Cyprus

Cyprus

Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...

 has a Subtropical climate - Mediterranean

Mediterranean climate

A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...

 and Semi-arid type (in the north-eastern part of island) - according to Köppen climate classification

Köppen climate classification

The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...

 signes Csa and Bsh, with very mild winters (on the coast) and warm to hot summers. Snow is possible only in the Troodos mountains

Troodos Mountains

Troodos is the biggest mountain range of Cyprus, located in the center of the island. Troodos' highest peak is Mount Olympus at 1,952 metres.The Troodos mountain range stretches across most of the western side of Cyprus...

 in the central part of island. Rain occurs mainly in winter, with summer being generally dry.

Temperatures

Cyprus has the warmest climate (and warmest winters) in the Mediterranean part of the European Union. The average annual temperature on the coast is around 24 °C (75.2 °F) during the day and 14 °C (57.2 °F) at night. Generally – summer's/holiday season lasts about 8 months, begins in April with average temperatures of 21–23 °C (69.8–73.4 F) during the day and 11–13 °C (51.8–55.4 F) at night, ends in November with average temperatures of 22–23 °C (71.6–73.4 F) during the day and 12–14 °C (53.6–57.2 F) at night, although also in remaining 4 months temperatures sometimes exceeds 20 °C (68 °F). Among all cities in the Mediterranean part of the European Union, Limassol has the warmest winters, in the period January–February average temperature is 17–18 °C (62.6–64.4 F) during the day and 8–9 °C (46.4–48.2 F) at night, in other coastal locations in Cyprus is generally 16–17 °C (60.8–62.6 F) during the day and 7–9 °C (44.6–48.2 F) at night. In March and December in Limassol average temperatures is 19–20 °C (66.2–68 F) during the day and 10–11 °C (50–51.8 F) at night, in other coastal locations in Cyprus is generally 17–19 °C (62.6–66.2 F) during the day and 8–11 °C (46.4–51.8 F) at night. Middle of summer is usually hot - in the July and August on the coast the average temperature is usually around 33 °C (91.4 °F) during the day and around 23 °C (73.4 °F) at night (inside the island, in the highlands average temperature exceeds 35 °C (95 °F)) while in the June and September on the coast the average temperature is usually around 30 °C (86 °F) during the day and around 20 °C (68 °F) at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare. Temperatures inside the island are more stringent, with colder winters and more hot summers compared with the coast of the island.

Temperature of sea

Average annual temperature of sea is 21–22 °C (69.8–71.6 F), from 17 °C (62.6 °F) in February to 27–28 °C (80.6–82.4 F) in August (depending on the location). In total 7 months - from May to November - the average sea temperature exceeds 20 °C (68 °F).

Sea temperature

	Jan3	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Paphos Paphos Paphos , sometimes referred to as Pafos, is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus and the capital of Paphos District. In antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos and New Paphos. The currently inhabited city is New Paphos. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, about west of the...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/paphos.php	18	17	17	18	20	24	26	27	26	24	22	19
Larnaca Larnaca Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/larnaca.php	18	17	17	18	20	24	26	27	27	25	22	19
Limassol Limassol Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of 228,000 . It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.Limassol is the...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/limassol.php	18	17	17	18	20	24	26	27	27	25	22	19
Argaka Argaka Argaka is a village in the Paphos District of Cyprus, located 7 km northeast of Polis Chrysochous....  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/argaka.php
Ayia Napa Ayia Napa Ayia Napa is a resort at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus, famous for its sandy beaches. In recent years, apart from being a family holiday destination, it has become a 'party capital' together with Ibiza, Rimini and Mykonos...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/ayia-napa.php
Coral Bay Coral Bay Coral Bay may mean:*Coral Bay, Western Australia*Coral Bay, United States Virgin Islands, a town on the Island of St. John*Coral Bay, Cyprus...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/coral-bay.php
Famagusta Famagusta Famagusta is a city on the east coast of Cyprus and is capital of the Famagusta District. It is located east of Nicosia, and possesses the deepest harbour of the island.-Name:...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/famagusta.php
Kyrenia Kyrenia Kyrenia is a town on the northern coast of Cyprus, noted for its historic harbour and castle. Internationally recognised as part of the Republic of Cyprus, Kyrenia has been under Turkish control since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/kyrenia.php
Latchi Latchi Latchi , is a small village that is part of the Polis municipality. It is the site of a small harbour.-External links:**http://www.polis-municipality-cyprus.com/Latchi.htm...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/latchi.php
Nissi Bay http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/nissi-bay.php
Peyia http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/peyia.php
Polis Polis Polis , plural poleis , literally means city in Greek. It could also mean citizenship and body of citizens. In modern historiography "polis" is normally used to indicate the ancient Greek city-states, like Classical Athens and its contemporaries, so polis is often translated as "city-state."The...  http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/polis.php
Protaras http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/protaras.php

