Climate - Ikaria (Greece)

In Ikaria, an island of the Eastern Aegean Sea, belonging to the Southern Sporades, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild, rainy winters and warm, sunny summers. The average temperature ranges from 10 °C (50 °F) in January and February to 25 °C (77 °F) in July and August.
Here are the average temperatures.

Rainfall amounts to almost 700 millimeters (27.5 inches) per year, and is concentrated between October and April; it often occurs in the form of thunderstorm, and sometimes may be abundant. In summer, it almost never rains. Owing to the length of the dry period, the landscape is semi-arid. Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from December to mid-March, is mild enough: daytime temperatures hover around 13/14 °C (55/57 °F). The rains are quite frequent, and can sometimes be abundant, especially in December and January. However, there is a moderate amount of sunny days too. Sometimes, it can get a bit cold, with highs below 10 °C (50 °F). The wind can increase the feeling of cold. Every now and then, even snow can fall, especially in inland hills, which reach a thousand meters (3,300 feet) of altitude.

Spring, from mid-March to May, is mild, and over the weeks, it becomes progressively warmer, with more sun and less rain. By mid-May, the Meltemi begins to blow: it is an insistent wind, cool and dry, which blows for some days in a row, especially during the day, but sometimes even at night.

Summer, from June to mid-September, is warm and sunny. The Meltemi, the wind from the north-west, often blows, keeping the temperature generally acceptable, although it blows with less intensity than on the islands of the Central Aegean Sea. When the Meltemi blows, the maximum temperature remains below 30 °C (86 °F), otherwise the temperature rises, and there can be periods of intense heat, which usually last a few days, with highs about 33/36 °C (91/97 °F).

Autumn, from mid-September to November, is pleasantly warm and often sunny at first, then it gradually becomes milder, while the rains become more frequent.



The amount of sunshine in Ikaria is great in summer, when clear skies prevail, and it is very good in late spring, while in autumn and winter, sunny periods alternate with others characterized by clouds and rain.
Here are the average daily sunshine hours in nearby Chios.

The sea is warm enough for swimming from July to September, when it reaches 23/24 °C (73/75 °F): we are in the Aegean area, where the sea is not very warm because of the wind, which mixes the surface waters with the deeper ones. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to go to Ikaria for a beach holiday runs from June to mid-September.
You can bring a sweatshirt for cool evenings, which occur mainly in June, but in windy periods, those who are sensitive to cold may feel a little cool also in July and August.
In May, not only the sea is still a bit cold, but also the air can be cool for sunbathing, at least on certain days.
If you want to visit cities or to go on excursions on the island, you can choose the spring, in April and May, since in summer it can be hot (though quite rarely). You can also choose autumn, at least in September and October, while later, the rains increase.

Back to the North Aegean Islands.