'Are you crazy?’: mayor urges people to get off Sliema chalet engulfed by waves
People were urged to stay away from the coast, not everyone paid attention
Sliema mayor John Pillow urged people to move away from the huge waves crashing into the chalet, as Storm Harry pummelled Malta.
Strong winds have downed trees, disrupted ferry trips and prompted a 'stay indoors' warning from the government.
Yet, some people at the Sliema front seem to have missed the warning.
In a Facebook video posted on Monday afternoon, Pillow was capturing the waves crashing into the promenade and water polo pitch, flooded by high waves whipped up by gale force winds.
At one point, Pillow spotted two people standing at the base of the Chalet, a popular swimming spot, which is engulfed by large waves.
“Is he serious? He is at the chalet,” Pillow can be heard saying, as he then proceeds to run across the drenched pavement.
“Hey! Are you crazy? Get off from there,” he went on to shout at the two youths. One of them is seen walking in the water, presumably to take pictures of the sea.
The winds and waves were so strong on the Sliema front that a bus stop glass shelter was shattered.
The Meteorological Office at Luqa issued a red warning and said the east southeast wind will be very strong over the islands, increasing to gale force.
"This unstable weather is being caused by a low-pressure system over Algeria, which is expected to extend into the central Mediterranean, intensify, and move towards Tunisia, while a high-pressure system establishes itself over the Balkans," the Met Office said.