Rain poured down on Malta between Friday and Saturday, yielding around five times the precipitation recorded when it last rained between January 1 and 2. 

An average of 13.9mm of rain fell overnight between Friday and Saturday, with thunder and lightning making for a spectacular and wet start to the year. 

It rained extremely heavily in areas such as Dingli (19.2mm), Valletta (17.4mm) and Msida (16.4mm) while others such as Selmun (5mm) and Bengħajsa (8.8mm) saw lower levels of rainfall, according to the Malta International Airport’s weather station. 

It was the second time in the last five years that rain was recorded between January 1 and 2, and Friday night’s storm was far wetter than that recorded in 2019, when an average of 2.6mm fell on the Maltese islands. 

“Friday’s overnight storm was the result of a depression over the western Mediterranean which extended towards the central Mediterranean and towards the Maltese islands,” meteorologists at the MIA weather station said. 

Saturday’s weather forecast was a sunnier one, they added, with predictions leaning towards a clear day with few clouds. More showers are expected on Sunday afternoon and evening. 

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