Boats smashed against rocks at Cape Greco. Saturday's storm ends tragically.

Boats at Cape Greco faced a dramatic situation during Saturday's storm. Three vessels were threatened by rough seas, two were completely destroyed after hitting rocks, and one person died.

This was the most tragic consequence of the sudden weather breakdown that swept across the region on Saturday. Strong winds tore down structures and trees, heavy rain flooded roads, lightning caused fires and power outages, and 11 planes had to be diverted to other airports. The Fire Department received 357 calls related solely to the weather.

Boats at Cape Greco found themselves trapped

Saturday's most serious rescue operation began in the area between Konnos Bay and Agioi Anargyroi.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., the Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Centre launched a national plan "Nearchos".

Six people on three units were in danger.

Sea conditions were very difficult. Rough waves and fierce winds pushed the boats towards the rocky shore.

According to the JRCC final statement two of the three units hit the rocks and were completely destroyedOne was registered as a coastal tourism vessel, and the other two as recreational boats.

Initial reports on Saturday suggested a third boat had also sunk. However, a later official statement from the JRCC confirmed that two of the three vessels in distress had been completely destroyed.

Helicopters rescued people from the sea

Rescue helicopters, police units, firefighters and ambulance teams were dispatched to the operation.

One person was rescued by a police patrol from the Famagusta district.

Another five people were picked up by helicopters.

Two of them did not suffer serious injuries and were able to leave the hospital after receiving first aid.

Two more remained for treatment at the Famagusta General Hospital.

A sixth person was pulled from the sea unconscious. After being taken to hospital, doctors pronounced him dead.

The victim was a 76-year-old man from Limassol who was the captain of one of the vessels. His daughter and partner were also on board.

On Sunday they will check if there was a fuel leak.

The consequences of the incident at Cape Greco do not end with the rescue operation itself.

On Sunday, employees of the Fisheries Department are to go to the wreck area and check whether there was any damage after the wreck. fuel pollution of the sea.

Photos from the scene show the scale of the destruction. The remains of the boat were smashed against the rocky shoreline, which provided virtually no margin of safety for the vessels in the rough seas.

One of these photos will be the cover photo of our material.

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An orange warning predicted severe thunderstorms, hail and up to 70 mm of rain in an hour.
https://cyprnews.pl/pomaranczowy-alert-pogodowy-silne-burze-grad-i-do-70-mm-deszczu-na-godzine/

Wind was one of the biggest threats

Saturday's weather was mainly associated with heavy downpours and hail, but one of the most dangerous elements was violent gusts of wind.

The Department of Meteorology warned that winds could shift rapidly during storms, reaching around force 6 on the Beaufort scale and bringing even stronger gusts. Periods of force 5-6 winds were also forecast along the north coast.

There is no single official figure published for Saturday's maximum gust for the entire country.

However, the effects on the ground show how violent the gusts were locally.

The roof flew about 100 meters

One of the most telling examples of the power of the wind was the events at the farm in the Pachna region.

Around noon, the farm owner and two workers were tending to the animals when the wind blew away a large roof.

Part of the structure was moved a distance of approx. 100 meters.

The remaining part broke away from the base and collapsed, also causing damage to the walls of the building.

There are about 600 animals on the farm.

The owner and employees were very close to the structure, but no one was injured.

Trees fell on roads and wires

There were many more similar cases.

Fallen trees and branches were reported in Strovolos, Larnaca, Drosia, Athienou, Kosi and other towns.

Strong winds also knocked over outdoor objects and caused hazards on the roads.

In the west, in the areas of Argaka, Pomos and Agia Marina, greenhouses and photovoltaic installations were damaged.

On the beaches, gusts destroyed and displaced umbrellas and deck chairs.

The wind also contributed to power outages. Branches and other objects falling on the lines caused sections of the network to be automatically shut down.

By noon, the EAC had recorded 40 medium voltage failures and many smaller failures of the low voltage network.

Lightning set buildings on fire

The storms also brought very intense electrical activity.

