Heat grips island amid new climate normals

A heat warning remains in effect in Cyprus with temperature highs expected to reach 41 degrees for the remainder of the workweek, as strong winds also continue to affect the island.

Wednesday skies were expected to be mostly clear throughout the entire day, with northwesterly and southwesterly winds picking up gradually in the afternoon and prevailing coastal winds reaching 5 points on the Beaufort scale on the island’s windward sides.

A yellow warning heat advisory from 12 noon until 5pm will be in effect for parts in the interior, with inland daytime maximums reaching 41 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit) and mountains highs climbing to 33, while it will be 32 out west and 36 in the north, east, and south.

Evening skies will remain mostly clear with temperatures dropping to 25 inland, south, and southeast, around 23 in all other coastal regions, while it will be 21 high up in the mountains.

Low clouds and thin fog in coastal areas are also expected overnight but no chances of rain have been included in the forecast.

Thursday weather will remain mostly clear with strong winds and inland highs at 41, mid 30’s along the coast, while it will be 33 high up in the mountains.

Temperature highs are not expected to drop throughout the week, with levels remaining noticeably above normal averages for this time of the year, with a heat wave taking its toll mainly on inland and mountain areas.

Previous estimates for temperature highs in the second half of the week did not preclude levels going over 41 by to a couple of degrees, with weather officials saying that could be the feel factor.

Inland maximums are expected to drop slightly over the weekend.

Weather official Panayiotis Michail recently told Knews that climatic conditions have changed to a point where the definition of what is normal keeps changing.

“Having 37 degrees was considered a normal summer a few years ago, but now a summer day can be considered normal at a temperature of 39,” Michail said.