I SAMPANIA

Weather and Climate

The island enjoys an intense Mediterranean climate with long, warm and dry summers from mid-May to mid-October. The winters are mild and sometimes rainy, lasting from December to February. Summers and winters in Cyprus are separated by short autumn and spring seasons.

Temperatures

Summer on the island is a season of high temperatures with cloudless sky, but the sea breeze creates a pleasant atmosphere in coastal areas. The hottest month ranges from 21 – 34 °C, in the high summer the temperatures reach up to 40 °C. In the interior of the island the temperature during the coldest months is between 7 and 15 degrees. Relief is a significant factor as far as temperatures are concerned. The higher the relief the lower the temperature is. In sunny coastal holiday resorts is therefore higher temperature while the Troodos Mountains or the Kyrenia Mountain range gets more rainfall and lower temperatures. Winters are mild with some rain and only occasional quick-melting falls of snow. The whole island boasts high sunshine duration in all coastal areas, even in January there are generally six hours of bright sunshine during the day. The weather in Cyprus is really most pleasant for holidays all year round.

The following table shows the mean daily temperature to certain towns in Cyprus in January and July/August.

Rainfall and snow

The average rainfall of 402 mm, however, is below Mediterranean average, conforms more to the climate pattern of the eastern Mediterranean. Although snowfall is not typical of Cyprus plains and coastal areas, it can remain on the Troodos massif for 50 days a year. The coastal plains get a low rainfall, on average from 340 to 500 mm, falling predominately in the winter (Paphos town: 428 mm, Polis Chrysochou: 471 mm, Limassol town: 435 mm, Larnaca town: 369 mm). Nicosia town is characterized by lower average rainfall (324 mm) as it is situated in the outback of the island. In the hilly areas the average rainfall varies between 500 and 750 mm, falling particularly in winter, rarely in the summer. Due to the altitude, the highest number of rainfall is bound to the mountainous areas, where it ranges between 750 and 1110 mm with very little rainfall in the summer.