Heavy rainfall wreaks havoc across north Cyprus, rain to continue

The low-pressure weather system continues to affect the island on Wednesday with rains and isolated storms. Hail is also likely and may at times be heavy. Frost is expected in the foothills and highlands.

A met office warning remains in place until 10 pm for intense rains and storms, expected to impact mainly the northern and eastern areas of the island.

A small tornado hit Girne district on Tuesday, inflicting significant damage on businesses, homes and the power grid.

A billboard fell on two parked vehicles in the parking lot of a supermarket. Other businesses were also damaged but fortunately, no injuries occurred.

Several landslides also took place, mainly on the mountain roads and rural areas with almost a dozen roads closed due to overflowing streams.

Six people were stranded in their homes in Geçitköy and had to be rescued by civil defence teams with the help of machinery.

Another person was also rescued when his car was carried away by flood waters.

Prime Minister Ünal Üstel visited the scene in Geçitköy on Tuesday night to inspect the situation and observe ongoing rescue and salvage efforts.

The storms also caused widespread damage in Gazimağusa’s Maraş district and Mesarya area.

Strong winds ripped apart greenhouses.

Four homes in the village of Atlılar were flooded due to heavy rains.

Almost a dozen villages were also hit by heavy hail storms causing minor property damage.

Roads were also closed due to overflowing rivers and streams.

The Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources Hüseyin Çavuş who visited the areas said that efforts were underway to compensate citizens for the damages they suffered.

Schools in Girne were also shut down on Wednesday due to the heavy rainfall.

The police and fire department hotlines 155 and 199 remain open in case of emergencies.

Meanwhile rains, isolated storms, and sleet will continue overnight with temperatures dropping to 4C in the interior, 6C on the coasts, and below zero in the higher mountains. Winds will be variable, light to moderate, up to 4 Beaufort and seas will remain rough.

Thursday morning will continue with similar conditions prevailing, however, from the afternoon onwards the weather is expected to clear. Temperatures are forecast at similar levels, below average for the season.

Periodic rain is expected Friday and into the weekend, while temperatures are expected to rise slightly.