Category: Cyprus News Agency

Department of Meteorology

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

Date 28/09/2026

Station

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

Highest

Lowest

Humidity at

1200 UTC

Nicosia (Athalassa)

28

17

49

Larnaka Airport

30

22

54

Limassol

28

20

53

Pafos Airport

28

22

58

Frenaros

28

22

64

Prodromos

15

11

100

Polis Pafos

28

22

56

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 28/09/2026 UNTIL 0600 29/09/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

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

Low pressure is affecting the area. Today, locally increased cloud will be present with isolated showers and risk of isolated thunderstorm. THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY SUDDEN CHANGES IN WIND DIRECTION AND INCREASES IN WIND SPEED.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 28°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning Southwest to West 4, gradually 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon West to Northwest 4 to 5, locally 5 to 6 Slight to Moderate

Night West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

South Coast

Morning Southwest to West 4, soon 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Southwest to West 4 to 5, locally 5 to 6 Slight to Moderate

Night West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

East Coast

Morning Southwest to West 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

Afternoon Southwest to West 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night West to Northwest 3, locally 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Morning Southwest to West 4, soon 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Southwest to West 4 to 5, locally 5 Slight to Moderate

Night Southwest to West 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

Cyprus is calling for coordinated European Union support to address rising energy and fertiliser costs, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Christos Senekis, said on Monday upon his arrival at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels.

“We are asking for coordinated EU support, both for the increased costs related to energy and for the increased costs related to fertilisers,” Senekis noted responding to a CNA question.

He said the meeting would address important issues for the present and future of European agriculture, first of all the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2027. Farmers, he noted, face major challenges, including climate change, higher production costs and animal diseases. “Our position is clear. Effectively tackling these challenges requires substantial and adequate support from the European Union,” he stressed.

Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, who chairs the Council as Ireland holds the rotating EU presidency, set out the general framework of the discussions in his own doorstep remarks. Heydon said solidarity with Ukraine has been a central theme of the presidency and will remain so, noting that the Ukrainian minister for agrarian policy and food would take part in today’s meeting.

On the post-2027 CAP, he said Council members are clear and united on the need for an adequately funded policy that supports farmers’ incomes, their role in producing food and delivering for the environment, and rural resilience. He reiterated his ambition to reach a partial general approach by the October Council meeting, which he said depends on member states’ cooperation. “I do believe it’s an ambitious target. It is one that we can achieve,” he said. “Farmers can’t go green if they’re in the red financially,” Heydon said, adding that farmers have delivered on environmental resilience under previous CAPs.

Ministers will discuss the fertiliser action plan over lunch and give political direction to its longer-term elements, with the aim of building resilience into EU supply chains and easing input costs for farmers. In the afternoon they will examine the impact of drought and severe weather on food production across Europe, including Commission support and how member states are helping one another. Heydon also said it “only ever takes one crisis” to empty the agricultural crisis reserve, making the role of insurance a topical issue that Ministers will discuss.

Cyprus has a fully institutionalised National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings, supported by a combination of legislative and administrative acts, according to a report published on Monday through the EU Anti-Trafficking Hub.

The report, prepared on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, highlights that Cyprus is also among eight EU Member States that reported having a fully designated national contact point for the cross-border referral of victims.

According to the report, Cyprus is currently reviewing its national legal and procedural framework for combating trafficking in human beings, with particular emphasis on the early identification of victims, clarification of the responsibilities of the authorities and organisations involved, child protection, updating guidelines and strengthening cooperation between services.

The report notes that standardised procedures, regular communication between services and cooperation in managing individual cases contribute to the coordination of Cyprus’ referral mechanism.

However, it also identifies challenges related to the differing responsibilities, operational priorities and capacities of the authorities and organisations involved.

It further highlights the need for continuous training of frontline personnel, consistent implementation of referral procedures across all sectors and management of an increasing number of cases with limited resources.

PRESS STATEMENT

Working visit of the Shipping Deputy Minister to the President to Brussels

28-30 September 2026

The Shipping Deputy Minister to the President, Ms. Marina Hadjimanolis, departs today, Monday, 28 September 2026, for Brussels, following an official invitation from the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, to participate in the Connecting Europe Days 2026, a flagship event on transport, connectivity and strategic infrastructure.

The Shipping Deputy Minister’s participation forms part of the Republic of Cyprus’ active contribution to shaping European transport and maritime policies, as well as the Shipping Deputy Ministry’s continuous efforts to promote a competitive, resilient and sustainable European maritime sector.

As part of the event, Ms. Hadjimanolis will participate as a speaker in the high-level plenary session entitled ‘Gateways to Europe and the World: Ports and the Maritime Sector in Transition’ on September 29, where she will discuss the challenges and prospects facing the European maritime sector in light of geopolitical developments, the energy transition, competitiveness, resilience and decarbonisation.

