Climate Cyprus
The sun is here at the rendezvous 330 days a year. Bananas grow around Paphos and in the Morphou plain and some cacti give delicious prickly pears in summer. In short, Cyprus has a Mediterranean climate that is described as subtropical and semi-arid in most areas. That is to say that the summer here is very hot and very dry, almost torrid with 79 days when the thermometer reaches or exceeds 35 °C in the shade. In Europe, only Andalusia is comparable. The winter is also shorter and less humid than in a classic Mediterranean climate. The only small area where the climate is temperate is in the Troodos, around Mount Olympus (1,952 m above sea level), where there is a ski resort. The seasons are not very marked, with a real summer from mid-May to the end of October, an autumn that comes down to November and water that is still good for swimming until December.
A hot summer
June to August are the hottest months, really hot. The average temperature varies between 25 and 28 °C on the coasts, with frequent peaks at 40 °C during the day, nights at 25 °C and no rain for three months. Sea water is around 28°C everywhere. In the Mesaoria plain, and particularly in Nicosia, the heat is stifling: 35 to 38 °C on average during the day! You should dress lightly, drink a lot, protect yourself from the sun's rays and visit archaeological sites early in the morning or at the end of the day. At the hottest hours, you can take advantage of the sunshine to take a nap, visit an air-conditioned museum or the cellar of a winery. The other alternative is to do as the English soldiers of Egypt did in the past: go and cool off in the Troodos massif. It is the least hot place on the island. In summer, the average temperature is between 23 and 26 °C during the day and around 17 °C at night.
A shortened autumn
It is still summer in September: water at 26°C and temperatures averaging 31°C near the coast. October is always perfect for swimming with water at 25 °C, but the evenings are getting cooler. Sunscreen and wool should be brought along. The umbrella is useless with only one rainy day on average in October. In fact, autumn is just November, but it is a very pleasant autumn with air and water at 21 °C, and only 5 rainy days on average. To avoid crowds, heat and high prices, while enjoying the sun, the sea and lunches on the terrace, November is therefore the ideal month.
A very mild winter
In Cyprus, January is the coldest month with an average daytime temperature of 16 °C in Nicosia and 14 °C in Kyrenia. It is also the wettest with about 13-14 days of precipitation. However, it is the warmest in the European Union. At high altitude, in the Troodos, the average temperature is between 0 and 5 °C and snowfall is frequent. When conditions permit, the small ski resort of Mount Olympus becomes the big local attraction. December is also quite cold: 2/8 °C in Troodos, 7/16 °C in Kyrenia, 6/18 °C in Nicosia. But the sea water is still 20 °C on average. As for the month of February, it already announces spring, with almond trees in bloom, 12 days of rain, still very cool evenings and temperatures above 20 °C during the day, except in Troodos where it varies between 0 and 6 °C. But this is the best time to ski while contemplating the Mediterranean.
A pleasant spring
March is the best month of the year to discover the nature, hiking trails and archaeological sites of Cyprus. Although the water is only 17°C and winter clothing is still needed for the evenings, the sun is present but not overpowering. Average daytime temperatures are 18°C in Kyrenia, 21°C in Nicosia and 9°C in Troodos. The heat begins to rise in April, but the water is still quite cool, at 18 °C. However, a beach holiday is possible in May with water temperatures of 21 °C and average daytime temperatures of 28 °C near the coast.
