September in Stats: Rainfall, Storms and Heat

Oct 14 2022

September ushered in the first rain showers of the new precipitation year, with the Meteorological Office measuring 59.8 mm of precipitation in Ħal Luqa.

This total was slightly above the 1991-2020 climate norm of 59.2 mm, and was collected over the span of two days on September 22 and 23. Rainfall was accompanied by thunder on these two days, with a third thunderstorm being reported by the Meteorological Office on September 30.

September 22, which accounted for 84 per cent of the month’s total rainfall, was the month’s wettest and gloomiest day. However, having clocked 12.1 hours of sunshine in excess of the monthly norm of 253.1 hours, September was sunnier than expected at this time of year. This can be partly explained by the month’s mean cloud cover of 2.0 oktas, which was lower than the norm of 2.8 oktas.

September was warmer than average, with the month’s mean maximum temperature of 29.5°C exceeding the norm by 0.9°C and the mean minimum temperature surpassing the norm of 21.2°C by 1.5°C. While September’s highest temperature peaked at 32.6°C on the eleventh day, the lowest temperature dipped to 17.0°C as rain showered the islands for the second consecutive day. At 27.9°C, the mean sea surface temperature was higher than the climate norm of 26.1°C.

A mean wind speed of 7.5 knots was maintained in September, making the month slightly windier than the norm. The month’s maximum gust was measured on September 17 at 32 knots, blowing from the Northwest.

Information provided by the Malta International Airport MET Office.

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Photo Source: Erika Kállai (via It-Temp Madwarna FB)

Beat the Garbage Monster: here’s why you should be separating your waste

Oct 14 2022

As the world continues to battle the ongoing climate crisis, waste separation has become more important than ever. Even in Malta, efforts have been made to adopt sustainable waste practices… but we could always do more.

Waste separation efforts have paid off over the past year, with the amount of non-recyclable waste in the recycling bag dropping from 25% to 20%, but we cannot stop here. That is why WasteServ has embarked on another informative campaign, this time focusing on organic waste.

As a matter of fact, WasteServ has noted that 40% of the contents of the country’s black trash bags are made up of organic waste. Naturally, this poses a number of problems.

When organic waste ends up in the wrong bag, we miss a chance to turn that waste into electricity. Last year alone, WasteServ generated enough electricity for 500 homes. Also, black bags end up in the landfill, and any organic waste left in these bags ends up rotting, and releasing methane, a greenhouse gas which has 25 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. Thus, we would be also contributing to climate change.

So, remember all fruit and vegetable peelings, any uneaten food and plate scrapings, bread and pastries, cooked meat including bones, fish, mouldy or expired food without its packaging, non-liquid dairy products, eggs and eggshells, rice, pasta, beans, tea bags and coffee grounds should all go in the white bags. Non-food items which can also be thrown in this bag include napkins soiled with food and very small garden waste like flowers and leaves but no twigs.

If you want to know more about this campaign, you can visit WasteServ’s website. You can also download WasteServ’s handy Waste Separation Guide containing information on what goes in each bag as well as information about all the waste disposal services offered. Just visit wsm.com.mt/guide

Do YOU separate your waste correctly?

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Why is everyone talking about CBD and what are its benefits?

Oct 14 2022

Cannabidiol, more popularly known as CBD, is a chemical which is covered all too often in the media… but how familiar are we with what it actually is?

CBD oil has gained popularity over the past few years, especially for its holding in the world of health and wellness. CBD is well-known for its capabilities in controlling anxiety, relieving pain, stimulating appetite and treating other symptoms. To clarify, the main psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound which causes the sensation of being high.

On the other hand, CBD is not psychoactive and is often diluted with carrier oils such as coconut oil for eventual use in products such as food, drinks, supplements, skincare products and more. All cannabinoids act as messengers to our body’s receptors and help regulate pain, muscle control and inflammation, with evidence also showing that they can improve sleeping patterns and help with depression or anxiety.

Cannabis was made legal for recreational use in Malta after President George Vella signed the cannabis bill, making it into law back in December, making Malta the first country in the European Union to legalise cannabis for recreational use. From that point on, Malta’s market saw a sharp increase in products such as CBD oil, skin care & topicals, CBD vapes.

They also offer alternative products like cannabigerol (CBG) which helps fight inflammation, pain, nausea and works to slow the proliferation of cancer cells and cannabinol (CBN) which may contribute to one’s immune system and reduce pain. If you’re after these products, brands like Utoya have got you sorted on anything you may need and you can find them on their website https://utoya.eu/ and benefit from 15% off with code MALTADAILY.

This article was written in collaboration with 420.mt.

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Netflix’s $7 per month ad-plan to launch this November

Oct 14 2022

Netflix revealed on Thursday that a streaming plan with adverts will be introduced by November for around $7 a month in a move to bring in new subscribers.

The $6.99 cost for the ‘Basic with Ads’ plan is $3 less than Netflix’s lowest priced plan without commercials. It will only be available in 12 countries at first and then eventually extending out.

Users subscribing to the plan will see four to five minutes of advertising per hour, with newly released films having limited advertisement to ‘preserve the cinematic experience.’

However, around 5 to 10% of Netflix’s programming will be unavailable on the ad-supported alternative due to licensing restrictions. This comes as shares for the streaming giant went up 5.4% after the company stock had fallen 62% this year.

The ad-plan also comes despite years of avoiding the move by Netflix’s executives. Meanwhile, competitors such as Disney+ and HBO Max already have ad-supported options that cost less.

Netflix reported around 220.7 million paying subscribers as of June, which is a drop of nearly 1.2 million from the start of the same year of 2022. It will remain to be seen how this new service will impact viewership, with Netflix itself remaining conservative about such data as of yet.

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