Malta residents ignored repeated warnings to stay indoors as the island nation was battered by record winds and ferocious waves, all for the promise of some free, freshly caught fish.

Much like the Maltese streets, social media was flooded late Sunday and early Monday as images of locals braving the elements for a catch of the day were shared far and wide. The Xemxija suburb on the western part of St. Paul’s Bay was particularly hard-hit.

Fresh fish were flung across the promenade in Ximxija and onto the roads along St. Paul’s Bay.

“One of the fish farms must have broken open and there are hundreds of fish being washed ashore... and people are picking them up from the middle of the street – unbelievable,” said Rene Rossignaud, who caught most of the action throughout the day.

Trees were uprooted, walls toppled, streets and buildings flooded as record gusts of up to 101kph (Force 10, almost Force 11) were registered by the weather station in Gharb, the most powerful on record.

Miraculously, no injuries were reported, in spite of the extreme amateur angling visible on social media. One local was even swept out to sea and had to be rescued by his neighbors.

Homes were evacuated in Sliema and Vittoriosa due to severe flooding while there are major fears for the local farming communities who are likely to be hardest hit by this unprecedented tempest.

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“We still have to quantify the damage. The whole operation is going to take days,” said Cleansing Department Director Ramon Deguara, as cited by the Times of Malta. “A number of large trees were partially uprooted and we’re expecting them to fall soon.”

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