Overnight milgħuba floods parts of Marsaskala and Xemxija, drags car out at sea

A car was dragged out into the sea and parts of Marsaskala and St Paul’s Bay experienced floods after seiche waves (‘milgħuba’) hit most low-lying coasts to the north and east of Malta.

Seiche waves, also called atmospheric tsunamis, are caused by fluctuating atmospheric pressure that makes open sea waves rise and fall.

The phenomenon is not new to the Maltese islands; although the waves are similar to tsunami waves, they are much smaller.

The incident occurred at around 2.30am and lasted for about two hours, according to media reports. Police also told TVM News that they received various reports of vehicles at risk of being carried out to the sea.

The Facebook page Maltese Islands Weather explained that two atmospheric pressure patterns could cause these waves and that an area of high pressure out at sea could push the sea, causing it to rise elsewhere.

The phenomenon could also be caused when the wind blows steadily from the same direction for a prolonged period.

Due to the bay being enclosed, the water oscillates, like water in a bathtub sloshing from one side to the other, and as a result, waves could be seen moving out and back into the bay.