By Sofia Kannas
TEMPERATURES in Nicosia soared to 36 degrees Celsius yesterday – the hottest day of the year so far.
Temperatures across the island have been steadily rising since the middle of last week, pushing thermometer-readings into the thirties and prompting people to turn on their air conditioning systems earlier than expected.
Speaking to the Cyprus Mail yesterday, a meteorologist at Larnaca Meteorological Office said the temperature recorded in Nicosia yesterday was several degrees above the average for this month. “This is about seven degrees above normal. Twenty-eight Celsius is the average temperature for May in Nicosia.”
The unusually high temperatures can be attributed to hot north-easterly surface winds from Asia.
“The main reason we get these type of temperatures is that air passes over hot surfaces and right above Cyprus’ Mesaoria plain, which heats up the air.”
He added the high temperatures which have been building up since last Wednesday did not come as a surprise to forecasters.
“This is not a very rare situation really. Almost every year we have these hot days and temperatures in April and May.”
The source also stressed that the last few days of hot weather did not necessarily indicate that Cyprus was in for a ferociously hot summer.
“We cannot really tell what the summer will be like — there is no connection with the current temperatures.”
The Meteorological Office forecasts that temperatures will fall to between 31-32 Celsius in Nicosia after tomorrow.
“On Wednesday the temperature will drop slightly, although it will still be hotter than average.”
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
