The meteorological office has issued a 'very strong' wind warning valid until 11pm on Thursday, just as footage on social media is predicting a Mediterranean hurricane that could brush past Malta.

North-northeasterly winds have been pounding the islands since Wednesday, damaging boats and prompting a warning from the Emergency Response Rescue Corps to stay away from a number of bays.

The MetOffice said on Thursday that from its current forecasts, winds over the Maltese Islands were expected to be F4 to F5 on Friday and Saturday, blowing from the NNW and NW, respectively.

"Over the next few days, the Meteorological Office will keep monitoring the situation closely and will issue the necessary warnings when and if required," it said.

The police have issued a warning to motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area known as il-Fossa in Valletta (Triq il-Lanċa) because of high waves caused by strong winds.

Footage uploaded on Facebook by Weather Malta meanwhile shows the formation of a Mediterranean hurricane, or 'Medicane', in the southern Mediterranean over the next few days, the edge of which might pass close to Malta.

International reports are predicting that the Medicane, which will be named Zorbas, will hit Greece this weekend, after forming in the Ionian sea on Friday.

Photos: Jonathan Borg, Chris Sant Fournier

Northeasterly winds most challenging for harbour pilots

While several people are avoiding the sea at all costs, some have no other option but to battle the waves crashing against the northeastern coast and help guide vessels into the sheltered harbour.

At 6am on Wednesday, harbour pilot Marco Portelli was making his way up the 294-metre MS Queen Victoria cruise ship, which at that point was situated around a mile off the Valletta breakwater. The sea swell was between two-and-a-half and three metres at the time, with wind speed reaching 28 knots.

Mr Portelli, one of the 16 captains who make up the Malta Maritime Pilots Cooperative, said northeasterly winds were the most challenging, especially because of rebound waves that crashed onto oncoming ones.

The authorities have even closed off the ports in extreme conditions when the wind is blowing from a northeasterly direction.

The cooperative is responsible for the manoeuvring of vessels into the Marsaxlokk, Grand Harbour and Gozo Mġarr ports.

Boats suffered severe damage as a result of Wednesday's howling winds from the northeast.

Mr Portelli, who has been a harbour pilot for 10 years, said that different from navigating, manoeuvring ships into ports was a daily duty for harbour pilots, who are continuously trained for the task.

Skipping a port could create logistical havoc for the passengers on board

Although all final decisions are in the captains’ hands, the harbour pilots need to know the ports inside out and they assess the risks of bringing in any vessel.

There have been instances where despite reassurances from the harbour pilots, the vessel captains refused to enter port.

Skipping a port could create logistical havoc for the passengers on board, especially those whose trip starts or ends in Malta.

There was hardly any sand left on the recently-replenished Balluta bay.