Cyprus Mail 16 January 2019 - Annette Crysostomou
Torrential rain across the island on Tuesday and Wednesday has caused short-term havoc but is filling the reservoirs with much needed water.
The good news is that by Wednesday afternoon the reservoirs stood at 43 per cent full, compared with a little over 31 per cent on Tuesday morning.
“We expect them to soon reach 50 per cent,” Phaedros Roussos from the water development department said. “The last time we had so much rain in a day was 30 years ago, in 1989.”
But the heavy rain came with a price, causing power cuts, overflowing rivers, flooded dwellings, and other damage to property. Heavy rain and hail were severely restricting visibility on the Limassol to Paphos motorway on Wednesday afternoon. Police advised drivers to stop at the side of the road with their lights on. Anybody who has a problem and needs help should call 1460.
All roads leading to Troodos, from Karvounas, Platres and Prodromos and many others in the other districts are closed.
The fire service reported over 80 calls for assistance across the island during the night and more than 20 during the day, including fallen trees and flooded dwellings. No serious injuries have been reported so far.
Most incidents were reported in Limassol, which was buffeted by strong winds overnight. Fire service spokesman Andreas Kettis said crews responded to 37 calls, 13 concerning fallen trees on public roads. In some cases, the trees landed on cars causing damage but no injuries.
Seventeen other incidents concerned flooded dwellings while six drivers stranded in flooded roads had to be rescued, Kettis said.
Fire service crews also removed metal sheets lifted from a roof by the gusts.
Electricity company (EAC) crews were working throughout the night to restore power to areas affected by cuts as a result of the weather.
In Limassol, EAC said there were 10 cases, including two where the electricity poles ended up in ravines during rock slides. A transformer was also removed by the wind and thrown in a ravine.
EAC spokeswoman Christina Papadopoulou asked the public to be patient as crews were working under difficult conditions to restore service.
She said by the afternoon all faults were repaired in Nicosia and most in Limassol but a number of smaller problems remain in Larnaca.
The Limassol district administration had 30 crews out on Wednesday cleaning roads from fallen trees, rocks, and mud.
Municipal crews were also out trying to restore the damage.
The education ministry said schools in Agros, Lemithou, and Kampos will remain closed on Wednesday because of the weather conditions.
Bridge at Nata
Paphos was also hit hard by the weather, which caused road closures in many areas.
The forestry department warned that the Avacas Gorge was extremely dangerous due to soil erosion and will remain closed to visitors.
Larnaca and Famagusta were also affected but to a lesser extent.
The fire service was received five calls to remove trees and other objects from public roads in Larnaca and six in Famagusta. In Kofinou there were six calls, including a flooded dwelling.
Early on Wednesday, there was a power cut in Aradippou and Kiti.
In Nicosia, authorities closed two bridges on Alexandroupoleos Street in Strovolos and in the Ayios Spiridonas area of Deftera after the Pedieos river overflowed.
In the Pera Chorio – Dhali area, Eleftheria road, Evripidou road, Leontiou Macheras road, Theodorou Kolokotroni road in Dali, the Kosiati – Ayia Varvara road and the road in the industrial area of Dhali – Potamia are not accessible.
Police have warned drivers to heed the warning sign and urged them not to try to drive through rivers as in many places the water is higher than one metre.
The exit from the Evrychou road to Kakopetria is closed due to landslides and drivers are asked to use the roads from Galata or Ayios Nicoalou to enter Kakopetria.
Temperatures will fall to 4C inland, 7 to 9C in coastal areas and -2C in the higher mountains on Wednesday evening.
On Thursday and Friday, the weather will be mostly clear. Temperatures will gradually rise.
On Saturday, some snow might fall on the higher peaks of Troodos.
