A severe bout of torrential rainfall has wreaked havoc across Cyprus, triggering widespread flooding, significant infrastructural damage, and dangerous conditions that have drawn sharp criticism towards authorities in the northern part of the island. The intense downpours, which began on Thursday, led to police warnings for motorists, submerged roadways, and caused substantial losses to both private property and agricultural land. Officials on both sides of the divide are now assessing the extensive fallout, with concerns mounting over wasted water resources and inadequate preparatory measures.
The immediate impact was felt acutely on the roads. During the afternoon commute on Thursday, drivers faced perilously low visibility and standing water, particularly on the Limassol motorway and in areas south of the Troodos mountains. Police in the Republic of Cyprus issued urgent advisories, urging reduced speeds and extreme caution. Simultaneously, in northern regions, communities such as Dikomo and Larnaca of Lapithos experienced torrents of water cascading from the Pentadaktylos mountain slopes, damaging homes, vehicles, and causing sections of road to collapse or subside.
In the aftermath, inspections revealed a broader crisis beyond immediate flooding. Technical teams from water and forestry departments in the north have been coordinating damage assessments. A critical point of contention has emerged regarding water management. Erkut Uluciam, president of the chamber of agricultural engineers, highlighted a profound failure in preparation, stating, "The abundant rains that were expected for months, even years, have arrived, but again, because no preparations were made, the water rolled into the sea." His criticism centers on the Ovgos dam, which reportedly lost at least one million cubic metres of precious water to the Mediterranean over a 36-hour period due to overflow—a consequence, officials concede, of neglected cleaning during preceding drought years.
The human cost of the deluge is pronounced. Residents in affected villages expressed fear and frustration to local media, recounting how they remained confined to their homes for days, apprehensive of further damage. They jointly criticized governing authorities for a perceived failure to implement timely preventative measures. The "mayors" of Dikomo and Kyrenia, alongside other officials including "agriculture minister" Huseyin Cavus, have been touring the impacted zones to evaluate the situation firsthand.
Looking ahead, the meteorological outlook suggests the island is not yet in the clear. Forecasters predict further rainfall and isolated storms for the coming Sunday and Monday, raising the specter of additional flooding and complications for recovery efforts. The event has starkly exposed vulnerabilities in infrastructure and water conservation strategies, particularly in the north. As cleanup operations continue, the episode serves as a pressing reminder of the need for robust and proactive environmental management in the face of increasingly volatile weather patterns, turning what should have been a boon for water reserves into a source of destruction and political recrimination.