Ixia is a resort town on the Greek island of Rhodes. Rhodes is one of the Dodecanese islands and is considered to be the largest and most populous of that group. A suburb of the city of Rhodes, Ixia is 3.2 kilometres from the island's capital city. It is 18 kilometres northwest of Faliraki, another nearby resort community. The island of Rhodes itself is northeast of the island of Crete, southeast of Athens on the Greek mainland and southwest of the Anatolian coast of Turkey.
Climate
Ixia,
like the rest of the island
of Rhodes,
enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and winters that
range from mild to cool. There is substantially more rain during the winter
period. While all four seasons are present, the autumn and winter months
resemble more what people in locations to the north would call "spring-like."
Because Ixia is on the northwestern side of the island, its climate is generally slightly colder than the southwestern part of Rhodes. It's quite rare for temperatures to ever fall below freezing, even on winter nights, and therefore frost and snow are unknown on the island. The higher elevations may experience slightly cooler temperatures, yet they remain relatively mild. The island features more than 300 hours of sunshine annually, making it a very popular holiday destination.
Ixia's
Mediterranean climate is caused by the presence of a high-pressure system known
as the Azores high or the North Atlantic
Anticyclone. With pressures on the order to 1024 millibars, it blocks the normal
flow of low pressure systems that normally flow from west to east. In addition,
this makes rainfall unlikely by causing the air to dry out and sink. The only
rain that may fall during the summer comes from thunderstorms, and even these
are rare.
Every year, the Azores High moves towards the poles in the summer and towards the equator in the winter. For this reason, the flow of air during the winter from the polar region may drift south and east, bringing with it the occasional storm. The effects of this high-pressure system are quite evident during the summer: as one moves northward on the European continent, the temperatures get progressively cooler and the climate becomes substantially wetter.
While summertime temperatures can get quite hot, they don't approach the heady heights of arid and semi-arid areas of the world. Most areas with a Mediterranean climate are located near large bodies of water, and Ixia is no exception. Water moderates the temperatures, keeping them within a relatively narrow range, both in terms of heat and coolness. The exception to this is that during the summer months the temperature range between day and night tends to be greater owing to the plentiful sunshine during the daylight hours and dry conditions during this period.
Spring
As
is typical for spring in a Mediterranean climate, springs are mild to warm with
temperatures varying from 17°C in March to 24°C in May
during the day. Night time temperatures fall from 10°C in
March to a balmy 16°C in May.
Rainfall begins to slacken, with 75 millimetres falling in March to a scant 14 millimetres in May. There are relatively few rainy days with 8 wet days out of the month in March and only 3 wet days in May. As can be expected, the humidity starts falling during the spring as well, holding at 75 percent during the period. Sunshine hours are plentiful with 5 per day in March rising to 9 by May. Fog is completely absent.
Summer
Summers are warm to hot and quite dry. Daytime highs range from a slightly hot 28°C in June to a sizzling 31°C in August. Nights stay balmy with nighttime temperatures falling to a balmy 20°C in June to 23°C in August. Rainfall is largely absent. As little as three millimetres may fall in June, dropping to zero millimetres in August. There are no rainy days at all throughout the period, while the humidity hovers at a relatively dry 65 percent. Sunshine is plentiful, with 11 hours per day in June to 10 hours in August. There may be a day or two of fog.
Autumn
Autumn
continues to be warm in Ixia. The daytime
highs range from 28°C in September to 17°C in November. Nights stay
on the balmy side, with lows dropping to no lower than 13°C by November.
Rain starts to become more common, with 88 millimetres falling by November and perhaps 8 rainy days out of the month by that time as well. With more rain comes increased humidity at 75 percent throughout the season. Shorter days and more cloud cover brings less sunshine with as little as three sunshine hours per day by November. Fog remains rare with perhaps one foggy day a month.
Winter
Winter
is the coolest and wettest season in Ixia. Daytime
highs are mild during this season starting with 17°C in December and
dropping to 15°C in February. Residents may find the nights
chilly at 10°C in September and they will fall slightly lower to 9°C in
February. Rain is quite prevalent, with as much as
145 millimetres in December and 118 millimetres in February.
There are more wet days with 13 rainy days per month in December and 10 in February. The air is relatively moist throughout the season as well, with humidity staying at around 70 per cent. Sunshine is rare with only 2 hours per day and there is still no fog. The best time to visit Ixia is, without question, the summer. During the summer, the days are long and filled with sunshine, with hardly a drop of rain to be found throughout the season. While it can never be truly called cold, even in the winter, it does get quite wet. If you want to enjoy the island without the presence of crowds, spring and autumn remain relatively warm and sunshine is more plentiful than during the winter.