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CYPRUS will face Sahara-like conditions in 10 to 20 years if climate change continues at the current rate, experts said yesterday as temperatures clocked in at five degrees higher than average for this time of year.

From 1900-1991 the average temperature in Cyprus rose from 18.9C to 19.5C. The average is now 20.2C degrees. In other words, Cyprus warmed more in the last 20 years than it did in the previous 90.

“The increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall are causing major damages, and in Cyprus this means desertification.” Theodosiou was keen to stress that this irreversible desertification is not caused by climate change, but is definitely made worse because of it. “There is a misunderstanding that desertification is caused by climate change, but this is wrong. Desertification is caused by human activity, but roads and large developments etc. However, Climate change enlarges the problem.”

The wandering grey whale that bewildered scientists after appearing off the coast of Israel last month is now paying a visit to northeastern Spain.The sighting near Barcelona Harbour means the whale, believed to be one that would normally swim past Vancouver Island, travelled about 3,000 kilometres since it was last spotted 23 days earlier.

Although scientists have not been able to positively identify where the 12-metre whale came from, the most likely scenario is that it's part of the population that would normally swim past Vancouver Island, migrating from birthing lagoons in Mexico to the Bering Sea, and that it swam through the Northwest Passage in an increasingly ice-free Arctic.

There is speculation the whale was following food -- some observers say there are signs populations are dropping, possibly because warming waters mean less food. The tiny marine life they thrive on needs cooler temperatures to survive.