What Are “Għarajjex Ta’ Santa Marija”?

“Għarajjex ta’ Santa Marija” is a Maltese expression referring to the cloudy, unsettled and sometimes rainy weather that can occur around the Feast of Santa Marija, celebrated on 15 August.

Malta is usually very hot, dry and sunny during August. However, around Santa Marija, the weather can occasionally change, bringing more clouds, stronger winds, increased humidity and, at times, showers or thunderstorms.

Maltese people traditionally refer to this change in summer weather as the “Għarajjex ta’ Santa Marija”.

The expression forms part of Maltese folklore and reflects how people observed seasonal changes long before modern weather forecasting. The Għarajjex do not necessarily occur every year, nor do they always bring heavy rain. Sometimes, they may simply appear as an unusual increase in cloud cover during the typically clear Maltese summer.

#MaltaDaily