Parched Cyprus prays to heavens for rain
Cyprus is looking for divine intervention to overcome its worst drought in almost 10 years, as the island’s archbishop, Chrysostomos II, has asked priests to pray for rain when they preach their sermons on Sunday. In a circular issued to all of Cyprus’s priests yesterday, Chrysostomos called for special prayers to be offered on December 2 to end the drought. «Justifiably, our people are anxious, because if the drought continues there will be severe consequences not only for agriculture, livestock farming and forestry but also for the sources by which our towns and villages are supplied with water,» the archbishop said. Reservoir levels are at only 8 percent of capacity, compared to 25 percent at the same time last year. Reservoir levels in Cyprus are at their lowest since 1998.
