By Poly Pantelides
AUTHORITIES were bracing islandwide yesterday for the double whammy of strong winds and plunging temperatures, preparing shelters to aid society’s vulnerable and taking practical measures to minimise any impact from possible flooding, and to prevent accidents.
The meteorological office’s forecast also prompted police to issue a series of instructions to the public while police Chief Michalis Papageorgiou has told fire services and police to be on standby to respond to emergencies.
The met office has said it will get even chillier by Cyprus’ standards, with the temperature over the next few days ranging from 4 degrees Celsius to 7 degrees Celsius in Nicosia. At night in Nicosia, it will be close to freezing temperatures, met officer Kleanthis Nicolaides said. It will be somewhat warmer in the coastal cities, but a chilly -2 degrees Celsius on the mountains, even during the days.
Expect storms, snow, and rain. By Friday, expect even stronger winds and more snow. And Saturday will bring more rain, storms, and snow but also the promise of a slightly warmer afternoon.
In Larnaca, where strong winds are expected today, boat owners were yesterday forewarned to check their vessels were properly moored. Authorities inspected the Larnaca marina vessels yesterday morning, moving two large vessels in the port to ensure safety, and securing several yachts. The marina’s director, Christos Petrides, said the sea should get choppy with northeasterly winds expected to reach speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour.
Several boat owners could be seen in the morning and throughout the day tending to their property, Petrides said.
Larnaca municipality said all its crews were ready for storms, and asked the city’s residents to make sure all heavy objects such as water tanks and heaters were secured. Two officials will be on standby to answer requests for help, Gregoris Kiliaris (99459802) and Antonis Christofi (9968835).
Strovolos municipality in Nicosia has been cleaning out gutters but asked its resident to help out by checking and cleaning the gutters across their homes, warning that once heavy rains fall they will struggle to respond to all calls for help. “…Avoid throwing clippings and rubbish anywhere where the items could be dragged by rain, blocking gutters,” the municipality said.
Nicosia municipality has opened the doors of its multipurpose centre next to Famagusta gate to anyone looking for a respite from the cold. A municipality official said there would be hot beverages for people who may walk in at any time between 8am and 6pm on weekdays, and between 10am and 6pm on Saturday.
The centre, on Nikiforos Fokas street, will remain open next week if the cold spell lasts, the municipality said. Cyprus News Agency said that other local authorities across Cyprus were also preparing shelters to accommodate the vulnerable, as an increasingly large number of households struggle with electricity and heating bills.
The residents of mountain communities on Troodos where it will be the coldest have been gathering firewood to heat up their homes, avoiding buying heating fuel, an expense that is no longer subsidised by the state, said Costas Constantinou, the community leader of Arsos, a Limassol district village that is built roughly 800 metres above sea water and home to some 200 people.
“Most permanent residents are staying indoors and trying to get by with firewood,” Constantinou said. Demand for heating fuel had been very low until last week, the petrol stations’ owners association has said. The association’s Stefanos Stefanou said that more people had been buying heating fuel but continued being cautious.
He said demand was down by half compared with last year, which itself was half that of the year before. As of January, heating fuel will cost 5.0 cents more per litre.
Meanwhile, the electricity authority’s (EAC) board is meant to meet next week to discuss whether or not they will be reinstating power to any households that have fallen back on their payments. But throughout this week – cold spell or not – the EAC’s policy remains the same. Cutting off power is always a “a last resort”, an EAC spokesman said.
Most of the year the weather in Cyprus is hot and sunny, but when severe weather hits, fire services are often kept busy rescuing people, stuck in cars or wading through water in their basements. A commercial ship even run aground onto the rocks in Paphos two years ago, while the same areas in cities tend to get flooded for lack of proper drainage. Last year, part of the Nicosia-Limassol highway was closed for three hours because of separate car accidents taking place in torrential rain.
Snow has been falling in the Troodos area since early this morning. The roads leading to Troodos from Platres, Karvounas and Prodromos have all been closed due to the heavy snowfall.
According to a police report the Kakopetria-Pedoulas, Kakopetria-Karvounas, Pedoulas-Prodromos, Palechori-Agros, Tsakkistra-Kykkos-Pedoulas, Kampos-Kykkos, Askas-Fterikoudi, Alonas-Platanistasa and the Polystippos-Lagoudera-Farmakas-Kalo Chorio roads are open only for four wheel drive cars or cars that are equipped with snow chains.
POLICE INSTRUCTIONS TO HELP DEAL WITH WEATHER PROBLEMS
- Power cuts are common during storms. Have a back-up plan such as torches.
- Check your gutters and drainpipes.
- Secure all items, such as signs, water tanks, and TV aerials.
- If you live in a basement or semi-basement vulnerable to flooding, consider sand sacks to create mounds, and seal all windows. Consider a water pump.
- If you get trapped in your home seek a high ground, such as a rooftop. Take an emergency pack and a mirror, torch, or a flare to attract attention.
- Avoid being close to windows or objects such as trees that can be felled from strong winds.
- If you get caught in a torrent, see if there is anything solid to grab onto until help comes. Do not carry on because you might be swept away.
- Do not move about on foot without need wherever there are flooded streets or if there are strong winds.
- If caught in bad weather while driving, pull away somewhere safe. Do not stay in the car because you might get trapped.
- Avoid old bridges. They might be unsafe.
- Do not park your car under a tree, electricity polls, crumbling walls or buildings. Do not drive in flooded streets.
- Call police or fire services at 1460, 112 or 199, if you or anyone else needs help.
