Været i Valletta (Malta) i februar

Regulars are specific the wind here does more to define how this month actually feels than the daytime temperature alone suggests, capable of cutting straight through a layer even on a day reading a mild 13-16C. Our row backs that cool, genuinely breezy read, 17C over 10C nights feeling 6C, with 42.1mm of rain across 5.3 days and a real 32.7 kph wind. Regulars are consistent conditions swing between sunny, warm stretches and wet, cold ones with little advance warning, layers that can be added or removed - t-shirt, sweater, waterproof shell - the standard advice for staying comfortable either way. Evenings turn chilly enough that a proper jacket matters after dark regardless of how the day itself went. The sea sits at a cold 15.9C. The record: humidity 73 percent, 9.2 hours of sun and AQI 52.

Regulars call this genuinely enjoyable - hot but not yet excessive, very sunny with mostly cloudless skies, and pleasant warm evenings - sitting clearly hotter than May while stopping short of July and August's peak. Our row backs the dry heat, 29C reading as a real 32C at 78.5 percent humidity, over 20.7C nights, with rain almost entirely absent, 2.7mm across under a day. Regulars are specific that quoted temperatures are shade readings, with high-factor sunscreen and avoiding direct exposure between 11am and 3pm the standard advice for the actual sun intensity. The sea sits at a warm 22.6C. The record: 13.3 hours of sun, a 21.5 kph wind and AQI 55.

Valletta-forum threads on August travel with kids confirm it runs hot and humid, a real consideration for anyone planning a walking-heavy itinerary rather than beach-and-pool days. Posters describe simply getting to and from the bus terminal as uncomfortable in the peak afternoon heat, and note the city has limited hotel options with pools, not the ideal base for visitors unused to walking in sweltering conditions. Anyone prioritizing swimming and relaxing over sightseeing finds the month far more workable, the sea warm enough to feel bath-like by comparison to the air. Regulars recommend frequent breaks, sun protection and treating the early morning or evening as the real windows for walking tours. The record: 32.4C days feeling like a punishing 37C, 23.9C nights, essentially no precipitation at all, a 26.6C sea, 75 percent humidity and 12.2 hours of sun.

March in Malta is the month regulars refuse to promise anything about. It can be glorious; it can be wet, windy and around 16 or 17C; one visitor's week produced a single windy day, a single wet one and sun for the rest. Our row lands at 18.2C reading as 16C, with 33.8 kph of wind - the strongest of the Valletta year - and 27.2mm across 5.7 days. Two things they will commit to: it is not shorts and t-shirt weather, and only the hardiest swim, which our row's 15.7C sea supports. Sunny days are genuinely warm in the sun, windy ones bring rough seas, and thin layers you can peel off are the answer to both. The record: 11.2C nights that feel like 7C and 10.4 hours of sun.

May is one of the months the Malta forum puts at the top, and specifically for sightseeing rather than swimming. Days start in the low 20s and end the month in the upper 20s with a great deal of sun; anything that falls tends to be brief and often overnight. The island is still green from the winter with wild flowers out, and none of the July and August heat has arrived. The sea is the honest caveat: regulars put it at about 18 to 21C depending on how warm the spring has been, fine for a quick dip and too cool for most people to swim properly. The record: 24.5C days, 16.4C nights, 2.5 precipitation days, 12.1 hours of sun, a 17.9C sea and a 27.5 kph wind.