An awning for protecting a cargo in bad weather is disclosed, which comprises an awning arranged between a head piece and a vessel, the awning being designed, albeit not exclusively, for providing a protective covering during operations for loading vessels, more specifically for providing a protective covering for vessel holds when the hatches thereof are open. The awning is composed of a plurality of skirts, and each of these skirts comprises at least one cover, at least one flexible rod, at least one ring and at least one variable-length element. The volume of the variable-length elements may be increased or decreased by means of an external proportional control.