Being part of an archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean, Malta and Gozo are no strangers to the occasional strong wind, but six years ago today, a Mediterranean cyclone lashed over the islands with whopping gusts of 101km/h (Force 10) – the strongest winds the islands experienced since 1982!

The cyclone formed late on Saturday 23rd February 2019, and lasted till late on Sunday 24th, marking the first of its kind since November 2014.

As the storm made landfall, temperatures at the Maltese Islands Weather Station in Gharb plummeted by over 11°C in just three hours - from 15.4°C to a chilling 3.9°C, and the fierce winds made it feel even colder!

The storm brought with it a full weather spectacle, producing heavy rain and thunderstorms, with some of the thunderstorms producing moderately sized hail and funnel events across the islands. The storm generated waves of up to 10.1 metres, making for quite an extraordinary sight. 

As expected, the storm left a trail of destruction in its wake, including uprooted trees and collapsed walls. Power lines were brought down, leading to long blackouts in some areas, and there was extensive flooding, with streets turning into rivers and even cars being carried away by the water! Coastal resorts were badly damaged, with small sandy beaches like San Blas in Gozo nearly disappearing entirely.

One of the most talked-about moments of the storm was the bizarre sight in Xemxija, as fish washed ashore by the massive waves! Some quick-thinking locals even grabbed their 'fresh catch' straight from the street.

Do you remember where you were that day?