The Aeolian Islands have a
Mediterranean climate: winter is mild and relatively rainy, with sunny periods, but also periods of bad weather, characterized by wind and rain, while summer is hot and sunny, a bit sultry but tempered by the breeze.
In spring, in April and May, fog can sometimes form in the morning.
Although the temperature is generally mild, the
wind, which blows especially in the cold half of the year, can increase the feeling of cold.
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The Aeolian archipelago is located north-east of Sicily, and includes the islands of Lipari, Salina, Vulcano, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi, and Panarea. Being volcanic islands, they host some
elevations in the interior. In particular, the maximum height reached in each island is the following: in Lipari, 602 meters (1,975 feet) above sea level; in Salina, 962 meters (3,156 feet, in Mount
Fossa delle Felci); in Vulcano, 499 meters (1,637 feet); in Stromboli, 926 meters (3,038 ft, in the volcano of the same name); in Filicudi, 773 meters (2,536 feet); in Alicudi, 675 meters (2,214 feet); and finally in Panarea, 420 meters (1,378 ft).
On the slopes of these hills, woods are found.
At sea level, the minimum
temperature does not drop to 0 °C (32 °F) even during cold spells, and snowfalls are extremely rare, while they are a bit more frequent on the hills.
The highest temperatures, which occur when the Sirocco (southeast wind) blows from Africa, are around 38/39 °C (100/102 °F), and are recorded from June to August.
For example, here are the average temperatures of Salina.
Salina - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 11 | 15 | 13 | 52 | 59 | 55.4 |
|---|
| February | 11 | 15 | 13 | 52 | 59 | 55.4 |
|---|
| March | 12 | 17 | 14.5 | 54 | 63 | 58.1 |
|---|
| April | 14 | 19 | 16.5 | 57 | 66 | 61.7 |
|---|
| May | 17 | 22 | 19.5 | 63 | 72 | 67.1 |
|---|
| June | 20 | 26 | 23 | 68 | 79 | 73.4 |
|---|
| July | 24 | 29 | 26.5 | 75 | 84 | 79.7 |
|---|
| August | 24 | 30 | 27 | 75 | 86 | 80.6 |
|---|
| September | 21 | 27 | 24 | 70 | 81 | 75.2 |
|---|
| October | 19 | 24 | 21.5 | 66 | 75 | 70.7 |
|---|
| November | 15 | 20 | 17.5 | 59 | 68 | 63.5 |
|---|
| December | 11 | 16 | 13.5 | 52 | 61 | 56.3 |
|---|
| Year | 16.6 | 21.7 | 19.1 | 61.9 | 71.1 | 66.5 |
|---|
The
rain pattern on the Aeolian islands is Mediterranean, with a maximum in autumn and winter, when thunderstorms are fairly frequent as well, a drop in spring, when there is already little rain, and a minimum in summer, when it rains very rarely.
Since we don't have any data on the rainfall of the Aeolian Islands, we refer to the data of Ustica (an island located west of the archipelago).
Ustica - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 50 | 2 | 9 |
|---|
| February | 50 | 2 | 8 |
|---|
| March | 35 | 1.4 | 7 |
|---|
| April | 40 | 1.6 | 5 |
|---|
| May | 20 | 0.8 | 3 |
|---|
| June | 10 | 0.4 | 1 |
|---|
| July | 5 | 0.2 | 1 |
|---|
| August | 20 | 0.8 | 1 |
|---|
| September | 55 | 2.2 | 4 |
|---|
| October | 75 | 3 | 7 |
|---|
| November | 75 | 3 | 9 |
|---|
| December | 65 | 2.6 | 9 |
|---|
| Year | 505 | 19.9 | 65 |
|---|
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The amount of
sunshine on the Aeolian islands is great in summer, when clear skies prevail; in winter, sunny periods, which can occur in this season too, alternate with cloudy periods. With regard to the sunshine too, we refer to the data of Ustica, where there are 2,660 hours of sunshine per year.
Ustica - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 4.5 | 135 | February | 5 | 145 | March | 6 | 185 | April | 7 | 215 | May | 9 | 280 | June | 10 | 305 | July | 11 | 345 | August | 10 | 315 | September | 8.5 | 250 | October | 6.5 | 200 | November | 5 | 155 | December | 4 | 125 | Year | 7.3 | 2660 |
The
sea on the Aeolian Islands is warm enough for swimming from July to September. In June, the sea is still a bit cool, only 21 °C (70 °F), while in October, after the summer, its temperature is still decent, about 22 °C (72 °F).
Here are the average sea temperatures.
Aeolian Islands - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 15 | 59 | February | 14 | 57 | March | 14 | 57 | April | 15 | 59 | May | 18 | 64 | June | 21 | 70 | July | 25 | 77 | August | 26 | 79 | September | 25 | 77 | October | 22 | 72 | November | 19 | 66 | December | 16 | 61 | Year | 19.2 | 66.6 |
Best Time
The
best time to go to the Aeolian Islands for a beach holiday, is the summer, from June to August. The water temperature is comfortable enough from July to September, but in September, which overall is still a good month (especially in the first half), the first weather disturbances begin to affect the islands. In June, as mentioned, the sea is still a little cool, while in May, it is even cold, and the air too, can sometimes get a little cool for sunbathing (perhaps because of the wind).
April and May are ideal months for hiking, while in summer, it can sometimes be too hot for outdoor activities (especially in July and August: in June and September, the temperature is usually enjoyable or at least tolerable, except when the Sirocco blows from Africa). In October, temperatures are mild, but the days are shorter and the weather can be rainy and windy.
Back to
Sicily.