The islands woke up to an unexpected blast of weather this morning, as strong isolated thunderstorms swept through Gozo and parts of Malta, just as had been forecasted a few days ago.

Among the incidents reported, St John's Church in Xewkija sadly suffered visible damage after lightning struck its iconic bell tower. Initial images show that parts of the stone structure were dislodged and fell to the ground following the powerful strike. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Pompeii in Victoria also suffered damage, with cracks showing in the outer stone structure and shattered glass panes shown in photos shared online. 

A look at the rainfall amounts recorded across Malta and Gozo, shows how much heavier Gozo was hit by this storm, with several reporting ice across the island! Localities in Gozo received up to a whopping 38 mm of rainfall, while the highest rainfall in Malta was just 9.4 mm in Mqabba.

Meanwhile, several other areas, including Dingli, Pembroke, Sliema, Valletta, Fgura, Siġġiewi, Żabbar, Mosta, Naxxar, Buġibba, Żejtun, Msida, and Marsaxlokk, recorded no rainfall at all.

The overnight storm served as a reminder that weather predictions, even late in April, should not be underestimated! Thankfully, the advent of May should bring much calmer and sunnier weather.

Did you experience last night’s storm?