Despite more rain, levels still well below normal

Up to 54.9 mm of rain fell in the last 24 hours in some areas, but rainfall in December is still well below the seasonal average at only 19 per cent of normal levels.

If the drought continues, met official Panayiotis Michael said, the situation in the dams next summer would be tragic.

The average water level in the Cyprus dams is currently 38 per cent, compared to 27.7 per cent at the same time last year.

Since Thursday, significant rainfall was observed in the in the north, southeast and  central areas of Cyprus due to a low pressure front which is expected to last until Monday.

The rains though failed to reverse the very negative figures from October until now, with rainfall below 45 per cent of normal.  Seasonal forecasts and a phenomenon of ‘atmospheric blocking’ in central Europe portend that the situation will not particularly improve within next two months.

The rainy weather will continue on Friday with showers mainly falling in the north and southeast, Michael said. He added that there was a possibility of sleet or snow in higher areas of Troodos.

According to the official the weather may improve after Monday, but there is as yet no forecast for Christmas Day.

In the last 24 hours the average rainfall islandwide rose to 8.7mm. Larnaca airport recorded the highest at 54.9mm, 37.6mm was recorded in Athienou and 12.8 mm in Nicosia.

Michael explained that Europe was currently affected by atmospheric blocking, which stops weather fronts from moving from west to east. This occurrence is caused by high pressure. A similar phenomenon of blocking was observed in Europe in 2008 when Cyprus had a long drought. The situation can be reversed with a very powerful weather front coming from the west.

 

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.