Nicosia: The severe weather conditions affecting Cyprus on Saturday are expected to continue until late afternoon, with thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds, while there remains a possibility of tornadoes, Meteorology Department official, Panayiotis Georgiou, told the Cyprus News Agency. Georgiou stated that atmospheric instability would persist in the area until 6 pm, leading to severe weather conditions. Tornadoes had already been recorded off the coast of Larnaca, and he noted that there is a possibility of further tornadoes in areas of strong instability.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the weather conditions have affected almost the entire island. Heavy rainfall has been recorded in several areas, including inland regions, mountainous areas, the north, and the Kato Pyrgos area. Georgiou mentioned that the area north of Paphos has not been significantly affected, although there has been some localized activity. Conditions have weakened in some regions but remain severe in others as the weather system gradually moves eastward.
A significant drop in temperature has been observed, approximately 10 degrees below the normal average for this time of year. Current temperatures are around 27 degrees Celsius, compared to the usual 36-37 degrees Celsius. However, from Sunday, temperatures are expected to gradually rise, reaching close to the seasonal average by Wednesday. From tomorrow until Wednesday, isolated showers are possible, mainly in mountainous areas, with a small chance of thunderstorms, but with less intensity than those experienced today.
Due to the heavy rainfall and increased risk of flooding, a nationwide alert was sent at 12:15 pm via the CY-Alert system, providing citizens with safety instructions. The alert advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and stay at home, remain informed, and follow authorities' instructions. Police, the Fire Service, Civil Defence, and local authorities are actively responding to calls for help due to flooded areas and buildings, fallen trees and objects, and fires caused by lightning.
The Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) reported that its crews are working to restore damage to the network caused by severe weather and intense lightning activity. Lightning strikes have damaged equipment on the electricity network. EAC spokesperson Christina Papadopoulou informed CNA that power outages have been reported in various areas, mainly in the districts of Larnaca, Paphos, and Nicosia. She emphasized that all crews are on standby to repair the faults as quickly as possible, but for safety reasons, work is prohibited during lightning activity.