New data has revealed that of the 290,771 calls made to the 112 emergency line in the past year, 70% were not actual emergencies. The European Day for the Emergency number 112, which was marked today on February 11th, shed light on this important issue.

The 112 line connects all first responders to emergency situations, including the ambulance service, police force, civil protection department, and armed forces. Out of the valid emergency calls, 80% were intended for the ambulance service (69,417 calls), 9% were for the police force, 12% were for civil protection, and 171 calls were for the armed forces.

Of all the calls made on the 112 line, the majority were from mobile phones, with a total of 257,147. The waiting time to answer these calls has been reduced in recent years, with all calls answered within three seconds.

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Malta experienced its wettest February day in recorded history on Thursday as Storm Helios hit the nation.

The Met Office reported 140.4mm of rainfall was recorded at the Luqa station, breaking the previous record of 123.7mm set on February 19, 1938.

The widespread rainfall caused damage across Malta, including to historic locations such as the Cittadella ditch in Gozo, the Bighi peninsula wall, and a 17th-century watchtower in Għajn Tuffieħa.

The average rainfall for the month of February is 65.9mm, meaning Malta had more than double the average monthly precipitation in just one day.

As of noon on Friday, the total rainfall for the month of February had reached 159.8mm. The impact of Storm Helios serves as a reminder of the power of nature and the importance of being prepared for severe weather conditions.

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