Paphos Life

Health authorities said Monday they were expecting more cases of heatstroke as temperatures reached their highest of any July in the past 30 years, claiming the lives of two women aged 60 and 75.

The 75-year-old woman, who had a pre-existing medical condition, died from heatstroke on Sunday. The 60-year-old was found unconscious at her home in Nicosia on Sunday and taken to hospital. Her death was announced on Monday.

Three other incidents of heat stroke were recorded on Sunday at the Nicosia General Hospital. One of the cases concerned a of a year old whose parents left it out to play near a pool in the afternoon.


“Yesterday there were four cases of heat stroke at the Nicosia General Hospital, while a 75-year-old, with a severe medical history and chronic diabetes problems, died,” Assistant Director of the Emergencies Department of Nicosia, Andreas Eliades, said.

According to Eliades, the other three people are hospitalised with high fever at Nicosia General Hospital, but are out of danger.

Calling for public awareness, he recommended that large amounts of water should be consumed during the day, as well as fruit and vegetables, avoidance of alcohol, coffee and heavy foods such as oil, chocolates, spices.

Additionally, exposure to the sun should be avoided, as well as unnecessary movement and heavy physical exercise.

“More attention should be paid to the vulnerable population groups, such as infants, elderly people and pregnant women, while people with chronic diseases or under medication, such as diuretics or antidepressants, should consult their doctor for any special measures needed to be taken,” Eliades concluded.

It is noted that the temperature is expected to gradually decline as from Tuesday.

On July 1, the maximum temperature in Paphos Airport reached 41.6C. On July 2, the maximum temperature at Athalassa in Nicosia reached 44.6C, in the new port Limassol 41.4C, in Paralimni 41.9 C and the mountains 36.7C.
“All the above maximum temperatures are record temperatures for the month of July in the last 30 years, as well as all-time records over the last 30 years, except the maximum temperature at Athalassa, which was the second highest after August 1, 2010 when it reached 45.6 C in Nicosia, the highest recorded since the beginning of last century. What was the second highest until now was 44.4C recorded in Nicosia on August 8, 1956.”

“As from Tuesday and up to the end of the week, temperatures are expected to gradually drop at a normal level,” a met official said. Normal levels for this time of year are around 36C-37C.

Due to the high temperatures, the Nicosia Municipality announced that its multipurpose centre will be open to the public in the coming days to offer cold drinks and an air-conditioned space to all those members of the public in need of escaping the scorching heat.

The municipality said the centre, aiming at helping Nicosians endure the heat of the coming days, will be open daily from 7.30am to 6pm.

The multipurpose centre is located at 40 Nikiforos Fokas street near the Famagusta Gate. For info call 22 797850.

In addition, the public will be able to shelter from the heat at the air-conditioned halls in the Strovolos Town Hall canteen, the Strovolos Cultural Centre and the Strovolos Elderly Club, that will be at the disposal of the vulnerable groups.

According to an announcement of the Municipality of Strovolos, the halls will be available to the public from 8am to 3pm.

source:- http://cyprus-mail.com/2017/07/03/hospi ... es-monday/

I can remember the last time when there was a very long heatwave in Cyprus, 6 weeks of scorching temperatures until mid August 1998 with many people (56) died from heat stroke. I was in Italy then high up in the mountains (Dolomites) for holidays. The plan was 2 weeks to stay there, but when I got a phone call from Cyprus that people are dying from the heat I extended the holidays and stayed 6 weeks instead with pleasant temperatures of 23c

Article from that time:
Wednesday, August 12, 1998

[03] Temperatures finally fall

By Athena Karsera
AFTER claiming 56 lives in the last days, the heatwave yesterday finally began to subside.

Meteorologists say temperatures are expected to continue falling in the next few days. Yesterday's high was 39 degrees Celsius, and temperatures are expected to drop to 37 degrees today and tomorrow.

Health Minister Christos Solomis yesterday assured the public that the chaotic situation at the island's hospitals, caused by the high number of heat-related emergencies, was under control: "The situation has definitely improved", he said. "We are at the end, we hope."

His comments came as the Health Ministry reported that another eight people had died overnight, raising the death toll to 56 since last Friday.

Hospitals treated between 3,000 and 3,500 people in heat-related incidents last weekend.

According to Solomis, all except Limassol Hospital yesterday reported a fall in the number of heat-related emergencies. After a visit to Limassol General Hospital yesterday Solomis ordered the employment of temporary emergency staff. Additional fans and air-conditioning units have also been installed at the hospital.

And the minister explained that the overcrowding of Larnaca Hospital's morgue was mostly due to the fact that only nine refrigeration chambers had been installed when the hospital was built, and that a backlog had built up as funerals are not held on Fridays and at weekends. The problem had been compounded by the failure of families to take possession of the corpses on time, mostly due to people waiting for relatives to arrive from overseas.

The high number of fatalities in Larnaca has been attributed to residents not being used to such high temperatures, and therefore not altering their behaviour accordingly. Solomis also said that high figures could be credited to the many refugee housing estates -- occupied mostly by the elderly -- in the area.

The Health Minister admitted that no exact figure could be given to the heat-related deaths, as most of the victims were elderly and most suffered chronic illness that had been aggravated by the heat.

He added that the true figure probably fell between 52 and 57. Most victims were not residents of retirement homes, as had first been thought, but people living on their own.

Solomis said that the lack of younger victims proved that a government campaign launched before and during the heatwave informing people of safety measures had been a success.

Max