The
climate of the island is of an
extreme Mediterranean type with
very hot dry summers and relatively
cold winters. Most of the rainfall
is concentrated between December
and January.
The
climate of the coastal parts
is less extreme than farther
inland, due to the fact that
the effect of the sea jon atmospheric
humidities is always present
there. The sea temperature
itself never falls below 16ºC.
(January and February); in
August it can rise to 28 ºC.
Mean
Monthly Temperature (°C/Month) |
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Spring
and autumn are short, typified
by changeable weather, with
occasional heavy storms battering
the coast in spring and a westerly
wind, called "meltem" carrying
the influence of Atlantic depressions
to this far eastern end of
the Mediterranean.
From
mid-May to mid-September the
sun shines on a daily average
of around 11 hours. Temperatures
can reach 40º C. On the
Mesaoria Plain, although lower
on the coasts, with a north-westerly
breeze called "Poyraz" prevailing.
The skies are cloudless with
a low humidity, 40 - 60 per
cent, thus the high temperatures
are easier to bear. The hot,
dry, dust-laden "sirocco" wind
blowing from Africa also finds
its way to the island.
Short-lived
stormy conditions resulting
from fairly frequent small
depressions prevail throughout
the winter, with 60 per cent
of rain falling between December
and February. The Northern
Range receives around 550 mm
of rain per year, whereas the
Mesaoria Plain receives only
around 300-400 mm.
Mean
Monthly Precipitation (mm/Month) |
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Frost
and snow are almost unknown
in Northern Cyprus, although
night temperatures can fall
to very low levels in winter.
The
chief rain-bearing air currents
reach the island from the south-west,
so that precipitation and atmospheric
humidity is at its greatest
on the western and south-western
sides of the Southern Range.
Eastwards, precipition and
humidity are reduced by the
partial rain-shadow effect
of the Southern Range, a similar
effect is also caused by the
Northern Range which cut off
the humidity associated with
proximity to the sea from much
of the northern Mesaoria Plain.
Eastwards of the Northern Range,
towards the bays of the Karpaz
Peninsula, where the land narrows
and the effect of sea influence
increases accordingly, humidity
increases progressively towards
the end of the peninsula.
Most
of the rivers are simply winter
torrents, only flowing after
heavy rain, the rivers running
out of the Northern and Southern
Ranges rarely flowing all the
year round.
Mean
Monthly Relative
Humidity (%/Month) |
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During
the wet winter months Cyprus
is a green island. However,
by the time June arrives the
landscape at the lower levels
assumes the brown, parched
aspect which characterises
its summer face. The forests
and the vineyards in the mountains,
plus the stips of irrigated
vegatation in the valleys remain
green.
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