WEATHER IN CYPRUS: AUTUMN

While September can often be as hot as august, the autumn months in Cyprus are generally pleasant and energising for those of us who live here. Autumn is often the time when retired people visit the island; fewer children are about, since schools start again for a new year, airline prices are cheaper, and the weather is cooler, particularly towards the end of the autumn.

September remains warm, generally about 24-30C in the daytime, but the humidity has usually gone, making the weather in Cyprus feel more pleasant.  There’s always the possibility of rain in September – clouds gather quite threateningly some days – but not usually very much.  The first rain brings people out in the street to cheer, and also brings a lot of dust from the roofs of the houses! A few trees begin to shed their leaves, but there are few Autumnal colours in Cyprus. Many trees have their own seasons quite distinct from the more traditional ones.

October is usually still fairly warm too, similar to April in temperature;  another ideal time for British tourists on holiday. When we first arrived here at the end of October 1997 we thought it terribly hot, and were a bit shocked to learn that it was considered pleasantly cool at 25C or more. Now we’re acclimatised, we enjoy October, switching back from shorts to jeans and getting out the thin duvets to put on our beds. There’s often a fair amount of rain in October – much needed, as by this time of year Cyprus usually looks very brown and dry after the drought of the Summer.

November usually starts pleasantly, then temperatures suddenly drop around the end of the first or second week, with increased rain and a feeling that the extended summer really has finished at last. We find our sweatshirts and fleeces, and get out the medium weight duvets fairly quickly.Temperatures  at the start of the month range from about 20-25C during the daytime, but by the end can be down to 15C or even lower.   Still, it doesn’t feel cold in the sunshine during the daytime, and many tourists prefer Cyprus when the weather is like this.