Malta in January, the islands' quiet month

January is when Malta goes back to being Maltese. With the festive season over, the airport logs its lowest figure of the year and Valletta’s streets slow right down. Here’s what weather to expect, which opening hours change and what I’d do with a week in January.

January weather, by the Met Office’s numbers

The January average is 12.9°C (55°F) on the 1991 to 2020 norm, with 79.3 mm of rain and about 170 hours of sunshine. Recent years have been milder than that. January 2024 averaged 14.1°C, 2025 reached 14.5°C and 2026 14.9°C. On 18 January 2024 the thermometer hit 24.5°C, and the record stands at 25.8°C (78°F), set on 9 January 2021.

Nights are another matter. In January 2022 the low dropped to 4.2°C as cold air arrived from the Balkans, and the all-time low is 1.4°C, from 1981. Add the wind, which averages 8.9 knots in January, and it feels colder than the figures say. My advice is to pack layers and a windproof jacket.

Does it rain much in Malta in January?

It varies hugely from year to year. A normal January brings 79.3 mm and about four thunderstorms. Yet 2024 saw only 37.3 mm, while 2026 had 112.4 mm, with four thunderstorms between the 16th and the 23rd. The wettest January on record is 2009, with 248.2 mm.

The episode worth knowing about is 19 and 20 January 2026. Storm Harry, a depression that tracked from Algeria towards Tunisia, led the Met Office to issue a red warning for forecast Force 8 to 9 winds and to advise people to avoid the southern and eastern coasts. The next day it was downgraded to orange. The Met Office notes these systems aren’t unusual at this time of year, so I’d leave one day without fixed plans.

Things to do in Malta in January

It’s the ideal month for everything that’s hard work in summer. The megalithic temples, ovens in August, are a pleasure now. Heritage Malta’s 2026 calendar included night-time astronomical observation visits at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra in January, and for 2027 you’ll need to check its programme once it’s out. At the National Museum of Archaeology, the same calendar listed the Egyptian exhibition from October to March.

Mind the hours. 1 January is a public holiday and every Heritage Malta site closes. From 4 January 2027 the main sites open 09:00 to 17:00, the Hypogeum too, while smaller museums such as Għar Dalam, the Domvs Romana or the Inquisitor’s Palace close on Mondays and Wednesdays. And note 27 January 2027, one of the mornings when the Grandmaster’s Palace keeps its grand ceremonial halls closed until 13:30.

The quietest month of the year

Only 507,574 passengers came through Malta International Airport in January 2025, the year’s lowest monthly figure and less than half of August’s. You notice it in the museums, on the ferries and on the buses, which cost €2 a ticket in the winter season. And since Gozo Channel’s cheaper night crossing applies all winter, January is a good month for a Gozo day trip.

There’s no official figure for hotel prices month by month that I can quote, but occupancy is measured. The MTA put it at 49% from January to March 2024, against 80.7% from July to September. With a gap like that, I’d expect more choice and better deals than in summer. A winter break is also easy on the paperwork, as gov.uk lets British visitors stay visa-free for up to 90 days in a rolling 180, and your phone charger plugs straight into the same three-pin sockets as at home.

What about the sea?

January’s sea norm is 16.2°C (61°F), milder than the air. In January 2023 it ran 1.4°C above that. A quick dip off the Sliema rocks on a sunny day is doable, but there are no lifeguards and the sea turns rough in a storm. If you fancy it, pick a calm morning and a spot with easy steps into the water, and stay out whenever a wind warning is in force.

What I’d do in January

A base in Valletta, three days of towns and temples, one on Gozo and a spare day in case the weather turns. If you have flexibility, look at Malta in February too, which adds carnival, or compare the whole season in Malta in winter.