Climate of Northern Cyprus

Climate of Northern Cyprus

Northern Cyprus is a self-proclaimed republic on the northern part of the island of Cyprus. The rest of the world sees Northern Cyprus as occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus. Northern Cyprus occupies about a third of the island of Cyprus and is separated from the rest of the island by a buffer zone. In the past it was not possible to cross this border as a tourist, but nowadays you can cross the “border” in a number of places. The UN buffer zone, better known as “The Green Line”, is continuously guarded by an international peacekeeping force. The majority of the population of Northern Cyprus is made up of Turkish Cypriots, who are predominantly Sunni Muslims.

Despite the fact that the city of Nicosia is largely located in Northern Cyprus, Lefkoşa is the capital of this declared republic. In recent years, the Turkish Invasion in Cyprus has not been much noticeable, so that the north of Cyprus is also becoming an increasingly popular holiday destination. There is not yet a direct flight to this part of the island from the Netherlands, but with a stopover in Turkey it is already possible to travel to Northern Cyprus. Yet most tourists still enter the country via the Buffer Zone, often to visit the sights on this part of the island of Cyprus for a day. The most famous sights are Kyrenia, Famagusta, the Castle of Kyrenia and the Hagia-Sophia Cathedral of Nicosia.

Mediterranean climate

Northern Cyprus, like the rest of the island, has a Mediterranean climate, with mild winters and warm summer days. The climate of Northern Cyprus is largely determined by the Mediterranean Sea, making it one of the most sunny areas in Europe. In the summer period, the average daytime temperature is just above thirty degrees Celsius and the mercury can even exceed forty degrees on extremely hot days. On these days it is best to find a shady place at the edge of a swimming pool or near the Mediterranean Sea.

Precipitation

The best chance of long-term precipitation in Northern Cyprus is in the month of December. Other months where you have a chance of prolonged precipitation are January and February. The rest of the year the average rainfall per month is negligible. In the summer months it almost never rains.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month Water temperature
January 14℃ 6℃ 5 12 18℃
February 15℃ 6℃ 6 11 17℃
March 17℃ 7℃ 7 9 17℃
April 21℃ 11℃ 9 5 18℃
May 25℃ 14℃ 10 3 20℃
June 29℃ 18℃ 12 1 24℃
July 32℃ 20℃ 12 1 26℃
August 32℃ 20℃ 11 1 27℃
September 30℃ 18℃ 10 1 27℃
October 26℃ 15℃ 8 4 24℃
November 21℃ 11℃ 7 7 22℃
December 16℃ 8℃ 5 12 19℃

Best time to visit Northern Cyprus

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Northern Cyprus? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is located on the northern part of the island of Cyprus. In the Netherlands, we mainly refer to this area as Northern Cyprus, partly because the self-proclaimed republic is not recognized by the Netherlands (and almost all other countries in the world). That is because almost the whole world considers Northern Cyprus as occupied territory. Enough politics, we’ll talk about the best time to travel to Northern Cyprus. Like the rest of the island, there is a pleasant Mediterranean climate. This ensures that the summers are warm to sometimes very warm and that there is hardly any significant precipitation. The months of July and August are completely dry almost every year. The winter months are mild and wetter. About seventy percent of the annual precipitation falls in the period December to February.

Best months

The best time to travel to Northern Cyprus is then mid-April to mid-October. It depends a bit on what you are going to do in Northern Cyprus. If you travel here mainly for the culture, it is best to choose spring or autumn as a travel period.

Beach Holiday in Northern Cyprus

The best travel time for a beach holiday in Northern Cyprus is from mid-May to the end of September. In May the sea water is still on the fresh side, but the air temperature is already quite high. Count on a seawater temperature of about 20 to 22 degrees with an average maximum temperature of about 25 to 29 degrees. The months of July and August are quite hot. Those who can’t handle heat very well should consider avoiding these two hottest months. The second half of September is the most pleasant. The afternoon temperatures on the coast are around 30 degrees and the sea water is still nice and warm with about 26-27 degrees Celsius. There is a small chance of a rain shower.

The warm interior

The interior of Northern Cyprus is slightly warmer than the coast. For example, afternoon temperatures of 35 to 40 degrees are quite normal in July and August. If you want to visit the Northern Cypriot part of Nicosia, it is better to do so in May or October. The reason why this city is so hot is mainly because it is surrounded by mountains. As a result, the wind from the sea barely gets a chance to reach Nicosia and has a somewhat dampening effect on the temperatures.

Northern Cyprus