CY-Alert “unnecessary” for many, Civil Defence says, as storms disrupt flights in west

Local stormsTop NewsWeather CY-Alert “unnecessary” for many, Civil Defence says, as storms disrupt flights in west Kinito Cy Alert 1536x864 Relevant News CY-Alert “unnecessary” for many, Civil Defence says, as storms disrupt flights in west 18 September 2026 From Pentadaktylos to the forests of Wales 18 September 2026 No, DISY’s leadership didn’t fight fair 18 September 2026 newsroom 18 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Thursday’s CY-Alert appears to have caused unnecessary anxiety, Cyprus’s Civil Defence has said, after the mass notification reached mobile phones across the island, including areas that received no rain at all, prompting questions about why the system was activated for a yellow-level warning. The Athalassa weather station in Nicosia and the New Port station in Limassol recorded zero rainfall over the past 24 hours, while Paphos airport recorded just 0.3mm. Why the alert was sent Civil Defence spokesman Panayiotis Liasidis told OMEGA that CY-Alert isn’t used only for emergencies, but also preventively, when the relevant services judge that the public needs early warning. In Thursday’s case, severe weather had already been recorded in Akamas and Polis Chrysochous, with forecasts showing it would spread to other parts of the island, which is why the notification was judged necessary, Liasidis said. The message warned of a yellow-level risk and isolated but intense storms, initially in the western half of Cyprus and then in other areas. How this alert differed from the one on August 29 Thursday’s CY-Alert was a level 4 notification and preventive in nature, unlike the August 29 alert, which involved a higher alert level, Liasidis said. “The message sent wasn’t accompanied by the siren sound, which corresponds to level 5, the highest level, used in an actual emergency. Thursday’s alert was level 4, so it only reached phones as a vibration, without the distinctive siren sound,” he explained. Liasidis also made clear that this doesn’t mean every yellow warning from the Department of Meteorology will now trigger a CY-Alert. Each case will be assessed individually, and a notification will only be sent if judged necessary. In Thursday’s case, he said, Civil Defence consulted the Meteorological Department before deciding to activate the system. Some residents didn’t receive the alert Some residents reported not receiving Thursday’s CY-Alert, despite having received previous alerts normally. According to Civil Defence, this may be related to device settings or software. Anyone experiencing this issue was urged to call 1450 for guidance, with further information on the necessary phone settings also available on government websites. Where the storms hit hardest The same system behind Thursday’s alert went on to bring the heaviest weather of the day to the west and north-west of the island, with heavy rain, storms and intense lightning activity. Several areas recorded significant rainfall, and conditions were severe enough to affect air traffic. Meteorological Department officer Andreas Chrysanthou told OMEGA that particular focus had been placed on the Akamas area and the north-west generally from the previous day, since the track of the low-pressure system favoured more intense weather there. The highest rainfall was recorded mainly along the western coastal strip. Kathikas recorded almost 24mm, while storm and lightning activity was intense overnight, both over land and at sea. Heavy rain was also recorded in Larnaca, where the airport recorded around 26mm. The weather also disrupted flights, with aeronautical warnings issued and one flight bound for Larnaca forced to land temporarily in Paphos until conditions improved. Chrysanthou said the focus of the weather would now shift towards the mountains and mainly the eastern half of the island, where localised rain and isolated storms are expected until late afternoon. “The weather is capable of producing a storm with high rainfall intensity and causing problems such as water accumulation and reduced visibility,” he said, adding that conditions are expected to improve noticeably by evening. A wider pattern: warmer seas, stronger storms Chrysanthou also addressed the growing intensity of storms and lightning activity in recent years, saying rising sea and land temperatures play a significant role, since they provide more “energy” to weather systems. “When the Mediterranean is this warm and the land is also much warmer, there’s more available energy in the atmosphere. That translates into more organised, more intense storms,” he explained. In previous decades, he said, a weather system would mainly intensify once it reached land. Today, because of the warmer sea, it can already intensify over the Mediterranean and reach Cyprus with significantly greater force. Building resilience, not just watching for lightning Chrysanthou stressed, however, that the discussion shouldn’t focus only on lightning. “We need to build resilience against severe weather,” he said, noting that flooding, large amounts of rain in a short period and strong storms can all cause serious damage. “Climate change doesn’t just mean rising temperatures,” he said, pointing out that warnings for the Eastern Mediterranean have for years also concerned more intense extreme weather events. The task now, he said, is adapting to these new conditions. “We need to prepare for extreme weather, which we’ll now have to get used to,” he said, adding that dealing with it should form part of a wider state strategy. Read more: Lightning strike destroys Paphos café as storms batter the district Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News From Pentadaktylos to the forests of Wales No, DISY’s leadership didn’t fight fair India finds Nestle baby food sample substandard, takes legal action “I thought he’d had a stroke”: wife describes husband’s West Nile virus ordeal Three students killed in Philippine school shooting, including gunman, officials say Fraud trial against 77-year-old delayed as lawyers demand more evidence Police stop car in Engomi, find hundreds of boxes of untaxed cigarettes, fine man €20,000 Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.