Category: Cyprus News Agency

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 27/12/2025 UNTIL 1200 28/12/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1008hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. At times increased cloud will be present with local showers and/or thunderstorm. Gradually from tonight partly cloudy weather is expected.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon Northwest 5 Moderate

Night Northwest to Northeast 4, locally 4 to 5 Moderate

Morning Northwest 3 to 4 Slight to Moderate

South Coast

Afternoon Northwest to North 4 to 5, at times locally 5 Slight to Moderate, at times locally Moderate

Night Northwest to Northeast 4 Slight to Moderate

Morning Northwest 3 Slight

East Coast

Afternoon Northwest to North 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Night Northwest to Northeast 3 to 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Morning Northwest to North 3 Slight

North Coast

Afternoon Northwest 5 Moderate

Night Northwest to Northeast 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Moderate

Morning Variable 3 Slight

Forty years ago, Spain and Portugal joined the European Union, making it culturally richer and politically stronger, the European Commission said ahead of the two countries’ accession anniversary on January 1.

Their membership helped create millions of new jobs, modernise economies and deepen trade ties within Europe and beyond, it said in its official website.

According to the Commission, over pound 250 billion was invested in Spanish and Portuguese regions, more than pound 20 billion in EU funding to researchers, while over 140,000 projects benefited from the EU’s fisheries funds.

In these forty years, it added, Europeans have enjoyed more rights, better health and additional freedoms. ‘Spain and Portugal have reinforced democracy and advanced social progress’, and have broadened Europe’s global outlook, particularly towards Latin America, Africa and the Mediterranean, noting that the EU, Spain and Portugal ‘have grown stronger together’.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 27/12/2025 UNTIL 0600 28/12/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1010hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. Locally increased cloud will be present at times with risk of isolated showers and/or thunderstorm, mainly over the western and northern areas.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning Northwest 5 Slight to Moderate, gradually Moderate

Afternoon Northwest 5 Moderate, gradually Moderate to Rough

Night Northwest to Northeast 3 to 4, initially 4 to 5 Moderate to Rough

South Coast

Morning Southwest to Northwest 4 to 5, at times locally 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Northwest to North 4 to 5, at times locally 5 Slight to Moderate, at times locally Moderate

Night Northwest to Northeast 4 to 5, gradually locally 3 to 4 Slight to Moderate, gradually locally Slight

East Coast

Morning Southwest to Northwest 4, gradually Northwest to North Slight

Afternoon Northwest to North 4 Slight, locally offshore Slight to Moderate

Night Northwest to Northeast 3 to 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight, at times locally Slight to Moderate

North Coast

Morning Northwest 4 to 5, at times 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Northwest 5 Moderate, locally Slight to Moderate

Night Northwest to Northeast 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Moderate, locally Moderate to Rough

Conservation works will begin soon at the church of Agios Prokopios in Syngrasi and the church of Panagia Akendou in Lefka, co-chairman of the Bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage Sotos Ktoris, told CNA.

According to Ktoris, these are two very important monuments.

The church of Agios Prokopios in Syngrasi – a village close to Trikomo – is a ‘very important church,’ Ktoris told CNA, noting that it is built on the ruins of a 6th century, Early Christian Basilica, while the main church dates back to the Middle Byzantine Period, probably the 11th or 12th century. The church is decorated with frescoes, he said.

The other church is that of Panagia of Akendou in the village of Lefka, which is on the ancient monuments list, Ktoris said.

Works will begin in the coming weeks, he noted.

Greek Foreign Minister, George Gerapetritis had a telephone call on Wednesday with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, during which they discussed, among other issues, the trilateral cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.

In a post on X on Thursday by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is noted that the two Foreign Ministers emphasised the importance of holding a Trilateral Ministerial Meeting soon, to address regional developments, including those in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In the framework of the Strategic Partnership between Greece and Egypt, the two Ministers also reviewed bilateral issues and exchanged views on regional developments.

Gerapetritis and Abdelatty “expressed their willingness to strengthen and broaden bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest,” the post reads.

On Wednesday, Cyprus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, also had a telephone call with Abdelatty, during which, as Kombos notes on X, they agreed to hold a Trilateral Ministerial Meeting between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt in Cairo in the upcoming period.

A tender process for the purchase of three firefighting aircraft is currently under way, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Andreas Gregoriou, told CNA on Friday, adding that one of the aircraft will be bought with funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Replying to a relevant question by CNA, he said that the tender falls within the broader goal of acquiring a total of ten state-owned firefighting aircrafts within the next five years, while it also provides for an option to purchase a further five.

