Rolling power cuts imposed as temperatures soared into the red warning zone have sparked a political storm, with parties rounding on the government over its handling of the energy crisis.
Cyprus remains in the grip of a punishing heatwave, with temperatures inland reaching 44C – a new high for the year so far.
The Democratic Rally has accused the government of sloppiness and delay, with its Parliamentary Committee on Energy setting out 119 interventions the party says it made on energy matters since 2023, all of which, it claims, were ignored by the government.
“The Democratic Rally has repeatedly warned of the need to press ahead immediately with energy storage,” the party said in a statement. “Yet instead of timely planning and resolve, the government has been mired in sloppiness and incoherence.”
AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou went further, branding Thursday’s power cuts the clearest evidence yet of what he called the wholesale collapse of the country’s energy policy in recent years.
“Cyprus was not left in the dark by accident,” Mr Stefanou said. “It was left in the dark because the Anastasiades, Disy and Christodoulides governments failed to prepare the country. Worse still, it is ordinary citizens who are now paying dearly for that failure.”
Meanwhile, authorities have been placed on heightened alert as the sweltering conditions persist, with officials urging particular caution among vulnerable groups, who have been advised to take precautions to protect themselves from the heat.
The Civil Defence has issued guidance to the public on guarding against the exceptionally high temperatures, while an order has also been enacted suspending outdoor work during the hours an orange warning remains in force.
