The eastern Mediterranean is expected to see particularly heavy rainfall from 26 January to 20 February, but the precipitation will not reverse Cyprus’s water crisis following years of drought, according to the World Meteorological Organisation’s Climate Watch Advisory Group.
The period is expected to bring increased rainfall compared to normal seasonal levels across much of the eastern Mediterranean, including Cyprus, a statement said.
Weekly climate analyses conducted through cooperation between European meteorological services confirm an increased probability of rainfall episodes above normal values, particularly during the first fortnight of the forecast period.
For Cyprus, these conditions may lead to temporary improvement in soil moisture and hydrological conditions, whilst locally intense rainfall over short periods cannot be ruled out, the statement said.
Despite these comparatively favourable short-term elements, the hydrological reality remains particularly demanding.
Following an extended, multi-year drought period, water reserves in Cyprus’s dams remain at very low levels and the expected rainfall is not sufficient to substantially reverse the existing situation, according to the statement.
Climate forecasts for the eastern Mediterranean agree the region will continue to receive reduced rainfall quantities in the immediate future, intensifying overall pressure.
Under these conditions, rational and limited water use is not a choice but a necessity, the statement said.
“Safeguarding water as a finite and extremely valuable natural resource is the shared responsibility of the state and citizens,” it said.
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