At least two tornadoes hit the city of Limassol, Cyprus on Wednesday causing what some residents described as “biblical destruction.”
Fallen trees, broken homes and damage to the city’s infrastructure were reported as the tornadoes and powerful overnight storms swept through the city.
Cypriot authorities offered temporary hotel accommodation and other help to families whose homes were wrecked.
Some of the videos, uploaded by local residents to the “Weather Enthusiasts of Cyprus” Facebook page, depict the ferocity with which the tornado hit, causing extensive damage to residential properties, leading to widespread power outages, uprooting trees, and resulting in at least one serious injury.
@roadreportcy The moment the tornado
passes through the streets of Limassol #roadreportcy #limassoltornado #cyprus
eirini dimitriοu
♬ original sound – RoadReportCY
“Wherever there can be compensation, the state will help, there are certain requirements…it must be an approved building, we will certainly help,” Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou said.
Kyriakos Xydias, the mayor of Germasogeia, an eastern suburb of Limassol, said: “Twenty roads had been closed, over fifty premises affected, five homes became uninhabitable, and one person was injured from shattered glass.”
@skynews Powerful overnight storms, including at least two tornadoes, have caused extensive #destruction from fallen trees to #broken homes
♬ original sound – Sky News
Storm, tornadoes shut roads in Limassol
Additionally, the aftermath of the storm has led to mudslides, rendering several key roadways impassable to all but four-wheel-drive vehicles or those equipped with anti-skid chains.
Among the affected routes are the Paramytha-Gerasa, Spitali-Fasoula, Fasoula-Limassol, and Apsiou-Mathikoloni roads. Meanwhile, the coastal stretch of Limassol, spanning from the Germasogeia Police Station to Ariadne Street (K-Cineplex road), has been closed off to traffic due to the collapse and uprooting of trees, posing further risks to commuters and residents alike.
The closure underscores the extent of the damage wrought by the violent weather disturbance, prompting authorities to prioritize public safety measures as cleanup efforts get underway.
Electricity authority (EAC) spokeswoman, Christina Papadopoulou, said electricity crews were also on the go since dawn, dealing with numerous incidents of blown-over trees affecting wires, at least eight smashed or uprooted electric poles, damaged transformers, and loose medium voltage cables.
In a statement later in the day, the EAC said that works to correct the damage to their network would finish by 7pm.
According to EAC, “the cut cables carry electricity so they are extremely dangerous and only properly trained EAC staff carrying all the necessary safety equipment can approach them”.
They also warned others to not approach the cables, due to the risk of shock.
On Thursday traffic has been restored on the Limassol coastal road, according to the police and the yellow weather warning has been cancelled the meteorological service announced.
Limassol located on the southern coast of Cyprus is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia.