Malta in April, the month of fireworks and first warmth

April is when Malta starts to look like the postcard. Afternoons top 20°C, sunshine adds up to more than 250 hours and the rain all but disappears. The sea, however, hasn’t woken up yet. Here’s what to expect and which dates to watch.

April weather, first warmth and a cold sea

April’s norm is a 16.4°C (62°F) average, with an average high of 20.1°C (68°F), 252.9 hours of sunshine and 18.7 mm of rain. That’s a big jump on March, and some years it’s bigger. On 1 April 2024 the thermometer hit 29.4°C (85°F), just over a degree short of the month’s record of 30.7°C, from 1950. In 2021 highs reached 25.9°C at the end of the month.

Nights stay fresh. April lows in 2022, 2023 and 2024 sat between 8.4 and 9.2°C. The sea’s norm is 16.3°C (61°F), barely above January, so an April beach is for strolling rather than swimming. In April 2024 it reached 17.5°C, and the Met Office was already calling that good news for beachgoers. Hardy British swimmers may shrug at that, but most people will want June.

Saharan dust and wind

If one thing marks April out, it’s dust. The Met Office explains that depressions over North Africa, common in spring, carry large amounts of sand towards the central Mediterranean. In April 2022 there was suspended dust on six days, and three of them clocked no sunshine at all. On 16 April 2024 the sand particles ended in what the Met Office calls “blood rain”, a muddy shower.

Wind completes the picture. The norm is 9.5 knots, and three recent Aprils beat it. In 2024 a strong north-westerly blew from the 17th to the 19th, gusting to 49 knots and clearing the sand from the air. I’d save the Dingli cliffs for a clear day with no warning in force.

Walking, and temples in the evening light

For me, April is the best month of the year for walking on Malta and Gozo. The heat hasn’t kicked in, and Heritage Malta’s summer hours, 09:00 to 19:00 in 2026, let you leave the temples for the last hour of the day. Visit Gozo lists nine planned walking trails across the island, including the Ramla Walk from Marsalforn to Ramla via Xagħra and the Daħlet Qorrot circuit from Nadur. You’ll find them, along with routes on the main island, in my guide to walking and hiking in Malta. Take water and a hat even in April, and keep an eye on the wind warnings before any clifftop route, as the gusts of 17 to 19 April 2024 showed.

The fireworks festival

April is fireworks month. The 25th edition took place between 18 and 30 April 2026. It opened in Nadur (Gozo) on the 18th, held competition nights in the Grand Harbour on the 20th and 25th and closed with the final on the 30th, with around 40 teams and eight in competition, according to the Malta Tourism Authority. Village band clubs take part and bring the feel of the festa season to the harbour. Heritage Malta also scheduled a fireworks evening at Fort St Angelo on 30 April. Everything you need is in my guide to the Malta fireworks festival.

Easter, museums after dark and other dates

In 2026 Holy Week fell in April, with Good Friday on the 3rd, while in 2027 it won’t, because Good Friday is on 26 March. In 2026 most of April’s rain fell around Easter. Heritage Malta held Easter egg hunts on 6 April at Għar Dalam and the Gozo Nature Museum, and «Museums by Candlelight» in Birgu on 18 April. Remember that all its museums close on Good Friday.

One more date for the diary is 14 April 2027, when the Grandmaster’s Palace keeps visitors out of its State Rooms until 13:30. And if you head out on foot, remember that spring is hunting season in Malta, and British travel advice says hunters may be close to paths.

Busier, but not yet crowded

The airport handled 896,750 passengers in April 2025, a big step up on March but still well short of July and August. For me, April is a well-rounded month for towns, temples and fireworks, as long as you’re not after the beach. If you want the sea, Malta in May is the next step, and if you prefer early spring, see Malta in March.