Yellow alert for thunderstorms

Cyprus can expect more bad weather this week after the Met Office issues a yellow warning for thunderstorms on Tuesday with the prospect of flash flooding.

According to the announcement, isolated thunderstorms are expected across the island until the evening.

Rainfall is expected to range between 35 and 50 millimetres per hour, while hail is also likely to fall in some areas, mainly on high ground.

The public was warned to “take extra care in exposed areas, like mountains, forest and open terrain”.

Cyprus is affected by a low weather system moving in from the Balkans, which will bring more rain on Wednesday and Thursday, according to weather observers KitasWeather.

Maximum temperatures on Tuesday remained 2 to 4 degrees above the seasonal norm, ranging from 22 to 24 degrees Celsius on the inland and the coast.

On the highest mountains, temperatures reached a maximum of 8°C.

Wednesday will see more thunderstorms, with temperatures dropping to 16°C inland and 19 °C on the coasts and close to 0 °C in the mountains.

“We estimate that the total rainfall of this system until Thursday morning will give about 20 to 35 millimetres of average rainfall.

“If this estimate is verified, then the rainfall of the month will rise from 14% Tuesday to 33-48% of the normal rainfall from December.”