Newsroom
If you were planning to spend this public holiday in a pristine, white shirt, you might want to rethink that. Today is April 1st, a day of heavy national significance as Cyprus remembers the EOKA fighters and the start of the campaign against British rule. But while the parades and memorials are the official focus, the atmosphere is busy hosting a low-pressure system named ERMINIO.
The day kicks off with elevated dust levels and a sky that’s quickly turning grey. While the morning might offer a few dry gaps for church services, things take a turn from late afternoon. Erminio is bringing rain and isolated thunderstorms to the party, and some of these bursts could be quite intense. Temperatures are mixed with 19°C for the inland and eastern regions, but reaching 21°C in the west and north. If you’ve escaped to the mountains, it’s a much milder 15°C.
The wind is also feeling particularly patriotic today, blowing at a very assertive 6 Beaufort along the windward coasts. The sea is following suit, turning rough and even very rough in the north and west.
Tonight is when Erminio really makes his presence known. Expect prolonged rain and thunderstorms across the island, the kind that makes staying in with a coffee feel like a professional sport.
Thursday (tomorrow): The stormy mood lingers into the early morning, but Erminio isn't one for long goodbyes. Everything improves significantly by midday, leaving behind just a few stray showers and a slight temperature bump.
Friday & Saturday: We’re back to mostly clear mornings. If you’re in the mountains or out east, you might still see some afternoon clouds and a rogue thunderstorm, but the worst of the drama will be behind us.
The Bottom Line: Today is a day for history, remembrance, and the occasional blast of thunder. Since most shops and offices are closed anyway, it’s the perfect excuse to ignore your inbox, pay your respects to the past, and let Erminio do his thing from the safety of your living room. Temperatures will stay near the seasonal average for the next 24 hours, but by Saturday, the thermostat is dropping slightly, putting us a few degrees below the usual April norms.
![A Cypriot officer walks next of a sign bearing US and Cypriot flags at the site of a new helipad planing construction at the Evangelos Florakis naval base in Mari on April 17.[Petros Karadjias/AP]](assets/modules/wnp/articles/202604/28234/images/s_papandreou_airforce_base_cyprus.jpg)
