Northern Cyprus hosts
over 1600 plant specia of which 22 are
endemic, 350 species of birds, of which
7 are endemic, and 26 different species
of reptile and amphibia.
The two main reasons for this amazing
diversity are, firstly, that Cyprus was
not affected by the last ice-age (which
wiped out many species from areas further
north), and secondly, that Cyprus forms
a resting and nesting station for birds
migrating between Africa and Eastern Europe.
TRNC has an intense Mediterranean
climate with the typical seasonal rhythms
strongly marked in respect of temperature,
rainfall and weather generally. Hot,
dry summers from mid-May to mid-October
and rainy, rather changeable winters
from mid-November to mid-March are separated
by short autumn and spring seasons of
rapid change in weather conditions.
The long narrow Besparmak mountain range,
play an important part in the meteorology
of TRNC. The predominantly clear skies
and extensive sunshine give large seasonal
and daily differences between temperatures
of the sea and the interior of the island
which also cause considerable local
effects especially near the coast.At
Latitude 35 degrees north and Longitude
33 degrees east, TRNC has a change in
day-length from 9.8 hours in December
to 14.5 hours in June. In summer the
TRNC is mainly under the influence of
a shallow trough of low pressure extending
from the great continental depression
centered over southwest Asia. It is
a season of high temperatures with almost
cloudless skies. Rainfall is negligible
but isolated thunderstorms sometimes
occur giving rainfall amounting to less
than 5% of the total in the average
year. In winter, TRNC is near the track
of fairly frequent small depressions
which cross the Mediterranean Sea from
west to east between the continental
anti-cyclone of Eurasia and the generally
low pressure belt of North Africa. These
depressions give periods of disturbed
weather usually lasting for a day or
so and produce most of the annual precipitation,
the average amount from December to
February being nearly two thirds of
the year`s total.
Streams
in Cyprus
There are not flowing streams on the
island. The rivers used to flow both
in winter and summer. But now they flow
only in rainy winters. Kanlidere and
Yayla are the two important streams
in TRNC.
Natural
Vegetation
Vegetation is surprisingly variable
an psentiful although Cyprus is a small
island. Some parts of the island are
ithout vegetation whereas some are covered
with forests. The main reasons are the
climate, altitude, soils etc. on mountainous
areas where the rate of the rainfall
is high and the temperature is cooler,
the vegatation is sirch. However, in
the plains the vegetation is poor, as
the rate of rainfall is low and the
temperatures too highNatural vegatation
of Cyprus can be divided into four groups:
1. Forests large areas of Troodos Mountains
and Borthern slopes of Besparmak Mountains(before
the 1995 forest fire) were covered with
forests. The most common tree is Aleppo
pine(Pinus halepensis brutia) followed
by Troodos pine(pinus nigra), cedar
trees, cypress trees and Cyprus oak
(Laca- quercus alnifolia). Aleppo pine
covers 90% of the forests in Cyprus.
About 17% of the whole island is being
classified as woodland. Where the forest
has been destroyed, tall shrub communities
of arbutus and rachne, pistacia terebinthus,
olea europea, quercus coccifera and
styrax officinalis may survive, but
such maquis is uncommon. Over most of
the island untilled ground bears a grazed
covering of garigue, largely composed
of low bushes of cistus, genista sphacelata
calycotoime villosa, lithospermum hispidulum,
phaganalon rupestre and, locally, pistacia
lentiscus. Where grazing is excessive
this covering is soon reduced, and an
impoverished batha remains, consisting
principally of thymus capitatus, sarcopoterium
spinosum, and a few stunted herbs.TRNC
has a variety of natural vegetation.
This includes forests of hardwood, evergreen
and broadleaved trees such as pinus
latepensis, cedar, cypressus and oak.
2. Maquis Maquis are small evergreen
trees or shrubs. Typical examples are
wild olive, myrtle, wild carob, turpentine
tree etc. they represent a degeneration
of the evergreen forests. They are impenetrable,
thorny shrubs rising to aa height of
not more than 3 m. In TRNC between Yenierenköy
and Dipkarpaz and in the South around
Akrotiri best examples could be seen.
3.Garrigues Garrigues occur when further
degeneration occurs. They are lowgrowing,
spiny scrubs. They grow in very dry
areas where the soil is derived from
limestone. Thyme and Mazi are typical
garrigues. They are found in Southern
slopes of Besparmak and Troodos mooountains.
4. Steppes This type of vegetation grows
basically in Mesarya plain where seasonal
variations in temperature and low rainfall
is common. Trees are rare, and the landscape
is one off various species of grasses
and bulbous plants. Following the rains
in winter the growth starts, but lasts
only 2-3 months. In summer and autumn
only hardy bushes and thorny plants
shows signs of life. Gonnara and Catrez
are typical examples.
Birds and
Animals
TRNC has been endowed with a rich fauna
including a large number of endemic
birds, reptiles and animals. Because
of its position, TRNC is also a vital
stop-over for thousands of migratory
birds which find the island an ideal
place for both feeding and refuge. Among
the animals the moufflon occupies an
outstanding position and is considered
as one of the natural treasures of the
island. The moufflon belongs to the
sheep family but this species is unique
in the world. This animal has long been
in danger of extinction, but today is
a fully protected species.
Environmental
Issues
Water resource problems: no natural
reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity
in rainfall, sea water intrusion to
island`s largest aquifer, increased
salination in the northern (TRNC) part.
Rainfall
The narrow ridge of the Besparmak range,
stretching 100 miles from east to west
along the extreme north of the island,
produces a relatively small increase
of rainfall to nearly 550 millimetres
along its ridge at about 1,000 metres.
The average annual rainfall is about
500 millimetres but it was as low as
213 millimetres in 1972/73 and as high
as 800 millimetres in 1968/69. Statistical
analysis of rainfall in Cyprus reveals
a decreasing trend of rainfall amounts
in the last decades. Snow occurs rarely
in the lowlands and on the Besparmak
range.
Hail and
Thunder
Hail is reported on an average two or
three times a year in the lowlands and
probably three times as frequently on
the mountains, usually between November
and May, in most districts of Cyprus.
Months most liable to have hailstorms
are December to April but can occur,
although rarely, in early summer and
autumn, causing considerable damage
to fruit crops. Thunder is rare from
June to September but in other seasons
is heard on average on four or five
days per month from October to January
and two or three days per month from
February to May.
Air Temperatures
TRNC has a hot summer and mild winter
but this generalization must be modified
by consideration of altitude, which
lowers temperatures by about 5 degrees
C per 1,000 metres, and of marine influences
which give cooler summers and warmer
winters near most of the coastline and
especially on the west coast.The seasonal
difference between mid-summer and mid-winter
temperatures is quite large at 18 degrees
C in the inland areas and about 14 degrees
C on the coasts. Differences between
day maximum and night minimum temperatures
are also quite large especially in the
inland areas in summer. These differences
are in winter 8 degrees C to 10 degrees
C on the lowlands and 5 degrees C to
6 degrees C on the mountains increasing
in summer to 16 degrees C in the central
plain and 9 degrees C to 12 degrees
C elsewhere.In July and August the mean
daily temperature ranges between 29
degrees C on the central plain and 24
degrees C on the costal range, while
the average maximum temperature for
these months ranges between 36 degrees
C and 31 degrees C respectively. In
January the mean daily temperature is
10 degrees C on the central plain and
12 degrees C on the costal range with
an average minimum temperature of 5
degrees C and 9 degrees C respectively.
Frosts are rarely severe but are frequent
in winter and spring inland and sometimes
affect the economically important production
of early vegetable crops and main citrus.
Sea Temperatures
In the open sea, temperatures rise to
27 degrees C in August and are above
22 degrees C during the six months from
June to November. During the three coolest
months, January to March, average sea
temperature falls only to 16 degrees
C or 17 degrees C. Near all coasts,
in water three or four metres deep,
temperatures are very similar to those
of the open sea and lie within the range
15 degrees C to 17 degrees C in February
and 23 degrees C to 28 degrees C in
August.There is no significant daily
change of sea water temperature except
on the coast in very shallow waters
of less than one metre depth.
Soil
Temperatures
Seasonal change in mean soil temperatures
is from about 10 degrees C in January
to 33 degrees C in July at 10 centimetres
depth and from 14 degrees C to 28 degrees
C at one metre. Absorption of large
amounts of solar energy during the day
and high radiation losses with clear
skies at night cause a wide daily range
of soil temperatures in summer. At the
soil surface the daily variation on
a typical July day in the lowlands is
between 15 degrees C near dawn to about
60 degrees C in mid afternoon. At only
5 centimetres depth the variation is
reduced to between 24 degrees C and
42 degrees C and at 50 centimetres depth
there is no daily temperature change.
Relative
Humidity of the Air
Elevation above mean sea level and distance
from the coast have considerable effects
on the relative humidity which to a
large extent are a reflection of temperature
differences. Humidity may be described
as average or slightly low at 65% to
95% during winter days and at night
throughout the year. Near midday in
summer it is very low with values on
the central plain usually a little over
30% and occasionally as low as 15%.
Fog is infrequent and usually confined
to the early mornings but there are
longer periods in the mountains in winter
when cloud often envelopes the highest
peaks. Visibility is generally very
good or excellent but on a few days
each spring the atmosphere is very hazy
with dust brought from the Arabian and
African deserts.
Sunshine
All parts of TRNC enjoy a very sunny
climate. In the central plain and eastern
lowlands the average number of hours
of bright sunshine for the whole year
is 75% of the time that the sun is above
the horizon. Over the whole six summer
months there is an average of 11.5 hours
of bright sunshine per day whilst in
winter this is reduced only to 5.5 hours
in the cloudiest months, December and
January. Even on the mountains the cloudiest
winter months have an average of nearly
4 hours of bright sunshine per day and
in June and July the figure reaches
11 hours.
Winds
Over the eastern Mediterranean generally
surface winds are mostly westerly or
southwesterly in winter and northwesterly
or northerly in summer. Usually of light
or moderate strength, rarely reaching
of that of gale force.Over the island
of Cyprus winds are quite variable in
direction with orography and local heating
effects playing a large part in the
determination of local wind direction
and strength. Differences of temperature
between sea and land which are built
up daily in predominant periods of clear
skies in summer cause considerable sea
and land breezes. Whilst these are most
marked near the coasts they regularly
penetrate far inland in summer reaching
the capital, Lefkosa and often bringing
a welcome reduction of temperature and
also an increase in humidity.
Gales are infrequent over TRNC but may
occur especially on exposed coasts with
winter depressions. Small whirlwinds
are common in summer appearing mostly
near midday as "dust devils" on the
hot dry central plain. Very rarely vortices,
approaching a diameter of 100 metres
or so and with the characteristics of
water spouts at sea and of small tornadoes
on land, occur in thundery weather.
Localised damage caused by these has
been reported on a few occasions but
in general Cyprus suffers relatively
little wind damage
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