End of the Halcyon days

A BAND of stormy weather lashed across Cyprus yesterday, bringing heavy rains to all parts and snow in the Troodos mountains.

Cyprus is normally associated with fine weather, enjoying around 340 days of sunshine a year.

But a low-pressure system, which came in from a Westerly direction last Friday, has taken the island by surprise. Only last week, the island was enjoying temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius.

Up to January 14, rainfall for the month stood at only four per cent of the January average, but with 50 millimetres of rain having now fallen since the beginning of the year, mostly over the last few days, that figure has now risen to 49 per cent. The average rainfall for January is 102 millimetres. The figure for accumulated water in reservoirs across the country now stands at 70 per cent.

Snow has also fallen on higher ground, with 10cm on Troodos Square and 15cm on Mount Olympus, the highest point on the island.

In Paphos, one of the worst-hit areas, the bad weather has caused treacherous driving conditions, with several accidents reported by local police.

Meteorologists said the temperatures are normal for the time of year, with the rain likely to continue today, before gradually easing off tomorrow and on Thursday.

Snow, rain and gale-force winds claimed the lives of at least four people in Greece over the weekend.

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.