The sea temperature at Malta today is 23.2 °C (74 °F) – refreshing to pleasantly warm water, ideal for most people. The usual October average is 24.4 °C. The forecast for the next 3 days is 22.9 to 23.1 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea has cooled from 26.9 °C to 23.2 °C. Swimmable from May to December, when the sea averages 18 °C or more. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.1°C / 60.9°F | 16.9°C / 62.4°F | 17.3°C / 63.1°F |
| February | 15.2°C / 59.3°F | 15.9°C / 60.6°F | 16.3°C / 61.3°F |
| March | 14.9°C / 58.9°F | 15.7°C / 60.3°F | 16.3°C / 61.3°F |
| April | 15.6°C / 60.1°F | 16.4°C / 61.5°F | 17.1°C / 62.7°F |
| May | 18.4°C / 65.1°F | 19.0°C / 66.2°F | 19.7°C / 67.4°F |
| June | 22.5°C / 72.4°F | 23.5°C / 74.4°F | 24.7°C / 76.5°F |
| July | 26.3°C / 79.4°F | 26.9°C / 80.4°F | 27.5°C / 81.6°F |
| August | 26.6°C / 79.8°F | 27.7°C / 81.8°F | 28.6°C / 83.4°F |
| September | 26.5°C / 79.7°F | 26.9°C / 80.5°F | 27.4°C / 81.2°F |
| October | 23.6°C / 74.4°F | 24.4°C / 76.0°F | 25.2°C / 77.4°F |
| November | 21.4°C / 70.5°F | 22.1°C / 71.7°F | 22.8°C / 73.0°F |
| December | 17.6°C / 63.8°F | 18.7°C / 65.6°F | 19.5°C / 67.2°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.0°C / 59.0°F | 15.1°C / 59.2°F | 15.2°C / 59.4°F |
| February | 14.4°C / 58.0°F | 14.6°C / 58.3°F | 14.8°C / 58.6°F |
| March | 14.8°C / 58.6°F | 15.0°C / 59.0°F | 15.2°C / 59.4°F |
| April | 15.8°C / 60.4°F | 16.1°C / 61.0°F | 16.5°C / 61.6°F |
| May | 18.8°C / 65.8°F | 19.2°C / 66.5°F | 19.6°C / 67.3°F |
| June | 23.0°C / 73.5°F | 23.7°C / 74.6°F | 24.4°C / 75.9°F |
| July | 26.1°C / 79.0°F | 26.7°C / 80.0°F | 27.3°C / 81.2°F |
| August | 26.7°C / 80.0°F | 27.1°C / 80.8°F | 27.7°C / 81.8°F |
| September | 25.4°C / 77.6°F | 25.7°C / 78.2°F | 26.1°C / 78.9°F |
| October | 22.6°C / 72.7°F | 22.9°C / 73.2°F | 23.2°C / 73.7°F |
| November | 19.9°C / 67.8°F | 20.0°C / 67.9°F | 20.1°C / 68.1°F |
| December | 16.7°C / 62.1°F | 16.8°C / 62.2°F | 16.9°C / 62.3°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
Malta holidays
Malta is a small island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean, about 90 km south of Sicily, made up of three inhabited islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. Its capital, Valletta, was built by the Knights of St John after the Great Siege of 1565 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. English and Maltese are both official languages.
Beaches
Much of the coast is rock, so a swim often means a ladder into deep, clear water, as at St Peter's Pool near Marsaxlokk. Mellieħa Bay (Għadira) in the north is the largest sandy beach, shallow and good for children, and Golden Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa face the sunset on the west coast. On Gozo, Ramla Bay has red-orange sand, and Comino's Blue Lagoon is known for its turquoise water; a free booking system caps visitor numbers in summer. The sea temperature on this page is measured on the coast at St Julian's.
Things to do
Valletta's St John's Co-Cathedral holds Caravaggio's Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens look across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities. Mdina, the walled former capital, sits on a hill in the middle of the island. The megalithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, and Ġgantija on Gozo, were built more than 5,000 years ago. Popeye Village, the set of the 1980 film, and the Sunday fish market in Marsaxlokk are popular stops, and wrecks and caves around the islands draw divers.
Weather and best time to visit
From June to November the sea at Malta is warmer than 20 °C / 68 °F.
Summers are hot and humid with hardly any rain from June to August; autumn keeps the sea warm as the crowds thin. In winter, strong winds such as the north-easterly gregale can bring rough seas.
Hotels and where to stay
St Julian's and neighbouring Paceville are the nightlife hub; Sliema has a long seafront promenade and ferries across to Valletta, where boutique hotels fill old palazzi. For a quieter beach stay, look at Mellieħa, St Paul's Bay (Buġibba and Qawra) or Gozo.
Signature hotels: Hilton Malta (St Julian's) · The Phoenicia Malta (Floriana)
Airport and getting there
Malta International Airport at Luqa is about 8 km from Valletta, around 20 minutes by road, with express buses to the main resorts. Ferries to Gozo leave from Ċirkewwa in the north and take about 25 minutes, and a fast ferry links Valletta directly with Gozo. Traffic drives on the left.