Cyprus is set for a spell of unsettled weather with rain and thunderstorms expected from Wednesday night through to Sunday, as a storm moving from Egypt approaches the island.

According to the met office, conditions will begin to deteriorate later on Wednesday, with “isolated rain in the afternoon and later local rain with the possibility of a storm” expected overnight.

The system is forecast to intensify on Thursday, particularly inland and in Troodos, with the issuance of a yellow warning for strong storms from around midday until late afternoon.

The change in weather is being driven by a storm centred over northern Egypt moving towards Cyprus, followed closely by a second storm from the west.

“There are two storms coming in succession. One is from Egypt and is moving north, and the other is from the west and will continue moving east,” the met office confirmed.

From Friday through to Sunday, the island is expected to experience periods of rain and isolated thunderstorms.

Hail is possible, while sleet is likely on the highest peaks of Troodos.

Winds are also expected to strengthen, with coastal areas already under warning for very strong north easterly to easterly winds reaching around 60 kilometres per hour, particularly affecting exposed areas and posing risks for small vessels and fishermen.

Temperatures, currently above seasonal averages, are expected to fall gradually over the coming days.

Nicosia and along the coast will see highs of around 22 degrees Celsius on Wednesday before easing to about 20 degrees on Thursday and dropping slightly below average by the weekend.

Forecasters said the unsettled conditions are likely to persist into Saturday, with “occasional local rains and isolated storms” continuing as the second system moves across the region.