Regarding this year’s fire season, Gregoriou noted that 13 primary firefighting aircraft were operationally available, including nine fixed-wing aircraft and four helicopters. At the same time, helicopters of the National Guard and the Police are on standby as secondary support.

Referring to the technology sector, the Permanent Secretary stressed that ‘there is a comprehensive plan to strengthen the forest surveillance system, the early detection of fires and the transmission of imagery to Operations Centers.’

According to him, Phase A of the plan has already been completed and includes, among other things, the development of a wireless data transmission network, the pilot installation of four fire detection sensors in forest areas and the procurement of five drone systems.

He added that Phase B of the plan includes actions concerning the Department of Forests, the Fire Service and the National Guard.

He also noted that within 2026 the Department of Forests will get 17 large fire engines with a capacity of six tonnes of water – 12 through the Recovery and Resilience Plan and five with national funding. In addition, three agricultural tractors have been purchased from national funds, while two bulldozer transport trucks/platforms and ten rapid response fire engines have recently been delivered, he said.

‘Unfortunately, climate change observed in every corner of the planet is also affecting Cyprus, with temperatures showing an upward trend and rainfall a downward one,’ Gregoriou noted.

Undoubtedly, he continued, ‘these conditions also affect fires, causing changes in their frequency and intensity, increasing the occurrence of large-scale fires with particularly destructive impacts.’ Weather conditions, combined with the abandonment of rural areas and changes in land use, are intensifying the trend of recent years toward more difficult fire seasons, he concluded.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 26/12/2025 UNTIL 1200 27/12/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1016hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. In the evening, the weather will be partly cloudy with local showers and isolated thunderstorms. Tonight and tomorrow morning, isolated showers and risk of isolated thunderstorms, mainly over the west and the north.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon

West to Northwest 4 to 5, at times locally 5

Slight

Night

Northwest 4 to 5, locally 5

Slight to Moderate

Morning

Northwest 5

Slight to Moderate, gradually Moderate to Rough

South Coast

Afternoon

Southwest 3 to 4, at times locally 4

Smooth to Slight, at times locally Slight

Night

Southwest to Northwest 4

Slight

Morning

Southwest to Northwest 4 to 5, at times locally 5

Slight to Moderate

East Coast

Afternoon

Southwest to West 3 to 4, at times offshore 4

Smooth to Slight, at times offshore Slight

Night

Southwest to West 4

Slight

Morning

Southwest to Northwest 4

Slight

North Coast

Afternoon

Southwest to Northwest 4, at times locally 4 to 5

Slight

Night

Southwest to Northwest 4 to 5, locally 5

Slight to Moderate

Weather Temperature for Cyprus

Today’s weather and temperatures for Cyprus according to the Department of Meteorology

Date 26/12/2025

Station

TEMPERATURE (C) (FROM 20:00 PC of the previous one until the time of the show)

Humidity at

1200 UTC

Highest

Lowest

Nicosia (Athalassa)

17 (17.1)

9 (8.7)

66

Larnaka Airport

22 (22)

11 (11.2)

61

Limassol (New Port)

20 (20.3)

9 (8.6)

63

Limassol (Municipal Garden)

18.7

10.7

Pafos Airport

20 (20.2)

12 (11.5)

64

Frenaros

19 (18.7)

11 (10.7)

62

Prodromos

11 (11)

4 (3.6)

96

Polis Pafos

19 (19.3)

11 (10.9)

69

Hundreds of starlings that have found refuge in Voroklini lake habitat in Larnaca, offer captivating views at sunset.

Starlings, a migrating species, choose Cyprus as a haven during winter and Voroklini lake has proved to be a valuable habitat for them. Large numbers of birds have arrived this year and their murmuration is a true spectacle.

The observatories around the lake allow visitors to safely engage in bird watching.

Students from all over Cyprus are among the daily visitors, guided by either a clerk of the Voroklini Community Council or a member of Birdlife Cyprus.

Cyprus airports in Larnaca and Paphos have been experiencing increased traffic during the festive period.

Indicatively, on the day after Christmas, Friday, December 26, 65 arrivals from international destinations and 38 departures are scheduled at Larnaca Airport. At the same time, 14 arrivals and 13 departures are scheduled at Paphos Airport.

Passenger traffic at both airports has been elevated throughout 2025. According to data published on the website of the managing company Hermes Airports, passenger traffic in the first 11 months of 2025 had already exceeded the total passenger traffic of all of 2024.

Specifically, during the January-November 2025 period, 9,365,329 passengers passed through Larnaca Airport and 3,640,954 through Paphos Airport. The corresponding passenger traffic for the whole of 2024 was 8,661,354 for Larnaca and 3,633,990 for Paphos.