North and south assess tornado damages

The government in the Republic of Cyprus is paying upfront for damages caused by tornado in rural Nicosia, while unprecedented destruction also took place in the north.

A tornado in rural Nicosia, which swept across Agious Trimithias and Paliometocho on Sunday, caused house damages and installations as well as power outages, with the government stepping in to compensate locals in advance up to €2000 per case.

Officials said that residents and farmers, including those on private insurance plans, are eligible for reimbursement by the state, but repair work should begin only after getting the official go ahead by a state claims adjuster.

In the north, a similar twister swept across Kormakitis where on a specific farm nothing was left standing according to Turkish Cypriot daily Yeni Duzen. An olive tree grove was also reportedly destroyed by the tornado. Homes in parts of Nicosia under heavy storms were also heavily flooded.

No injuries were reported on either side of the divided island and no people were reported trapped during the tornado, while police closed down parts of traffic due to safety concerns to avoid water immersion and hydroplaning accidents.

In the south, a city highway route was shut down starting from the Metro roundabout in Strovolos towards Lakatamia and further out towards the tornado-affected areas. Traffic in other parts in the area was backed up, bumper to bumper, caused by trouble spots at some intersections. 

In the north, the heavy storm also inflicted areas in rural Nicosia, causing flooding due to heavy rainfall on the Nicosia-Morphou/Guzelyurt highway.