Cyprus sweats as temperatures rise

A yellow alert was issued for extremely hot weather for Tuesday as Cyprus endures another scorching heatwave with maximum temperatures breaching the 40-degree Celsius barrier.

The met office issued the alert, warning that temperatures will reach a blistering 41 degrees Celsius while noting that the days to follow will also be hotter than usual.

Cyprus is sweltering under another July heatwave just five days since a weeklong scorcher cooked the island.

The new yellow alert is effective until 5 pm Tuesday when maximum temperatures are expected to soar to around 41°C inland.

The highest temperatures on the west coast will be 32°C, and in other coastal areas 35°C, in the mountains, temperatures will also be a higher than normal 31°C.

Temperatures through to Friday are expected to remain above average for the season.

People are advised to stay in the shade, avoid strenuous exercise outdoors, drink plenty of fluids, wear light clothing while vulnerable groups should remain indoors and keep cool.

A Yellow weather warning is issued by when maximum temperatures reach 40°C inland, 31°C on the highest mountains, or 37°C on the west coast and 39°C on the east coast.

The Forestry Department on Tuesday issued a red alert as the danger of wildfires is extremely high.

The public is urged to “avoid actions and activities which may cause a fire” in rural areas.