The marquees, inside the Customs compound at Pinto Wharf, were blown up into the air, over the roof of the Customs building, and on to the road behind.

Luckily, no one was hurt, but some cars were damaged by the poles which were holding up the tents. Police sources said the incident took place at about 8am when, it is understood, the winds were so strong that even the wire cables holding the tents down were ripped out.

Valletta was grid-locked for three hours while the police and organisers cleared the area.

The situation was back to normal by about 11am.