Climate in Syracuse (Sicily)

The climate of Syracuse is Mediterranean, with mild, relatively rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The city is located on the eastern coast of Sicily, the one facing the Ionian Sea, about 50 km (30 mi) south of Catania. The oldest part of the city is located on the small island of Ortigia.
To the west we find the Iblei Mountains, which reach 987 meters (3,238 ft) in Mount Lauro.
Winter, from December to February, is mild, and is characterized by sunny periods alternating with rainy periods.
Occasionally, in conditions of persistent easterly wind, there can be intense rains concentrated in time, which can produce floods, and this can also happen in autumn.
It rarely gets very cold, however, sometimes there can be cold, windy and rainy days, with highs around 8/10 °C (46/50 °F).
Snow in Syracuse is very rare, given the location on the coast and quite far from the European continent. However, there was snowfall with a slight accumulation in December 1988 and on New Year's Eve of 2014.
The temperature very rarely drops below freezing. In February 2008 it dropped to -1 °C (30 °F), while it dropped to -3 °C (26.5 °F) in Floridia, a few kilometers inland.



Summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny, with very rare rains. The sea breeze tempers the heat in the afternoon, but brings humid air.
There can be hot and sultry periods, especially from late July to late August, when the sea is warmer.
Furthermore, heatwaves of African origin can sometimes occur: in these cases, it is possible for the temperature to reach or exceed 40 °C (104 °F). In the worst moments the temperature can reach 44/45 °C (111/113 °F).

Best Time

To visit Syracuse, you can choose the periods from mid-April to mid-May and from mid-September to mid-October, since in summer it can get very hot. It must be said that in both periods there may be rainy days.
The best months for a beach holiday are July and August. In June, the days are longer and the weather is often good, but the sea is still a bit cool. You can still go in September, in fact the sea is still quite warm, but the days get shorter and the first waves of bad weather can occur, especially in the second half of the month.

Syracuse - Climate data

In Syracuse, the average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 11,6 °C, that of the warmest month (August) is of 27,4 °C. Here are the average temperatures.