Icy floods have swamped Malta after a freak storm battered the Mediterranean holiday island over the weekend.
Dramatic footage shows cars buried beneath hailstones as rivers of ice cascade through the streets.
Authorities can be seen working furiously to clear the roads, with diggers shovelling heaps of ice off the tarmac.
The western regions of Rabat and Bahrija were the most affected and experienced several centimetres of hail.
The Civil Protection Department put out a warning on Sunday evening as the country braced itself for gale-force winds.
They warned the public to ‘avoid working at heights, including rooftops, balconies, scaffolding, and exposed structures’ for the next 12 hours.
‘Stay away from the shoreline, breakwaters, and coastal paths,’ it said, adding that strong waves and sea spray could be encountered in areas close to the sea.
‘Please keep watch for further updates and official instructions over the coming hours.’
Icy floods have swamped Malta after a freak storm battered the Mediterranean holiday island over the weekend
Dramatic footage shows cars buried beneath hailstones as rivers of ice cascade through the streets
Authorities can be seen working furiously to clear the roads, with diggers shovelling heaps of ice off the roads
On Saturday, they advised motorists to exercise extra caution on the ice-affected roads and to avoid unnecessary travel where possible.
This is not the only time the Mediterranean has encountered a severe hail storm recently.
In May last year, Majorca was battered by freakish hailstorms that left renowned tourist hotspots on the Spanish island covered in ice and overrun with flood waters.
Tourists and locals alike were sent running for cover as huge hailstones pelted the resort of Porto Cristo, where idyllic beaches turned from golden to white in a matter of minutes as chunks of ice blanketed the sand.
Municipalities such as Manacor, Sant Llorenç and Sa Pobla were the worst affected, but large swathes of the islands were engulfed in the deluge.
Shocking video footage showed how furniture and tiles on typically sun-soaked decking outside hotels and private flats were smashed by the hailstorms as holidaymakers cowered inside.
The western regions of Rabat and Bahrija were the most seriously affected and experienced several centimetres of hail
The Civil Protection Department put out a warning on Sunday evening, urging residents to avoid rooftops, balconies and hillsides overnight, as the country braced itself for gale-force winds
Spain’s state weather service AEMET issued yellow weather warnings for Majorca and Menorca, warning that up to 50 litres of rainfall per square metre drenched Manacor in just half an hour, triggering flash floods.
The culprit behind the rare and destructive weather pattern was put down to what is known in Spain as ‘DANA’ – short for ‘Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos’ or ‘Isolated Depression at High Levels’.
These phenomena form when a pocket of cold air detaches from the jet stream over the Atlantic and settles over warmer Mediterranean air.
The resulting clash in temperatures and pressures creates intense instability, often unleashing torrential rain, violent hailstorms, and flash floods over short periods.
