Heatwave sparks 'code orange' in Cyprus

An orange alert for Cyprus goes into effect Sunday due to extreme high temperatures reaching 43 Celsius in the interior, with next week’s first noticeable drop expected not before Wednesday.

Weather officials on the island issued a heat advisory “orange warning” alert for Sunday afternoon, from 1pm until 5pm, with temperature highs expected to reach 43 Celsius in the interior and mid-30’s in coastal regions and high up in the mountains.

The new warning came a day after authorities issued a yellow alert for Saturday and warned of temperatures climbing further before the weekend was out.

An orange alert warns people in vulnerable groups that high temperatures could lead to heat illnesses, including heat stroke. The advisory further instructs members of the public to follow the news for any advice from authorities while the warning remains in effect.

A low pressure system is still affecting Cyprus this weekend while a warm air mass system is expected to move out on Wednesday.

Sunday skies will remain mostly clear with occasional cloud formations in the afternoon over the mountains.

Evening skies will remain mostly clear with light fog and low cloud conditions expected overnight. Temperature minimums will range in the low to mid 20’s inland and along the coast while levels will be in the low 20’s in the mountains.

Mostly clear skies are expected early next week with temperature maximums above normal averages expected to begin dropping slightly and gradually later on Monday and Tuesday.

But a slight temperature drop in the interior and in the mountains won’t be noticeable until Wednesday, when levels will come close to normal averages for this time of year.