Heavy rain, storms and winds batter Cyprus

Heavy rain hit the island on Wednesday, forcing the closure of the Peyia-Lara Road after a river overflowed, with severe thunderstorms and strong winds forecast until early Thursday. Police urged drivers to avoid the affected road, warning that it was “unsuitable for passage” due to the overflowing river. The orange weather warning, issued by the met office, runs from 3pm on Wednesday until 5am on Thursday. Civil Defence sent an emergency alert through the CY-Alert system at 1.47pm to residents of Paphos and Limassol districts and parts of the Larnaca district. Weather forecaster Andreas Chrysanthou said isolated storms could be particularly intense, whilst Nicosia was expected to experience rain and isolated thunderstorms of lesser intensity. The fire brigade was placed on heightened alert, with crews deployed across all districts to respond to possible flooding and other weather-related incidents. Heavy rainfall was also reported in Erimi, Episkopi, Pissouri and Sotira in Limassol district, as well as Kokkinotrimithia in Nicosia district, reducing visibility on the roads. The Orkontas-Pedoullas road was closed after a tree fell onto the roadway, while dense fog in the Palaichori area severely restricted visibility. By the early evening the heavy rain, lightening and thunder had hit Nicosia. Police urged drivers to reduce their speed, maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead and use their headlights in poor visibility. The weather also disrupted air travel, with a flight from Glasgow bound for Paphos Airport diverted to Larnaca because of the adverse conditions. The orange warning remains in effect until 5am on Thursday.