Climate in 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 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.
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 climate in detail

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• The north coast - Tunis
• The east coast - Sousse, Djerba
• Hills and mountains - Thala
• The desert - Tozeur
• When to go
• What to pack
• Climate data

The north coast

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The northern part of the coast is the rainiest, and is the only one that receives moderate rainfall, being exposed to the passage of weather fronts of Atlantic or Mediterranean origin. Most of the rain falls from September to April, while in summer it practically never rains. The rainiest city is Tabarka, in the north-west, with 1,000 millimeters (40 inches) of rain per year. Bizerte, in the far north, receives instead 650 mm (25.5 in) per year.

Tunis

In Tunis, the capital, located in the northern part of the coast, in a gulf, the average temperature ranges from 12.3 °C (54.1 °F) in January to 28.7 °C (83.7 °F) in August.
In Tunis, rainfall amounts to 485 millimeters (19 inches) per year.
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.
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

In Sousse, located in the southern part of the Gulf of Hammamet, daytime temperatures in summer, 32/33 °C (90/91 °F) in July and August, are a little lower than Tunis.
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.
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.
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.

Thala

In Thala, located at 675 meters (2,200 feet) above sea level the average temperature ranges from around 6.5 °C (43.5 °F) in January to around 25.5 °C (78 °F) in July and August.
Precipitation amounts to 385 mm (15.2 in) per year.
South of Thala lies 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, near the Chott el Djerid, while in the south (see El Borma) they reach 41 °C (106 °F).
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

The rains in the desert region are scarce throughout the year, but they are even scarcer in summer, when only very few showers occur. In Tozeur, located in the desert, west of Gabès, rainfall amounts to 100 mm (4 in) per year, in El Borma to 60 mm (2.4 in).
In the desert, the sun often shines even in winter.

In the desert area, there is a large salt lake, the aforementioned 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.

When to go

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If you want to visit Tunis and the northern coast, and also the northern hills and mountains, you can choose spring and autumn (April, May and October).

For a beach holiday, you can go from June to September. The favorable season for a beach holiday is quite long, especially on the east coast, which is usually sheltered from Atlantic disturbances, and where it can easily last until mid-October.
It must be said that sometimes it can get very hot even on the coast. The area least exposed to heat waves from the desert is the Cape Bon peninsula (see Kelibia), in the north-east.

You can visit the desert in winter, or in any case, when the maximum temperatures are normally below 30 °C (86 °F), ie from November to March. In winter, the daytime temperature is mild and the sun usually shines, while it can get cold at night.
Owing to the scorching heat, summer is not the best season to visit the Tunisian desert. In the desert, there are hotels equipped with swimming pools, but in summer, the heat is so intense that even sunbathing can be difficult.
A compromise between excursions in the desert and some moments of relaxation at the pool could be found in spring and autumn, ie in April and October.

What to pack

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In winter: for Tunis and the coast, pack spring/autumn clothes, a jacket and a sweater, and a raincoat or umbrella; for the mountainous areas, bring warm clothes and down jacket; for the desert, light clothing, but also a sweater and a jacket for the evening, and a scarf for the wind-borne sand and dust.

In summer: for the coast, pack lightweight clothes, a light scarf for the sea breeze, and a light sweatshirt for the evening. For the desert, loose-fitting clothes, made of natural fabric (cotton or linen), a desert turban for the wind-borne sand and dust; sunglasses (even graduated instead of contact lenses); a sweatshirt for the evening or the mountains, a sweater or sweatshirt and sleeping bag for overnight stays in tents; hiking boots or sandals.
It's better for women to avoid shorts and miniskirts, especially in rural and non-tourist areas.

Climate data - Tunisia

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See also the temperatures month by month

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