Flooded fields inside Ta’ Qali National Park in Malta due to persistent heavy thunderstorms and rain showers throughout October 2018 as unseasonably high numbers of low pressure systems passed over the Mediterranean and the Maltese Islands such as on the 2nd when a low pressure system over Corsica drifted southwards towards our Islands and at the end of the month when a warm conveyor belt ushering in moist air persisted for 3 days over our Islands bringing prolonged periods of rain. Officially October 2018 registered around 190mm of rain resulting in flooding scenes as photographed in the last days of this month, some localities such as the surroundings of Ta’ Qali where these photos were taken unofficially recorded around 260mm of rain according to ‘Temp Madwarna’.

The flooding of fields may also have been exacerbated by a rather poor Summer which was generally humid, less dry than average with 70mm of rain recorded being 6 times the average of around 10mm and a peak Summer temperature of just 34.8C. Such photos may confirm the effects of climate change over the Maltese Islands in terms of persistent prolonged dry periods and wet weather events which althaugh the amount of rain did not break any records by itself, the persistent stormy weather did so by far with the 16 thunderstorm days breaking the previous record by 4 days which is a lot due to a phenomena known as an atmospheric traffic jam whereby weather patters stick in the same area for weeks or indeed months bringing droughts or rounds of unsettled weather. The first thumbnail is another flooded field in Rabat whilst the second thumbnail is another flooded field with low hanging stratocumulus clouds ready to give another rain event.