Siberia gets the blame for latest freeze
By Andreas Avgousti
THE DEARTH of rain and unseasonable cold have been attributed to the Siberian anti-cyclone that visits our island annually.
The weather phenomenon has been affecting Cyprus since the end of December and seems to have overstayed its welcome this year round.
The Mail asked senior meteorological officer Loizos Stefanou to explain what the Siberian anti-cyclone is: “Anticyclone means high pressure.
“The air masses move parallel to the concentric formation of the anti-cyclone. The anti-cyclone moves clockwise, heading south from Siberia, turning on Cyprus and heading for Europe.”
A recession of the anti-cyclone is a necessary but insufficient condition before any rain can fall.
Air masses from Western Europe must also approach Cyprus so that low pressure is created.
Data from the Bureau of Meteorology shows that the precipitation of January 2008 is at a worrisome four per cent (4.6mm) of the expected precipitation that usually occurs in the first month of the year (102.4mm).
Up to now, this has been the worst precipitation on record since 1901, adding to the island’s water woes.
The water in the dams is, at best, at 46.3 per cent of capacity in one of the smallest of dams at Arminou. At worst, it is at 0.4 per cent of capacity in the medium-sized Kalavassos dam.
Kouris dam which is the largest is carrying a measly 4.1 per cent of its capacity.
It is not just the drop in precipitation we have to worry about.
The temporal and long-term effects of the cold the Siberian anti-cyclone has brought with it are also a concern.
Meteorological data shows that during the first fortnight of January, actual temperatures have been as much as seven degrees Celsius below those expected.
It is forecast that temperatures of approximately 13 degrees in the day and around 0 degrees at night will continue into this week.
An important consequence of the low temperatures is that ice forms on roads, making them slippery and therefore dangerous.
The Traffic police are on alert and have made announcements warning drivers to be extremely careful.
Agricultural products have not escaped unscathed from the unusually cold temperatures.
The potato plantations have suffered irreparably, with large quantities in Famagusta’s Kokkinohoria area being decimated.
The decline in greenhouse temperatures also means that tomatoes, cucumbers and the like have been affected.
Citrus fruit production has also received a blow, with the damage gradually becoming apparent as citrus trees begin the premature rejection of the fruit.
Potato farmer spokesman Andreas Karyos said that the effect on agricultural products “will have a severe knock-on effect on the economy.”
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And there was me thinking I could be fit at 50! Still got a few months to go before I get to that big birthday. I might make it yet. 
