Rain, lightning and wind are forecast to make a return tonight but weathermen were yesterday reluctant to quantify the magnitude of the storm.

The Meteorological Office at Malta International Airport expects rain and thundery weather to continue until Saturday.

A cold front accompanied by a low pressure system extending from the Adriatic Sea towards northeast Algeria is expected to move over Malta later on today.

The cold air passing over a relatively warm sea will create instability, the Met Office said, adding that a north-westerly wind will be “rather strong to strong”.

Heading our way...

Forecasters will be monitoring weather developments over the day to assess the magnitude of the storm, which comes 10 days after similar conditions led to severe flooding and road mayhem.

Patrick Murgo, who heads the Civil Protection Department, said rescuers will be positioned at key locations prone to flooding, such as Birkirkara and Msida.

“Whenever we have advance warning of a storm it is normal procedure for us to deploy units in strategic locations before the onset,” he said when contacted.

This was typical weather for this time of the year, he added.

His department is in constant contact with the Met Office and other law enforcement agencies.

Last week’s storm, although violent, was not considered by the Met Office to be a 10-year-storm, a descriptor used to identify storms by their magnitude.

The Met Office said it was “a typical storm” associated with the end of summer season and the onset of autumn.

But higher than average sea temperatures in August may have contributed to the instability as the mass of water around Malta remained relatively warm.

Whether the expected bout of bad weather will now be as bad as last week’s has still to be seen but according to Ritienne Gauci, an assistant lecturer at the University of Malta’s geography department, the impact of torrential waters in built-up areas is “still not sustainably under control”.

However, she believes the impact is largely “irreversible” as a heavily urbanised landscape, even in most flood-prone areas such as valleys, combines with torrential rainfall that is becoming more common because of climate change.

She explained that valleys were the end result of torrential waters, not the source.

The Birkirkara-Msida catchment incorporates a broader geographic boundary that includes Mosta, Iklin, Lija, and Naxxar, with these localities being significant contributors to the flooding episodes in the area, she said.

“Management of flood waters should also look beyond valley sites and consider valley situations... Torrential waters should be looked upon as a potential for storm water harvesting rather than considered just as a hazard to warn and alert about.”

But what appears to be bad news for motorists, homeowners and rescuers is good news for farmers.

Rain is good for the crops, especially after a parched summer, according to Joe Galea, president of the Manikata Rural Cooperative.

“Last week some five inches of rain fell on Manikata and the dry land simply absorbed it all up,” he said, adding the produce looked better and trees were cleaned.

Farmers are now sowing winter products such as cauliflowers, cabbages, artichokes and potatoes that require rainwater, Mr Galea said.

“Wind funnels and hail are bad for us but the rain is a blessing so long as it does not flood to the point that top soil is washed away.”