Greek Islands Climate: Weather and Temperatures for Each Archipelago

The weather in the Greek islands is generally benign. Being in the Mediterranean, they are sheltered from extreme weather conditions (although recent climate changes are altering things a bit). On the Greek islands, temperatures, both air and sea, are never too high or too low. The climate is Mediterranean on all the Greek islands: mild, rainy winters and dry, hot, sunny summers. The only exceptions are the North Aegean islands (especially Thassos and Samothrace) which experience cold air currents from the Balkans in winter and fewer hot and sunny days in summer.

One of the features of the weather in the Greek islands is the presence of a wind called "Meltemi." It is usually a cool and moderate monsoon wind that blows over the Aegean Sea from the north or northwest between late May and early October, bringing relatively cool air and clear skies. Keep this in mind if you don't handle windy days well.

Now let's provide you with some climate data you may encounter on the islands, divided by their archipelago.

ARGOSARONIC

Rain - Mostly in winter and autumn but not abundant. Essentially dry summer.
Climate - Quite mild winter. Hot summer with a bit of Meltemi.
Sea - Warm from July to September.

CYCLADES

Rain - Mostly in winter and autumn but not abundant. Dry summer.
Climate - Winter sometimes characterized by cold winds, hot but never extremely hot summer due to the Meltemi which blows very often.
Sea - Not too warm, always due to the Meltemi blowing in the summer period, and consequently often rougher.

CRETE

Rain - Mostly in winter and autumn (with some possible snowfall in the mountains). Dry spring and summer.
Climate - Mild winter but not always sunny, hot summer but mitigated by the Meltemi. The hottest areas are those in the interior of the island. The windiest areas are in the north.
Sea - Quite warm in mid-summer.

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DODECANESE

Rain - Sometimes abundant but only from October to March. Dry summer.
Climate - Generally milder compared to other archipelagos as the islands are less windy and not exposed to cold currents from the continent.
Sea - Warmer in the southern islands where it can reach 26°C.

IONIAN

Rain - Abundant in autumn and winter. Dry summer.
Climate - Generally warmer in summer due to the absence of the Meltemi but with sporadic cold north winds in winter (rare snowfalls only on the islands with mountains). The exception is the island of Kythira, which is much further south, as it has a milder and less rainy climate.
Sea - Warm in mid-summer.

NORTH AEGEAN

Rain - Not very abundant in autumn and winter but with summer thunderstorms in the northernmost islands. Dry summer.
Climate - Warm summer. Quite mild winter.
Sea - Not very warm.

SPORADES

Rain - Quite frequent from autumn to late spring. Dry summer with at most some thunderstorms.
Climate - Quite cold and windy winter, sometimes with snowfalls. Warm summer.
Sea - Quite warm in mid-summer.