Severe Saturday storms echo rare 1971 disturbance, Kitasweather says

Local rainstormsTop NewsWeather Severe Saturday storms echo rare 1971 disturbance, Kitasweather says Yellow Weather Warning Issued On Wednesday Relevant News Severe Saturday storms echo rare 1971 disturbance, Kitasweather says 28 August 2026 Palmas confirms Tserkezoi shooting range to close 28 August 2026 King Harald V, Norway’s reform-minded head of state, dies at 89 28 August 2026 newsroom 28 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus is set for a bout of widespread rain and storms on Saturday, August 29, as forecasting models show strong agreement on an approaching disturbance, Kitasweather said. Summer rainfall on the island, particularly in July and August, is almost always driven by thermal instability, mainly affecting inland and mountainous areas in the early afternoon, according to Kitasweather. Rain caused by dynamic weather patterns, which can affect wider areas of the island, is rare. The most recent such case was on August 6, 2017, when a weak cut-off low in the mid-troposphere brought localised storms mainly to the western third of the island, with the heaviest rainfall recorded at Akamas (28.3mm) and the most intense, sustained storm hitting the wider Pissouri area, though no weather station was in place there at the time to record rainfall. The most notable comparable case on record was August 30, 1971, when a deeper cut-off low, also accompanied by a surface low, affected the island. Kitasweather said Saturday’s disturbance is comparable to that 1971 event, with a similar or potentially stronger pattern in which the polar jet stream dips from northern latitudes down towards the eastern Mediterranean. While minor disturbances of this kind are not unusual for August, Kitasweather said one on the scale of 1971 or this Saturday’s is highly atypical for the period, and it remains to be seen whether Saturday will match 1971 or become a record August event for total rainfall, extent and intensity since records began in 1902. Friday’s weather A cut-off low centred over the Black Sea is moving south and beginning to affect Cyprus on Friday, Kitasweather said. Most areas will see generally sunny conditions, though increased cloud developing over the mountains and semi-mountainous areas, and more locally inland, is expected to bring isolated afternoon rain and storms, mainly in mountain areas; any storm that does form is likely to be intense and accompanied by hail. Temperatures will stay above normal, 2-4C higher than usual for the time of year, reaching 37-40C inland, 32-35C on the coast and around 26C at Chionistra. Saturday’s disturbance Ahead of Saturday, August 29, Kitasweather says storm activity is expected to begin in the early morning, between roughly 5am and 8am, in the island’s northern areas, before spreading to the northern third of the island, the mountains and semi-mountainous areas, and the interior. By late morning into midday, storms are expected to become widespread as they extend west, south and east, with new storms continuing to develop in various areas through the afternoon. Kitasweather expects the disturbance to ease significantly in the late afternoon, from around 5pm, dying down by sunset. Cloud is expected to persist into the evening in the south and east, with the possibility of isolated rain there and a chance of a storm near the coast, before conditions clear. Kitasweather said conditions will mainly favour multicell thunderstorms, though isolated supercells cannot be ruled out, initially mainly in the northern third of the island and later in the day mainly in the south and east. The forecaster estimates that 70-90% of the island will see at least some rain, with a small but real chance of an even larger area being affected. In areas where the strongest storms coincide with weather stations, isolated rainfall totals could reach around 100mm or more. The most intense storms are expected to bring severe hail with accumulation on the ground, with hailstones potentially reaching or exceeding 3-4cm in diameter. Winds are expected to be generally light to near moderate, 3-4 on the Beaufort scale, but strong to gale-force gusts of 75-100km/h are expected in and near the strongest storms, with isolated higher gusts not ruled out. Kitasweather said a tornado cannot be excluded, particularly in the event of a supercell storm. Waterspouts are considered more likely, mainly over the sea around the island. Temperatures will drop noticeably on Saturday, falling 3-6C below the seasonal norm, to around 29-33C inland, 29-32C on the coast and around 18C at Chionistra. Sunday and Monday The disturbance is expected to retreat eastward on Sunday, bringing improved weather overall, though a relatively unstable air mass will continue to affect the island, according to Kitasweather. Cloud is expected to build around midday and in the afternoon, mainly over the southern half of the Troodos range and areas further south and south-east, with a chance of isolated rain in the afternoon. Temperatures will rise slightly, reaching around 32-35C inland and on the coast, and around 21C at Chionistra. By Monday, Kitasweather expects the disturbance to have moved further away, though the unstable air mass will persist, bringing similar afternoon cloud over the southern Troodos range and areas further south, with a chance of isolated rain or storms mainly in the afternoon. Temperatures will rise slightly further, reaching around normal levels for the season, at 33-36C inland, 31-34C on the coast and around 22C at Chionistra. Kitasweather’s recommendations Kitasweather is urging residents to clear drains and gutters ahead of the storms. It also advises avoiding open outdoor areas while storms are active, and staying out of the sea or swimming pools during storms, even if they appear to be several kilometres away. Objects that could be blown around by accompanying winds, which can strengthen within seconds, should be secured or removed. Kitasweather also recommends staying regularly updated on weather conditions and any warnings issued. 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