Climate - Tunisia

In Tunisia, the climate is Mediterranean on the northern coast, with mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers, while it is semi-desert or desert in inland areas. The east coast, from the Gulf of Hammamet towards the south, receives little rainfall, which decreases from north to south, to the point that the southernmost part (from the Gulf of Gabès to the border with Libya) is desert. However, temperatures along the whole coast are typical of the Mediterranean climate, with highs around 16/18 °C (61/64 °F) in winter and 32/33 °C (89/91 °F) in summer.
In contrast, in the inland areas of the center-south, occupied by the desert, summer is very hot.
The coastal and mountainous regions of Tunisia can be affected by the desert wind, which causes a strong increase in temperature, but also a drop in relative humidity, and may also bring sandstorms. During these periods, it can be hot, especially from June to September, when the temperature can exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in Tunis and along the east coast.
The rains follow the Mediterranean pattern on the coast, so they are more abundant in late autumn and winter, and become very rare in late spring and summer.

Index

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• The north coast - Tunis
• The east coast - Sousse
• Hills and mountains
• The desert - Tozeur

The north coast

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Tunis

Here are the average temperatures of Tunis, the capital, located in the northern part of the coast.

On the northern coast, rainfall is moderate, since the weather fronts of Mediterranean or Atlantic origin pass more frequently. In Tunis, precipitation amounts to 485 millimeters (19 inches) per year, most of which occur from September to April, while in summer, it hardly ever rains. In Bizerte, in the far north, the rains are a bit more abundant, around 650 mm (25.5 in) per year. Here is the average precipitation in Tunis.

On the northern coast, the sky in summer is usually clear, while from October to April, there's no shortage of sunny days, which, however, alternate with cloudy and rainy periods, which last a few days. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

In the northern part of the coast, the sea is warm enough for swimming from July to September, while it is definitely cool, if not cold, from December to May.

The east coast

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As mentioned, the temperatures on the east coast are similar to those of the north coast, while the rains are less abundant, and become gradually scarcer as you move south.

Sousse

Here are the average temperatures of Sousse, located in the southern part of the Gulf of Hammamet.

On the east coast, precipitation decreases to 300/400 mm (12/16 in) per year in the Gulf of Hammamet and to about 200 mm (8 in) in the Gulf of Gabès.
Here is the average rainfall in Sousse.

On the east coast, the sun in winter shines a little more often than on the northern coast, just because the rains are rarer.

A short distance from Sousse, we find Monastir.



Further south on the east coast, in Sfax, the temperatures are similar, but the rains drop to just 200 mm (8 in) per year. East of Sfax, we find the Kerkenna Islands.
Further south, in Gabès, the temperatures are similar; the rains amount to 190 mm (7.5 in) per year.
East of Gabès and very close to the coast, we find the island of Djerba. Here are the average temperatures.

In the southern part of the coast, the sea is slightly warmer than in the northern part, and it's still warm in October.

Hills and mountains

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In the northwest, there are hilly and mountainous areas (see the Tunisian Dorsale or High Tell, and the Tebessa Mountains), which can be cold and may even experience snowfalls in winter, while in summer, they are hot during the day, but remain quite cool at night.
Here are the average temperatures of Kasserine, located at 675 meters (2,200 feet) above sea level.

Kasserine is located at the foot of Jebel ech Chambi, which is the highest mountain in Tunisia and reaches 1,544 meters (5,066 feet).

The desert

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In the desert, which is located in the central and southern inland areas, the summer heat is remarkable: in July and August, the maximum temperature reaches on average 38 °C (100 °F) in Gafsa and 40 °C (104 °F) in Tozeur. In the desert, the temperature range is wider than on the coast, so much so that night-time temperatures in winter can drop to a few degrees below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F), while in summer, the highest recorded temperatures are remarkable: about 52 °C (125.5 °F) in the southern part of the desert.

Tozeur

Here are the average temperatures of Tozeur, located in the desert, west of Gabès.

The rains in the desert region are scarce throughout the year, but they are even scarcer in summer, when only very few showers occur. Here is the average rainfall in Tozeur.

In the desert, the sun often shines even in winter, as can be seen in the following table.

In the desert area, there is a large salt lake, Chott el-Jerid, almost entirely dry, a witness of the past when the climate was more humid. The few remaining water holes have different colors, depending on the salt that prevails in each of them, and offer an unusual view.

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