According to the climate watch advisory group of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), rainfall in March is expected to be particularly low compared to normal levels for the season.

The absolute weekly rainfall totals in Cyprus will be mostly less than 10mm, and locally zero, over the period from March 10-21, the advisory announced.

Its forecast had been confirmed by the department of meteorology, via a climate simulation carried out weekly by the German meteorological service, in collaboration with the French and Russian services for Europe.

The results predict a trend for overall reduced weekly rainfall and consequent drought.

The relatively dry conditions that have prevailed in previous weeks had resulted in low soil moisture and low river levels, and the natural water supply will be significantly reduced, the experts said.

Regarding rainfall for the week of February 28 – March 6, Cyprus had reported rainfall below 10mm, receiving 10mm less rain than the longitudinal baseline value, recorded from 1991 to 2020, for the same week.

The upcoming particularly dry period, relative to seasonal norms, is expected to prevail in the entire eastern Mediterranean and in the region of eastern Ukraine over the next twelve days, with Cyprus, Turkey, Syria and Ukraine being the most affected states.