- Updated on: 2024-04-17
As you know, nature has no bad weather – and this phrase perfectly reflects the situation with the weather in Santorini. The fact is that our island has a rather long summer and a very short winter, which, in addition, is very formal in its nature: we have no snow or frost, and the weather is usually mild. Can you believe, but even in January on our island it may be up to +20 degrees, while in summer the thermometer goes to +35 degrees! But first things first 🙂
The climate of Santorini by month: two seasons on one island
The climate in Santorini is Mediterranean in its purest form, so it is characterised by warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Our island is very small, so the island itself has almost no discernible influence on either the temperature, the winds or the humidity around it – the island is entirely at the mercy of the elements 🙂
There are no wide plains in Santorini that can get very warm under the sun and warm the air over their surface, nor are there any high mountains over which clouds with precipitation can form. In other words, the weather and climate in Santorini depend entirely on the mood of the sea.
The island is fine in its own way throughout the year: in a sense, Santorini’s weather by month fits into just two clearly noticeable seasons instead of four. Throughout the year, the climate in Santorini can be roughly divided into two big seasons: the dry and hot, which begins in late March and lasts almost until November, and the wet and cool, from mid-November until March.
Detailed by month: January • February • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December
Those who really enjoy hot and sunny weather will find May to October inclusive to be suitable, while those who like quiet walks or sitting in a cafe will not be disappointed even in winter, when the temperature of the air and water in the sea equalizes and is about +15 … +17 degrees. By the way, it rains in Santorini only in winter, while in summer the weather on the island is extremely dry and very hot.
It is often said that the ideal time for a holiday in Santorini would be from mid-April to mid-October, but there are nuances, which we will tell you below. Anyway, it is during this period that the weather on our island is the most stable: cloudiness is extremely rare, the rain stops completely, the sea and the air enjoy high (sometimes – very!) temperatures.
Between October and April, the air temperature drops much faster than the water temperature. January and February are the coolest and rainiest months of the year. Yes, it is not very pleasant to swim in January and you won’t be able to lay on the beach, but during winter months it is much quieter, incomparably fewer tourists, and it is much more pleasant to walk around the city 🙂
Temperature in Santorini by month
Our island does have a winter season, but it is exceptionally mild: +15 or even +20 degrees in January – it’s easy! During the summer months, however, temperatures in Santorini can rise to +30 degrees, and sometimes up to +35 degrees in the shade. It can be extremely dry and very hot!
The hottest months in Santorini are traditionally July and August, with peak temperatures most often occurring just between these two months.
January and February are usually the coldest months in Santorini. This applies to both daytime and nighttime temperatures on the island:
Water temperature in Santorini by month
In each of the months the water temperature on the beaches of Santorini is always a little higher than the “official” values: the shallow beaches and beaches with black volcanic sand warm up faster, while on the deep beaches or beaches with white sand and light pebbles water temperature can be 1-2 degrees lower.
Nevertheless, the water temperature in Santorini during the year is very comfortable: in the winter months it does not drop below +16 degrees, and in the summer the water on our beaches warms up to +25…+27 degrees:
The number of sunny hours per day by month
Due to the island’s location practically in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, Santorini enjoys plenty of sunshine even during the winter months! The sun can be enjoyed for 13-15 hours a day from April-May to August-September!
The number of rainy days by month
From late spring to late fall, rain in Santorini is very rare! In summer it is almost an unreal event, but in the winter months, for example in December or January, it is quite real, even a heavy downpour or a light drizzle, but for three consecutive days at once!
Amount of precipitation by month
The “wettest” months of the year on our island are, of course, January and February. In winter, the island can receive up to seven centimeters of rain per month. However, this is not much at all, and the local vineyards always benefit from this moisture.
Weather in Santorini by months: all the details about each season
You can read more about the weather in Santorini in each of the seasons and in each particular month on separate pages, but here we will give a brief description and features of each month.
Grouping by months and seasons will not be quite standard: our December is really hard to call winter, May – spring, and September – autumn 🙂
Weather in winter in Santorini
As a reminder, winter in Santorini is formal – “calendar”. No frost, no snow, you can walk in a shirt or windbreaker, and on some days the best choice would be a T-shirt with shorts! But not often 😉 So, about everything in order.
January: first month of winter
There’s no other way to put it, because until the Christmas holidays we still have autumn – at least by the feel of it. This month marks not only the beginning of the new year, but also the arrival of the rainy season. The weather in January on the island is usually characterized by a lot of rainy days or just cloudy, as well as frequent strong winds. Sometimes it is better, sometimes worse, but most of the time January brings a noticeable chill along with high humidity.
It’s wet, cold and windy (by Santorini standards). Nevertheless, this is not our coldest month, especially the first half. Read more about the weather in Santorini in January.
February: last month of winter
We just started talking about winter and it’s already time to talk about spring! Although the spring mood usually appears toward the end of the month, the first half is always very cold, very windy, and very rainy. February is typically the month with the worst weather on the island, particularly at the beginning of the month.
At least one in four days can be precipitation, and usually in the first half of the month, but towards the end of February the weather takes a turn toward spring. Nevertheless, February is the coldest month in Santorini, when temperatures can drop as low as +5 degrees! Read more about the weather on the island in February.
Weather in Santorini in spring
Let’s move on: spring! Spring begins in Santorini at the end of February, but becomes really noticeable with the arrival of March.
March: spring in its pure form
This month is a very noticeable change from previous months. Overall, it is a good and pleasant month, especially the second half.
The clouds and especially the rains are noticeably less, the sun is more, and it is in this month that all the temperatures begin to rise: it gets warmer in the air and in the sea. Read more about the weather in March.
April: last month of spring on the island
The first week is usually absolutely spring-like: everything is already blooming and smelling! A great month for hiking, sightseeing, excursions, and trips to wineries.
