Just a few days before summer came to an end, the weather turned everything upside down. The passage of this storm—extremely rare for the month of August—was sweeping. In just a few minutes, day turned to night, and the intense weather gradually engulfed the entire island.
A 45-year-old man from Sri Lanka lived through a nightmare when he was struck by lightning that struck nearby as he was leaving the chapel of St. John the Baptist in Kato Drys. Two other people were with him, and they managed to get into the car in time. The 45-year-old suffered minor burns to his shoulder and was taken to the hospital, where his condition is reported to be good.
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Rivers swelled rapidly and roads were flooded. Hail fell with great force in some areas. These scenes were captured on Monday.
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In Limassol, cars were floating in the water. Buildings were flooded, and drivers were trapped. The winds lifted canopies, flimsy materials, and other objects into the air. Other buildings collapsed like a house of cards.
Trees were uprooted, crushing vehicles and blocking roads. In a series of announcements, the police reported landslides and other problems on the road network. Calls to the Fire Department came in one after another.
Serious damage was caused to the Akaki Junior High School. In Kokkinotrimithia, a lightning strike on a wooden EAC pole with a transformer set fire to a fenced-off area containing a large number of old vehicles, old household appliances, and construction materials.
At 12:15 p.m., after the severe weather had already brought a “flurry” of problems, mainly in the capital, the CY-Alert sounded, urging citizens to avoid non-essential travel.
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In Avgorou, lightning struck a home’s storage shed, causing a fire and forcing the residents to evacuate urgently. A lightning-caused fire also broke out in the Kyparissia forest in Limassol.
EAC crews were on the scene to repair the dozens of power outages that left areas without electricity. Chaos also reigned in the skies, with temporary flight diversions and delays.
The severe weather caused damage to greenhouses and crops. However, it also provided a spectacular sight with the waterspouts that formed off the coast of Larnaca and Ayia Napa.
Watch the report by Rafaella Stavrinou:
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However, the low-pressure system that hit our country starting this morning brought heavy rainfall across the whole of Cyprus. An orange warning was in effect for a total of nine hours, with extremely intense weather conditions affecting the island.
The heaviest rainfall was recorded in the interior and mountainous areas, while significant amounts of rain were recorded in Larnaca and Famagusta. In fact, in areas with severe thunderstorms, hail was also reported. In addition to the rain and thunderstorms, the winds were particularly strong, even exceeding 8 Beaufort in areas where thunderstorms occurred.
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Along with the severe weather conditions recorded, there was also a noticeable drop in temperature, particularly in inland areas, with temperatures falling by as much as 6 degrees.
The conditions prevailing on the island today, along with the low barometric pressure that affected us, are considered extremely rare for the month of August.
This autumnal scene may have disrupted the summer routine of the past few days, but it was extremely brief. The low-pressure system has already begun to subside this afternoon, and the weather will gradually improve starting tomorrow.
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Rain remains a possibility only in mountainous areas, while temperatures will gradually rise, reaching 36 and 37 degrees inland—which are normal for this time of year.
Watch Eleni Michael’s report:
READ ALSO: Severe weather sweeps through: It passed and left chaos in its wake (VIDEO & PHOTOS)
