The phenomenon, known as il-Milgħuba, is triggered by a sudden change in atmospheric pressure
Seiche waves returned to the Maltese coastline early on Saturday morning, with reports of vehicles being dragged into the sea thanks to the phenomenon known as an atmospheric tsunami.
Police confirmed on Saturday morning that sea levels had risen in a number of coastal localities and said they had received one report of a car having been dragged into the water in St Paul's Bay. No one was injured in that incident, they said.
Footage posted on social media suggested more vehicles were impacted, however: apart from the sunken vehicle in Salini which was flagged to the police, people also shared images of another car submerged at Veċċja point in Xemxija.
Photos also showed water levels rising at the Marsascala promenade, with seawater flooding the main road and reaching parked cars at around 3 am on Saturday morning.
The rising water also displaced some small boats, landing them on dry land.
Seiche waves, or il-Milgħuba as it is known in Maltese, is a phenomenon that occurs when there is a sudden change in atmospheric pressure, causing the sea to rise rapidly and then quickly retreat a short while later.
Although the phenomenon is referred to as an atmospheric tsunami, it is not like tsunamis that displace large volumes of water, causing untold destruction.
When the seiche waves occur it is because air pressure is pushing down on the sea, causing it to move back from the shore as it drifts towards the dip. It then flows back towards the shore as it settles into place, creating an oscillation until the water settles.
Na een succesvolle eerste proefduik afgelopen weekend, staat op 22 maart 2026 alweer de tweede proefduik van dit jaar gepland bij Malta Blue Diving. En goed nieuws: dit blijft niet de laatste! Ook later dit jaar zullen er nog meerdere proefduiken georganiseerd worden.
Malta — een klein, pittoresk eiland in de Middellandse Zee — lijkt misschien niet de plek waar je leeuwen, panters of chimpansees als buren zou tegenkomen. Toch is dit de schokkende realiteit die steeds vaker opduikt in nieuwsberichten, sociale media en discussies rond dierenwelzijn en publieke veiligheid.
Dit is Deel 4 en het laatste deel van onze blogserie over duiken in Malta, gemaakt door NedMalta in samenwerking met Malta Blue Diving.
Het is weer zover: Carnival in Malta gaat los! Een van de kleurrijkste en meest energieke periodes van het jaar staat voor de deur. Denk aan gigantische praalwagens, verklede menigten, straatfeesten tot diep in de nacht en een sfeer die je nergens anders in Europa vindt.
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