Validation of the European Ionosonde Service nowcasting foF2 maps over the eastern Mediterranean

•EIS maps and manually scaled foF2 discrepancy over Nicosia peaks, in high solar activity winter.•Nicosia foF2 is underestimated over 04:00–06:00 and 14:00–16:00 UT from October to February.•This overestimation-underestimation pattern appears for all years under investigation.