Climate - Milos (Greece)

In Milos, the most south-western island of the Cyclades, and on the nearby islands of Kimolos, Polyaigos and Antimilos, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild, rainy winters and warm, sunny summers.
The island is windy, and in summer, it is cooled by a wind which often blows from the north. The wind has been exploited for centuries by windmills.
The interior of the island is flat in the eastern part, while the western one is occupied by hills, whose highest point is Mount Profitis Elias, 748 meters (2,454 feet) high. The island is of origin volcanic and is characterized by a lunar landscape, with rocky terrain, caves and sulfur springs.
At sea level, the daily average temperature ranges from 11.5 °C (52.5 °F) in January and February to 25 °C (77 °F) in July and August. Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation follows the Mediterranean pattern, in fact, it is concentrated from October to March, and it's not abundant, since it amounts to about 410 millimeters (16 inches) per year, which is confirmed by the aridity of the landscape. In summer, it practically never rains. Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from December to mid-March, is mild, quite rainy and windy. The wind, frequent and sometimes intense, exacerbates the feeling of cold. Sometimes, the area can be affected by cold air coming from the Balkans, in fact, there can be cold days, with highs below 10 °C (50 °F), and sometimes, even snow can fall, although generally there is no accumulation at sea level, and at night, the temperature almost never falls below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F).

Spring, from mid-March to May, is mild and sunny, and also quite windy. By mid-May, the Meltemi starts to blow, a persistent wind, cool and dry, blowing from the north for a few days in a row, especially during the daytime, but sometimes even at night.

Summer, from June to mid-September, is warm and sunny, but also windy. The Meltemi blows for long periods, especially in July and August, and it's stronger in the afternoon, but can insist also in the evening. Thanks to this wind, the maximum temperature remains almost always below 30 °C (86 °F), even though we can not be exclude periods with temperatures about 35/36 °C (95/97 °F), and very rarely, even peaks of 40 °C (104 °F).

Autumn, from mid-September to November, is initially warm and sunny, but then it gradually becomes cooler and rainier. Autumn too is windy: as long as the weather is good, the Meltemi still blows, while later, the wind blows along with disturbances from the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea.



The amount of sunshine in Milos is excellent in summer, when clear skies prevail, while it's not so high from November to February, when the sky is often cloudy, although sunny days may occur also in midwinter.
Here are the average daily sunshine hours in nearby Naxos.

The temperature of the sea is never very high, however, it is warm enough for swimming from July to September, and reaches 24 °C (75 °F) in August; in June, it's still a bit cool, about 21 °C (70 °F). Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to go to Milos for a beach holiday is the summer, from June to mid-September.
It's better to bring a sweatshirt for cool evenings, which occur mainly in June, but given the intensity of the wind, those who are sensitive to cold may feel a bit cool also in July and August.
If you want to go on excursions, you can go in spring, in April and May, but since it's usually not too hot, you can stroll around the island also in summer.

Back to the Cyclades Islands.