In Cyprus, snow turns the Troodos into a Winter Wonderland from December to February
In fact, so regular has the snowfall been each year, that way back in 1947 the Cyprus skiing club was formed by a few intrepid chaps from the British military, who had to hike to the slopes of Mount Olympus because the general lack of snow-clearing equipment on the island left the roads to the summit blocked.
But times have changed over the last sixty years, and today the Mount Olympus Ski Resort, as it's now known, has become a regular destination for Winter Sports fanatics from around Europe.
With four pistes and a bespoke cross-country track it's grown too since the early years. And, what's more, these days there are snow-ploughs and ski-lifts too, so you no longer have to hike uphill for miles before being able to hurl yourself back down the mountainside. |
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More Information about the annual Rainfall in Cyprus and a couple of other Weather Quirks
In Cyprus, when it rains, it rains. And the vast bulk of the stuff falls in January and February. So if you're planning to visit the island during these months, be sure to bring an umbrella, unless you've come to enjoy all the snow in the Troodos Mountains that is. Having said that, even the wettest month of the year only averages eight rainy days.
Of course, some years are dryer than others, and during the 2007/2008 Winter Cyprus hardly saw any rainfall at all, most of the dams dried up, and water rationing was introduced.
By contrast, the 2009/2010 Winter has been a very wet one, and water rationing is thankfully no longer a feature of life in Cyprus.
But Cyprus Winters aren't all about rain, we see some great thunder storms and tornados too. |
A Ski Resort on a Mediterranean Island? Do they get enough Snow?
Ok, so if you're imagining anything like you'd find in Switzerland, Austria or the French Alps, you may be just a little disappointed. The Troodos Mountains are certainly not the Alps, and in Cyprus, snow, though a regular enough feature, isn't as heavy as further north. We are a Mediterranean island after all.
Nevertheless, the Mount Olympus Ski Resort has everything you need to enjoy a great day's skiing, and since 2003, they even have their own snow-making machinery, for those years when nature just doesn't want to play along. |
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Plenty of accommodation for skiing enthusiasts can be found in the hotels of Platres, a charming little resort a little downhill from the pistes, and equipment and instruction are available onsite. There are four ski-lifts, open from 9AM to 4PM, normally between early December to the end of February. If you'd like a little more information, visit the Cyprus Ski Federation Website. |
Cyprus gets some great Thunder Storms, and the occasional Tornado too
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In Cyprus, rainfall is quite often accompanied by thunder and lightning, and frequently the light shows can get pretty spectacular. This holds especially true when storms roll in from the sea in the evening and the horizon is illuminated almost constantly by lightning.
From the start of the rainy season at the beginning of December until the end of March thunder storms are at their most common on the island, very occasionally bringing with them some heavy hail too. |
And then of course there are the Tornados... What do you mean nobody told you about those?
Ok, so Cyprus isn't exactly tornado-alley, and though we frequently get little whirl-winds, dust-devils and waterspouts, what you'd call a proper tornado is actually quite a rare occurrence. Statistically speaking, the island sees one about every three years, and since moving to the island in 2005 I've heard tell of one, and witnessed another. Back in January 2009 I actually managed to photograph one, as it passed about a mile from my front-door on the Oroklini seafront.
According to the local Met Office, they tend to happen between January and April, and the average size of one of these things is about a hundred yards across at the base. This makes them plenty big enough to cause quite a bit of damage. So when you take out home insurance it might be an idea to check you're adequately covered against storm damage, though there really is practically no risk of being hit at all. Still, better safe than sorry, eh?
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Is Moving to Cyprus still a good idea?
The last few years have seen the economic situation in Britain gradually become worse and worse, and the UK is now a far less desirable place to live than it was a decade ago. But given economic conditions around Europe, is moving to Cyprus still such a viable proposition, especially in view of the Pound's dismal standing on the global money markets?
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