The met office has issued a yellow weather warning for scattered heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms expected from Tuesday evening until early Wednesday morning.

According to the warning, unstable weather will begin to affect the island from the afternoon, intensifying overnight.

The warning is in force from 6pm on Tuesday until 8am on Wednesday, with rainfall intensity forecast to reach between 35 and 55 millimetres per hour in affected areas.

Forecasters said conditions would initially impact parts of the island later on Tuesday before deteriorating further during the night, bringing localised heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms.

Snow is also expected on the highest peaks of Troodos tonight as temperatures drop.

The met office said winds will strengthen during the afternoon, blowing south westerly at approximately 35km/hr.

Maximum temperatures are expected to reach around 16C inland and 17C along the coast, with temperatures in Troodos remaining near 7C.

Unsettled conditions are forecast to persist into Wednesday, with further showers and a slight fall in temperatures as the system moves through the region.

A gradual improvement is expected from Friday, with temperatures set to edge slightly above the seasonal average for late January.