Thunderstorm delays flights, damages roads

Yesterday’s violent thunderstorm damaged a number of roads and delayed several flights. Flooding was also reported in several areas after the heavy rainfall.

Flights from Niederrhein (Ryanair), Amsterdam (Transavia), Warsaw (LOT) and Manchester (EasyJet) were diverted to Palermo. The return flights to Niederrhein, Amsterdam, Warsaw and Manchester were also delayed.

The social media was awash with pictures of flooded streets and cars driving through rivers of brown and grey waters, particulary in Msida.

Pictures taken in Borg Olivier Road in Mellieha showed that parts of the tarmac had just washed away with the torrent.

University students reported that the underpass beneath the skatepark was flooded and unusable.

The Gozo University Group said students had already been welcomed by a flooded campus and flooded roads. “The typical autumnal weather turned the already dangerous roads into rivers, all connecting to the waterfall that was the underpass situated near the skate park. This underpass, a connection for students who wish to cross from Ferris Street to the university, has been flooded for the best part of the week, making it difficult for any student to pass,” it said.

The road over the underpass is one of the busiest roads in Malta so barriers were erected to stop the students from getting into any serious accidents. With the underpass flooded and the road barricaded, many were left stranded on the other side, waiting for the storm to pass.