Pictures: Heavy hailstorm damages cars, solar heaters

Yvonne Davey

Mar 6th, 18:09

My recent comment was referring to the same thing! I thought it had happened again! Thats a relief for you all in Malta, at least! Lets hope its infrequent! Love Malta! Yvonne

Yvonne Davey

Mar 6th, 18:00

We came to Oawra on holiday in January from England and also had an incredible storm, not unlike the one seen in your photos! We were on a bendy bus heading to Medina, when the storm started and then massive hailstones came down. The roads and fields were white in no time and the journey took about two hours altogether! Then the sunshone, like nothing had happened! Weird weather! Yvonne

Levi Grech

Jan 19th, 13:21

As a maltese living in london i cant believe this weather happened in malta, i symphatise for all the owners of the damaged cars and solar panels. My concern is that this freak weather does not become more frequent as malta does not have the specialised machinery to cope with snow. Over here in london many brits are putting up with driving in snow slipping and sliding everywhere !

john grech

Jan 16th, 16:36

Sydney suffered one such severe hail storm in 1998 - then the most expensive natural disaster in Australian history. However, unlike Malta, Australian insurance companies quickly jumped in and recognised their social responsibility by covering all the costs involved... It cost millions of dollars... Wonder if Maltese insurance companies are going to be so responsible?

Joe Spiteri

Jan 16th, 15:47

To all those whose cars were dented with hailstones. Try placing dry ice on each dent; this will cause the sheet metal to contract back into shape.

Ray Pisani

Jan 16th, 02:23

I am saddened at the damage caused to my fellow Maltese.
I am sick of some for trying to trivialise or to politicise such a devastating event.
Who knows how many people's, cars, homes, crops were ruined?
Spare a thought for others, please.

James Abela

Jan 15th, 23:42

Forecast for Wednesday: Thunder and heavy rain and hail with strong gale force winds. Force 8 winds till next week.

James Dewar

Jan 15th, 21:42

Spectacular stuff....even by Scottish standards!!

Stefan Sacco

Jan 15th, 20:46

How ironic the you tube post is supplied by Commander Jay. This morning in his usual radio show he made a mockery out of the weather forecast that was reading showers that could be thundery. Guess he finally got the lesson of talking prematurely !!

A Vella

Jan 15th, 19:20

Anqas england ma kin hekk last month

John Azzopoardi

Jan 15th, 19:12

those big hail balls are really dangerous........the poor crops............who says it never snows in Malta.

Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie

Jan 15th, 18:56

Quite amazing really, it looked like a Christmas card. We don't often see the white stuff here in Malta.

Joe Tanti

Jan 15th, 18:39

I guess its Four good reasons to be glad you live in Malta not Five now!

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130109/local/Five-good-reasons-to-be-glad-you-live-in-Malta.452491

A pace

Jan 15th, 18:09

I was at the Ta Qali vegetable market, and in half a minute, all the sellers were clinging to their tents for dear life. After helping a lady by holding on to her tent, I left while it was still very windy and the hail was still coming down, though the big walnut size had ceased. Very scary. I am sure that if a little child had run off on his own, he would have been blown away, it was so sudden

Wilfred Camilleri

Jan 15th, 18:05

See what Muscat's energy plan will bring to Malta! lol

E Bonnici

Jan 15th, 17:53

The video looks like we're in a Winter Wonderland! Where's Alice?

Stannis Baratheon

Jan 15th, 17:38

Amazing how even in a completely unrelated event, a bunch of pathetic losers have to bring in politics. I hope I never get to meet such incredible losers ever.

claudia attard

Jan 15th, 17:22

Mr A Mifsud, you should check facts before you speak , come and visit Naxxar police station! smart....comments are surely not appreciated if you have the cars of all family members damaged!

Peter Murray

Jan 15th, 17:20

Once,whilst in Wimbledon UK .I saw tennis balls as big as hail!

R Saliba

Jan 15th, 16:48

People look at the bright side - we got to see Malta covered in White for a few minutes. doesn't happen every year :)

Maria Xuereb

Jan 15th, 16:17

I remember some 60years ago a hail storm over Gozo the ice was the size between a table tennis ball and a tennis ball, and I remember clearly ma late father who was a policeman was returning home and got hit on his head by one of these and it knocked him down, we had to drag him indoor our selves my mom and us three young kids. I was 4 years old and I remember it very clearly.

E Bonnici

Jan 15th, 16:14

It's coming back I think...
Cars in Naxxar are all dented...

mark johnson

Jan 15th, 15:43

No problems in the beautiful south of the island.

carmel ellul

Jan 15th, 15:22

much ado about nothing!

A Cachia

Jan 15th, 15:17

Solar Water Heaters and PV Panels.....

M Grima

Jan 15th, 15:09

GonziPN will make good for any damages to Solar Panels, cars, photo-voltaic panels, etc.

