A yellow weather warning for isolated heavy thunderstorms is in place until 6pm Saturday, while high concentrations of dust are also observed.
According to a warning issued by the Meteorology Department, between 6am and 6pm on Saturday, isolated heavy thunderstorms are expected to affect the island at times, initially in the west and gradually spreading to the rest of the areas.
Hail is expected during the thunderstorms, while winds will be variable and intensifying, it said, noting that the precipitation rate is likely to locally exceed 35 millimeters per hour.
A Meteorology Department official said that high dust concentrations on Saturday are expected to clear completely by midday Sunday.
The weather is expected to improve during Saturday afternoon, while it is very likely that similar weather conditions will prevail on Sunday.
Based on early indications, there may be some weather phenomena on Monday, with conditions for the rest of the week appearing likely to improve.
Public warned to avoid open spaces
In the meantime, according to the Department of Labour Inspection, high concentrations of dust are observed in the air on Saturday, according to measurements from Ground Stations of the Air Quality Monitoring Network.
It advises members of the public, and particularly vulnerable groups such as children, older people, and the infirm, to avoid circulating in open spaces “until the observed episode has elapsed, as the small size of respirable particles in dust may have negative effects on human health”.
Employers, based on The Safety and Health at Work (Code of Practice for the Protection of Persons at Work During Dust Episodes) Order of 2022 (P. I. 410/2022), must take appropriate measures after assessing any risks that their employees may face while working in open spaces, and it is recommended that workers in such spaces use appropriate means of personal protection, it adds.
According to the Department, the latest hourly dust concentrations measured at 8am were 76.6 μg/m3 in Nicosia, 496.0 μg/m3 in Limassol, 202.9 μg/m3 in Larnaca, 1082.9 μg/m3 in Paralimni, 203.8 μg/m3 in Paphos, 435.3 μg/m3 in Zygi and 266.7 μg/m3 in Ayia Marina Xyliatou.
It is noted that ‘dust’ refers to respirable particulate matter of a diameter smaller than 10 μm (PM10) in the air. According to the relevant legislation, a limit value not to be exceeded is set for the daily average concentrations at 50 μg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter).
More information on the measured pollutant concentrations and real-time updates is available online at www.airquality.gov.cy and also through the free mobile application ‘Air Quality Cyprus’.
Source: CNA