Malta set to be hit by cold snap starting TONIGHT

Malta is set to be hit by a cold snap with temperatures plunging to as low as 5°C this week.

Forecasters warned of strong winds, showers and even a possible hailstorm during the first week of 2019.

The Met Office in Luqa issued a yellow weather alert for Wednesday night, warning of ‘very strong winds over exposed areas of the Maltese Islands.’

It predicted temperatures would struggle to reach double figures on Friday and Saturday with maximum temperatures of 9°C and lows of 5°C.

The Met Office said the weather would remain unsettled from Thursday to Sunday as northerly winds sweep across Malta and Gozo.

However some online forecasters predicted even colder temperatures over the next few days.

Andrea Muscat from Maltese Islands Weather said: ‘This winter’s coldest days are just round the corner.

‘Overnight lows could dip to 3°C. Real-feels may fall to below zero as strong winds blow across the Maltese Islands.

‘There could also be some hailstorms, mainly on Friday.’

The coldest January day ever recorded in Malta was back in 1981 when temperatures plunged to an astonishing 1.4°C. However, no snow was officially recorded, only hail.