Dust, fog as unseasonable highs come to an end

DUST, FOG and low cloud are in store over the next four days according to the Meteorological Service, putting high risk groups such as asthma sufferers on the alert. This is the second incidence of dust islandwide over the last two weeks.

According to Meteorological officer Marios Theophilou, the dust comes from Syria but will not affect visibility. Dust from surrounding countries and salt from the sea is an ongoing problem, with Cyprus facing the European Court of Justice over 35 violations concerning the levels of dust in the air between 2005 and 2007.

The fog, which has been present for the last two days, continued into last night but is expected to disappear over the next few days. Fog and humidity are not common this time of year, confirmed another Met Service Official Haris Zahariades.

During this type of weather high risk groups, such as asthma sufferers and anyone with lung problems, are urged to limit their movements outdoors. “The high content of dust and fog does influence high risk people, for example people with chronic lung disease, asthma, congestive heart failure, the old and the very young,” said pneumonologist Stylianos Kakoullis at the Apollonion Clinic.

Kakoullis warned that people in these categories should avoid exposure when the levels of dust and humidity in the air are high.

Cyprus has suffered from unusually high temperatures this year with temperatures this week reaching up to six degrees higher than the norm, with temperatures reaching 22 degrees. Thursday and Friday are set to see a drop in temperature to around 16 degrees, which Theophilou confirms is the norm for this time of year, along with isolated showers. Saturday will also be cloudy with similar temperatures to Friday.

 

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.