March 2026 was one of the wettest Marches in decades in Cyprus, ranking as the ninth wettest since records began, with average rainfall reaching 113.2 mm, the Department of Meteorology has said in preliminary data.
The highest rainfall was recorded mainly in the mountainous and western parts of the island, though notable rainfall was observed across almost all areas. March was also the best inflow month of the entire season, according to Marios Hadjicostis, First Technical Engineer of the Water Development Department, who described it as “a very rare phenomenon,” noting that March outperformed all previous winter months.
Dam levels currently stand at 33.9%, with 98.7 million cubic metres of water stored, Hadjicostis told the Cyprus News Agency. Total inflow over the last three days reached 3.75 million cubic metres, while total inflow since 1 October stands at 81 million cubic metres.
Compared with the same period last year, when dam capacity stood at 24.1% and stored water at 70 million cubic metres, the picture has improved. “This year we were lucky,” Hadjicostis said, adding that the good inflows since October were “life-saving.”
He warned, however, that the improvement does not mean the island can afford to be unconcerned. “We are considerably better than last year, but not satisfactorily enough to be unconcerned about the coming years,” he said. He noted that droughts have proven to be a frequent and worsening phenomenon and that water use must always be managed carefully.
The Department of Meteorology noted that while the March rainfall is particularly beneficial for water reserves and agriculture, the overall hydrological picture depends on the continuation of rainfall and the course of the year as a whole.
Read more: