The first major cultural celebration of the year, the three-day Ash Wednesday festivities, is underway, with traffic already building on the country’s main roads, despite the fact that the weather, according to forecasts, is expected to be far from favourable for outside events such as the culmination of the carnival and Clean Monday festivities across the country.

A cold front that will bring stormy weather, rain, and gale-force winds is set to be the feature until Sunday, when rain will subside and be replaced by partially sunny weather, though cold conditions will persist.

Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian communities. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent. This year, Ash Wednesday itself was on February 18.