Cyprus will see a noticeable drop in temperature, local rain and possibly isolated storms on Saturday, Meteorological Officer Matthaios Papadakis said on Tuesday, citing early forecast data. Skies will turn from partly to mostly cloudy as the change sets in.
An upper-atmosphere trough is behind the unstable conditions, Papadakis explained, adding that this pattern is arriving earlier than usual. Similar weather is typically seen in September rather than August. The drop will be temporary, limited to Saturday, with temperatures falling below seasonal norms before recovering.
Today, seasonal low pressure continues to dominate, keeping conditions mostly clear with some cloud building over the mountains, where isolated rain is possible. Temperatures will reach around 39 degrees inland, 35 degrees on most coasts, 32 degrees on the west and southwest coasts and 30 degrees in the higher mountains, all above the climatological average of 36 to 37 degrees inland for this time of year.
Wednesday will be similarly clear with afternoon cloud over the mountains, and temperatures holding steady at around 39 degrees inland, 35 degrees on the south and east coasts, 32 degrees on the west and north coasts and 30 degrees in the higher mountains.
Thursday and Friday will bring mostly clear skies with brief cloudy spells, and isolated afternoon rain possible in the mountains. Temperatures will ease slightly by Friday but stay above average.
Asked about El Niño, Papadakis said its development and its effect on autumn and winter remain to be seen. The drought affecting Europe over the past two to three years, particularly in summer, cannot be directly linked to the phenomenon, he said, though more extreme weather events are possible. Europe is likely to be more affected than Cyprus, which may see a year similar to previous ones.
“We hope, however, to have rain, because we need it,” Papadakis concluded.
