Heavy rain stalls traffic

Monday's heavy rainfall almost brought traffic to a standstill as cars trickled through gridlocked streets during the morning rush hour.

Although a police spokesman said the force did not receive any reports of serious traffic accidents caused by the showers, local wardens were busy assessing several minor crashes.

A civil protection spokesman also said the department did not receive any reports about people stranded in their stalled cars and only a handful about uprooted trees.

However, structural damage was caused by the rough seas along the shore, where paving was washed inwards.

Some billboards were also shredded by the strong winds.

Go, the telecoms company, said Mqabba and Qrendi residents had their telephone service interrupted because of storm damage to an underground cable. Yesterday's bad weather contrasted sharply with the bright sunshine and warm temperatures witnessed last week, when many ventured out in short sleeves and shorts. According to the meteorological office, today is also expected to be a rainy one. The temperature during the day will rise slightly but drop again at night.

Wind speed should drop to force four but rise again to force five and later six.

The office said the bad weather was caused by a depression over the Ionian Sea, which would move east across the Mediterranean Sea.

However, the forecast for the coming days is significantly better and will see an end to the showers and lower wind speeds.

The temperature, however, is expected to drop slightly in the next two days and then rise again.

Ironically, according to the monthly statistics recently issued by the office, rainfall last month was among the lowest for February in the past years.