Gale-force winds and rough seas flooded shops and buried part of the seafront under sand and debris in Kato Paphos for the second time in a matter of days.
From early morning, seawater poured into businesses along the Kato Paphos pier, while the coastal road from the junction of Apostolou Pavlou and Poseidonos avenues to the Municipal Baths was left covered in stones, sand and seaweed. Local business owners described the stretch as having turned into a dirt track, as shown in pictures published by philenews.
Shopkeepers began the day clearing water and debris from inside and outside their premises before visitor traffic picked up. Crews from Paphos Municipality were also on site from early morning to clean public areas.
The latest spell of severe weather has once again reignited concerns over the lack of protective measures along the Kato Paphos pier. The issue has been raised repeatedly since the removal of a low wall along the coastline several years ago.
That wall had acted as a barrier to prevent the sea from spilling into the area during periods of extreme weather. Business owners, amateur fishermen and residents had warned at the time that removing it was a serious mistake.
However, their warnings were not heeded by planners, the Ports Authority and the municipal authority, who had maintained that parallel works would provide adequate protection.
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