Torrential downpour

Who says it doesn't rain in Cyprus in June. We have just had a absolute torrential downpour accompanied by thunder and lighting which lasted over two hours.


I have just looked at the average rainfall for mid-June and it's 2cm. We had a stream running down the road outside our property and at least 7cm of rain has fallen.

The olive trees are under water and our cactus bed has been completely flooded.  At least the young fruit trees and vegetables will not need watering for few days but quite a few sunflowers have collapsed.


Hopefully, the rain has also fallen in the vicinities where reservoirs are located which will be a benefit.


I, however, feel sorry for the local farmers who have mounds of grain all around the village, as it will probably take days of turning to re-dry the grain. The combine harvesters will also not be able to get out into the muddy fields for some days and so harvesting will be delayed and such a torrential downpour will likely have an impact on grain quality.


The black eyed beans will also, if they have not yet germinated, have to be re-sown as when the sun does re-emerge it will bake the soil's surface to a hard crust and not allow the plants to emerge. For those who planted their beans early and whose plants have emerged it will mean rotavating to break-up the soil between the plants or they will be strangled when a hard crust is formed.