According to research made from the Internet, this weather phenomena seems to have been a `cold-air funnel cloud` which are normally short-lived as was in this case. Unlike severe thunderstorm funnel clouds, cold-air funnels are generally associated with partly cloudy skies as was the weather on that day with towering cumulus and isolated cumulonimbus clouds. In fact, a cold pool circulating around the Maltese Islands was clearly present (3rd thumbnail). This atop of a warm sea surface providing ample of atmospheric moisture and instability for such phenomena. The weather sounding (2nd thumbnail) showed a very steep lapse rate in the lower levels of the atmosphere and combined with some wind shear, this has caused rotation on a horizontal axis which was deflected vertically by the rising unstable airmass causing such cloud to form. The first thumbnail shows the whole cloud system from a wide angle view. For more of the day`s weather click here.