CYPRUS: Wildfire alert as island suffers extreme heat and dust

As extreme temperatures and high dust levels grip Cyprus, the Forestry Department issued a ‘red alert’ for the very real possibility of wildfires.

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A “red alert” issued by the Forestry Department calls on the public to avoid all activities which could possibly cause a fire and appeals for everyone’s cooperation.

Anyone who spots smoke or fire should call emergency numbers 1407 or 112.

The Meteorology Department issued a yellow warning for Thursday, warning that maximum daytime would hover above 40 degrees Celsius.

Maximum Temperatures on Thursday reached 41 degrees inland, 35 in the southern and eastern coastline and 30 in the west and north coastline and 31 degrees in mountainous areas.

The labour inspection office has also warned that dust levels are high and has urged vulnerable groups of the population such as children, the elderly and the infirm to avoid open spaces until the phenomenon has passed.

It has also called on employers to take the necessary steps for the protection of their employees who work in open spaces.

Dust levels breached the legislative permissible maximum level of 50 mg/m3 in Nicosia (51 mg/m3), it was within the limits in Larnaca (44 mg/m3), Paralimni (41 mg/m3) and Paphos (22 mg/m3), but double the permitted level in Limassol (101 mg/m3).