Storm forces road closure outside Mercury Towers

Civil Protection close off Paceville street on Saturday night as a precautionary measure during gale-force winds

11 January 2026, 5:28pm
by Juliana Zammit

2 min read

Mercury complex in St Julian’s is made up of three buildings with the main structure being a 33-storey skyscraper (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

TWEET SHARE

Emergency services closed a busy Paceville street for several hours on Saturday night after reports of a potential hazard at Mercury Towers during severe weather that battered the islands with gale-force winds.

The road in front of the landmark complex was cordoned off at approximately 7:30pm and remained shut until 10pm whilst Civil Protection officers assessed the situation and cleared debris. No injuries were reported during the incident.

Mercury House has clarified in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon that no material fell from any of its buildings, contrary to initial reports. In a statement issued on Sunday, the company said: "Yesterday, Saturday 10 January, the Civil Protection was called following a report of a potential hazard at one of the apertures of Mercury House.

The Company clarifies that at no point did any glass or other material fall from the entire Mercury Towers complex or the hotel.

"When the Civil Protection arrived on site, they observed a pane of glass on the second floor of Mercury House that could potentially pose a risk. Consequently, temporary precautionary measures were taken so that, should the wind intensify, there would be no danger to the public. Following these measures, the Civil Protection determined that there was no risk to the public, and the road was reopened and returned to normal.

Saturday's storm brought disruption across Malta and Gozo, with temperatures dropping to 10°C and wind chill making conditions feel as cold as 7°C in exposed areas.

The Met Office had issued a wind warning on Saturday for strong to very strong west-northwesterly winds.
Sea conditions proved particularly treacherous, with waves exceeding six metres forcing the Gozo ferry to suspend all operations overnight. Civil Protection officers responded to numerous callouts for fallen trees and broken branches throughout the islands.

Forecasters predict the unsettled conditions will ease by Monday, with fine weather expected to return before partly cloudy spells mid-week.

Juliana Zammit is a part-time staff reporter and social media journalist. She is current...