The clean-up begins in Sliema.

Updated 1.30pm - Man injured

A 52-year-old man was injured this morning in Safi after he was hit in the head by a plank of wood blown into the air by vicious winds. 

Police said the Żurrieq man was injured at around 11.35am and rushed to hospital. His condition is not yet known. 

The accident came as strong winds continued to lash Malta after wreaking havoc in a number of coastal localities over the weekend, in the second fierce storm to hit the island in as many months.

The met office issued a ‘yellow’ weather warning due to winds of up to 50 kilometres an hour, accompanied by high waves and heavy rainfall in a number of areas.

READ: Annual hailstorm damage claims reach €5 million

The warning, which remained in force until late evening, highlighted the danger to boats sailing or berthed along the coast, and the possibility of inland damage, especially on hilltops and exposed areas.

Force 7 winds will continue to hit Malta today

Meteorologists have warned that Force 7 winds will continue to hit Malta today as a trough of low pressure over Algeria moves across the Western Mediterranean. The bad weather is expected to subside tomorrow.

In Xemxija, one of the hardest hit areas, Cleansing Directorate staff were on site from early in the morning removing mounds of driftwood and debris washed ashore by the rough seas.

Rubbish on the beach and roads in Xemxija.

Some seaside establishments in Sliema also fell victim to the wind and waves, with damage to street furniture and other outdoor areas.

Elsewhere, billboards, bus shelters and electricity poles were also damaged while reports suggested traffic was heavily slowed in a number of areas.

The weekend’s rough weather came a month after similar storms lashed the island in November, causing thousands of euros in damage, particularly around the Sliema and St Julian’s areas, as huge waves destroyed stonework and flooded a number of hotels and water-sports facilities.

In one day alone, workers cleared some 177 tonnes of debris from around the island.

The Malta Insurance Association, which sees a surge in claims with each violent storm, said last month that annual hail storms cost as much as much as €5 million in claims.