cyprus flooding
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Torrential rain has caused extensive flooding in areas south of Nicosia, as a severe weather front arrived over Cyprus.

Worst affected was the Alambra district, near the Limassol highway, 20 kilometres from Nicosia.

Several houses were flooded and the Fire Brigade rescued people who were in imminent danger of drowning.

Most of them were trapped in cars which were washed away by torrents.

A woman driving a car was saved by sheer luck, when her drifting vehicle was entangled in the roots of a big tree ---and she managed to climb on the car's roof and call for help.

She was lifted to safety by firemen and members of the civil disaster squad.

Also in Alambra, lightning struck a house which caught fire and its occupants had to rush outside.

The Fire Brigade said it answered over 100 calls to pump water out of houses and rescue trapped people in Alambra and the nearby communities of Dhali, Nisou and Ayia Varvara.

The Mayor of Dhali said the area is still facing many problems despite the fact that the town has an effective anti-flood system. He added the rain was so intense that it caused flooding within half an hour.

The Nicosia-Limassol highway was closed for more than an hour because water covered the surface and several other roads in the area are still under water.