Formation of altostratus translucidus clouds in the Grand Harbour as a low pressure system was starting to develop over Libya on the frindges of a cold anticyclone over the Bay of Biscay in the area of contrast between the colder air and the warmer air inside Libya and Egypt. This was to set the stage of a classical Maltese gregale storm. The weather sounding showed moist but stable airmass at mid and upper levels favouring such fog-like clouds and with the cumulus clouds below not able to reach the stratiform mid-level clouds. As evident in the first thumbnail, the wind was already starting to blow strongly from a NE direction but the sea was still yet to become rough.