Sunshine

Sunshine hours on the coast is 3,300 to 3,500 per year, from average 5-6 hours of sunshine / day in December to average 12-13 hours in July. This is about double that of cities in the northern half of Europe, for comparison: London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 - 1,461, however in winter up to some times more sunshine, for comparison: London has 37 hours while coastal locations in Cyprus has around 180 hours of sunshine in December (that is, as much as in May in London).

On the coast

Inside the island

Precipitation

The higher mountain areas are cooler and moister than the rest of the island. They receive the heaviest annual rainfall, which may be as much as 1000 millimetres (39.4 in). Sharp frost also occurs in the higher districts, which are usually blanketed with snow during the first months of the year. Precipitation increases from 450 millimetres (17.7 in) up the south-western windward slopes to nearly 1100 millimetres (43.3 in) at the top of the Troodos massif. The narrow ridge of the Kyrenia range, stretching 160 km (99 mi) from west to east along the extreme north of the island produces a relatively small increase in rainfall of around 550 millimetres (21.7 in) along its ridge at an elevation of 1000 metres (3,281 ft). Plains along the northern coast and in the Karpass Peninsula

Karpass Peninsula

The Karpass Peninsula , also known as Karpasia or Kırpaşa is a long, finger-like peninsula that is one of the most prominent geographical features of the island of Cyprus. Its farthest extent is Cape Apostolos Andreas, and its major population centre is the town of Rizokarpaso...

 area average 400 to 450 mm (15.7 to 17.7 in) of annual rainfall. The least rainfall occurs in the Mesaoria, with 300 to 400 mm (11.8 to 15.7 in) a year. Variability in annual rainfall is characteristic for the island, however, and droughts are frequent and sometimes severe. Statistical analysis of rainfall in Cyprus reveals a decreasing trend of rainfall amounts in the last 30 years.
Earthquakes, usually not destructive, occur from time to time.

Rainfall in the warmer months contributes little or nothing to water resources and agriculture. Autumn and winter rainfall, on which agriculture and water supply generally depend, is somewhat variable from year to year.

Other information

The Mediterranean climate, warm and rather dry, with rainfall mainly between November and March, favors agriculture. In general, the island experiences mild wet winters and dry hot summers. Variations in temperature and rainfall are governed by altitude and, to a lesser extent, distance from the coast. Hot, dry summers from mid-May to mid-September and rainy, rather changeable winters from November to mid-March are separated by short autumn and spring seasons.

In summer the island is mainly under the influence of a shallow trough of low pressure extending from the great continental depression centred over Western Asia. It is a season of high temperatures with almost cloudless skies.

In winter Cyprus is near the track of fairly frequent small depressions which cross the Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...

 from west to east between the continental anticyclone of Eurasia

Eurasia

Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...

 and the generally low pressure belt of North Africa

North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...

. These depressions give periods of disturbed weather usually lasting for a day or so and produce most of the annual precipitation, the average rainfall from December to February being about 60% of the average annual total precipitation for the island as a whole, which is 500 millimetres (19.7 in).

Humidity

Relative humidity of the air is on average between 60% and 80% in winter and between 40% and 60% in summer with even lower values over inland areas around midday. Fog is infrequent and visibility is generally very good. Sunshine

Sunlight

Sunlight, in the broad sense, is the total frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. On Earth, sunlight is filtered through the Earth's atmosphere, and solar radiation is obvious as daylight when the Sun is above the horizon.When the direct solar radiation is not blocked...

 is abundant during the whole year and particularly from April to September when the average duration of bright sunshine exceeds 11 hours per day.

Winds

Winds are generally light to moderate and variable in direction. Strong winds may occur sometimes, but gales are infrequent over Cyprus and are mainly confined to exposed coastal areas as well as areas at high elevation.

Temperature and precipitation charts