Cyprus will not get a break from fridge-like temperatures over the coming days, after a cold front currently prevailing weakens Thursday, said the Met Office.
Still affected by the cold front Elpis, which is leaving the island on Thursday, Cyprus will be hit by another low-pressure weather system next week.
Talking to Politis radio, the head of the Met Office, Kleanthis Nicolaides, warned of even colder temperatures “noticeably below normal levels for this time of the year” over the weekend.
The state’s chief meteorologist said temperatures will rise slightly on Thursday and Friday but will remain under the season’s average of 15 degrees Celsius.
Nicolaides said the mountains would get more snow on Wednesday, but snowfall will not be recorded at the lower-lying areas.
“Although not at the same intensity as Elpis, this system will keep temperatures below the seasonal averages and will be bringing more rainfall”, said Nicolaides.
Elpis has brought snow and unusual freezing temperatures, with foothill areas in Limassol and Paphos getting their share of snowfall.
Heavy snowfall was recorded on Tuesday night at the mountainous Paphos village of Panayia. Local community leader Savvas Nicolaou said that 370 villagers, 70% of whom are elderly citizens, were snowed in on Wednesday morning.
Other Paphos community leaders have reported rockslides and overflowing rivers and local dams.
On Tuesday, the Pomos dam, with a capacity of 860,000 cubic metres, overflew, while the Argaka dam, with a capacity of 990,000 cubic metres, is expected to exceed its capacity by Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Met Office said the weekend would be ideal for people wanting to head to the mountains to see the snow.
Snow depth at the top of the Troodos mountain has reached 67 cm, the highest this year, while more snow is expected in the coming days.
On Wednesday, temperatures are expected to drop slightly in most areas, remaining around 2-5 degrees Celsius below normal.
Temperatures are expected to rise to around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius inland and around 13C on the coast. On the highest mountains, temperatures will reach a maximum of -1C.
During the night, temperatures will drop close to 0 in the inland, 3 to 5C on the coast and -6 degrees Celsius on higher ground, where frost will continue to be observed.
Maximum temperatures on Thursday are expected to be a degree or so higher than those recorded on Wednesday.
