For the past week, Malta was spared the usual November weather that hits the central Mediterranean as temperatures soared by more than two degrees above normal.

According to a Meteorological Office spokesman, the first week of November saw warmer temperatures than the statistical averages. While the average maximum temperature for the first 10 days of November is 22˚C, the average maximum for the past seven days stood at 24.6˚C.

The temperature last month was also 2.3°C above normal, making it the sixth warmest October since 1922.

Although a weak cold front is moving southwards, which will see a slight dip today, temperatures are expected to remain above the norm and the weather will be “quite fine for the next few days”.

Beautiful weather in the first days of November is traditionally known as Is-sajf ta’ San Martin (Indian summer). But the spokesman said November weather was very variable, ranging from beautiful, warm and calm, to cold with heavy storms.

It ranks very close to October as the month with the heaviest downpours and the second wettest month after December.

The heaviest downpours are associated with the typical September/October heavy rain, which may lead to flooding, while wettest refers to the month with the highest rainfall in terms of rainy days and millimetres.

In 1998, the temperature had risen to as high as 28.2˚C, while the coldest November day was the 25th in 1988 with 13.2˚C.