Carmel clobbers southwest after Cyprus landfall

Roads to Troodos Mountains were open to all vehicles on Sunday morning, despite severe weather alerts due to a depression affecting the island, but police say highway conditions in the west were still dangerous.

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Police on Sunday morning said there were mudslides and rockslides along the eastbound lanes of Paphos-Limassol highway near the Paramali bridge in the southern town. The issue was later resolved but heavy rain near Ypsonas made road conditions slippery and dangerous due to rainwater accumulation.

Heavy rain and strong winds were still affecting Nicosia district but police said the road network around the capital had no major issues. 

“Beyond rainy conditions affecting all of Cyprus, there are no issues on the rest of the major highways as of Sunday morning at 10am, while roads to Troodos from Nicosia and Limassol remain open to all vehicles,” a statement said.

Cyprus is currently being affected by a depression named Carmel, with an orange warning still in place until Monday afternoon across the island.

The low pressure system with air rising in a spiral was initially said to be a cyclone but local experts said severe warnings due to the depression from the west did not affect the entire island equally or at the same time.

According to Kitas Weather, the depression made landfall Saturday night with showers and thunderstorms first hitting Paphos district.

The weather system is expected to affect all of Cyprus but severe phenomena will continue to develop only in parts of the island on Sunday including periods of intense and prolonged rain.

A two-level warning issued by Kitas Weather included an orange zone for Paphos district as well as the entire southern coastline, while a yellow warning was in effect for the rest of the island including the capital Nicosia.

State weather officials said Carmel would stay in the area until Monday afternoon, when a high pressure system is expected to move in.

Sunday skies will remain mostly cloudy with showers and local thunderstorms popping up in many areas, while snow is expected to fall high up in the mountains.

Near gale force winds are expected during heavy showers and thunderstorms, while strong to very strong wind from the southwest will continue to pound coastal areas.

Daytime highs will reach 16 degrees Celsius inland, around 17 in all coastal regions, while it will be 5 high up in the mountains.

Evening skies will remain mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms expected in parts of the island, along with strong to very strong winds and snowfall in the mountains. Temperature lows will drop to 7 degrees inland, around 9 along the coast, and zero (0) higher up where frost is expected to form overnight.

Unstable air conditions will continue for the first half of Monday but the depression will lose strength as a high pressure system moves in the afternoon, bringing some mixed weather and temperature fluctuations in the days ahead.