Heavy rain hit Gozo yesterday, flooding several roads, though the severe weather that the Meteorological Office had warned about failed to materialise.

Police advised motorists to avoid Fontana Road, Rabat Road, the roads around Xlendi, as well as Marsalforn valley.

In Malta, readers reported flooding in Pembroke, Balzan, Qawra, Valley Road Msida, and the Tarxien area but the water cleared quickly. No incidents were reported.

However, in Marsa residents had to battle with drainage outpours. Lawyer Joseph Brincat, who lives there, said he saw drainage pour into people’s houses “like Etna’s volcano” – a repetition of what happened a month ago.

That event had led the Marsa local council to file a judicial protest against Transport Malta and the Transport Ministry over the sewage problems that it said had got worse since reconstruction works started on December 13 road.

The Met Office had earlier warned that a severe weather system was developing to the southwest of Malta and was moving very slowly towards the island.

Partly cloudy conditions with isolated showers and the possibility of a thunderstorm are forecast for today.

No severe weather conditions are expected though, as the depression over the centre of the Mediterranean is slowly moving eastwards.

Roads around Xlendi were impassable yesterday. Photo: Godwin Mercieca