Severe Weather Reports

A warm and moist air mass passed over the central Mediterranean on Saturday 09/03. The meteorological conditions were ideal for the formation of sea fog. The sea fog formed as the warm and moist air mass from the south was advected (blown) over the cooler sea around us. This caused the air mass to cool down. Its temperature fell to the dew point (the temperature at which an air mass becomes saturated and the water vapour in it condenses) polska-ed.com. For this type of fog to form and persist, the wind must be light. The light wind allows the air mass to slide slowly over the cooler area of sea increasing the chances of saturation and condensation. Often, sea fog dissipates as it moves inland. However, given that the air on land is very similar to that of the sea around us, the sea fog prevailed and engulfed the Maltese Islands.

The most affected were coastal localities along the northwest of the Maltese Islands. Conditions are very rarely ideal for the formation of this fog locally. It is only possible in spring, when the first warm and moist air masses from the south start reaching us. These clash with the still cold sea around us. The air temperature over land dropped by 10°C as the fog shrouded the Maltese Islands.

Thanks to Andrea Muscat for the photos!

This was the strongest wind since the year 1982. A gust of 101km/h (Force 10) broke the long-standing wind gust record at our weather station in Għarb. The storm-force winds left behind a trail of destruction. In this report, we’ll describe what gave rise to this intense system and why it affected the Maltese Islands so badly.

It was classified as an intense Mediterranean cyclone. The Mediterranean cyclone that formed late on Saturday 23/02 and lasted till late on Sunday 24/02, was the very first since the one in November 2014. A strong jet-stream blew some very warm and humid air masses from the Ionian Sea, the Gulf of Gabes and the Gulf of Sirte towards the central Mediterranean. Simulateneously, frigid air from over the Balkans penetrated the central Mediterranean, initiating the process of Mediterranean Cyclone development. This cold air mass caused temperatures to drop rapidly all around the Maltese Islands. In fact, the temperature at our weather station in Għarb dropped by over 11°C in around 3 hours; starting at 15.4°C and dipping to 3.9°C. That is also the coldest so far this winter. The strong wind made temperatures feel even colder. Here, in the central Mediterranean both air masses clashed together. The ingredients were in place for an intense Mediterranean Cyclone to develop. As a result of their clash, an existing low pressure system started intensifying very quickly, in a process referred to as cyclogenesis in meteorology. In fact, atmospheric pressure at its center dropped drastically, and a Mediterranean Cyclone was officially formed.

The Mediterranean Cyclone affected Malta from late on Saturday 23/02 and lasted till late on Sunday 24/02 . As the cyclone made its way towards Malta, the islands were affected by several bands of convection located around the storm’s center. These produced heavy rain and thunderstorms. Some of the thunderstorms were very strong with severe gusts, moderate hail and funnel events. The storm generated waves of up to 10.1 metres and a storm surge.

According to weather stations, close to 100 mm of rain was measured in less than 24 hours in the worst hit areas. The storm-force winds produced substantial damage. The damage included uprooted trees, collapsed walls and downed power lines. The latter caused lengthy power-cuts in some areas. A number of areas suffered extensive flooding high enough to carry cars in some areas. The very high waves and storm surge caused great damage to coastal resorts, leading to a number of small sandy beaches being washed away.