Climate - Cyprus

Index

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• Introduction
• Coast - Larnaca
• Interior - Nicosia, Prodromos
• Best Time
• What to pack

Introduction

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Cyprus has a Mediterranean climate along the coast, with mild and rainy winters and hot and sunny summers, while in the inland plain of Nicosia the climate is hotter in summer. In the mountainous areas, the climate is obviously colder.

The coast

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Along the coast, the climate is typically Mediterranean, with average daily temperatures in January around 11/12 degrees Celsius (52/54 °F). Rainfall is not abundant, about 350/400 millimeters (14/16 inches) per year in cities like Larnaca and Limassol, and most of the rainfall occurs from November to March, with a peak in December and January. In winter, periods of bad weather, sometimes even a bit cold, alternate with periods of good weather, when the sun shines. Summer along the coast is long, since it runs from late May to early October, and it's hot and sunny, a little muggy but also tempered by steady breezes. In general, along the coasts, it never rains for a long period, from June to September, during which the sun always shines.

Larnaca

Here are the average temperatures in Larnaca, located on the south-eastern coast.

As mentioned, the rains on the coast follow the Mediterranean pattern and are not abundant, although they can occasionally be heavy in winter. Here is the average precipitation in Larnaca.

The sea in Cyprus is warm enough for swimming from June to October. In winter, it is a bit cold, though it doesn't drop below 17 °C (63 °F).

Interior

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Nicosia

In the Mesaoria Plain, winter is still mild, but it's slightly colder: the average temperature in January is about 10 °C (50 °F), and the temperature at night can drop to around freezing. Summer is very hot, so much so that in the capital, Nicosia, highs are about 37 °C (99 °F) in July and August. The presence of such a hot area makes Cyprus the hottest island of the Mediterranean. During heat waves from Africa, the temperature in Nicosia can reach or exceed 40 °C (104 °F) from May to October.

The rainfall pattern is similar to that of the coast: in Nicosia, average annual precipitation is about 340 mm (13.5 in), with a maximum in winter, from December to February, while it hardly ever rains in summer.

In Nicosia, and generally in Cyprus, the sky is almost always clear in the long summer, but the sun shines for a good number of hours even in winter. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Prodromos

The reason why in Nicosia the summer is so hot, lies in the fact that the plain where it is located is locked between two chains of mountains, which hinder sea breezes: in the north lies the chain of Kyrenia (or Girne), while in the south, namely in the central part of the island, lie the Troodos Mountains, culminating in Mount Olympus, 1,952 meters (6,404 feet) high. There is also a ski lift for winter sports. The two mountain ranges have a greener landscape and are covered by forests.
Here are the average temperatures of Prodromos, situated at the foot of Mount Olympus, at 1,300 meters (4,250 feet) of altitude.

Here, precipitation amounts to 800 mm (31.5 in) per year, and in winter, when it can also snow and freeze, it is abundant. In summer, rare thundershowers can sometimes occur. Here is the average precipitation.

Best Time

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If you want to visit the cities of Cyprus, the Greco-Roman ruins as well as the Byzantine monasteries, the best periods are spring and autumn, and in particular, from mid-April to mid-May and from mid-October to mid-November, when you can find daytime temperatures around 20/25 °C (68/77 °F), with cool nights, sometimes a bit cold in the plain of Nicosia; sometimes, however, it can rain. Spring is more advisable because it has longer days, and also because nature in this period is in bloom. By choosing these two periods, you can avoid the summer heat, and this applies especially for the plain of Nicosia, where the heat is often intense.
For a beach holiday, you can go from mid-May to mid-October, even though, as previously mentioned, the sea is still cool in May.
As a compromise, it is possible to combine excursions with some moments of relaxation at the beach, for example in June and September, remembering that it can get hot, especially away from the coast.

What to pack

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In winter: bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweater, a jacket, and a raincoat or umbrella. For the mountains, bring warm clothes, such as a down jacket and a hat.
In summer: bring light clothing, sunscreen, a sun hat, a light sweatshirt for the evening, and a scarf for the breeze. For the mountains, bring a sweatshirt or sweater, a light jacket, and hiking shoes.