Strong winds fell trees, cause damage

Cyprus emergency services and the electricity authority (EAC) on Wednesday were on high alert as gale-force winds caused damage as small fires broke out and trees came down.

Fire Brigade spokesperson Andreas Kettis tweeted the fire service had responded to ten incidents so far, mostly in Nicosia.

Police said a streetlight toppled around 2 pm on Limassol Avenue in Nicosia, between Athalassa and RIK Avenues.

In Larnaca, the fire department responded to an incident in Livadia when a palm tree caught fire due to sparks from EAC cables.

In Limassol, there were two incidents involving fallen trees and the displacement of a billboard in the area of ​​Ayios Nikolaos.

Brief power outages were also recorded across the island.

Two more fires broke out, one in Tseri and the other in ​​Psimolofou on the outskirts of Nicosia. Both fires are now under control.

Police urged motorists to take extra care whilst driving, as due to dust from the wind, visibility is limited in various areas.

Drivers are instructed to maintain low speeds and safe distances from other vehicles.

On Wednesday, Cyprus’ Met office issued a yellow warning for gale-force winds, expected to mostly affect the eastern part of the island, such as Larnaca and Famagusta.

According to the warning, strong winds possibly reaching temporary gusts of 8 on the Beaufort scale will last until late afternoon.

The Met Office said that near gale north-easterly winds, between 6 and 7 on the Beaufort are expected to affect windward areas in the eastern part of the island.

Weather service gale warnings occur when forecasted winds range from 34 to 47 knots (63 to 87 km per hour).