The big tomato fight scheduled for yesterday met a thunderous wet and wild end before it had even begun, after a massive storm brought down the metal and plastic cage in which it was meant to take place.

The storm that had been forecast to hit Malta on Monday made an early appearance and brought the curtain down on the Arts and Food Fighting Festival organised by the Fgura local council and central government for the charity L-Istrina.

Valperga Street in Fgura was transformed from an entertainment area into a submerged road as the water flooded through, hastening the destruction of the plastic cage.

Just before the rains hit, witnesses said that what seemed like a mini-tornado began swirling around and the cage took a beating before it unceremoniously came crashing down.

The sudden downpour sent visitors scampering for shelter under balconies and doorways and using anything they could find to keep dry. Some even resorted to plastic tables and chairs.

Festival goers had been ready and set for a great night featuring the island’s top bands in an activity that was supposed to end at 11 p.m. It had hardly got off the ground when the storm hit. Some 2,000 kilograms of inferior quality tomatoes costing €400 were also ready to be destroyed during the fight – and they would have been turned into tomato purée even faster had the rains come slightly later.