Pomos dam overflows despite critically low water levels across Cyprus

The Pomos dam in the Paphos district reached its full capacity and overflowed on Saturday morning following recent rainfall. Sources provide conflicting figures for the dam's capacity, citing either 860,000 or 890,000 cubic meters. Harris Kasioulis, the Paphos district engineer for the Water Development Department (WDD), stated the overflow was anticipated as levels were near capacity by Friday. Despite this localized surplus, Cyprus' overall dam reserves are at a critical 14.1%, holding 41.1 million cubic meters compared to 26% (75.6 million cubic meters) at the same time last year. Kouris, the island's largest dam, is currently at 12.6% capacity, while the Kalavasos dam is at a low of 7.9%. Other small dams, including Klirou and Kato Pyrgos, have also overflowed recently. Met officer Tasos Koulentis noted that while the rain has aided irrigation in specific areas, the island-wide hydrological situation remains dire.