Storm Harry punches a hole in wall along Valletta ring road

Authorities are assessing a section of Valletta's Quarry Wharf after a section of wall underneath the road was damaged by Storm Harry.

Photos taken on Thursday show missing brickwork underneath the stretch of road situated beneath Lower Barrakka Gardens and a hollowed-out section of rock.

A spokesperson from Infrastructure Malta (IM) said the agency had received a report about the damage and dispatched an expert to investigate the site, with the situation “currently being assessed”.

The road was open to traffic when Times of Malta visited the site and did not appear to show evidence of damage to the road surface or pavement. It is one of the few access roads from the bottom part of Valletta.

The road surface did not appear to show evidence of damage when Times of Malta visited the site. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

The city’s mayor, Olaf McKay, said the council was “carrying out intensive work in various areas of Valletta” and working closely with authorities, including IM and the Public Works department, to “minimise the impact and expedite the necessary repairs after the storm”.

Valletta was among the hardest-hit during Storm Harry, with the capital battered by windspeeds of up to 56 knots – equivalent to 103 kilometres per hour – while inland areas experienced windspeeds of up to 50 knots (92km/h).

The nearby ferry terminals on the east side of Valletta, serving the Grand Harbour and Gozo fast ferry services and dgħajjes (water taxi) operators, were closed on Thursday, with Transport Malta tape fastened across the entrance.

IM has urged local councils across the country to report damage thought to pose an immediate risk to the public.

The road is situated beneath Lower Barraka. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

Storm Harry lashed Malta for two days, wreaking destruction in seaside towns that bore the brunt of the gale-force southeasterly winds generated by the storm.

Sliema’s chalet, once a popular entertainment complex a century ago that was shut down in 1963, was left scarred after gale-force winds stripped away large parts of the concrete surface.

The front of popular fishing village Marsascala suffered extensive damage after the area was flooded, destroying a section of Triq iz-Zonqor and sending construction debris and seawater into seafront businesses.

A group of Marsascala residents have since come together to help clean up stricken businesses along the town's shoreline, while Cleansing Division workers have already begun clearing debris along the front.

A walkway to popular swimming spot Għar Lapsi was destroyed by the storm. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Boats were photographed swept up to the road in nearby Marsaxlokk, while farmers in various localities reported thousands of euros of damage to greenhouses and polytunnels.

Għar Lapsi, meanwhile, was left unrecognisable after the storm.

This is not the first time Valletta, noted by the Met Office as being particularly susceptible to high winds due to its position and exposure, has borne the brunt of violent weather systems; in 2019, the capital experienced winds of up to 72 knots (133km/h).

As well as the February 2019 storm, Storm Helios struck Malta in February 2023, which also caused damage to the Grand Harbour area.