Power returns after nationwide cut / News Briefing – Friday 10 February 2023

Update 1330

Nationwide powercut: Large swathes of Malta and Gozo were left without electricity on Friday. Enemalta attributed the pwoer cut to an interconnector issue. At 1.10pm, Enemalta said the fault which developed on the interconnector in Sicily has been resolved and electricity supply has been restored to 75% of the affected consumers. (Times of Malta)

Storm moves away but thunderstorm possible: A strong gregale-powered storm is now moving towards northwest Libya, but a yellow weather warning remains in force and gusts of wind reaching gale-force speeds were still being registered on Friday morning. The Met Office said that the remainder of the day will be cloudy, with showers of rain or hail, becoming thundery at times. Visibility will be good becoming moderate to poor in showers. (Maltatoday)

Morning Briefing

Rain, strong winds batter Malta

Persistent rain and strong winds hit Malta throughout Thursday and on early Friday morning with the Civil Protection Department appealing for the public to stay indoors. Several areas were flooded and a south easterly wind, referred to as Storm Helios, led the Meteorological Office to issue an orange wind warning. The CPD has warned people to stay away from coastal areas because of the rough sea and avoid being outdoors unnecessarily. Many events were cancelled including all external celebrations related to the feast of St. Paul Shipwreck in Valletta, including the procession with the statue of St. Paul. A number of incidents were reported. Part of the roof of the VIP lounge at the airport collapsed, while in Gozo three balconies collapsed into the street causing severe damage to six cars parked underneath.

Less property sales in first month of year – NSO
In January 2023, the number of final deeds of sale relating to residential property amounted to 1,097, a 4.5 per cent decrease when compared to those registered a year earlier, the NSO said. The value of these deeds totalled €290.5 million, 16.2 per cent higher than the corresponding value recorded in January 2022. Property lobby groups had insisted earlier this month that the property market was in a health state, and that the decrease was a statistical blip owing to buyers pushing through agreements before the end of the year to benefit from specific incentives and schemes. In the month under review, 998, or 91.0 per cent, of these final deeds of sale involved individual buyers (households), with companies accounting for virtually all the rest. The value of the deeds involving individual buyers (households) amounted to €221.7 million, equivalent to 76.3
per cent of the total value.

Paceville to get another tower after PA approval

The Planning Authority has approved a 33-storey tower in Paceville which was described as a “honeycomb” by the case officer on the condition that it provides a green travel plan to show how traffic would be reduced in peak hours. The Malta Independent reported that the project is led by Paul Xuereb of PX Lettings Limited with Christian Spiteri as the architect. Although the development was approved, a Green Travel Plan (GTP) that shows how car trips will be reduced by 40% during peak hours needs to be presented within 3 months before construction can start.