Malta in February runs daytime highs of 15–16°C and night lows of 9–10°C – the same band as January – but with roughly 60–65 mm of rain, about a third less than January's 95–100 mm. Daylight and sunshine both climb noticeably across the month: bright sunshine averages around 6.5 hours a day, up from 5.5 in January.
The sea does not follow. It bottoms out at about 16°C in February and stays there through March and April, which is the year's floor – so February is a city break with an event attached, not a swimming month. That event is Carnival, and its dates move every year with Easter, which is the one thing worth checking before you book.
What is the weather like in Malta in February?
Mild and improving, week by week. February is where the Maltese winter starts to turn: the rain eases off the January peak, the evenings stretch, and the bright spells between showers get longer.
| Measure | February |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | ~15–16°C |
| Night low | ~9–10°C |
| Sea temperature | ~16°C – the year's floor |
| Rainfall | ~60–65 mm |
| Bright sunshine | ~6.5 hours a day |
| Sunset | 17:29 on 1 February, 17:56 on 28 February |
Wet-day counts vary widely between records – Malta's long-term Met Office series gives February about 12 rain days, while Climates to Travel gives 7 – so the honest range is roughly a quarter to a little over a third of the month. Both agree on the direction of travel, which is what matters: February is the drier of the two coolest months.
The rain still arrives as short, heavy bursts rather than persistent drizzle. Nights are the marginal detail worth knowing about – February's overnight lows are fractionally the coldest of the Maltese year, and older stone buildings hold that cold, so heating in your accommodation is not a luxury item.
Our Malta temperature by month page puts February against the other eleven, and best time to visit Malta covers the price and crowd trade-offs.
When is Carnival in Malta?
Carnival runs in the days before Lent, so its dates shift every year with Easter, and it usually lands in February. It is a free public street festival: giant papier-mâché floats, competitive costume and dance troupes, and a full programme in Valletta, plus the very different late-night, spontaneously costumed version in the Gozo village of Nadur.
For 2027, Carnival is expected around 5–9 February. That follows from Ash Wednesday falling on 10 February 2027, with Carnival traditionally ending the day before. This is not a Malta Tourism Authority confirmation – as of August 2026 the official 2027 programme had not been published, and event aggregators already disagree about the closing date. Treat those dates as pencilled in, verify them on the official programme once it appears, and do not book non-refundable flights around them.
- Valletta – the main organised programme, floats and company competitions, family-friendly by day
- Nadur, Gozo – unofficial, improvised and after dark, with a much stranger, more anarchic character
- Cost – free to watch in both places; you pay only for transport, food and a bed
- Prices – Carnival week lifts hotel demand within an otherwise cheap month, so book earlier than you would for a plain February trip
Is February warmer than January?
Barely, in daytime terms – and that is the point. The two months share a temperature band, so what actually separates them is rain, light and what is on.
| January | February | March | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average day high | 15–16°C | 15–16°C | 17–19°C |
| Average night low | 9–10°C | 9–10°C | ~11°C |
| Sea temperature | ~16°C | ~16°C | ~16°C |
| Rainfall | 95–100 mm | ~60–65 mm | ~45 mm |
| Bright sunshine | ~5.5 h/day | ~6.5 h/day | rising |
January is the cheaper month and the wetter one by a clear margin. March is warmer, drier again and green with wildflowers, but it has no equivalent of Carnival. February's case is the middle ground: winter prices, a third less rain than January, an extra hour of sunshine a day, and the biggest street event in the Maltese calendar.
Can you swim in Malta in February?
No, not in any ordinary sense. The sea sits at about 16°C, its lowest of the year, and it stays at roughly that level through March and April because the water lags the air by two to three months in both directions. That lag is why November swimming works and February swimming does not.
Beach facilities are shut, and boat trips to Comino and the Blue Lagoon largely wait for spring. Diving is the exception that runs all winter, in a thicker wetsuit and with the operators still open.
Is Malta worth visiting in February?
Yes, with a clear reason to come. If you time the trip to Carnival, February gives you the year's largest street festival at low-season prices – that combination does not exist in any other month. If you cannot, January is cheaper and March is warmer, and February's honest position is between the two.
It works well as a couples' trip. The Valentine's stretch falls in a month when Valletta's restaurants take walk-ins and the sights have no queues, which is most of what makes a short break feel unhurried – our Malta honeymoon and couples guide covers that side of the islands.
What it is not is a beach holiday, and no amount of mild afternoons changes that. Come for the towns and the festival.
What is there to do in Malta in February beyond Carnival?
The whole land-based half of the island, at its quietest.
- Valletta – St John's Co-Cathedral, the Grand Harbour and the Baroque streets, walkable at 15–16°C
- Mdina and Rabat – the walled city and the catacombs, with the coach traffic still absent
- Gozo – quiet, green after the winter rain, and the base for Nadur if Carnival is the draw
- The megalithic temples – canopied, so a wet forecast does not cancel the plan
- Long lunches – Maltese winter cooking, rabbit and stews, at their seasonal best
The full things to do in Malta guide has prices and opening hours. Check winter closing times before you set out: several state-run sites shut earlier than their summer hours suggest.
What does February cost, and what should you pack?
February sits in Malta's low season, with the Carnival week as the one local exception. Rates across the rest of the month stay close to January's floor, which makes it another good time to book a hotel above your usual bracket – our is Malta expensive guide sets a daily budget, and the best hotels in Malta list shows where the off-season value sits.
Pack exactly as for January, with one addition if you are going for Carnival.
- Layers – 15–16°C days and 9–10°C nights in the same 24 hours
- A light waterproof – short bursts, roughly a quarter to a third of days
- Comfortable walking shoes – wet limestone in Valletta and Mdina is slippery
- Something warm for late evenings – Nadur's Carnival runs long after dark and Gozo is windier than Malta
- Sunglasses – 6.5 hours of bright sun a day, and the winter light is low and direct
Featured image: Nenoc72 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0