Kos, Greece: Live Weather

The island of Kos, Greece, is a part of the Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea. This is an island that experiences dry hot summers and mild winters. The weather is of the Mediterranean type and the landscape is mostly croplands and shrub lands in the island's interior with urbanisation along its coastline.

The island is located quite close to Turkey and is the second most popular of the Dodecanese islandshe most popular island is, without a shadow of doubt, Rhodes. Kos, however, has a lot going for it; Rhodes isn't the only island with a long and rich history. This resort island has a history that dates back several thousands of yearshis is the island of Hippocrates, numerous ancient sites, complexes of ruins, and some of the most breathtaking beaches in the entire Mediterranean. This is a great place for sunbathing in summer and visiting ancient sites and museums, as well as partaking in outdoor activities in the three other seasons.

There are two main types of seasons in Kos, the cold season and the warm season. The cold season starts in the beginning of December and ends in March. During these months the average temperature stays below 15°C, which in turn results in this time of year being the off season due to fewer tourists. It should be said that the off season does usually take effect in November even though it is not considered part of the cold season. The warmer half of the year starts in late-April and runs through to October. This is when the average temperature generally doesn't fall below 20°C and reaches highs of up to 29°C. Most of the year has winds coming from the north and northwestern front with minor winds coming in from the south. If you're interested in the current weather forecast for this popular resort, you can check out this page.

Winter Weather in Kos: December - February

In the cold season cloud coverage stays above 60% (partly cloudy), which in turn leads to less hours of daily sunshine. This also correlates with the drop in temperature. In winter, the cold season, the mercury doesn't climb higher than 12°C on average, which is still relatively comfortable for a European resort. There are even peak temperatures of 14°C but lows can drop to 8°C so a jacket will be necessary.

Rainfall is also most prevalent during these months as they average out more rainfall than the rest of the year combined. Particularly December and January are quite wet, respectively receiving 164mm and 169mm of rainfall in the course of the month. The rainfall you can expect to see in Kos varies, but chances lean more towards thunderstorms than moderate or light rain. Not all rainfall is thunderstorms, though, as when combined the chances become higher for moderate and light rainfall together.

If the lower temperatures and increased precipitation aren't a clear enough indicator of the cooler season, lower sea temperatures will definitely temper your desires to go for a dip in the Mediterranean Sea in winter. During this time, the average sea temperature ranges between 16°C and 18°C. Although this isn't really super-cold, it isn't comfortable enough for swimming either.

Spring/Autumn Weather in Kos: March - May, October - November

The months of April, May, October and November are "neutral" months between cold and warm - shoulder months in other words. In April and May you can expect to see rising temperatures between cold and warm and declining rainfall and cloud coverage. At the other end, in October and November, you will start to see the temperature drop and rainfall and cloud coverage increase. Those times of year may not be the best for sunbathing and swimming, but their lower temperatures are brilliant for taking part in outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling and horseback riding.

Summer Weather in Kos: June - September

The warm season begins in June and ends in September and correlates completely with the high tourist season. This season also sees the rainfall drop to extremely dry conditions. July and August, for instance, the peak summer months, receives merely 2mm and 5mm of precipitation respectively, and have only 3 days with rainfall each. In fact, rainfall is nearly nonexistent around this time of year. Temperatures also rapidly increase, peaking at 29°C and never falling below 21°C in July and August. Therefore, remember to stay hydrated if planning a trip for the summer high season.

Again, as it is a very dry time of the year, it is absolutely perfect for spending time near, in or even on the Mediterranean Sea. The average sea temperature undergoes a huge rise in temperature in the main summer months of August and July to around 24-26°C, so this is the perfect time to hit the beautiful beaches of Kos.

Furthermore, summer sees the most sunshine of the whole year. July is the sunniest of all months, with no less than 14 glorious hours of sunshine per day on average. June and August both have 13 sunshine hours per day. This is a spectacular season when it comes to beach weather.

Weather Hazards

The hottest day of the year in Kos is July 26 with average highs and lows of 31°C and 23°C which is the absolute peak of the warm season. Around this time of the year, it is very easy to get burnt by the sun, so remember to take the necessary precautions when visiting. The coldest day of the year is January 27 with an average high of 13°C and a low of 8°C which is the peak of the cold season as temperatures start to rise shortly after in February.

Kos has a relatively low chance of any major storms or weather hazards. The most hazardous weather you will bump into on the island is thunderstorms which mostly occur in the cold season. From November to March thunderstorms are the most common form of precipitation, compared to other types of precipitation such as drizzle, light rain and moderate rain. They reach their peak in February at a 50% chance of occurring rather than these other forms of rainfall.