Hammamet, Tunisia: Live Weather

Hammamet, located in the north of Tunisia on the south-east of the Cap Bon peninsula, has a Mediterranean climate of long, hot, dry summers and mild winters with some rainfall.

The summer season in Hammamet lasts from April till November. Temperatures around 20°C can be seen at either end of summer, peaking in June July and August in the mid 30s. Rainfall is very low and July can actually expect to get no rain at all, with eleven blinding hours of sunshine. The summer months either side of July and August might be considered more pleasant by those wishing to avoid extreme heat; day time temperatures average around the mid 20s. However, Hammamet is known for its mild microclimate, being much cooler than the rest of Tunisia, and even at its hottest relief is only a step into the sea away. The evenings in early and very late summer can cool off considerably, seeing average temperatures around 12°C with the possibility of dropping a bit lower. It should be kept in mind that while in the day time high temperatures last into November, an increase in rainfall is to be expected from October.

Playa de Yasmine, Hammamet. Photo courtesy of Samuel Negredo.

Winter in Hammamet is wetter and sometimes considerably colder than its summer. Day time temperatures from December to February average around 16°C. What the averages don't show is that night time temperatures can fall below freezing. While temperatures in October remain around 20°C in the day and 18°C at night, this is when the rain starts to fall. They are by no means frequent, even at their worst in December rain only falls on eight days on average, but tourists have been known to experience damp, cold weather. Unfortunately, this is largely unpredictable. The average hours of sunshine received each day remains high throughout the winter, seeing around six hours a day in March and November, and an average of four in darkest January.

Djerba Beach, Tunisia.

Forty percent of Tunisia is part of the Saharan Desert. With little rainfall, the arid, sand-bearing Sirocco wind and minimal plant life, the south of Tunisia is blisteringly hot for most of the year. The north and coastal regions, however, receive plenty of rain and cooling winds from the Mediterranean Sea. Hammamet is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than the rest of Tunisia. Hammamet's relatively cool microclimate is owed to its location on the Cap Bon peninsula which sticks out into the sea and surrounds Hammamet with water. Thunderstorms and an icnreased rainfall can strike in the afternoon in the autumn and winter, which can sometimes cause flash flooding and floods. Be aware of the risk of this if you are travelling to Tunisia from November on.

Desert oasis of Tozuer, Tunisia. Photo courtesy offrancesco sgroi.