Data Shows Storm Harry As Malta’s Most Powerful Storm On Record

Storm Harry was the strongest storm ever recorded in Malta, according to data collected by the Oceanography Malta Research Group (OMRG) within the University of Malta. Data from a nationwide…

Storm Harry was the strongest storm ever recorded in Malta, according to data collected by the Oceanography Malta Research Group (OMRG) within the University of Malta.

Data from a nationwide marine and coastal monitoring network shows that the storm, which hit on 20th January, surpassed all previous events in wave height, wind strength, and duration.

During the storm, the BLUE buoy, deployed more than four kilometres offshore from the Grand Harbour by OMRG in collaboration with the Environment and Resources Authority, recorded a maximum wave height of 13.1 metres, the highest wave ever measured in Maltese waters.

The buoy also registered a peak wind gust of around 95km/h, while extreme conditions persisted for around 40 hours, with sustained winds exceeding 15 metres per second.

For comparison, a second severe weather event between 26th and 29th January produced similar wind gusts of up to 92km/h, but lasted only around nine hours.

OMRG’s coastal HF radar stations captured how the sea reacted to the storm, recording surface currents of up to 80 centimetres per second. Linked with radar systems in Sicily, the stations provided near real-time maps of water movement, which are crucial for maritime safety and emergency response.

Fixed underwater monitoring stations also showed intense mixing throughout the water column, with sensors recording temperature, salinity, oxygen and pH levels every hour down to a depth of 50 metres.

Storm Harry was also marked by exceptional lightning activity. OMRG recorded 667 lightning strikes across the central Mediterranean on the day of the storm, including 113 within 50 kilometres of Malta and eight over land.

Researchers said the consistency of data across multiple instruments confirms the unprecedented scale of the event. The monitoring network is managed by Adam Gauci, with live data publicly available at ocean.mt.

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