Cyprus Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta, and Paphos
Summary
While Western Europe sweltered under severe heatwaves, Cyprus experienced a relatively subdued summer period, though official warnings were still triggered for extreme heat on 11 separate days as inland temperatures repeatedly pushed past 40°C. Average temperatures across the island remained above long-term norms, yet the month ranked as only the 27th warmest July on record, providing a noticeable contrast to the record-breaking conditions recorded across global land masses, with the intense warmth expected to linger across the eastern Mediterranean into autumn.
This month in numbers
Average temperatures across Cyprus reached 27.61°C during the month, standing 1.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This placed the month 27th warmest among 87 years of records dating back to 1940, well below the all-time July record of 29.35°C set in 2017. On a global scale, land temperatures ran 1.6°C above average to mark the 3rd warmest July on record worldwide. For the May to July period as a whole, global land temperatures recorded their 2nd highest level in history at 1.5°C above baseline.
What changed
Over the three months from May to July 2026, Cyprus averaged 23.69°C, an anomaly of just +0.3°C above baseline that ranked 50th in 87 years of recorded data. In international comparisons, Cyprus placed 225th out of 232 global regions for three-month temperature anomaly, ranking among the 10 lowest worldwide as diverted intense heat further north into Western Europe. The island ran 1.18°C cooler than the European group average anomaly during the month, providing temporary relief from the broader long-term trend that has seen Cyprus warm by 1.63°C since the late 20th century.
What’s driving change?
While stalled high-pressure systems formed over Western Europe, atmospheric patterns over the eastern Mediterranean allowed cooler air to temper the worst of the regional heat. Even so, worsened localized fire risks as prolonged summer dryness limited evaporative cooling, leaving vegetation highly flammable across rural hillsides. In urban areas, the effect boosted daytime and overnight temperatures significantly higher in city centers like Nicosia compared to surrounding rural and coastal monitoring stations.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts indicate that above-average sea surface temperatures across the eastern Mediterranean are likely to sustain elevated heat and dry conditions across Cyprus through late summer and into autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Cyprus
Köppen Csa · TemperateCyprus has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.4°C, while January is the coldest at 11.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 474mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Cyprus
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Cyprus
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Cyprus
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Cyprus
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Cyprus
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen Csa · TemperateCyprus has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±8.2°C) and a wet/dry cycle (69× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Nov (-21 mm, -27%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Cyprus
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Cyprus changing?
Cyprus is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Cyprus?
Cyprus has a temperate climate (Köppen Csa: Mediterranean - hot summer), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 28.4°C, while January is the coldest at 11.6°C. Annual precipitation averages around 474mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Cyprus come from?
Climate data for Cyprus comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Cyprus climate data cover?
The Cyprus climate profile covers Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Cyprus
How often is the Cyprus climate update refreshed?
The Cyprus climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Cyprus climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Cyprus climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.