From the middle of the month, there is even less cloud cover, and air and water temperatures begin to rise even more rapidly. In the second half of April, hot days are likely: a recent record is +31 degrees at the end of the month! In warm years, the end of the month is already quite comfortable to spend a few days at the beach. Read more about the weather in April.
Weather in Santorini in summer
Summer in Santorini is at least five months of sun, warmth and… heat! Be prepared for +33 degrees in the shade, if you can find some shade here 🙂
May: first month of summer
There is a big difference between early May in Santorini, when cool, overcast days are very rare, but can still occur, and late May, when almost all days are sunny and warm all the time.
All in all a great month. One of the most comfortable: the clouds and precipitation are almost gone, and the scorching heat hasn’t started yet! One downside – the sea is still cool. Not cold, no! It’s already possible to swim, at least in May the beach and bathing season in Santorini officially opens, but the water is still bracing early in the month. By the end of the month, the sea will warm up. Read more about the weather in May.
June: a warm summer
This month the weather on the island will often approach the conditional boundary between “warm” and “hot”. For us it’s warm, but for the visitors it’s hot, especially when it turns out that we have almost no shade 🙂
Overcast and rainy days are almost unreal, but sunstroke can already be caught quite easily, especially after the middle of the month. Read more about the weather in June.
July: a hot summer
There is zero rain, zero clouds, and temperatures begin their rapid rise. In the open sun you have to be as careful as possible: the weather this month is deceptive because of the sea breeze.
It may seem like it’s not very hot, but in fact you can easily overheat. The air temperature starts to break records: +37 degrees in the shade! Read more about the weather in July.
August: a very hot summer!
It is hot and sunny, sometimes there are strong winds (so called “meltemi”) that can significantly change the picture of both the island and the sea 🙂
The first half of the month is always famous for the hottest and most extremely dry weather. The weather records of the previous month are usually broken in the first week: +38 degrees in the shade is not a regular occurrence, but quite possible.
The second half of the month brings a little relief as it gets a little cooler and windier, but thanks to this weather we have the warmest sea on the island this month! Read more about the weather in August.
September: the end of summer and the beginning of the velvet season
It is hot and sunny, but already a little cooler than the previous month. The weather is similar to late June or even July, but the sea temperature is much higher. The winds are also gradually subsiding.
The average air temperature this month is +26 degrees. Although the sea is starting to cool down, the temperature will definitely not drop below +24 degrees! In other words, very, very, very comfortable. One of the best months to visit our island: the sea is as warm as possible, the heat is gone, and there is no precipitation yet! Read more about the weather in September.
Weather in Santorini in autumn
We feel that autumn in Santorini starts in mid-October – not earlier! Only the end of November and December can be called as a really autumn months.
October: velvet season in Santorini
In general, the weather in this month repeats the situation of the previous month, except that there may be more clouds, and on some of the days there may be a little rain. But not much! And most likely somewhere at the end of the month.
Otherwise, the weather this month is pleasant – it reminds something of May and June, except that the sea is much warmer! Read more about the weather in October.
November: the end of the velvet season
The weather this month is more suited to a sightseeing programme, although with a bit of luck you can swim and sunbathe quite comfortably on the volcanic beaches in the first half of the month.
In the second half of the month, changes in the weather become clearly visible: the air cools faster than the sea, but in general we can already talk about the beginning of autumn. Cool and cloudy winter days are coming! Read more about the weather in November.
December: New Year’s Autumn in Santorini
No, it’s not winter. It is the real autumn: day by day cloudy days become more frequent, precipitation is more frequent and larger, but all this has more to do with the second half of the month – closer to the New Year holidays. At the beginning of the month, cloudy weather often alternates with sunny and warm days.
In general, the weather this month can be characterised as “jagged”: be prepared for cool, cloudy and rainy weather, but also clear skies, bright sunshine and quite high temperatures 🙂 Read more about the weather in December.
Short questions and answers about the weather in Santorini
Santorini has a mild Mediterranean climate. Warm humid winters, hot summer months, plenty of sunshine and minimum rainfall throughout the year – that’s about it.
Unlike the usual four seasons that many people are used to, the whole year in Santorini is basically divided into two seasons: summer and winter. There are twelve months and two seasons – very convenient! 🙂
The coldest months are, of course, January and February with an average daily temperature of about +12 degrees Celsius and an average night temperature of about +8 degrees Celsius. The coldest months are February.
The hottest months are July and August. Usually in these months the air warms up to at least +30 degrees Celsius during the day and +25 degrees Celsius at night.
During the year we have about 30 rainy days on the island, which is not many.
But the number of sunny days we have often passes the 300 mark during the year!
January often holds the palm of superiority in this sense. Only December and February can compete with it in the amount of rain, but they can’t win 🙂
July. But in general we have three months with the least amount of precipitation – June, July and August. There is practically no rain in these months.
In winter and in cloudy weather. The months with the lowest average UV index are January and December with an average maximum index of two. You can easily do without protective measures 🙂
Late January and February. In February the sea in Santorni is always the coldest. It is possible to swim, but only if you really want to.
Definitely in August. The weather in this month allows the sea to warm up to at least +25 degrees Celsius.
You can swim in Santorini as early as April, but it is better to wait until mid-May.
The swimming season in Santorini is six months long. Even at the end of October you can swim quite comfortably.
In June, when the daylight hours on our island average 15 hours.
June and July. During these months you should be extremely careful – the sun is very active.
The months with the highest average UV index in Santorini are of course June and July. Sun protection is a must, and we advise you to use SPF 50.
What can be useful for holidays in Santorini in any month
Are you planning a holiday in Santorini? Or are you already on the island? We are happy to help you organise your vacation! Check out tips, services and offers:
