Cold weather, rain and thunderstorms expected to hit Maltese Islands on Saturday night

Nov 4 2022

If you’ve been out and about in the Maltese Islands over the past few days, you can’t not have noticed the persistently warm weather, despite December being only a few weeks away.

However, if you’re after a stint of cold weather you will be relieved to hear that local weather page ‘It-Temp Madwarna’ has forecasted an extensive front of cold weather to hit the Maltese Islands on Saturday night, with rain and thunderstorms to follow soon after.

Such weather conditions will be complemented by increasingly strong Gale Force 8 winds with a sharp decline in temperatures to follow. The weather page reported that “temperatures are expected to drop by around 7°C.”

Such forecasts are corroborated by Malta’s Met Office on maltairport.com, which also noted temperature lows to hit 15°C.

Are you ready for cold weather?

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Is SMS dead? Malta sends 10.7 million less text messages as WhatsApp & Messenger take over

Nov 4 2022

The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) has revealed that the vast majority of mobile users much rather use free-to-use chat applications such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger than standard SMS, with numbers for the latter dropping drastically over the past few years.

A report by the MCA stated that 10.7 million less SMSs were sent in 2021 when compared to 2020, with the document suggesting that such a drop may ‘potentially’ be caused by platforms such as Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger.

The report went on to state that the average mobile user sent 267 SMS messages in 2021, a drop of 52% from 2017.

Despite the drop in text messages via SMS, the MCA also noted a marginal increase in phone calls and minutes spent by over a quarter, with the average number of calls rising to 786 in 2021, with average minutes surging to 1,855 per year.

The MCA’s document also noted a 27% drop in landline minutes and calls, constituting ‘the biggest year-on-year decline’ since 2018.

When was the last time YOU sent an SMS?

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New Welbee’s Express supermarket opens doors near Mater Dei

Nov 3 2022

Accessing healthy meals and a massively versatile supermarket all in one place has just become immensely easy near Malta’s very own national hospital.

That’s right – Welbee’s Express supermarket has just opened it’s doors next to Mater Dei at Campus Hub, meaning that everyone from hospital visitors, staff and anyone from the vicinity has a one stop shop for everything express.

With easy access given the massive parking space available, Welbee’s Express supermarket is offering more than just the everyday needs one might expect from a well-renowned supermarket brand.

That’s because customers can also find freshly made healthy snacks prepared on a daily basis at genuinely affordable prices.

This would also make an ideal quickie meal for anyone visiting both the hospital or the University of Malta which is exactly around the corner. You’ll definitely want to have a look around and you won’t be stressed for time!

That’s because Welbee’s will be offering up parking deals for anyone visiting the shop.

Anyone spending between €1 to €20 will enjoy 30 minutes of free parking. For an hour of free parking you’ll just have to spend €20 to €50 and if you’re aiming at a €50 to €100 shopping spree, you get 90 minutes free parking. Anyone spending €100 to €200 will get a whopping 3 hours of free parking, and one extra hour is given to anyone spending above the €200 mark.

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Malta presented with the best LGBTQ+ destination award in London

Nov 3 2022

Travel Bulletin, the UK’s leading travel trade brand organised the first StarAwards Ceremony in three years, celebrating the ‘shining stars’ of the industry, voted for by Travel Bulletin readers.

Over 30 awards, split into seven different categories, were presented on the 31st of October at a star-studded event in Central London. This included the Best LGBTQ+ Destination award, which was presented to the Malta Tourism Authority team of the UK Office.

“Across the globe, Malta is recognised as a champion when it comes to LGBTIQ+ rights” outlined Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo.

“The progressive and liberal programme that the Maltese Government embarked on for the past nine years has shifted the Maltese Islands into a welcoming country to visitors coming from every strata in society all year round. We are looking forward to celebrate this successful story next year by hosting Europride in our capital city Valletta during September 2023.”

CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority Mr Carlo Micallef said that this awards sets up Malta as an ideal destination for various demographics. “It sets the pace for a very exciting 2023 which will see Malta as the host for Europride, which tied with Malta’s consecutive top positioning on the ILGA Rainbow Index makes a perfect combination.”

MTA UK Office Director Tolene van der Merwe said that “throughout our campaigns this year, we have been emphasising on Malta’s inclusivity and diversity, focusing also on the warm welcome that the LGBTQ+ community will receive next year in Valletta during Europride 2023.”

“Almost two-thirds (63%) of British people believe it’s important to choose a holiday destination based on its acceptance of diversity, and we truly feel that there is no better time than 2023 to discover Malta.”

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