Weather, temperatures & climate in Crete

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On this page: "Typical" weather in Crete by month • The weather in year 2008 • Weather tips
Additional page: Archive: weather in years 2002-2006
 

"Typical" weather month by month

Hottest months are usually July and August. Daytime high temperatures range from 29-38 degrees Centigrade (82-95F), a "normal" day would be in the middle of this range. By the sea there is, of course, usually a breeze which moderates how this feels. Though it may be cooler in the mountains, especially at night, it can feel hotter in places sheltered from the sea breeze than at lower altitudes. Ultimate months for swimming, cooling down and using plentiful strong sunscreen.

June and September normally deliver fine sunny days and  moderate-to-hot temperatures. Water is warm enough for swimming and best in September. Day time peaks between 23 and 29 degrees.

May - take an average of our comments for the months before and after! It is "normally" warm and sunny, much or most of the month.

March, April, October and early November often provide warm and very enjoyable days - it gets a lot less predictable at these edge of season months, but you'll find it un-crowded, naturally Crete and for some the most enjoyable. We recommend a warm outdoor jacket and favourite sweater for the odd chilly day and for evenings. Day time peak temperatures range from 17 to 26 degrees.

December - often good, but it is winter, so warm outerwear and waterproof aids are essential - same for January and February. During these first two months of the year there "should" be some rain, but again, not every day. Winter (December to February)  often feels cold - the island is equipped for summer. Of course if you call Novosibirsk home, Crete might seem mild in the winter. The wind and sea combine on an island to produce some dramatic weather conditions at times. Day time peak temperatures range from 9 to 18 degrees (even colder in the mountains, warmer on a few days if you are lucky).

A NOTE ON "TYPICAL WEATHER"
Everywhere we've visited for the last ten years we hear "it never used to be so hot / cold / dry / wet at this time of year" - weather worldwide is in a changing mode (this happens every 100 years approximately - do not panic!), so if you are wise you'll bring clothes to cater for the range of weather that may occur and take the idea of seasonal temperatures seriously - then you can only be pleasantly surprised!

Weather Tips

Best advice, always bring a set of outer warm and wind-defeating clothes, just in case. We receive many questions about what the weather will be like in a particular month. One thing we realize: the weather is changeable from year to year, especially in the "shoulder" months April to June and October to November. The only remedy is to bring (heavier luggage!) a variety of clothing on your trips to Crete - or - be happy to shop locally!

Wish it were sunny where you are? It's not sunny every day in Crete, in the winter it does rain. Sometimes the rain seems like an eternal force, driving or dribbling, driven by occasionally ferocious winds. However, there are some sunny days and a few partly sunny days in winter - it really is a matter of luck. Summer - ranges from very warm and sunny to very hot and sunny! There's nowhere further south to go and still be in Europe - except for the sanctuary island (well almost!) of Gavdos. So if the weather's good somewhere, even in December - it's usually fine here.
One of our number was swimming daily in the sea quite happily until November 15th the other year and he hates cold water!
 

Crete - The year of weather we are enjoying now... THIS YEAR OF 2008

January 2008. Well, we do not get a guarantee even in Crete...a cold start (days of 12-14 centigrade as a high) but moving from a cloudy and rainy Christmas to the same for New Year's Day. The 3rd, 4th and 5th day of the month have been partly sunny but also rainy in part, the 6th a clear wintery sunny day with occasional clouds struggling to interfere, yet happily failing! Mountains are all brightly (glistening-in-the-sun) snow-capped.

Note:
A Brightness Index of 5.0 is a very dull day - 3.0 would be a no moon, pitch black night; 8.0 is the highest we can measure.
A Blue Sky Index of 5.0 means thick dark cloud, with little apparent light source; 8.0 means "I can't see anything resembling a cloud anywhere!".
Both indexes are subjective - human visual assessments. As with all measures, conditions can vary surprisingly across the island and at different altitudes.

Current weather & temperature

If you need to know what the weather has been like for the last few days, send us an e-mail and we'll give you the brief low-down. If you sign up for our newsletter we'll usually say a bit about the weather in that too ( but the newsletter is published every several months! ). Subscribe to newsletter.
See why Crete is the place for you to visit.

So, here, to prove or disprove all our theories about seasonal temperatures, are the current readings:
 

WARNING: Weatheronline.co.uk (shown below) has information about weather that is good and thorough. Unfortunately, it brings up advertizing pop-ups when you click on their weather box. So if you have a pop-up blocker in your browser or firewall, proceed at ease. If not, you might find it annoying.

Note: Souda is the port near Chania

Not afraid of mild weather?
See our feature Crete in winter

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Weather by month • Weather tips • The weather in year 2008 • Archive: weather in 2002-2006