Chris Sammut

Jan 15th, 15:07

@ Mr P. Hawker. Unfortunately even than the if land of Malta is that tiny some Maltese think that cause they live in certain areas not to mention any are better than others. No need to say more mate, many know what exactly you are saying. I feel so sorry for them to be honest! NOT! They make me laugh especially 6 words in English and 4 in Maltese, that makes them what??

Alfred Spiteri

Jan 15th, 15:02

Panel beaters are going to have a feast and they are also going to be very busy fixing those demaged cars

Annie Pace

Jan 15th, 15:01

I just removed 6 big buckets of water from inside my house, as the hale was a foot high in my yards, blocking my doors and water started seeping in....couldn't even open the yard doors!! Had to go out from the window!!!

Chris Sammut

Jan 15th, 15:00

@ Mr.Paul Camilleri biex qed tiskanta my friend? Cause it s a leather roof? A soft top car can be used all year round. Most convertibles got extra powerful blowers to keep you warm. And then in Malta is not something you have everyday with days of snow. In UK convertibles are driven daily rain or shine or snow! Ma nafx biex qed titkaza.

Joseph Micallef

Jan 15th, 14:41

Il-hofor ta' Gonzi gewna fuq il-karozzi ukoll.

Tony Sammut

Jan 15th, 14:39

TO Paul Hawker:
Ii agree that the roads near St.Andrews are very dangerous.

However, your remark about madliena residents is highly judgemental. I for one can walk the streets naked and not have to worry about anything on this island.

william cauchi

Jan 15th, 14:21

For all those that are ridiculing the damage to cars,better go out and check there's.
My car, is pitted with bumps as if somebody had been hitting it with a hammer, albeit a small one.

In my area lots of solar panels and solar water heaters also have extensive damage. Nothing to laugh about.

Mario Fenech

Jan 15th, 14:12

not even a sheet metal umbrella would have did any good in this weather

George Attard

Jan 15th, 14:05

it simply rained here in Santa Venera, no hail, just rain, but a lot of it. didn't realize what was happening till i checked this site

paul camilleri

Jan 15th, 13:52

so much for the ice balls being the size of tennis balls , all they really are is half an inch unless tennis balls have been reduced in size since the last i played with them!

Teresa Pace

Jan 15th, 13:46

Wow! It wasnt a pleasant sight for the owner of that car!

A Tonna

Jan 15th, 13:44

Issa l-hofor mhux biss fit-toroq u fil-finanzi imma anki fis-soqfa :)

S S. Warren

Jan 15th, 13:39

Nice weather for January.

CPD isn't it a it a bit late to issue warnings?

Want to see the scene when the owner of that covertable sees his car :)

A. Mifsud

Jan 15th, 13:38

'as big as tennis balls'. It seems rather amplified to be believed.

Not that its unheard of but I strongly doubt that this occurred today. The meteorological factors to permit this phenomenon are not in place.

Lets not make too much fuss about nothing. CPD should notify the public before in any case not after the storm has hit!

Peter Murray

Jan 15th, 13:26

Why didn't they warn us before it struck?As this weather was clearly advised/forecast -even yesterday-on foreign weather channels -especially the BBC

T Mifsud

Jan 15th, 13:24

Bongu for the warning CPD! It was predicted since the morning judging from the colour gradient on the charts publically available. The warning should have come latest at 10am

marcus bonello

Jan 15th, 13:07

bodywork of cars is beautifully pockmarked !

anton murcia

Jan 15th, 13:07

The canvas of the cabrio in the picture must have lost its elasticity due to its being quite old. Otherwise the pelting by hailstones would'nt have damaged it in that manner

Gordon Borg

Jan 15th, 13:06

after the storm the CPD issued a warning why did nt they forecast it this morning when it was sunny?!wara kulhadd gharef sur kappillan!!!!!

Mr Ernest Vella

Jan 15th, 13:04

Induna li ahna Svizzera fil-Mediterran forsi Sur Arpa

Hans Weber

Jan 15th, 13:03

Its not so much the hail to worry about but more like the many many shell finished building in Malta, unsecure blocks of stones on top of an unfinished building around the islands, these are the hazards that can fall off & do alot of damage if not loss of life, i can still remember a few years back in tourist str. Bugibba same thing, but this time a great big block fell off landed on parked cars.

A Camilleri

Jan 15th, 12:52

i love how the warning comes out after it hails!

Marvic Vella

Jan 15th, 12:49

i'm from madliena, and i can confirm the hailstones as big as tennis balls..
how are all the windows still intact? :S

Michael Camileri

Jan 15th, 12:42

PANIC!!!

Lucienne Dimech

Jan 15th, 12:42

Finally some sign that we are in January

Jo Woodall

Jan 15th, 12:42

Naxxar too.

V. Cauchi

Jan 15th, 12:39

A godsend to cool us down!