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Cyprus lashed by heavy rains, more to come

ËÅÕÊÙÓÉÁ ÊÁÊÏÊÁÉÑÉÁ ÐËÇÌÌÕÑÅÓ
Photo: CNA

Heavy rains lashed down at the island on Thursday, particularly in the Nicosia district, as the fire department and police responded to dozens of calls for assistance on the roads and at flooded premises.

The capital took the brunt, the rain causing the Pedieos river in Strovolos to overflow – a rare occurrence.

At the state fair walk-in vaccination centre, a group of around 50 people huddled together, taking shelter under a makeshift cover.

During the day, the Met office upgraded its weather alert level from yellow to orange – valid from 5pm Thursday to 5pm Friday.

For the next 24 hours the Met forecast extended bouts of rain, coupled with heavy showers in some areas. It said that total precipitation during this time was expected to range between 85mm and 100mm, especially in the west of the island and in the mountains.

In the Troodos mountains meanwhile, visibility was close to zero due to thick fog, with authorities advising motorists to be extra careful due to the slippery roads.

The fire department was kept busy throughout the day, receiving 50 calls for assistance in Nicosia alone. In about a dozen cases, crews had to unclog drains, and pump out the basements of residences and shops.

The department also towed away a number of cars immobilised by the water. They were assisted by Civil Defence as well as volunteers from non-governmental organisations like SupportCy and Reaction.

Also in Nicosia, the police helped nine drivers trapped in their cars, as well as three people trapped in their homes.

Authorities had to close off Alexandroupolis street (next to the Strovolos municipality), Erithros Stavros street, and Vikelas Street near the GSP sports stadium.

A video clip circulating on media showed a police officer wade through waist-high running water to reach a woman stuck in her car. The officer lifted up the woman and carried her to safety.

The incident took place at the exit of the GSP stadium. It prompted a statement from the police branch of the Isotita union, congratulating the officer in question.

“This shows that at times of emergency, security services are there to help without regard to their personal safety,” said union rep Nicos Loizides.

Police advised motorists to avoid a number of roads due to water accumulation – such as the Metro roundabout junction, Lakatamia, and the intersection of Grivas Digenis and 28 October streets.

The Ayia Varvara-Kotsiatis road was closed to all traffic, after the banks of the Idalias river overflowed.

By 6pm the bad weather conditions led to ten vehicle collisions on the highways, although no injuries were reported.

Both the police and the fire department put out several advisories urging people to restrict their outdoor movements to the absolute minimum. Motorists were advised to drive slow, keep a safe distance from vehicles ahead and keep their headlights on.

Heavy rains also fell in the Lefkara area outside Larnaca.

In Limassol, the service received three calls for assistance while the disaster response unit got five calls concerning flooded premises, including an elderly home and the migrant holding centre at Kofinou.

Earlier, police said rocks and mud had fallen on a section of the old road to Limassol near Monte Caputo. Efforts were underway to clear the debris.

The stretch between Pentakomo and Ayios Georgios Alamanou was likewise designated dangerous because of water accumulation.

In high-altitude areas, the road between Prodromos and Troodos closed down due to heavy snow. And several main roads remained open only to vehicles with four-wheel drive or snow chains: Pedoulas to Prodromos; Prodromos to Platres; Pedoulas to Ayios Nicolaos; Kakopetria to Karvounas.

Some roads in the Troodos area were dangerous due to mud and rockslides.

 

 

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