The sudden storm that hit Malta on Sunday night may have raised fears for the safety of the bright floats decked out for carnival, but organisers have not let it rain on their parade.

“We heard that the carnival in Gozo was being cut short because of the weather, but with the advance notice, we managed to finish all our planned events before the storm hit,” carnival director Jason Busuttil said.

“A handful of floats suffered some minor damage but nothing serious enough to derail the events we had planned for the next day.”

Mr Busuttil said this year’s celebrations, which kicked off on Thursday evening at Pjazza Teatru Rjal, had been among the most successful yet, with sustained crowds across Valletta on every day so far.

Following the opening night, the traditional floats entered the scene on Friday, parading through the weekend, during which a new-found emphasis on satire found rich expression in the depictions of ministers and other political figures.

This year's edition included a float sponsored by Malta's EU presidency which is the result of a collaboration between British cartoonist Steve Bell, the Cicco Carnival Company and the Malta Arts Council.

Events continued yesterday as thousands took advantage of the mild weather that followed the storm, thronging to witness the floats, as well as the singing and dancing that overtook the capital.

The culmination of this year’s activities will happen today, the eve of Lent, with carnival costume competitions for children and teenagers at Pjazza Teatru Rjal at noon, building up to the grand finale taking place in St Anne’s Street, Floriana, in the evening.