NIKOSIA (dpa-AFX) - Summer is on its way to the vacation island of Cyprus with temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius. According to the Cyprus Meteorological Office on Tuesday, temperatures in the interior of the island and in the capital Nicosia are expected to reach 42 degrees Celsius during the course of the day. On the coasts, thermometers are expected to rise to 37 degrees. In addition to the high temperatures, there are also concerns about the water: due to the unusually dry winter, the water reservoirs of the small EU island republic are only 42 percent full, reported Cypriot media in reference to the Cypriot water authority. In June last year, they were almost 66 percent full.

According to Cypriot meteorologists, the heatwave is expected to last until Friday - it is coming very early in the year and, like the drought, is a consequence of climate change. Doctors advised the elderly and people with heart and respiratory problems to stay at home. Outdoor work should be stopped around midday./tt/DP/stw