The share of people aged 16 and over who consumed alcohol daily in Cyprus stood at 1.9% in 2025, compared with 4.8% across the EU, according to data published by Eurostat on Monday. Meanwhile, 16.1% of the population in Cyprus consumed alcohol on a weekly basis and 22.1% on a monthly basis, compared with 19.2% and 21.8%, respectively, across the EU.

According to Eurostat, 20.7% of people aged 16 and over across the EU consumed alcohol less frequently than once a month, while 33.5% had either never consumed alcohol or had not consumed any during 2025.

Eurostat also reported that alcohol consumption in the EU was more common among men than women, whether on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Specifically, 56.5% of men consumed alcohol at least once a month, compared with 35.9% of women.

President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides has called a meeting of the National Council for Wednesday, 30 September, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis announced on Monday.

In a post on X, Letymbiotis said that President Christodoulides would brief the political leadership on the latest developments on the Cyprus issue and his contacts in New York, followed by an exchange of views on the next steps in efforts to resume substantive negotiations.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.

?he Government is doing everything it can to respond to the cost of living increase, always within the framework of sound public finances and its European obligations, the Ministry of Finance said in a press release issued on Monday.

As noted, the Ministry assesses geopolitical developments and their impact on citizens’ daily lives every day. It has taken specific relief measures against the rising cost of living for all citizens, and especially for vulnerable groups.

Specifically, the measures currently in force include zero VAT on essential products, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry and fish, infant milk, nappies for children and adults, and feminine hygiene products, a reduced 5% VAT rate on electricity, which benefits around 33,000 low-income households and single-parent families, a reduction in excise duty on motor fuels of 8.33 cents per litre, and an increase in child benefit, together with higher income eligibility thresholds.

It is added that workers and households also benefit significantly from the tax reform, especially from raising the tax-free income threshold to pound 22,000 and from substantial tax deductions.

‘These measures show the benefits of responsible economic policy, fiscal surpluses and falling public debt reaching society in practice. The Government of Nikos Christodoulides continues to monitor citizens’ needs. The Ministry of Finance is already preparing additional measures to submit to the Council of Ministers’, it is stressed.

‘We therefore understand any protests as a democratic right. However, the Government is not standing idle. It is doing everything it can to respond, always within the framework of sound public finances and its European obligations’, the Ministry concluded.

The Bank of Cyprus is offering its customers the option to perform transactions directly in Indian Rupees (INR), thereby facilitating payments to India.

According to a Bank of Cyprus press release, the new service is aimed at businesses and individuals with commercial, investment or other financial ties to the Indian market and forms part of the Bank’s strategy to develop new international payment corridors.

As stated, the ability to conduct transactions in INR provides greater flexibility in managing international payments, allowing, among other things, obligations or invoices to be settled directly in the currency in which they are denominated, while at the same time, it reduces the need to use intermediary currencies, simplifying the process and contributing to more direct, efficient and cost-effective cross-border transactions..

It is noted that the service is particularly relevant to businesses operating in India, companies with commercial partnerships or a presence in the country, as well as individuals making payments in INR. It also serves Indian nationals working in Cyprus who wish to make remittances to their home country.

‘The addition of the Indian Rupee to the Bank’s range of currencies for international transactions marks another step towards strengthening economic and trade ties between the two countries, creating new opportunities for trade, investment and cross-border business activity,’ it is further stressed.

It is added that, as part of its broader efforts to expand its presence in the Indian market, the Bank is in the process of obtaining the required approval from the Reserve Bank of India for the establishment of a Representative Office in India.

This initiative forms part of the Bank’s strategy to expand its international presence, develop new markets and further strengthen its global service network, while also contributing to the positioning of Cyprus as a regional and European business hub for international operations, the press release concludes.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (C)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1800 28/09/2026 UNTIL 1800 29/09/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1009hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. Tonight and tomorrow morning, locally increased cloud coverage will be present while isolated light rain showers are likely over the west. Tomorrow evening, isolated showers are expected over the north and the east while isolated thunderstorms are also likely.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 28°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Night West to Northwest 4, gradually Northwest to North 3 to 4 Slight

Morning Southwest to West 3 to 4, gradually locally 4 Slight

Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight

South Coast

Night Southwest to West 4, gradually Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4 Slight

Morning Southwest to West 3 to 4, gradually 4 to 5 Slight

Afternoon Southwest to West 4 to 5, locally 5 Slight

East Coast

Night Southwest to West 4, gradually 3 to 4 Slight

Morning Southwest to West 3 to 4, later South to Southwest Slight

Afternoon South to Southwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Slight

North Coast

Night Southwest to West 4, gradually Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4 Slight

Morning South to Southwest 3 to 4, gradually Southwest to West 3 to 4 Slight

Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, at times locally 4 Slight