Met Office issues red warning, people urged to stay indoors

Last updated 4.25pm

A powerful storm was continuing to gather strength over Malta on Monday afternoon as the MIA Met Office issued a red warning.

Rough seas disrupted Gozo ferry services and forced the cancellation of trips between Sicily and Malta and the ferry services between Valletta, Sliema and the Three Cities. The Sicily services are not expected to resume before Wednesday.

The rough seas also caused some flooding on the seafront street in Marsascala.

Seawater flooding in Marsascala. Photo Chris Sant Fournier.

The Meteorological Office at Luqa said that 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.

The private Maltese Islands Weather service said at 3.30pm that it had recorded the first 80km/h gusts and warned the wind would continue to get stronger. 

Tree branches were broken in several localities, notably in San Gwann, where a road was blocked, but there were no immediate reports of other damage.

Civil Protection workers remove a tree blocking a road in San Gwann. Photo Jonathan Borg.

Public sector workers from Gozo who work in Malta, and vice versa, were instructed to work from home.

"Owing to the current extraordinary weather conditions, Gozitan workers in Malta and vice-versa are being advised to work remotely, where possible," the Public Service said. 

Some private companies were also reported to have told their workers to work from home on Tuesday.

Force 9 gusts expected

The Met Office said  it is forecasting average winds of Force 8 to 9, with gusts reaching Force 9 in the most exposed areas. These very strong winds are expected to persist through Tuesday evening, when conditions may escalate to a severe gale.

The red warning for gale-force winds is expected to remain in force until Tuesday evening. Additional warnings related to strong winds, albeit below gale force, are also expected to be issued in the days that follow.

In addition to the strong winds, isolated showers, which may at times be heavy and accompanied by thunderstorms, are expected to affect the Maltese Islands until Wednesday morning. Hail is also possible. The most intense rainfall is expected on Tuesday.

The armed forces' Rescue Coordination Centre urged people to avoid dangerous areas, including coastal zones and the sea, today and in the coming days. 

Photo by Chris Sant Fournier taken at Delimara's St Peter's Pool at 10am.

Sicily and Sardinia issued red weather warnings about storm Harry over the weekend, with schools expected to remain closed until Wednesday and major downpours, gale-force winds and even snowfall forecast.

Schools staying open, Mcast to go online

The forecast prompted some parents in Malta to question whether schools should remain open.

An education ministry spokesperson confirmed to Times of Malta that all schools remained open on Monday. The schools will also stay open on Tuesday except those in Mellieha, Qawra and St. Paul's Bay. Parents who opt not to send children to school or childcare will be excused.

Mcast said its lectures on Tuesday will be online. On-campus activities will resume on Wednesday.

The National Literacy Agency said it had cancelled its Tuesday sessions. 

No disruption at the airport

Malta International Airport said it was not expecting disruptions to scheduled flights, with wind direction "expected to be favourable for aircraft operations on the main runway".

A spokesperson for MIA said that while no disruptions were anticipated, should weather conditions deteriorate further, flights could be diverted to an alternate airport. She added that flights bound for MIA would only depart should conditions in Malta permit landings. 

"Passengers are still advised to arrive at the airport 2 hours before the scheduled time of departure of their flight", she said.

Late on Sunday, the Civil Protection Department warned the public to avoid rooftops, balconies and hillsides overnight.

It renewed its warning on Monday morning, urging people to also avoid working on scaffolding and exposed structures.

It encouraged people to stay away from the shoreline, breakwaters, and coastal paths, to secure loose outdoor items and drive with caution, especially in open or exposed areas.

In a separate post, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority said it was critical to step up safety precautions to safeguard health and safety at work.

Tower cranes 

High winds can create serious hazards such as falling debris and unstable structures, and, therefore, workers should avoid outdoor work at heights or near unstable structures and avoid working on roofs, scaffolding, or elevated walkways.

The OHSA said workers should also secure or remove all loose materials, tools, equipment, and temporary structures, maintain clear emergency access at all times, and exercise caution near trees, power lines, and temporary structures.

The authority also warned that tower cranes must be left free to slew when unattended and must not have suspended loads.

Marsaxlokk tanker moved to storm mooring position

The LNG tanker, off Marsaxlokk, was moved to a storm mooring position, with the Energy Ministry saying mitigating measures were being implemented to ensure that the island's electricity demand is "secured".

The LNG tanker was moved to a storm mooring position. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Meteorologists classify wind speeds of between 34 and 47 knots (62–87 kilometres per hour) as a gale, placing Monday's conditions firmly within that category.

Roadworks postponed

On Monday afternoon, Infrastructure Malta said it was postponing work on the Birkirkara bypass.

The night works originally planned for this week in Triq Dun Karm have been postponed to next week. They will now take place between the nights of January 27 and January 31, it said in a statement on Facebook, adding that the carriageway will be closed on January 29.

The Met Office pointed out on Monday that such weather systems are not uncommon during this time of year. On 24th February 2019, a similar storm hit the Maltese Islands, with winds also reaching Force 8 to 9, although on that occasion the wind blew from the Northeast.

More recently, in February 2023, Storm Helios caused significant damage due to strong Easterly to East-Northeasterly winds and prolonged heavy rainfall.