Heavy precipitation is forecast over the next three weeks over the Eastern Mediterranean, the met office said on Thursday citing advice from the Climate Watch Advisory Group of the World Meteorological Organisation.
The advisory for abnormal weather conditions for the region is based on the climate models of the German and French Meteorological Services and the European Centre of Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF).
“Abnormal accumulated precipitation is forecasted for the next three weeks over the Eastern Mediterranean with forecast probability exceeding 90 per cent for the first week, 70 per cent for the second week and close to 60 per cent over the third period,” the Climate Watch Advisory Group said in its advisory for the period December 15 to January 4.
The weekly accumulation of precipitation is expected to range from 10 to 30 mm above normal. Increased snowfall is also forecast. There is also a high risk of flooding over lowlands and drainage basins, it said.
After a prolonged dry spell which saw rainfall in October and November limited to 14 and 44 per cent of the average for each month respectively, the heavy rains of the past few days have come as a welcome respite in Cyprus.
Reserves in the island’s dams have fallen to 47.7 per cent of capacity, well below the 74.1 per cent in the same period last year. Inflow to the dams since October and up to December 14 was just 1,200 million cubic metres. Total dam capacity is 290,804 million cubic metres. Reserves currently stand at 138,819 million cubic metres.
Unstable weather conditions continue to affect the area, with a barometric low close to Rhodes moving slowly east and expected to affect the area from late on Saturday night to Monday, the met office said.
