Climate History

The climate in Karpathos is typical of the Mediterranean climate: mild and rainy winters, relatively warm and dry summers and, generally, extended periods of sunshine throughout most of the year. Climatologically the year can be broadly subdivided into two main seasons: The cool and rainy period lasting from mid-October until the end of March, and the warm and dry season lasting from April until September. Long stretches of consecutive rainy days are infrequent in Karpathos, even during the winter, and the sky does not remain cloudy for more than a few days in a row, as it does in other regions of the world. “Bad weather” days in winter are often interrupted, during January and the first fortnight of February, with sunny days, known as ‘Halcyon days’ since ancient times. The warmest period occurs during the last ten days of July and the first ten days of August, when the mean maximum temperature lies between 27.0 and 34.0 degrees Celsius. Like most Aegean Sea islands, a fresh sea breeze called Meltemi cools during the months of July and August, making the summers more comfortable.