Nicosia: The average rainfall during August 2026 in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus reached 30.0 mm, compared to a normal value of 2.9 mm for the month, corresponding to 1034% of the normal value.

According to Cyprus News Agency, the Department of Meteorology said in a press release on Wednesday that this is the highest average rainfall for August in the available historical time series since 1902. During the three-day period from August 28 to 30, the spatial average rainfall in the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus was estimated at 22.5 mm, with most of this amount recorded on August 29. It is also noted that the rainfall had a wide geographical distribution, affecting a significant part of the island, while in specific areas the total amounts for the three days reached 50-75 mm.

This episode significantly contributed to the formation of the extremely high total rainfall for August 2026, the Department of Meteorology said. It further noted that during the period from 1902 to 2025, 30 out of 124 Augusts had zero average rainfall, which is about 24% of the time series - nearly one in four. Only seven Augusts before 2026 exceeded 10 mm.

The Department said that the situation in August 2026 constitutes a historical exception for Cyprus. In a month during which nearly one in four Augusts from 1902 to 2025 was completely dry, this year's average rainfall reached 30.0 mm, exceeding the previous record by approximately 46%. The weather on August 29 was the decisive factor for the new maximum and underscores the potential for the occurrence of rare but particularly extensive summer rainfall episodes in the region of Cyprus, the press release concluded.