Cyprus has sweltered under an unexpected heatwave since early June, with temperatures prompting the Meteorological Department to issue high warning levels.
Daily yellow warnings for high temperatures have been in place since June 2, but scorching conditions forced an upgrade to an orange warning today.
“It happens but it is unusual,” for this time of year, said Philippos Tymvios, Director of the Department of Meteorology. While acknowledging a past instance of high temperatures in May, Tymvios stressed the rarity of such an early heatwave.
He cautioned against drawing long-term conclusions from the current event. “It’s a local phenomenon in the Eastern Mediterranean,” Tymvios explained.
However, Tymvios expressed concern over the broader trend of rising global temperatures. “For 12 consecutive months there were record highs in average monthly temperatures, globally,” he said.
“These weather events could be linked to ongoing climate change with extreme weather patterns worldwide,” Tymvios continued, “and many scientists believe this change is irreversible.”
While some theories suggest continued warming, Tymvios mentioned the La Niña phenomenon, a Pacific Ocean cooling event, as a potential counterforce. “There’s a strong possibility temperatures will dip slightly, but not towards cold weather,” he clarified.
Looking ahead, Tymvios forecast continued heat until Friday, followed by a drop on Saturday and a further decrease on Sunday, bringing temperatures closer to the seasonal average of around 35 degrees Celsius.
(Picture by George Christophorou)
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