A private Italian meteorological station is forecasting hurricane force winds in the Sicily Channel between Malta and Sicily on Saturday, but the predictions of the Malta Meteorological office are less dramatic.
Meteoweb.eu ( http://www.meteoweb.eu/2012/03/allerta-uragano-nel-canale-di-sicilia-su-malta-e-pelagie-arrivano-venti-a-oltre-150kmh-e-violente-mareggiate-le-mappe/123154/ ) is reporting that wind speed will reach 150km/h with the waves up to eight metres high.
Meanwhile, the MIA Met Office is forecasting a cloudy day with possibly thundery showers and an easterly force eight wind (A force eight wind on the Beaufort scale is equivalent to a wind speed of 62–74 km/h).
It also expects the sea to be 'very rough'