Yellow alert for high temperatures on Saturday

The met office has issued an extreme high temperature warning for 1.00pm to 4.00pm on Saturday when temperatures will rise to around 40C inland and 32C over the Troodos highest peaks.

It comes as the thermometer hit 40C inland on Friday and the met office said it expected temperatures to remain at these levels until Tuesday.

Saturday will be mainly fine once local low cloud and patchy fog clear, the met office said. Temperatures will rise to 40C inland, around 35C on the south, east and north coasts, around 33C on the west coasts and around 32C in the higher mountains.

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday will be mainly fine but at midday and in the afternoon, there will be increased cloud at intervals in the mountains and inland. There may be local patchy fog and low cloud in the early morning, mainly on the coast.

Temperatures are expected to remain at the same levels, a little above the seasonal average until Tuesday.

Maximum temperatures at 3.00 pm on Friday were Nicosia 40C, Larnaca Airport 33C, Limassol 33C, Paphos Airport 32C, Frenaros 37C, Prodromos 31C and Polis Chrysochous 36C. Humidity ranged from 30 per cent in Nicosia to 66 per cent at Paphos Airport.