Formation of an approaching cumulonimbus cloud with a very dense and almost black horizontal roll as a line of thunderstorms in the satellite image of the sixth thumbnail associated with a cold front as per surface pressure chart on the seventh thumbnail were passing over the Maltese Islands. The first thumbnail is a panoramic photo of the same cloud to show its horizontal extent. This was the first widespread thunderstorm of the season which might have led to further intensification of the approaching storms as the strong downdraughts of cold air which led to the formation of arcus clouds contrasted even more with the warm air still present over the Maltese Islands still waiting for their first heavy and widespread rains. The photographed cloud species could not be properly identified as it was hidden by a thick level of altostratus opacus cumulonimbogenitus clouds transforming into altocumulus undulatus as per third thumbnail photo due to the strong downdraughts from arriving storms buffeting the whole cloud cover and hence leading to lots of wind shear acting on the clouds. The second thumbnail shows another line of rapidly growing cumulus congestus arcus due to gusty winds approaching the Maltese Islands from another direction and is proved by the rainfall radar video on the fifth thumbnail. The clash of both storm systems happened directly over the Maltese Islands resulting in heavy thunderstorms with probable rain rates of around 150mm/hr. This storm never reached severe status as wind gusts only peaked at 54kmh (Force 7) in otherwise prevailing light wind and no hail was observed. The weather sounding on the fourth thumbnail shows the pre-frontal air profile. Wind shear was not impressive but the storm downdraughts were probably the result of somewhat dry air below the 700mb height leading to some evaporation of falling rain hence the downward momentum of the rain-cooled airmass but the impressive feature was the clashing of 2 rain systems over our Islands. Finally, the eighth thumbnail shows that our Islands were on the most intense side of an upper-level trough which is the SE area. Kindly click here to see the cloud formations of the departing storm in the evening.