Updated 4.30pm
A number of flights were disrupted this morning as a severe thunderstorm hit Malta.
Flights from Niederrhein (Ryanair), Amsterdam (Transavia), Warsaw (LOT) and Manchester (EasyJet), due to arrive between 9am and 11.30am at Malta International Airport were diverted to Palermo but a flight from Istanbul landed as planned at 9.30am.
The return flights to Niederrhein, Amsterdam, Warsaw and Manchester were also delayed.
Flight schedules began returning to normal late in the morning, as rains and lightning eased off.
MIA was briefly closed on Monday morning when a lightning strike affected radar services.
The scene at Ta' Xbiex. Photo: Facebook/Kerstin ArnemannA number of roads were reported flooded and a reader reported tarmac 'peeling off' on Mellieha's main road, Triq Borg Olivier. Police warned motorists to avoid the area and low lying areas.
The MIA Met Office said thundery rain showers will affect the Maltese Islands for most of the day. The East-Southeast wind will be strong and locally very strong at times over the Maltese Islands.
Real-time storm maps available online showed that as of 10.50am, Malta was caught right in the middle of a Mediterranean thunderstorm.
Malta Weathersite.com said in a post at 10am that due to the current thunderstorms generating their own strong winds, the thunderstorm itself (losing its strength) has slightly altered its direction and is moving east-northeast towards most of the Islands. Gozo was the worst affected, with over 30mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
The rainfall began to weaken late in the morning, but it may still be strong enough to cause some flooding issues in places. Thunderstorms are producing gusty winds up to Force 8, with the day's prevailing wind at Force 6 (strong) from a southeasterly direction.
Photo: EnemaltaEnemalta said in the afternoon it was helping a number of customers whose electricity services were affected by the storms.
Enemalta said in the afternoon it was helping a number of customers whose electricity services were affected by the storms.
It said that while no major damages were reported, wind and lightning damaged aerial lines and other outdoor infrastructure supplying individual or a limited number of customers in different areas.
Several teams of technicians and engineers were carrying out repairs and assisting customers in difficulty.
Where it was safe to do so, repairs to the aerial lines were being carried out as soon as they were reported.
For assistance, Enemalta can be contacted 24/7 on 8007 2224.
Did you find yourself caught in today's storm? Send us your comments and photos on mynews@timesofmalta.com
A flooded St Julian's square. PhotoL Nobert Ellul