Newsroom
For a few hours on Monday, parts of Nicosia looked less like Europe’s sunniest capital and more like the streets of Venice, only without the gondolas, romance or tourists taking photographs.
Heavy rain swept through Makedonitissa, Engomi, Lakatamia, Strovolos and Agios Dometios on Aug. 17, turning roads into streams and creating problems for motorists, residents and businesses.
The Fire Service responded to several calls across the district, including requests to pump water from flooded basements and clear storm drains. Firefighters were also called to assist people trapped inside vehicles on waterlogged roads and deal with reports of sparks coming from Electricity Authority cables.
Police warned drivers about standing water along Grivas Digenis Avenue and urged them to slow down, maintain a safe distance and avoid attempting to cross roads where the depth of the water could not be judged.
The sudden downpour was part of an unsettled spell affecting the island in the middle of August, when most people are usually more concerned about finding shade than carrying an umbrella.
Local rain and thunderstorms were forecast to continue into Tuesday, particularly over inland and mountainous areas. Some storms could become intense and bring hail and strong winds of up to 5 Beaufort.
Temperatures dropped slightly during Monday’s storms, reaching around 34 degrees Celsius inland, 30 on the western and southwestern coasts, 32 along the remaining coasts and 25 in the higher mountains.
The break from the heat, however, will be brief.
The chance of rain is expected to fall significantly on Wednesday, although an isolated afternoon shower or storm remains possible over the mountains and inland areas. More settled conditions are forecast from Thursday, followed by another noticeable rise in temperatures.
By Friday, temperatures are expected to climb above the seasonal average as warmer air moves into the region, bringing the return of 40-degree heat.
Despite the dramatic scenes in the capital, rainfall across government-controlled areas remained below the August average as of 9 a.m. Monday.
The Meteorology Department said an average of 1.2 millimeters had been recorded since the beginning of the month, 41% of the normal August total of 2.9 millimeters.
Some areas received considerably more. Saittas recorded 13.9 millimeters, slightly above its normal August total, while Platania received 13.2 millimeters. Athienou recorded 9 millimeters, equivalent to 360% of its monthly average, and Lythrodontas received 7 millimeters, or 233% of normal.
It was an impressive amount of water for an island in August, enough to briefly give Nicosia its Venetian moment, but also enough to remind drivers that flooded roads are no place for improvisation.
