The mean annual temperature is 21° C (69° F). The annual rainfall averages less than 500 mm (less than 20 in). 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 1,000 millimeters. Sharp frost also occurs in the higher districts, which are usually blanketed with snow during the first months of the year. Plains along the northern coast and in the Karpas Peninsula area average 400 to 450 millimeters of annual rainfall. The least rainfall occurs in the Mesaoria, with 300 to 400 millimeters a year. Variability in annual rainfall is characteristic for the island, however, and droughts are frequent and sometimes severe.

Summer temperatures are high in the lowlands, even near the sea, and reach particularly uncomfortable readings in the Mesaoria. Because of the scorching heat of the lowlands, some of the villages in the Troodos have developed as resort areas, with summer as well as winter seasons. The amount of sunshine the island enjoys enhances the tourist industry. On the Mesaoria in the eastern lowland, for example, there is bright sunshine 75 percent of the time. During the four summer months, there is an average of eleven and one-half hours of sunshine each day, and in the cloudiest winter months there is an average of five and one-half hours per day.

Weather & Climate – Near sea areas (Lemessos)

Months	Mean Max. Temperature C	Mean Min. Temperature C	Mean Number of raindays	Mean Daily Sunshine Duration hours & tenths	Average Sea ºC
January	16,9	7,9	13	5,8	17,7
February	16,9	7,8	11	6,5	16,6
March	19,0	9,0	9	7,4	16,4
April	23,2	12,6	5	9,2	17,6
May	26,4	15,6	2	10,8	19,2
June	30,0	19,1	L1	12,6	23,0
July	32,3	21,4	L1	12,4	25,5
August	32,8	21,5	L1	11,8	25,5
September	31,1	19,6	1	10,6	28,8
October	27,4	16,4	4	8,8	24,2
November	22,1	12,1	6	7,1	22,0
December	18,7	9,5	12	5,6	19,5

 

Months	Mean Maximum Temperature C (F)	Mean Minimum Temperature C (F)	Mean Number of raindays	Mean Daily Sunshine Duration hours & tenths
January	15,5	5,8	11	5,5
February	15,9	5,8	10	6,3
March	19,0	7,3	8	7,3
April	24,8	11,3	5	9,0
May	29,4	15,0	3	10,6
June	33,6	19,1	1	12,3
July	36,6	22,3	L1	12,3
August	36,6	22,0	1	11,7
September	33,9	19,3	1	10,3
October	27,8	15,0	4	8,3

Weather & Climate – Inland (Leucosia)

November	21,0	10,3	6	6,9
December	17,3	7,2	11	5,7

Weather & Climate – Upland

Months	Mean Maximum Temperature C (F)	Mean Minimum Temperature C (F)	Mean Number of raindays	Mean Daily Sunshine Duration hours & tenths
January	9,7	3,1	14	4,7
February	9,7	2,7	12	5,6
March	12,9	5,1	10	6,2
April	18,4	9,6	6	8,0
May	22,6	13,0	5	9,5
June	26,7	16,8	2	11,0
July	29,7	20,0	1	11,4
August	29,8	19,7	1	10,6
September	27,5	17,2	1	9,6
October	21,6	12,4	5	7,8
November	15,5	7,8	8	6,1
December	11,4	4,5	12	5,0