Cyprus has a hot and dry summer, and during the hottest months of July and August the coastal areas have relatively high humidity, making the day time temperature seem much hotter than it really is.
Temperatures start to rise towards the end of May, with June still a pleasant month for walking in the mountains and the sea begins to warm. July and August the thermometers will hit the highest temperatures of 30-40 degrees C (80 – 100F) on a daily basis with no let up. Inland it can be even hotter with no relief from a sea breeze.
Sun protection is essential, as is the plentiful intake of fluids. It is very easy to forget to drink enough water as the body perspires, and this neglect will lead to dehydration, in severe cases the treatment can be a few days in hospital. Avoidance of alcohol during the day is highly recommended.
There is rarely any rain from May to October when the entire island becomes an arid dustbowl. This ensures plentiful sunshine and gloriously warm swimming, whether in the pools or the sea. The cut off point for sea swimming is usually the end of October though more hardy visitors may swim well into December.
The rainy season should be December to the end of March and all Cypriots wish it to be plentiful. There is a constant demand for more and more water every year and the rainfall over the last few years has been insufficient for the island’s needs. Winter nights are cold, and anyone who thinks that fires are not needed in Cyprus should live here during the damp months when a fire or other form of heating is essential. Restaurants move their outside dining to indoors by the end of October and many of them now have an open fire or a wood burning stove.
Even though the winter days are short there are many that are full of pure sunshine with clear visibility across the Mediterranean towards Turkey. Only 40 miles away the mainland is clearly visible on fine days during winter when there is no heat haze to obscure the view.
Spring in Cyprus is a time of glorious colour when the wild flowers, for which the whole island is famous, burst forth and carpet the land in a myriad shades. Overall April is probably the best month to experience the transformation from drab winter into a blaze of different hues that will then gradually fade through May and disappear completely in June as another summer begins.
