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Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
The climate of the Sporades, Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, is
Mediterranean, with relatively mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The main islands are:
-Alonissos
-
Skiathos
-
Skopelos
-
Skyros
There are also some smaller islands such as Kyra Panagia, Peristera (or Aspro), Gioura, Skantzoura, Piperi, and Tsougria.
These islands are also called Northern Sporades, to distinguish them from the Eastern Sporades, which include
Chios,
Ikaria,
Lesbos and
Samos, and also from the Southern Sporades, also called
Dodecanese.
Being a short distance from the mainland, the Northern Sporades are subject to cold and windy periods in winter, especially the westernmost ones, like Skiathos and Skopelos: sometimes, even snow can fall.
For example, here are the average temperatures of Skiathos.
Skiathos - Average temperatures (1991-2020) |
| Month | Min | Max | Mean |
|---|
| January | 7.8 | 11.8 | 9.8 |
|---|
| February | 8.4 | 12.4 | 10.4 |
|---|
| March | 10.5 | 14.4 | 12.5 |
|---|
| April | 13.1 | 17.3 | 15.2 |
|---|
| May | 17.8 | 22.5 | 20.1 |
|---|
| June | 22.1 | 27 | 24.5 |
|---|
| July | 24.2 | 29.2 | 26.7 |
|---|
| August | 24.3 | 29.2 | 26.8 |
|---|
| September | 20.5 | 25.6 | 23 |
|---|
| October | 17 | 21.4 | 19.2 |
|---|
| November | 13.4 | 17.1 | 15.3 |
|---|
| December | 9 | 13 | 11 |
|---|
| Year | 15.7 | 20.1 | 17.9 |
|---|
follows the Mediterranean pattern, and is more frequent from October to April; in summer, the rains are rare, though there can occasionally be brief showers or thunderstorms coming from the continent. For example, here is the average rainfall in Skiathos.
Skiathos - Average precipitation| Month | Days |
|---|
| January | 80 | 10 |
|---|
| February | 70 | 9 |
|---|
| March | 60 | 8 |
|---|
| April | 40 | 7 |
|---|
| May | 40 | 6 |
|---|
| June | 25 | 4 |
|---|
| July | 20 | 2 |
|---|
| August | 25 | 2 |
|---|
| September | 40 | 5 |
|---|
| October | 70 | 7 |
|---|
| November | 65 | 10 |
|---|
| December | 95 | 12 |
|---|
| Year | 630 | 82 |
|---|
The amount of
sunshine in the Sporades is excellent in summer, when clear skies prevail, and it is also good in May and September, while in the rest of the year, there are both sunny periods and periods when the sky is cloudy.
Here are the average daily sunshine hours in Skiathos.
Skiathos - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
| January | 3.5 | 115 |
|---|
| February | 5 | 150 |
|---|
| March | 6.5 | 200 |
|---|
| April | 8.5 | 260 |
|---|
| May | 9.5 | 300 |
|---|
| June | 11 | 335 |
|---|
| July | 12 | 375 |
|---|
| August | 11.5 | 355 |
|---|
| September | 9.5 | 290 |
|---|
| October | 7.5 | 235 |
|---|
| November | 5.5 | 170 |
|---|
| December | 3.5 | 115 |
|---|
| Year | 7.9 | 2900 |
|---|
The temperature of the
sea in the area of the Sporades, still cold in May and cool in June, becomes high enough for swimming from July to September, when it reaches 24/24.5 °C (75/76 °F). Here, for example, is the sea temperature in Skyros.
Skyros - Sea temperature| Month |
|---|
| January | 15 |
|---|
| February | 14.5 |
|---|
| March | 14.5 |
|---|
| April | 15.5 |
|---|
| May | 18 |
|---|
| June | 22 |
|---|
| July | 24 |
|---|
| August | 24.5 |
|---|
| September | 23.5 |
|---|
| October | 21 |
|---|
| November | 18.5"> |
|---|
| December | 16.5 |
|---|
| Year | 19 |
|---|
Best Time
The
best time to go to the Sporades Islands for a beach holiday is the summer, from June to mid-September. In June and September, and sometimes in early July, there can be some cool evenings, so it's best to bring a sweatshirt for the evening.
In May, not only the sea is cold, but sometimes there can also be some cool days, with highs below 20 °C (68 °F), especially in the first part of the month.
Back to the
Greek Islands.