Cyprus is seeing big temperature changes. We have freezing nights but warmer days until Friday, says Andreas Chrysanthou from the Department of Meteorology.
On the show “Protoselido,” it was reported that last night was the coldest yet for the island’s interior. In Athalassa, temperatures dropped to 1.2 degrees Celsius. Many lowland areas saw temperatures between 2 and 3 degrees. In the mountains, it got even colder, with -3 degrees in Troodos Square and up to -6 degrees in Chionistra.
Even with the freezing nights, daytime highs are slowly rising. Today, we can expect 15 degrees in the interior and 17 on the coast. By Friday, temperatures may rise another 1 to 2 degrees. But starting this weekend, things will change as a new cold air mass from the north is set to hit Cyprus on Sunday. This will bring a noticeable drop in temperatures that could last until mid-next week. We might see even lower temperatures, leading to a second wave of cold weather.
On Friday, local showers are expected, with more rain over the weekend and a low chance of storms. Snowfall is likely at higher points of Troodos and may extend to other mountain areas by early next week. The rainfall is good news; January has already reached 47% of normal rainfall, while the hydrological year is at 70%, thanks to a very wet December.
However, Mr. Chrysanthou noted that more rain doesn’t always mean more water in dams. This is due to years of drought that have made the soil very absorbent. Long-term climate data shows that wet years are now much less common. This makes careful planning and sustainable water management essential.
