Lightning cuts power to areas of Larnaca, Nicosia and Paphos — EAC withdraws personnel

Power outages have begun in Cyprus due to a severe thunderstorm: lightning is damaging equipment belonging to the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) network. The worst problems are in the districts of Larnaca, Nicosia and Paphos; the company has withdrawn its personnel, and all available crews have been put on alert.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (KYPE), EAC spokesperson Christina Papadopoulou said that intense storm activity was disabling network equipment, causing power supplies to be interrupted in some areas. Crews are working to repair the damage as quickly as possible.

The bad weather itself is complicating restoration efforts: safety requirements prohibit working on the network during intense thunderstorm activity. In some cases, repairs can begin only after the dangerous conditions have passed.

The most serious situation is in the Larnaca district, particularly in the community of Avgorou, where lightning struck the electricity network. Power disruptions have also been recorded in the Nicosia district, while damage has been reported in the Paphos district.

In the Nicosia district, services recorded around ten incidents and are receiving a large number of calls for help. These include fires in open areas, apparently caused by lightning strikes, as well as fallen trees and other objects. Sparking on electrical cables has also been reported separately and led to fires in some cases.

Lightning also struck near a secondary school in Kokkinotrimithia, where a large fire broke out. In Avgorou, a discharge hit an outbuilding next to a residential house; residents were threatened by fire and smoke, while neighbours rushed to help and evacuated domestic animals. EAC is asking residents to be patient until the damage is fully repaired and stresses that the safety of its workers is its priority.