Well, that was biblical!

Earthquakes, storms and enough rain to make Cyprus consider building the ark – herding the mouflons up the gangplank, two by two! All we were missing last week was a tidal wave…

They have happened, you know. The island is not as protected as people imagine – the eastern Mediterranean has a long and well-documented tsunami history.

In 1222, there was a major earthquake off the western coast. Medieval chronicles say the wave struck Paphos harbour so violently that ships were swept inland, and entire sections of the port vanished under the sea as the coastline temporarily shifted.

Then, in 1303 there was the Crete Mega-Quake – at roughly magnitude 8, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the region. Historical accounts describe a tsunami racing across the Mediterranean: waves crashing over Alexandria, and flooding Cyprus’ shoreline for days.

Last week, however, it all came together; the atmosphere conspiring with the earth to give us the full dramatic package: shaking ground, splitting skies, sideways rain!

Even the solar storms had a moment (despite what your hippie aunt says on Facebook, there’s zero scientific link between solar flares and seismic tremours). Cyprus felt very Stranger Things there for a while!

This week, by comparison, feels like a bit of a let-down.

In Nicosia, we’re back to warm, well-behaved weather with absolutely no narrative arc. Friday brings partly sunny skies at around 27 °C, followed by a Saturday of high, harmless cloud and a rather bold 29 °C. By Sunday, things turn hazy and warm: 29 °C again, with just enough shimmer in the air to remind you that the capital refuses to admit it’s November.

Limassol continues to cosplay an evening in June. Highs of 29–30 °C stretch right through the weekend, lows drift around 15–17 °C, and the whole district appears to have opted out of seasonal change entirely. Humidity adds a bit of cling here and there, but nothing like the storm-saturated chaos of a few days ago.

Larnaca is much the same: a few clouds, highs pushing 28–29 °C, and consistently mild. So is Paphos: warm and serene at 28–29 °C through Saturday, with gentle evenings and a whisper of rain on Monday.

Ayia Napa stays firmly in postcard mode: 25–26 °C, and with enough sun for tourists to continue swimming off Nissi. As for Troodos, though cooler (highs of 17–18 °C, lows of 8–10 °C), it looks set for a normal November weekend.

All in all, this week’s weather is a definite anti-climax. That said, we could have it all wrong – meteorology is never an exact science at the best of times…

Who knows, maybe Cyprus is in for a Category 5 hurricane with halloumi-sized hailstones? Stranger Things have happened!

Five Weekend Weather Tips

  1. Don’t pack away the shorts just yet. Nicosia and the coast are hitting 28–30 °C – your winter wardrobe will have to wait its turn.
  2. Keep your umbrella emotionally close. We’re not expecting storms, but after last week’s sideways rain, who’s really taking chances?
  3. Hydrate like it’s June. Humid stretches in Limassol and warm haze across the island make this more of a late-spring weekend than mid-November.
  4. Swimming is still a thing. Ayia Napa sits at 25–26 °C with sunshine – and tourists are still swimming!
  5. Troodos is your only hint at normalcy. Highs of 17–18 °C, lows around 8–10 °C. Wear a jumper and channel winter.