Cyprus conducts CY-ALERT tsunami drill for coastal regions
On Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the Cyprus Civil Defence Force is activating the national CY-ALERT early warning system to conduct a series of test notifications. The activity is part of the NEAMWave2026 exercise, an international initiative under the auspices of UNESCO designed to simulate an earthquake and subsequent tsunami emergency. Testing is scheduled to take place between 11:00 and 15:00, targeting mobile phone users currently located within designated coastal zones.
Authorities emphasize that these messages are exclusively for training purposes, and recipients should not be concerned or take any action. Only individuals with specific 'test' notification channels enabled on their mobile devices will receive the alerts. The exercise aims to evaluate the efficiency of the early warning infrastructure and improve inter-agency coordination in the event of a real disaster.
Historical context provided by the Civil Defence and experts highlights that the scenario is modeled after the catastrophic 1222 earthquake and tsunami that historically impacted Paphos and Limassol. This drill follows previous efforts to enhance disaster preparedness, as periodic assessments ensure that current systems remain capable of mitigating risks from potential seismic activity in the Mediterranean region.