Weather on Sicily

We may say that the climate on Sicily is hot. And it is true especially as far as summer is concerned, which is the main tourist season on Sicily. It is because Sicily is situated in the southern part of the Mediterranean coast of Europe.

It is hot in Sicily in summer, the sky is blue, the temperature in the afternoon is about 36-40˚C. You should pay attention to the fact that the most popular month for the holidays in Europe is August, but it is not the best period to visit Sicily, because the Sicilians are also on holidays in August. In August you may find a lot of shops, restaurants and other places closed, because the owners of these places are on holidays and spend their free time on the beaches of Mondello and Castellamare.

If you are thinking of going to Sicily, the best months to do it are April, May, June and September. The weather on Sicily at that time is sunny and rather warm, the water is nice for bathing and swimming and the amount of tourists is not very great. Besides this fact, spring is a season when all the orchards are in blossom and the nature looks beautiful. May is also a month of tunny-fishing, the tradition of which is more than 500 years old and was even described by the famous French traveler Cousteau in his books.

Storms on Sicily are quite common. They happen there all the year round. A lot of them are the results of sirocco. Siroccos are the winds which blow from North Africa. They bring dry hot air of the African deserts to the provinces of Catania, Ragusa, Syracuse and Agrigento. The rate of siroccos can reach 100 km per hour. The strongest winds blow on Sicily in March and November.

Winter on Sicily is typical for the Mediterranean coast, it is mild. The average temperature is about 0˚C on the coast, it is lower in the mountains. January and February are considered to be the months for skiing on Sicily. In winter the Sicilians gather the harvest of citrus fruits. The air is rather warm but the weather is very changeable at that time of the year. The sky can be without any clouds and at the next moment it starts raining.