A strong weather system brought a lot of hail and heavy rain to Paphos on Sunday afternoon. The rain became much worse after lunch. This made some places dangerous. Emergency services had to help people. Officials gave important warnings. The weather was unusual. Hail covered the ground like snow. This caused big problems in the area. Roads were not safe. Some places also lost electricity for a short time.
The Paphos Fire Station got many more calls. The rain lasted for about one hour. It filled up drains and flooded basements. Special teams were sent quickly to help with the flooding. Fire Service Spokesperson Andreas Kettis said they called back staff who were not working. This helped the station do more. They also watched the situation carefully. These teams worked hard to pump water from basements. They also cleared drains blocked by rubbish and hail.
The storm looked very dramatic in places like Geroskipou. It also looked dramatic on the coast near the airport. Hail piled up so high that some places looked like winter. Roads and other areas were covered in a thick white layer. The strong rain and ice made driving very dangerous. Police warned drivers on the Limassol–Paphos highway. They said visibility was very low. Drivers were told to be very careful. They should drive slowly and leave space between cars. They should also turn on their headlights.
Meteorologist Tasos Ierodiakonou said Paphos had the most rain on the island. A low-pressure system caused this bad weather. This system made the weather unstable. The worst of the storm finished by Sunday evening. However, some rain and thunderstorms continued on Monday and Tuesday. The weather should get a little better at the end of the week. It is expected to be more stable on Wednesday and Thursday.
The storm also caused problems in the mountains. Emergency services acted fast. No one was reported hurt or in danger. However, the event showed that the area can be affected by changing weather. This is because of global weather changes. The incident shows why we need good emergency plans. We also need strong infrastructure for difficult weather.