Floods, tornadoes, a collapsed advertising billboard, and flooded roads: horrific consequences of the bad weather in Northern Cyprus

Efforts are underway in Northern Cyprus to address the aftermath of heavy rainfalls and stormy winds that have struck the country in recent days. In Alsancak, a huge advertising billboard collapsed onto cars, six people were rescued from a flooded house in the village of Kayalar, and yachts at the Kyrenia harbor narrowly escaped sinking. Several roads remain closed to traffic.

The areas near Kyrenia suffered the most from the storm. For instance, a tornado was spotted at sea near Karaoglanoglu, causing significant damage: in Kyrenia itself, the storm uprooted electric poles, power line supports, and trees. Infrastructure damage led to technical malfunctions across the region. The municipality of Chatalkoy - Esentepe was particularly affected: rain and strong winds caused power outages throughout the area.

A tragedy was narrowly averted at the market in Alsancak – due to the stormy wind, a huge advertising billboard collapsed directly onto cars parked near the market. Fortunately, there were no people in the cars at the time of the collapse. No injuries were reported from the incident, except for significant damage to the vehicles themselves.

Furthermore, at the Kyrenia port, several yachts moored near the dock almost sank due to the bad weather, colliding with the breakwater. The marina owner urged boat owners to retrieve their vessels.

The storm also affected other areas: near the Gechitkoy - Sadrazamkoy intersection, a person narrowly avoided drowning when their car was submerged in a stream. The individual was rescued by police officers and then taken to Dr. Akcicek Hospital in Kyrenia for medical examination.

Meanwhile, emergency services in the village of Kayalar rescued six people trapped in a house due to heavy rain. They were also transported to Dr. Akcicek Hospital in Kyrenia for medical examination.

In addition, many major roads in the region have become impassable due to the heavy rains and landslides. Specifically, some roads in the vicinity of Esentepe remain buried, as well as the road between the villages of Yıldırım – Gechitkale, the main road Kayalar – Sadrazamkoy, and the roads Kuzucuk – Bogazici and Murataga – Sandallar.

Some areas of Famagusta also remain closed to traffic.

Efforts to address the storm's aftermath across the country are ongoing.