Cyprus is experiencing severe drought with March rainfall measuring just 1% of normal levels, the Department of Meteorology warned.
Senior meteorological officer Michalis Mouskos told Philenews that precipitation figures are “very poor” for both previous months and early March, with dry conditions expected to persist until at least March 21.
“For the first ten days of March, we recorded just 0.5 millimetres. We’re at 1%,” Mouskos said, noting that normal average rainfall for March is 61.9 millimetres.
January and February figures were equally concerning, with January recording just 17.2 millimetres (17% of normal) despite typically being one of the wettest months, while February saw 33.6 millimetres (41% of normal).
The drought coincides with abnormally high temperatures forecast to reach up to 13 degrees above seasonal norms. “We expect to reach 25 degrees inland tomorrow, up to 28 degrees by Friday, and even 30 degrees at the weekend. We’ll experience May-like temperatures, considering normal values for this season are around 18 degrees for inland areas,” Mouskos added.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation’s Climate Watch Advisory Group, precipitation for March 10-21, 2025, is expected to be “exceptionally low compared to seasonal norms,” creating an unusually dry period across the eastern Mediterranean region.
Weekly climate simulations conducted by the German Meteorological Service (DWD), in collaboration with French and Russian weather services, confirm the trend toward reduced weekly rainfall. Affected areas, including Cyprus, are expected to receive less than 10mm of rain weekly, with some locations recording zero precipitation.
The ongoing dry conditions have already reduced soil moisture and river levels significantly, potentially affecting winter cereal development and noticeably decreasing natural water production.
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