On Green Monday, the capital of Cyprus was blanketed with hail and snow
On March 18th, hail and snow fell on the capital of the Republic of Cyprus. On Green Monday, social media users shared images of Nicosia covered in white from the sudden precipitation.
The snowfall began in several districts of Nicosia around 18:00 and lasted for about 15 minutes. It affected the capital's areas of Strovolos, Latsia, and Tseri. Due to the snow with hail, some roads were blocked. Local residents had to shovel the fallen precipitation.
The fire department received a total of 78 calls, which were processed early Tuesday morning. Most of the calls were related to flooded house basements and the need to open storm drains, primarily in Strovolos, Latsia, Tseri, and Lakatamia. Citizens also requested assistance with towing stalled cars.
Road clearing work continued throughout the night. Twenty firefighting teams, two civil defense squads, and five volunteer squads were involved in clearing the aftermath of the snowfall.
An excavator was deployed to evacuate a large basement house in Strovolos, which was buried in snow and hail up to the roof.