Sunday, November 3/2024

Courtesy of World Storm

Huge hail in South Cyprus last night.

Well, it is precipitation.

A not entirely enviable record was set in Cyprus this October. For the first time in sixty years there was no rain recorded on the island for the entire month. And of course this followed an extremely hot and dry summer.

.Well before this autumn there were warnings that a “toxic combination” of decreasing rainfall, abandonment of rural areas, and increased water consumption has put over half the island at immediate risk of desertification. In fact everywhere except the ridge of the Troodos Mountains (not “ our “ mountain range) is at risk.

Increasingly people want to live in urban areas where the jobs and services are and modern living styles use much more water than was the case when it was carried by the bucketful. Cypriots are usually pretty careful about water consumption, but undoubtedly use more than their grandparents did just as most cool their homes more than previous generations. And tourism is encouraged for the economy but is obviously harder on the environment than the old agricultural base was.

We did have thunder storms and a patio cleaning rain last night but no hail north of the mountains.

Inaccuweather