The violent storm that hit the Maltese Islands the weekend before the last wrought havoc on the Church of St Philip in Senglea. 

In a Facebook post, Fr Antoine Farrugia, the priest in charge of the church, explained how the church was badly damaged on the inside and outside by both the gale-force winds and heavy rain. 

Photos he uploaded show how the roof membrane was literally peeled off by the winds, and all the wooden apertures in the cupola were destroyed, sending rainwater pouring into the church below. 

Other photos show how stonework came flying down onto some scaffolding below. 

The photos also show how shards of glass crashed down onto the church floor, and how a silver chandelier was destroyed. Wall paintings were also extensively damaged and buckets had to be placed all around the church to collect the seeping rainwater. 

Fr Farrugia wrote that a number of volunteers had managed to take down the crucifix despite debris that was flying into the church, including bits of broken glass. Later, the volunteers, assisted by personnel from the Restoration Directorate, boarded up all the apertures until these can be replaced. The church has since been cleaned up and the altars and other important features covered up in plastic. 

Fr Farrugia said that the roof needs to be waterproofed again for the wall paintings to be saved.