In Avgorou, lightning struck a utility room next to a house and caused a fire.

Part of the apartment building was also damaged. The force of the collision caused windows to shatter and smoke to enter the building.

The family of three was not injured, but due to the condition of the house, authorities provided them with temporary accommodation in a hotel.

In Kato Drys, lightning also struck a 45-year-old man nearby. The injured man was taken to hospital. According to Saturday's reports, his condition was not considered serious.

357 reports to the Fire Department

The scale of Saturday's events was best seen in the services' statistics.

The Fire Department received 357 reports related solely to severe weather phenomena.

As many as 332 came from the Nicosia district.

Interventions included flooded areas, fallen trees, broken structural elements, fires caused by lightning, and problems with power lines.

A particularly dangerous incident occurred in Agios Dometios.

The child was trapped under an awning on the balcony of a fourth-floor apartment.

Rescuers managed to free them. The child was not injured.

Water flooded the roads

Heavy rainfall very quickly caused local flooding.

In Limassol, water accumulated on many streets and intersections.

Problems also arose on highways, where, in addition to water, branches and other debris were deposited on the road surface.

The section of road under the Halepianes viaduct was temporarily closed.

In the mountains, the police also warned of landslides and rocks falling onto the road.

Problems were reported, among others, on the Gerakies–Kykkos, Orkontas–Kampos routes and the roads leading from Kampos towards Kykkos and Pyrgos.

The alert appeared on phones

At the peak of the storms, residents also received messages CY ALERT.

The message warned of heavy rain and an increased risk of flooding.

Authorities urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and stay in safe places.

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This is what the CY ALERT message sent during Saturday's storm looked like:
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Waterspouts near Larnaca and Ayia Napa

Violent atmospheric instability was also visible over the sea.

Waterspouts were observed, among others, at Mackenzie Beach in Larnaca and in the Ayia Napa area.

The recordings showed clearly formed funnels above the sea surface.

The phenomena occurred at the same time as storms with strong winds, hail and heavy rainfall passed over other regions.

11 planes were diverted to other airports

The storms also paralyzed air traffic for some time.

Together 11 flightsthat were due to land in Larnaca or Paphos were diverted.

Five planes bound for Larnaca were diverted to Paphos.

Other aircraft were sent to destinations including Rhodes. Initial reports also mentioned redirections to Lebanon.

Hermes Airports reported that the situation began to return to normal on Saturday afternoon.

There were no flight cancellations solely due to the storm.

After the downpour, the sea near Limassol had three colors

A specific picture of Saturday's weather could be seen after the most intense rainfall had passed.

A huge amount of water flowing from the city ended up in the sea near Limassol.

Our recording clearly shows the separated strips of water of different colors - in some places the sea looks almost like tricolor.

This is the result of rainwater runoff from the land, which can carry large amounts of soil, sediments and other suspended solids.

However, the color of the water alone does not allow us to determine whether it has been chemically contaminated.

Sunday is supposed to be much calmer

After Saturday's weather breakdown, conditions gradually improved overnight.

Sunday is expected to be mostly sunny with periodically increased cloud cover.

In the afternoon, isolated showers may still occur, mainly south of Troodos and in the east.

The wind will be significantly weaker – mostly between 3 and 4 Beaufort, and in the southeast locally up to 5 Beaufort.

The temperature will rise to approximately 34°C inland and on the south and east coasts, around 32°C on the other coasts and around 23°C in the highest parts of the mountains.

You can check the current weather situation here: https://cyprnews.pl/pogoda-na-cyprze/

Saturday, however, left behind images that will long serve as a reminder of the severity of this weather disruption. The most dramatic came from Cape Greco, where several vessels struggled with rough seas, two were wrecked on rocks, and the rescue operation ended with the death of one of the cruise participants.

Sources: JRCC, KYPE/CNA, Meteorology Department, Fire Department, Police, EAC, Hermes Airports, Philenews, Politis, Cyprus Mail