[WATCH] Summer storm hits Maltese islands • Two paragliders injured in chute mishap

The yearly ‘gharajjex ta’ Santa Marija’ kept their appointment as a thunderstorm hit the Maltese islands on Saturday morning.

Waking up to a relatively sunny morning, bathers were surprised to see a storm brewing from the south of Malta. A water spout was spotted over the Grand Harbour while heavy rains hit Marsaskala and Haz-Zabbar, among other localities.

Two were injured as a result of the water spout after their parachute was ripped off from the speedboat in Ghadira. The two, a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old woman, are not in critical condition. The parachute landed on the roof of a boathouse.

The Met Office explained that the storm was formed after heavy weather was moving towards the east of Malta. Due to the warm sea temperatures being 29 degrees Celsius, thundery clouds were formed and expanded rapidly over the Maltese islands.

The weather is moving westerly and the Met Office expects further heavy thunderstorms and moderate to heavy rainfall in some parts of Malta. 

St Gaetan Band Club assured Hamrun residents that tonight’s village feast procession will proceed at 8:30pm regardless of the weather.

In a statement, the band club pointed out that thousands of people had taken participated in yesterday’s festivities despite a power cut in Hamrun, and called on the public to join them in tonight’s celebrations. 

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