecast at around 42°C.

That means that at its hottest point this week, Malta was only around 2°C cooler than Dubai.

And for people actually walking around outside, the difference may have felt even smaller.

High humidity in Malta has pushed apparent temperatures significantly above the numbers shown on thermometers, with the warmer-than-normal Mediterranean Sea and southerly winds bringing hot and humid air over the islands.

Malta's sea surface temperature currently sits at around 30°C, contributing to particularly humid conditions, while the "feels like" temperature was expected to climb as high as 42°C to 46°C during the heatwave.

Dubai, meanwhile, has remained hotter overall, beginning the week at around 45°C on Monday, with overnight temperatures also staying exceptionally high at around 30°C and above.

The wider UAE even recorded a staggering 50°C on Saturday, 29th August, although that temperature was measured in Bada Dafas in the Al Dhafra region rather than Dubai itself.

So while Malta has not quite become Dubai, this week's weather certainly made the comparison feel a little less ridiculous.

#MaltaDaily