(Adds Meteo Malta statement, Autumn projection)

The first thunderstorm of the season hit Malta last night, with spectacular lightning and rain across most of the island. No damage was reported. This picture, by Malcolm Sammut, shows the scene over Burmarrad at about midnight.

Meteo Malta in a statement said the bad weather was caused by an unexpected increase in instability and the quick passing of a short-wave upper-level trough over the Maltese Islands.

Rainfall totals varied , with the highest total being around 10.1mm at Zebbug Malta. This was the first rainfall in almost three months - the last time it rained was on June 9 with just 0.5mm of rain.

Meteo Malta said the next few days should be sunny or partly cloudy and rather warm as the high pressure area over the Atlantic, called the Azores high, again extends over the central Mediterranean. However, there might be some more rain or thunderstorms around the middle of the month (12th-15th September).

Autumn 2008 is expected to be average in temperature and rainfall, but with a bias towards possibly a few severe rain events, especially from mid-September onwards and in October.

mynews@timesofmalta.com