Cyprus falls entirely within the subtropical climate zone and is the warmest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
As it has a typical Mediterranean climate, Cyprus has two seasons – a dry summer and a rainy winter.
Summers are long and hot. Practically, the warmest months are almost completely devoid of rainfall.
The average temperature is around 37°C during the day and over 22°C during the night.
The summer months experience constantly sunny and cloudless weather.
Winters are shorter and are quite mild, but they still bring unstable, changeable and even unpredictable weather.
Nissi beach by Paul Papadimitriou
The winter season usually brings heavy rains, which sometimes last for three days in a row.
The temperature of the seawater along the coast of Cyprus never drops below 17°C and exceeds 27°C in the height of summer.
The driest and hottest months are July and August, the coldest months are January and February, the rainiest month is December, and the best time for a summer holiday is in October.
The period from June to September brings very high temperatures, and the summer season lasts approximately from April to November.
Cyprus has a warmer climate than other countries that fall within the subtropical climate zone.
The main reason is the geographical location of the island.
Most of the territory of neighbouring Turkey to the north is occupied by high and impassable mountain ranges.
They stop the influx of cold air masses coming from the north and don’t let them reach the Mediterranean Sea.
On the other hand, Cyprus is located quite close to Egypt, Africa.
The lack of high mountain ranges in the African country allows free influx of tropical air masses from the south.
The proximity of the Sahara Desert is the reason for the relatively frequent sandstorms, which reach Cyprus a few times per year.
They happen at any time of the year but especially during the months of March, April and May because of the more intense influx of warm air masses from the tropical latitudes of Africa.
The weather in Cyprus differs depending on whether you are on the beach, in the interior of the island or in the mountain.
Summers along the coast are cooler and winters are warmer, while inside the island the difference between summers and winters as well as between daytime and night time temperatures is more significant.
In the mountain, summers are pleasantly warm, but not very hot, and winters are cold, sometimes with heavy snowfalls.
The warmest part of the island is the southern coast, and the city of Limassol is considered the warmest city of the European Union in the Mediterranean Sea during the winter season.
