The damage caused to the Mnajdra tent panels in January is no indication of the performance of the shelter when fully installed and is entirely the contractor's responsibility, Heritage Malta has said.

When the shelter is completed, its behaviour and properties are totally different from when it is still in the process of installation, Reuben Grima, Heritage Malta senior curator prehistoric sites, explained.

The one smaller panel, out of 18, which was torn by strong winds on January 26 is being replaced by the contractor at his expense, and the only main consequence is time, he said.

Gusts reached force 8 when the incident occurred but the shelter will be able to withstand worse conditions, he said, adding that nothing has happened despite stronger winds since.

The overall installation timeframe has been lengthened because the contractor has started taking additional precautions against that particular scenario, even though it is considered to be unusual, Dr Grima said.

The contractor's revised completion date for Mnajdra is the end of this month and the end of May for Ħaġar Qim, where the steel structures are already in place.

The project, however, would not be losing out on funding and the issue has been addressed, he said, stressing that at no point were the funds at risk.

Explaining how the incident occurred, Dr Grima said it was because the fabric was still in the process of being installed and was, therefore, not yet taut.

The scientific process is known as "creep", whereby the material yields to take its final taut shape over a period of a few days. It was hit by a squall at its most vulnerable stage and was torn as a result.

Although it is not the norm, the contractor is installing an additional web of straps which minimises the movement of the fabric even before it is fully tautened, to safeguard against the risk of the repetition of the unusual scenario.

At no point was the site in danger due to the presence of a safety net separating the fabric from the temple, said Dr Grima.