Cyprus’ second largest dam, Asprokremmos in Paphos, overflowed for the eighth time since built in 1982, as stormy weather swept across the island Wednesday.
According to the Water Department, the overflow began in the early hours of Wednesday and is expected to escalate in the coming days as more rain is forecast.
With a capacity of 52.375 million cubic metres, Asprokremmos dam is the island’s second-largest and accounts for one-sixth of total dam capacity.
It has overflowed in 1988, 1989, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2019 and 2020, said a representative of the Water Authority.
Paphos district engineer for the water department Haris Kasioulis told the Cyprus News Agency the dam had seen an inflow of 400,000 cubic metres of water in the previous 24 hours.
He said it was evident the dam would overflow on Tuesday when it was just 375,000 cubic metres short of filling up.
Water from the dam is used for water supply and irrigation purposes for villages in Paphos spanning from Kouklia to Peyia.
Kasioulis stated the district of Paphos has seen the smaller Pomos and Argakas dams – with a capacity of 860,000 and 990,000 cubic metres, respectively –overflow.
Another small dam, Ayia Marina, is 78% full.
“We are hoping for a rainy February so that we can enjoy the overflowing of Kanaviou dam as well”.
That dam is currently 80% full.
Water reserves are higher than this time last year, which will help Cyprus deal with a cycle of dry years, possibly ahead.
According to Water Development Department data, overall, Cyprus’ dams are at 80.4% capacity, above the 76.6% level on the same day last year.
The island’s dams have received 101,000 million cubic metres of water so far since the start of October.
Meanwhile, Cyprus will get more rain in the coming days, as the Met Office issued a yellow warning for heavy thunderstorms on Wednesday.
It warned of isolated heavy thunderstorms with rainfall expected to range between 35 and 50 millimetres per hour.
Maximum temperatures will rise to 12 degrees Celsius inland and on the coast, and around 2C in the mountains.
Thursday will see more rain and snow on the highest mountains, mainly in the morning, with the weather being mostly fine in the afternoon.
