A potent and unseasonal storm system, designated Adel, unleashed a barrage of severe weather upon Cyprus throughout the weekend, compelling meteorological authorities to issue urgent public advisories. The barometric low, characterized by its intensity and expansive reach, brought torrential downpours, disruptive hailstorms, and powerful winds to the island nation. The ensuing conditions led to significant hazards, including dangerous rockslides that compromised a key roadway and necessitated police intervention to ensure public safety.
The genesis of this meteorological turmoil was a deep low-pressure system situated over the northern Aegean Sea. As Adel tracked in a north-easterly direction, its influence extended across the eastern Mediterranean, enveloping Cyprus. The Cyprus Meteorology Department meticulously monitored the system's progression, ultimately escalating its alerts to a formal yellow warning status as the threat level increased. The storm's initial effects were felt in the western and northern regions late Saturday before it propagated across the entirety of the island, demonstrating its formidable scope.
The most severe impacts were recorded between late Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. During this period, the island was subjected to the storm's full fury. The most powerful thunderstorm cells produced staggering precipitation rates, with rainfall intensity peaking at between 35 and 55 millimetres per hour, a volume capable of rapidly overwhelming drainage systems and causing flash flooding. These convective cells were also responsible for depositing hail, while the highest elevations of the Troodos mountain range experienced sleet. Compounding the situation was a high concentration of atmospheric dust, which reduced air quality and created an eerie, ochre-tinted haze.
Terrestrial and maritime conditions deteriorated significantly. Wind patterns shifted markedly, beginning as moderate south-easterly to south-westerly flows before strengthening and veering to a more forceful south-westerly to north-westerly direction. These winds, occasionally reaching gale force, agitated coastal waters, with the western and northern shorelines bearing the brunt of the rough seas. On land, the Limassol province was particularly affected. A serious incident unfolded along the Pachyammos-Kato Pyrgos road, where sustained, heavy rainfall triggered earth movements and rockslides, rendering the transit route perilous. In response, the Cyprus Police disseminated official communiqués, imploring motorists to exercise extreme caution or seek alternative routes entirely.
Temperatures witnessed a notable decline in concert with the storm's arrival. Nighttime minimums plunged to approximately 12 degrees Celsius in interior areas, while mountainous regions shivered at around 7 degrees. Daytime highs on Sunday struggled to reach the low 20s inland and along the coasts, a stark contrast to seasonal norms. While the peak intensity of Adel passed by Sunday evening, meteorological forecasts indicated that the period of instability was not yet over. Officials projected that isolated showers and generally unsettled weather would persist into Monday and Tuesday, prolonging the disruptive pattern and delaying a full return to calm conditions. The passage of Storm Adel serves as a potent reminder of the Mediterranean's vulnerability to abrupt and severe seasonal weather phenomena.