A new phone system designed to alert the public of extreme weather warnings is expected to be rolled out next year in Cyprus.
Despite a small delay due to tender issues, the system will inform the public via SMS messages about earthquakes, fires, or other important weather, or natural events.
Civil Defense spokesperson Panagiotis Liasidis told Radio 3 on Friday that the system should be ready at the beginning of next year.
The plan is for messages to be sent to Cypriots, as well as foreign subscribers, in Greek and English.
Similar schemes are already operational in the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan.
In related news, users of pay-as-you-go mobile SIM cards in Cyprus may soon have to register by providing identification. As it stands, the cards can be picked up from kiosks and connected to the phone and internet network without the need for any paperwork.
Supporters of the idea say it will help in solving crimes faster as pre-paid cards are frequently used by criminals, especially for text scams.
