The history of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii has always drawn the attention of tourists and archaeologists to its present-day location near the Gulf of Naples, sitting next to the modern residential town of Pompeii in Italy. With nearly 2.6 million visitors every year, the ruins of Pompeii tell the story of the last day of the 16,000 Romans living on the busy town-city before the massive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the city in ash and stone for 1700 years.
Today, the remnants of Pompeii stand as part of the Vesuvius National Park and were declared as a World Heritage Site. Pompeii brings in a peculiar blend of ancient history and culture to the people, and its fine Mediterranean weather brings in an invigorating energy to Pompeii.
The annual climate in Pompeii is generally subtropical, with its sweltering hot and dry summers and mildly cool wet winters bearing the mark of a natural Mediterranean climate. Summers are characterised by dry spells, while the winters are mild, with the general year-round climate contributing to the warmth of Pompeiiâs atmosphere and making it a perfect place to visit no matter what season.
The average annual temperatures in Pompeii play between 10.4°C to 20.4°C, and the city receives an average of 2,376 hours of sunshine in a year. The rainfall in Pompeii is mostly seasonal, with the autumn month of November recording the highest amount of precipitation at 163mm. The driest season in Pompeii is during the summer, particularly on July, wherein the rain only amounts to around 25mm.
The summer season in the glorious city of Pompeii begins during the early days of June and extends until the last few days of September. During this season, Pompeii experiences blazing hot temperatures during the day, reaching averages of around 26°C during the first two months of summer and reaching as high as 30°C on late July or August. The sun casts its scorching summer temperatures during high noon, so it may be best to avoid the streets of Pompeii and stay indoors until the sun starts to come down from its zenith. The occasional sea breeze that the Mediterranean Sea blows through the Gulf of Naples helps keep the high temperatures at bay and brings in a refreshing draft of cool wind throughout Pompeii.
The summer days of June and September are more preferable for conducting outdoor excursions and ruin explorations in Pompeii because these months are known to be the turning point of the spring and autumn seasons, so the summer temperatures are at their lowest. The summer nights in Pompeii are cooler, with the average nighttime temperature hitting at 20°C. Although the frequency of rain showers and thunderstorms increases as the days hit September, the summer season in Pompeii is generally dry and hot, with only a few instances of drizzles and light rain showers that can last only for a few hours.
Autumn in Pompeii
sets in during the month of October, and although the first few weeks of autumn
are considerably pleasurable and sunny, the rainy season starts to kick in
during the month of November. Daytime temperatures in Pompeii gradually drop to around 21°C during
the month of October and reach as low as 17°C on November.
Pompeii also starts to see less of the sun during the autumn season, with the average daily hours of sunshine intensely dropping to six hours during October until Pompeii only sees the sun for four hours a day in November. Despite the frequent rain showers and the few hours of sunshine, the Mediterranean climate still brings in warmth to Pompeii as the sea maintains a temperature thatâs hovering around 20°C.
The month of December marks the beginning of the mild winter season in Pompeii, characterised by cool temperatures that do not go below 14°C during the first few weeks. Rainfall during the winter season gradually decreases to an average of 122mm during December, and it continues to lower down to 99mm by mid-February. Because the sun still remains to be in overcast, the number of hours that the sun casts its warm sunshine on Pompeii lasts for only three hours a day, with December noted for being the darkest month in the ancient city.
Nighttime temperatures can reach around 4°C and lower down to negative, causing frosts and snow to develop during the winter season. The Mediterranean Sea often brings in cold temperatures close to the gulf, and fog may tend to develop within the sea and the land. The weather conditions during the winter season in Pompeii are quite unpredictable, but rainfall is generally less frequent and the hours of sunshine are also lesser. The winter days reach a temperature of 12°C by the month of January, but this gradually increases back to around 13°C by February as the last few days of the winter season give way to the blossoming of spring.
The spring season in Pompeii brings in more hours of sunshine and higher sea and land temperatures. During the first few days of spring in the month of March, Pompeii experiences a gradual yet noticeable increase in temperature as the warmth of the sun begins to set in. From 13°C during the winter month of February, the spring season heats up Pompeii to around 15°C during March, and this temperature increases until it reaches an almost summer-like temperature of 23°C during May.
The amount of rainfall lessens as the spring season starts to kick in during March, recording an average of 86mm. The warmth brought about by the longer hours of sunshine also contributes to the decreasing amount of rainfall as it drops to 76mm by the month of April and 51mm by the end of May. The spring nights in Pompeii are cooler, registering an average temperature of around 8°C, while the daytime temperatures during the month of April may reach a refreshing and pleasurable 18°C mark, and this makes the spring season perfect for spending some time outdoors in Pompeii even as the sun rises to its zenith.