There goes the sun! Spring showers is prelude for stormy weekend in Malta

A sudden downpour and the unlikely sound of thunder punctured the spring lull of May in Malta.

Two downpours were registered in the day, as the prelude of a stormy weekend set in.

“More rain showers that may be thundery at times are possible across Malt and Gozo this coming weekend, particularly on Saturday, as an upper-level trough moves across the central Mediterranean,” MaltaWeather said on Facebook.

Website MaltaIslandsWeather said that as expected, an inflow of cold air in the upper levels of the atmosphere has reached the central Mediterranean.

“This is stronger than initially predicted, however. Colder air in the upper levels of the atmosphere increases instability. This is because colder air aloft encourages the warmer air at ground level to rise. This vertical movement leads to the condensation of water vapour and thus the formation of clouds.

“On days with light winds, like this week, this upward movement of air is uninterrupted. As a result, clouds could are able to reach more substantial sizes. In this case, a little rain may occur. In fact, there is the possibility of a shower or two in places, especially on Wednesday 27/05. Any rain will be mainly light. Any rain will not deposit fine desert sand either. These clouds usually dissipate by the evening, as energy received from the sun dwindles.”