If you thought the temperatures that rang in the new year were somewhat bitter, brace yourself for even chillier weather, as temperatures are expected to drop to a minimum of 4ºC this weekend.

While today’s high is expected to reach 15ºC, the temperature will drop suddenly to 8ºC tomorrow.

According to the Malta International Airport Meteorological Office, it will feel like 6ºC outdoors, while Saturday’s high of 9ºC will feel two degrees chillier.

The temperature will continue to drop in the evening, with a low of 6ºC tomorrow, 4ºC on Saturday and 5ºC on Sunday.

Asked about the difference between the ambient and the ‘real-feel’ temperatures, a spokeswoman from the Met Office said the latter was a mathematical calculation which took into consideration the relationship between the wind speed or force and the actual air temperature.

When the temperature is relatively cold and the wind is blowing at a high speed, it feels colder than it really is.

The numerical difference between the actual air temperature and the real-feel temperature is generally about 2ºC, but it can vary depending on various factors such as wind direction and humidity.

Contrary to winter, in summer, the real-feel temperature is even warmer than the actual air temperature, particularly when the air is moist due to the warm surrounding sea (known as riħ isfel).

This means that at night, the low temperature will actually feel colder, mainly due to the strong northerly winds, the spokesperson said.

Despite how chilly this all might sound, it could be worse. In 1981, the temperature in January dropped to just above 1ºC.

The spokeswoman said that the coldest temperature ever recorded in January was 1.4ºC on January 29, 1981. This was also the coldest temperature on record (records having been kept since 1947).

And just two years ago, the minimum temperature recorded for the first week of January was 2.5ºC.

According to data provided by the Met Office, the maximum temperature during that first week of 2015 was 15.8ºC.

During the first week of 2014, the maximum was 17.3˚C, the minimum 8.8˚C, and for the first week of last year, the maximum was 17.9˚C, with the minimum at 8.6˚C. For the past three Januaries, the highest and lowest maximums were recorded in 2016 at 21.1˚C and 15.5˚C, respectively.

The Met Office is predicting hail for tomorrow and Saturday.

This is not good news for the many who recall the violent storm of October 22, 2015, which resulted in a whopping €5.2 million worth of insurance claims. Meanwhile, some people have questioned the considerable amount of rain that has poured down over the past three months. According to data from the Met Office, the total November rainfall (99mm) did supersede the average of the past 10 years (92mm).

However, while the average stood at 85mm for December, last month saw 60.8mm of rainfall. In December of 2007 there was a total of 205.8mm of rainfall.

Stay warm, wash your hands and check on the elderly

People who have not yet taken the flu jab this winter are still in time to get vaccinated against seasonal influenza.

Director General of Health Regulation Charmaine Gauci noted that as temperatures dropped, health issues increased.

In winter, people usually spend more time indoors and in close contact with others. This can lead to a spread of the flu and common colds prevalent at this time of year.

To prevent this, it was important to avoid close contact with people who are sick with the flu, wash your hands frequently and follow coughing etiquette, Dr Gauci said.

And while it is important to take the flu vaccine early in the season, it is not too late to take it now.

Meanwhile, the cold weather can also affect the heart, at it acts as a vasoconstrictor, meaning it narrows blood vessels, raising the risk of a heart attack.

Older adults are at risk of hypothermia, which sees the body’s internal temperature falling too low. It is therefore important that people stay in warm temperatures, eat warm food and avoid going out in the cold.

Dr Gauci also appealed for people to check regularly on older people, especially if they lived alone.