Freezing weather comes to Cyprus

SNOW fell yesterday in the heart of Nicosia for a brief five minutes as clouds thickened and strong gusts of wind blew havoc in coastal towns.

Temperatures reached as low as 1º C inland and 4º C on the coast, while the temperature on higher ground was well below freezing at -8º C.

In Paphos, a car that was parked on the beach road at Kissonerga village was swept into the sea due to the extreme weather conditions.

The car, belonging to a 40-year-old from Emba village, said huge waves and screaming winds had carried his car out to sea. The police and fire brigade were called to the scene but were unable to draw in the car, as the sea was too rough.

With heavy snow in the mountains, police issued an announcement saying roads leading to Troodos were closed off to all vehicles without chains.

The height of snow on Mount Olympus has reached 110cm while on Troodos square it lies at 100cm. The roads in Platres are covered in ice and police warned drivers to be especially cautious.

Snow also fell in Paphos and blanketed Panayia village, where the height of snow reached 5cm.

But while weather conditions deteriorated in Cyprus, they improved slightly in Greece, allowing Cyprus Airways to resume flights to Athens after they were cancelled on Friday due to heavy snow.

CY spokesman Tassos Angelis said all flights were operating normally after assurances from Athens that the Eleftherios Venizelos airport runway was clear for landing and takeoff.

“We are in constant contact with Athens airport and hope that conditions will not take a turn for the worst and that more flights will not be cancelled,” said Angelis.

He added more flights had been added to the Cyprus Airways schedule to make up for the cancellations on Friday.

More showers are expected today, including snow on higher and lower ground.

Temperatures will reach no more than 8º C inland, 11º C on the coast and -4º C on higher ground.

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.