Weather Paphos
Paphos is both a city and a district located in south west Cyprus. The popular holiday resort is situated on the Mediterranean coast, around 50km west of Limassol, a city which boasts the largest port in Cyprus.
The city of Paphos attracts millions of visitors every year and home to a staggering range of ancient archaeological sites, Blue Flag-accredited beaches, hotels, apartment complexes, shops, restaurants and local tavernas.
How Hot Is Paphos?
The resort enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with dry, hot summers and short, mild winters. Over the course of the year, temperatures range drastically between lows of 8°C in winter and highs of 30°C in summer, although temperatures rarely ever drop below 5°C or reach above 32°C.
Four Distinct Seasons In Paphos
Like in most of Europe, a year in Paphos can be split up into four distinct seasons summer (June, July, August, September), autumn (October, November), winter (December, January, February) and spring (March, April, May).
Spring Weather in Paphos
The period between March and May in Paphos beats an English summer hands down. It's sunnier, hotter and drier than any summer you'll get in the UK, plus it's also outside of the peak tourist season.
How Hot Is Spring In Paphos?
At this time of year, the average temperature falls between 14°C and 20°C, rising as the season develops. Average highs are between 19°C and 24°C in the middle of the day, and average lows are between 9°C and 15°C in the middle of the night.
These cool night temperatures can often feel a bit nippy, especially with the cool breeze blowing in off the Mediterranean. Make sure you take a jacket for the chilly nights.
Generally, April is when the beach days resume, although with a sea temperature of just 18°C, it might be a bit too cold to take a dip. By May, the average sea temperature rises up to 20°C, making the sea feel noticeably warmer.
Spring Rain And Sunshine Hours In Paphos
The fairly thick clouds of winter fade away in spring, taking with them the chance of rain and leaving more sunshine hours in their place. In spring cloud coverage drops from 47% at the start of the season to just 21% by the end. And daily sunshine hours increase from nine to twelve.
The chance of rain drops significantly as the season develops, beginning at 34mm over the course of six days in March down to just 5mm on one day in May.
Summer Weather in Paphos
June through September is the hottest time to visit Paphos when high temperatures are coupled with almost zero rain.
How Hot Is Summer In Paphos?
he average temperature for the resort starts off at 23°C in June, before rising up to 25°C in July, peaking at 26°C in August and dropping down to 24°C by September.
There is a huge difference between the day and night temperatures. Average low temperatures in summer are 18°C-21°C, with average high temperatures at 28°C-30°C.
Continental Depression Affects Temperature
The reason Paphos enjoys some of the hottest summer temperatures in Europe is that Cyprus is influenced by low pressure from the great continental depression over Western Asia. It's this weather occurrence that creates the season of high temperatures and cloudless skies.
Thankfully, the low humidity, ranging between highs of 88% and lows of 57%, along with a cool gentle breeze blowing in off the Mediterranean, helps keep things a bit more comfortable.
Rainfall In Summer
Paphos is subject to next to no rainfall at all during summer. July and August both see an average of 0mm of precipitation, while September has just 4mm of rain which falls on a single day.
Between June and September, Paphos enjoys 12 to 14 hours of sunshine a day, along with just 13%-15% median cloud coverage. This means the sky is almost always totally clear. Combine this information with an average sea temperature of 24°C-27°C and you've got the ideal conditions for a day at the beach.
Autumn Weather in Paphos
During October and November in Paphos, the weather remains warm and sunny. At this time of year, the crowds thin out as the summer season closes. This means you'll be able to bag a bargain on cheap flights and accommodation.
In autumn, the average temperature drops to 22°C-18°C, created by average highs of 27°C-22°C and average lows of 16°C-13°C. The Mediterranean Sea breeze can often make these low night time temperatures feel a bit nippy.a
How Wet Is Autumn In Paphos?
Although the autumn season sees significantly more rain than the summer season, it's still not the wettest time of year for Paphos. October starts off fairly dry with just 18mm of precipitation falling over three days.
November marks the start of the wet season with 66mm falling over six wet days. When it does rain, the showers are usually short, heavy and over just as soon as they began, so it shouldn't put you off visiting the resort at this time of year.
Thunderstorms In Paphos
Occasionally in autumn, Paphos is subject to powerful thunderstorms with heavy, localised rainfall. In October 2006, heavy storms brought unusually high rainfall and even hail to Paphos.
Sunshine Hours In Autumn
Despite the increase in rain, Paphos still gets plenty of sunshine in autumn ten daily hours in October and nine daily hours in November.
How Warm Is The Sea In Paphos In Autumn?
The sea holds much of its summer heat well into autumn, with an average temperature ranging between 22°C and 24°C. Aside from the odd cloudy afternoon or morning, you should have plenty of chances to work on your tan or go for a swim at the beach if you visit Paphos in autumn.
Winter Weather in Paphos
Compared to the rest of Europe, Paphos enjoys an exceptionally mild winter, with many days comfortable enough to walk around in beach clothes. The average temperature during this season ranges between 15°C in December and 13°C in January and February.
How Hot Is Paphos In Winter?
Average highs are usually around 17°C-19°C, although it's fairly common for temperatures to rise into the early 20s some days. But at 8°C-10°C, average lows can get very cold at night. So make sure you're prepared and take some warm clothing.
Much Rain Does Paphos Get In WInter?
Winter sees most of Paphos's annual rain. Over the course of the year, Paphos receives around 400mm of rain, 60% of which falls between December and February. December is the wettest month of the season with 94mm of rain over the course of nine days.
This is followed by January with 80mm over ten days and February with 64mm over eight. Most of the rain falls in short, heavy downpours, after which the sun almost always shines.
Sunshine hours In Winter
With seven hours of sunshine a day and cloud coverage of around 54%, you will still get plenty of clear and sunny days in Paphos in winter, despite this season being the least sunny. However, with a cool average sea temperature of 17°C-19°C, you might want to think twice about going for a dip.
Unusual Weather in Paphos
Storms and Earthquakes
The major weather hazards to look out for in Paphos are storms and earthquakes. Tremors are quite common as Cyprus sits within one of the most severely hit earthquake areas on the planet, but luckily does not see as many as nearby Greece or Turkey.
Earthquakes are normally reported as doing little more than making the furniture rattle, with no real damage. However, severe quakes can happen. The worst hit Paphos received was on 9 October 1996, when a quake hit 6.8 magnitude, causing severe damage.
Severe storms can hit Cyprus with devastating effect, and it is important to listen for local weather warnings. During a storm be extra careful around electrical equipment, as lightning strikes to power lines are one of the most common causes of failures in computers and similar devices, so be sure to unplug them.
Tornadoes and Cyclones In Paphos
These storms can include tornados and cyclones, such as in 2012 when substantial damage was done by a tornado to the villages of Milia and Fyti within the Paphos region in just four minutes!
Earlier examples include 2003 when a powerful tornado caused extensive damage to the coastal town of Limassol, uprooting trees and causing extensive property damage..