Storm Helios: Worst is yet to come, Civil Protection on full alert as Met Office issues Orange warning

No major incidents have been reported so far as storm Helios batters Malta with rain and easterly gale force winds, but the worst is yet to come, the Civil Protection Department warns.

CPD head Peter Paul Coleiro warned people to stay away from coastal areas because of the rough sea and avoid being outdoors unnecessarily.

The CPD is on full alert for any eventuality, he told MaltaToday on Thursday afternoon.

"The sea is very rough and people should avoid being anywhere near the coast," Coleiro said. He added that the flood relief project that channels runoff rainwater into large tunnels that run beneath Attard, Birkirkara and other localities, has so far coped with the rainfall thus avoiding major flooding in main roads.

Satellite image showing the extent of the storm sitting over Malta, Sicily and the Italian mainland

However, Coleiro said some secondary routes in the countryside have flooded. "We anticipate greater damage from burst fields if rain continues to fall."

But Coleiro applauded people for collaborating and heeding the relevant warnings.

The Gozo Channel has had to curtail and suspend some of its services given the rough seas that are hampering docking at the Ċirkewwa terminal.

Food delivery companies Wolt and Bolt have warned customers to expect delays, while temporarily suspending some of their delivery services.

The Meteorological Office at Malta International Airport has meanwhile issued an Orange warning as the weather is expected to get worse.

“The East to East Northeast wind will be very strong over the Maltese Islands, reaching gale force over the exposed areas,” the Met Office warned. The orange warning is valid until 10pm tonight but the Met Office will be updating its forecasts accordingly.

Satellite images show the extent of the storm hitting the central Mediterranean with thick clouds covering the whole stretch from Rome all the way down to Malta. The south of Sicily is taking the brunt of the storm with La Sicilia reporting blackouts, flooded roads and uprooted trees.