Evrychou, Kakopetria, Chandria and Kyperounta, Apliki, Palaichori, Farmakas, Odou and Lefkara were dressed in white, while for the first time in years, the snow in the province of Limassol reached Gerasa. At this time snow is falling in various lowland villages.
The temperature due to the cold gas mass coming from the north plunged to 10 degrees, well below normal for the season.
Occasionally strong winds blowing throughout Cyprus, intensifying up to 7 Beaufort, maintaining the warning issued by the Meteorological Service for a yellow alarm.
Police spokesman Andreas Angelidis told RIK radio that on the Platanias - Karvouna road, ten cars were trapped due to the snowfall.
The police, he added, released them an hour later, without any problem.
It also announces that due to heavy snowfall the following roads leading to Troodos are closed to all vehicles:
• KAKOPETRIAS - KARVOUNA
• KAKOPETRIAS - PINEWOOD - PEDOULA
• PEDOULA - PRODROMOU
• PRODROMOU - TROODITISSA
• ORKONTA - PEDOULA
Also, the roads PRODROMOU - LEMYTHOS, PEDOULA - KYKKOU and ORKONTA - KYKKOU are closed.
Throughout the Troodos region, dense fog prevails and visibility is very limited.
Several roads have become slippery and drivers are urged to be especially careful.
Specifically, the following roads are slippery:
• PAPHOS - STROUBI
• STROUBI - GIOLOU
• DOLLS - CELLS
• AMARGETI - CANNABIOU
• STATOS - VIRGIN
Also, on the Limassol - Paphos highway, there is occasional hailstorms as well as torrential rains.
Finally, in the area of Peristeronas, there is heavy snowfall and the roads have become very slippery.
Drivers are urged to be especially careful, to have their headlights on and to keep their distance from the cars in front.
The road Salamiou - Kelokedaron is closed due to landslides and volumes of soil. Also due to the overflow of the river Ziripilli, the road Kelokedaron - Natas is closed.
Schools closed in mountainous Larnaca
The heavy snowfall in mountain villages of Larnaca province, ie Ora, Vavatsinia and Odos, forced the teachers (after consultation with the Ministry of Education and Culture), to stop classes and close the regional schools, ie the Kindergarten. the Primary and the High School, so that there is no case of trapping the students in Lefkara. The students were transported by buses back to their villages and homes.
The bulletin of the Meteorological Service in detail
Barometric low affects the region of Cyprus. In the afternoon the weather will be at times cloudy with local rains and possible isolated thunderstorms. There will be light snowfall in the mountains and semi-mountains. The winds will blow mainly westerly, very strong and in the leeward strong, 6 to 7 Beaufort. The sea will be wavy to very wavy and in the leeward it will be very wavy to stormy.
Tonight the weather will be partly cloudy, with the possibility of isolated rains in both mountain and semi-mountain snow. Frost will form in many areas. The winds will blow west to northwest, initially moderate to strong, 4 to 5 beauforts to gradually become weak to moderate, 3 to 4 beauforts. The sea will be initially wavy to very wavy, to gradually become turbulent to wavy. The temperature will drop to 2 degrees inland, around 5 on the coast and minus one degree in the higher mountains.
Tomorrow the weather will be partly cloudy, while local rains are expected in the mountainous and semi-mountainous snows. The winds will be westerly to northwesterly, moderate to strong, 4 to 5 Beaufort and the sea will be turbulent to wavy. The temperature will rise to 11 degrees inland, and on the coast and to minus 4 degrees in the higher mountains, where there will be frost.
On Friday the weather will remain partly cloudy, while local rains are expected in both mountain and semi-mountain snow. The temperature will remain at Thursday levels.
On Saturday the weather will be temporarily partly cloudy and the temperature will rise.
On Sunday, temporarily increased clouds may give isolated rains while the temperature will rise slightly compared to Saturday.
Source: FILELEFTHEROS