Malta’s climate is strongly influenced by the sea and is typical of the Mediterranean. The Islands have a very sunny climate with a daily average of five to six hours sunshine in mid-winter to more than 12 hours in summer.
Winters are mild, with the occasional short chilly period brought about by the north and north-easterly winds from central Europe. Summers are hot, dry and very sunny. Day-time temperatures in summer are often mitigated by cooling sea breezes, but in spring and autumn a very hot wind from Africa occasionally brings unseasonably high temperatures and humidity. The average temperature in summer is about 33 but can even go as high as 40 Care should be taken not to get badly sun burnt (keep to the shade and use sun block creams). Clothing should be light. Hats, sunglasses and sandals are recommended.
Annual rainfall is low, averaging 578 mm a year and the length of the dry season in summer is longer than in neighbouring countries, such as Italy. Sea bathing is quite possible well in to the ‘winter’ months, and the peak beach season can last until late October.
Winters are mild, with the occasional short chilly period brought about by the north and north-easterly winds from central Europe. Summers are hot, dry and very sunny. Day-time temperatures in summer are often mitigated by cooling sea breezes, but in spring and autumn a very hot wind from Africa occasionally brings unseasonably high temperatures and humidity. The average temperature in summer is about 33 but can even go as high as 40 Care should be taken not to get badly sun burnt (keep to the shade and use sun block creams). Clothing should be light. Hats, sunglasses and sandals are recommended.
Annual rainfall is low, averaging 578 mm a year and the length of the dry season in summer is longer than in neighbouring countries, such as Italy. Sea bathing is quite possible well in to the ‘winter’ months, and the peak beach season can last until late October.
The official languages are Maltese and English. Italian is widely understood and spoken. Some people have basic French, but few people can speak fluent French in Malta. By law, all official documents in Malta are in Maltese and English and many radio stations broadcast in both languages. Virtually all Maltese citizens speak English fluently.
Maltese is a Semitic language, though it has borrowed a substantial amount of vocabulary from the Romance languages (particularly Italian). The closest living relative of Maltese is Arabic, particularly the dialect spoken in North Africa known as Maghrebi Arabic (spoken in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria) though Maltese is written in the Latin alphabet instead of the Arabic script. Maltese is also more distantly related to Hebrew and Amharic, so if you speak any of these three languages, you’ll recognize some similarities. It also has substantial English elements in it. Also, knowing a few phrases in Maltese may be useful.
Maltese is a Semitic language, though it has borrowed a substantial amount of vocabulary from the Romance languages (particularly Italian). The closest living relative of Maltese is Arabic, particularly the dialect spoken in North Africa known as Maghrebi Arabic (spoken in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria) though Maltese is written in the Latin alphabet instead of the Arabic script. Maltese is also more distantly related to Hebrew and Amharic, so if you speak any of these three languages, you’ll recognize some similarities. It also has substantial English elements in it. Also, knowing a few phrases in Maltese may be useful.
Here is an recorded audio of the pronunciation of the Maltese alphabet.
Reference: Omniglot
Most Maltese are Roman Catholic, but other religious denominations are also represented. There are small Anglican, Church of Scotland, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, Methodists and Muslim communities. When visiting a church, please dress suitably i.e. no shorts or sleeveless tops or short skirts. Some churches, especially those on popular package tours, provide shawls and/or skirts for any inappropriately-dressed visitors.