Dust clouds return

Dust clouds returned to Cyprus with the concentration of particles in the air on Saturday morning almost three times above the allowed levels.

With temperatures rising above 30C in recent days, the weekend is expected to be unbearable for those with respiratory issues, with government officials warning workers and vulnerable people to stay indoors.

After nearly two weeks of clear weather conditions, dust clouds lingered over Cyprus, which are common during the months of February to April, according to measurements and historical data from ground stations of the Air Quality Monitoring Network.

‘Dust’ refers to respirable particulate matter of a diameter smaller than 10 μm (PM10) in the air.

According to legislation, a limit value not to be exceeded is set for the daily average concentrations at 50 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter).

Hourly dust concentrations measured at 9am in the following areas are

Nicosia:                                135.5 μg/m3

Limassol:                           –

Larnaca:                               125.7 μg/m3

Paralimni:                            79.1  μg/m3

Paphos:                                68.2 μg/m3

Zygi:                                       124.1  μg/m3

More information on the measured pollutant concentrations and real-time updates is available online at www.airquality.gov.cy and also through the free mobile application ‘Air Quality Cyprus’.