The police warnined drivers on Thursday morning to not use roads in low lying areas as heavy rainfall is causing floods in some places.

The low lying areas included the notorious Msida, Qormi, Marsa (including the underpass), Birkirkara, Burmarrad and other places.

A police spokesperson said that reports of incidents had been received from Zebbiegh and Burmarrad, where a bike and a car have been reported to have been dragged by the floods.

The Met Office also issued an orange alert that thundery and gusty rain, sometimes hail, will affect the Maltese Islands.

Drivers were also urged to proceed with caution as plastic bollards and man-holes have been displaced.

Workers from the Public Works Department are cleaning up roads and other places where damage has been caused. Some roads, including the one leading to Burmarrad from the T'Alla u Ommu area were closed in the afternoon.

Malta Public Transport said that due to the severe weather conditions, some bus routes had been affected, resulting in a low service level in many areas.

"Whilst we apologise for any inconvenience that this is causing our passengers, we are working to provide a service where it is safe to do so," the company said.

The Civil Protection Department also appealed for caution. It urged people to avoid places where the sea is rough and low-lying areas which could be flooded.

The CPD manpower has been doubled with more officers to deal with the situation. The indications are that this is one of the worst storms ever to hit Malta.

In an update at 5:30pm, the Civil Protection Department said its resources are now focusing on secondary operations since the danger has now passed. CPD officers will now be responding to non-emergency calls that are related to the storm. This includes the removal of broken trees, floods and other damages.

The department, however, renewed its appeal for cooperation by the public and urged people to avoid going out unless necessary. 

Photos above: Giuseppe Attard

 

 

Photos: Maltese Roads Traffic Updates

Photos: Maltese Roads Traffic Updates

Photo: Maltese Roads Traffic Updates