The climate of Zakynthos (or Zante), a Greek island of the Ionian Sea, is
is quite abundant, in fact, it amounts to nearly 1,000 millimeters (40 inches) per year, but it is concentrated in the period from October to March, while in May and September, it rains little, and from June to August it almost never rains.
, from December to mid-March, is mild but rainy, especially in December and January, when more than 150 millimeters (6 inches) of rain fall per month. However, there is a moderate amount of sunny days too. The island is sheltered from cold spells, so much so that it almost never snows at sea level, while in inland hills, which reach 758 meters (2,487 ft) above sea level, sometimes it can snow, as happened in February 2012. Sometimes, however, a cold wind from the north can blow, and in the winter months, the minimum temperature at sea level can drop to 0 °C (32 °F) or slightly below.
, from mid-March to May, is mild; the rains gradually become rarer, and sunny days become increasingly more frequent. May is a pleasant month, before the summer heat.
, from June to mid-September, is sunny and hot: the maximum temperature often exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) and can easily reach as high as 35 °C (95 °F), especially in August; in the worst moments, it can reach 40 °C (104 °F). Luckily, sea breezes blow, providing relief, at least when the heat is not excessive, and in any case, you can cool yourself in the sea. This part of Greece, overlooking the Ionian Sea, is outside the area where the annoying but cooling wind called Meltemi blows, so the sea is warmer as well.
, from mid-September to November, is mild (and initially warm enough) and rainy. In October, there may still be many sunny days.
in Zakynthos is great in summer, when clear skies prevail, but it is also good in spring, when days with clear skies are already frequent. In contrast, From November to February, sunny days alternate with periods of bad weather.
, which, as mentioned, is higher than in the Aegean Sea, is warm enough for swimming from July to September, while in June it's a bit cool.
The month of May is preferable for excursions on the island, or maybe also the first half of October, since in summer, it can be too hot for this kind of activity.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.9 °C, with a minimum of
7.7 °C and a maximum of
14.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-3 °C in January 2015.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17.5 °C. However, it reached
20 °C in January 2010.
Precipitation amounts to
160 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 40% of the time.
The average humidity is 78%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
February is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
11.2 °C, with a minimum of
7.7 °C and a maximum of
14.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
-2 °C in February 2004.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
18.5 °C. However, it reached
21 °C in February 2016.
Precipitation amounts to
105 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 50 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 76%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.7 °C, with a minimum of
8.8 °C and a maximum of
16.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
3.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0 °C in March 1994.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20.5 °C. However, it reached
24 °C in March 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
90 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 50% of the time.
The average humidity is 74%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
April is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.3 °C, with a minimum of
11 °C and a maximum of
19.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
6 °C. However, it dropped to
2 °C in April 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24.5 °C. However, it reached
30 °C in April 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 61% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
8.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
16.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
May is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19.6 °C, with a minimum of
14.6 °C and a maximum of
24.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10 °C. However, it dropped to
7 °C in May 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30 °C. However, it reached
35 °C in May 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
20 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 10 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 71% of the time.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
8.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
19 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
June is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
24 °C, with a minimum of
18.5 °C and a maximum of
29.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
14 °C. However, it dropped to
11 °C in June 2013.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35 °C. However, it reached
39 °C in June 2007.
Precipitation amounts to only
7 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 40 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 11 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 75% of the time.
The average humidity is 60%.
The average wind speed is of
8.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
22.5 °C. Therefore, the sea can be considered barely acceptable for swimming.
July is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
26.6 °C, with a minimum of
20.8 °C and a maximum of
32.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
17 °C. However, it dropped to
13 °C in July 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
37 °C. However, it reached
42 °C in July 2007.
Precipitation amounts to only
6 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 25 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 12 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 83% of the time.
The average humidity is 57%.
The average wind speed is of
9.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
25 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
August, the hottest month of the year, is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
27.1 °C, with a minimum of
21.4 °C and a maximum of
32.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
18 °C. However, it dropped to
15 °C in August 2014.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
37 °C. However, it reached
40 °C in August 1999.
Precipitation amounts to only
8 mm, distributed over 3 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 12 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 89% of the time.
The average humidity is 59%.
The average wind speed is of
8.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
26.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
September is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
23.4 °C, with a minimum of
18.6 °C and a maximum of
28.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
14.5 °C. However, it dropped to
10 °C in September 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32.5 °C. However, it reached
37 °C in September 2008.
Precipitation amounts to
35 mm, distributed over 4 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 10 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 81% of the time.
The average humidity is 68%.
The average wind speed is of
8.3 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
25.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
October is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19.5 °C, with a minimum of
15.2 °C and a maximum of
23.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10 °C. However, it dropped to
7 °C in October 2011.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
28 °C. However, it reached
32 °C in October 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
140 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 63% of the time.
The average humidity is 74%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
23 °C. Therefore, the sea can be considered barely acceptable for swimming.
November is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.6 °C, with a minimum of
12 °C and a maximum of
19.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
6 °C. However, it dropped to
1 °C in November 2004.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23.5 °C. However, it reached
26 °C in November 2004.
Precipitation amounts to
155 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 50% of the time.
The average humidity is 78%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
9.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
20.1 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
December is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.4 °C, with a minimum of
9.2 °C and a maximum of
15.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
3 °C. However, it dropped to
0 °C in December 1994.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19.5 °C. However, it reached
22 °C in December 2014.
Precipitation amounts to
200 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 35 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 42% of the time.
The average humidity is 79%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
9.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
17.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.