Due to yesterday’s severe weather conditions, the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Archaeological Park in Qrendi, Fort St Elmo in Valletta, and Fort St Angelo in Birgu were not open to the general public, mainly for health and safety reasons. The Malta Maritime Museum was also temporarily closed in the afternoon owing to electricity outage.

While we can thank our lucky stars that the prehistoric temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, including the protective shelters, were unharmed, the Visitor Centre suffered some external damage due to the storm, with members from Heritage Malta’s maintenance and upkeep department going on site on Sunday to evaluate all damages.

Extremely strong winds which hit directly at Fort St Elmo did not lead to any particular loss, however the site was temporarily closed as a safety precaution, particularly since Fort St Elmo is a highly exposed location given the northeasterly wind direction.

Sadly, the Egmont Hall in Fort St Angelo did suffer considerable damage, particularly to its roof. External information panels were also affected.

Other reported damages included the collapse of part of the boundary wall of the prehistoric site of Tas-Silġ in Marsaxlokk, some structural damage in one of the pavilions at St Paul’s Catacombs, and the uprooting of trees in some of Heritage Malta’s sites.

Today, all Heritage Malta sites and museums were once again open to the general public.