Climate - Trieste (Italy)

The climate of Trieste can be described as transitional Mediterranean.
The city is located in the north-east of Italy and is the capital of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.
Being on the coast and outside of the Po Valley, it has a relatively mild climate. However, this city is particularly subject to the Bora,the wind that is channeled through the mountain ranges when cold air masses arrive from eastern Europe. So, the wind rushes to the Gulf of Trieste, with gusts above 100 kilometers (60 miles) per hour, and can also lower the temperature below freezing from December to early March.
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 5.8 °C (42.5 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 24.7 °C (76.5 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Trieste is a quite rainy city: 1,000 mm (40 in) of rain fall in a typical year, and there can be thunderstorms in late spring and summer. Precipitation ranges from 55 mm (2.2 in) in the driest month (February) to 110 mm (4.3 in) in the wettest (October). Here is the average precipitation.

The winter, from December to February or early March, is quite mild, and is characterized by sunny periods alternating with rainy periods.
There are also cold periods, in which the bora blows and the temperature drops to around freezing even during the day.
During the most intense cold spells, the temperature can drop as low as -7 °C (19.5 °F), and can remain below freezing even during the day, as happened for example in January 1985, February 1991, December 1996 and February 2012. However, in the past, the temperature had dropped to -10.5 °C (13 °F) in February 1956 and to -9.5 °C (15 °F) in January 1963.
Even if the temperatures do not reach the values of the Po Valley, the wind increases the sensation of cold. For example, with a wind of 100 kph (60 mph), if the air temperature is 0 °C (32 °F), the perceived temperature (wind chill) will be -10.5 °C (13 °F), while if the air temperature is -5 °C (23 °F), the perceived temperature will be -18 °C (-0.5 °F).
Snow in Trieste is rare because the Bora is originally a dry wind, though sometimes its rarer version, called "dark Bora", can bring some light snowfalls. On average, less than 10 cm (4 in) fall per year. On the other hand, when the wind blows from the sea, the temperature is mild and therefore rain falls instead of snow.



Summer is hot and humid, but tempered by the breezes.
The sun often shines, but some rain or thunderstorms can sometimes occur.
During heat waves, which are becoming increasingly more frequent, the temperature can reach or exceed 35 °C (95 °F). The heat record is 38 °C (100.5 °F) and was recorded in the months of August 2015 and 2017. The temperature of 37 °C recorded in late June 2019 and in August 2003 are also worth mentioning.



On average, there are around 2,110 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

The sea temperature ranges between 10 °C (50 °F) and 26 °C (79 °F). The sea is warm enough for swimming from July to September. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best periods to visit Trieste are spring and autumn, and in particular, from mid-April to mid-June and in the month of September. However, in both periods, some rainy days are possible. The best months to go to the beach are July and August. In June, the sea is still a little cool.