Best Time To Travel To: Sicily/Sicilia, Italy
Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island, it is located at the so-called toe of the boot at the southwestern end of Italy. So Sicily is not very far e.g. from Malta. Climatically, this means a Mediterranean climate with dry and sometimes very hot summers and rather mild winters.
Basically, in the case of Sicily, one has to consider the topography, which is mostly hilly to mountainous. The highest point on the island is on Europe's highest and most active volcano, Mount Etna. It is snowing there. B. reliable in winter, there you can also ski well (until spring).
The higher the cooler. This also applies to Sicily. In summer it can be extremely hot in regions below 1,000 meters, and from 1,000 meters you can still find quite pleasant places. In winter it is often very cold upstairs. It can snow and get frosty - but further down the winters are mild. In principle, it is also true that it is a little cooler in the interior of the island than on the coasts. The conditions in the west and east are also less extreme than those in the south and north.
The south z. B. is the flattest region in Sicily and also tends to be the warmest. In summer, the south is not infrequently reached by hot Sahara winds that make the thermometer rise above 40 degrees. In addition, the south is the driest region, the north receives more rain than the south. In terms of cities, Messina receives the most rain on average over the year, while Catania, due to its protected location on Mount Etna, receives relatively the least.
Sicily during the year
- January: January is usually changeable and not very warm. The average temperature is a maximum of 14°C/min. 10°C. For a maximum of 5 hours of sunshine per day, there is a maximum of 12 rainy days/M.
- February: February is also not very consistent. It is only slightly warmer than January and hardly sunnier, but not so rainy. However, the winter can increase on the higher altitudes and make the temperatures below a little cooler. Bathing is not yet possible at temperatures below 14°C. If the weather n good, spring sets in February with the beginning of the almond blossom.
- March: even if it is still a bit changeable, the temperatures increase significantly in March. The average daytime temperature is 17°C, and the nighttime temperature rarely falls below 10°C. The sun is more frequent. The sun appears more often, but there are still up to 8 rainy days per month. Spring is setting in, the island blossoms splendidly with the almond trees and poppies with good rainfall. Bathing is not yet possible at temperatures of about 15°C.
- April: April is also not one of the stable months. However, the temperature increases and approaches on average the 20°C mark, also at night it does not get so cool anymore. The sun lets us see up to seven hours a day, it rains as often as in March. The water temperature is also not much higher than in March, so swimming is still a risk. On the other hand, the spring continues with its flowering in April.
- May: May is in principle the first really mild and stable month. The average daytime temperature reaches about 23°C, at night it rarely goes below 15°C. The sun shines for about 8 hours a day. The sun can be seen for about 8 hours a day, it rains normally on five days at the most. The water temperature reaches 17°C. May is considered the best time for exploring Sicily. It is not yet as hot, but it does not rain as much either.
- June: June is the first month of summer with daytime temperatures around 28°C and mild nights. It hardly rains, the sun shines up to 10 hours a day. The water has warmed up to 21°C, so the bathing season starts. In the south you don't like to move too much now, active vacationers should choose higher points. Basically it gets dry on the island.
- July: July is quite hot, on average you get about 31°C during the day, the nights are warm. It rarely rains, during the day you have eleven hours of sunshine. The water is now 24°c. Active vacationers should now seek out areas above 1000, below that it is very hot. The scirocco can blow extremely hot over the island in July.
- August: August is similar to July - hot and dry. The water is slightly warmer. Active vacationers should also seek out higher elevations of 1,000 meters or more in August.
- September: September is warm, but not as hot as the previous months. It also does not get quite as warm at night. It can rain more and the sun does not shine as long. The water keeps the temperature of July, so you can still swim in September. But now you can also do something in lower altitudes again. From this point of view, September is quite a good travel month for Sicily.
- October: October is pleasant - with about 23°C during the day and well below 20°C at night, it is no longer quite so warm. The sun shines on a maximum of seven hours, it can rain more often. But the water is still above 20°C - therefore it is a month that can still be used for swimming and is also good for active vacationers.
- November: November marks the beginning of the changeable season. The 20°C mark is hardly exceeded on average, at night it goes down to under 15°C. However, it does not rain much more often than in October, but the water temperature is now below 20°C.
- December: December is a changeable month with average daytime temperatures just above 15°C and nighttime temperatures below 10°C. It rains on a maximum of 8 days, the sun shines on a maximum of 5 hours during the day. Bathing is practically impossible with water temperatures of about 16°C.
When is the best time to travel to Sicily
As always, the optimal travel time for Sicily depends on personal interests. July and August are extremely hot months and are therefore ideal for beach holidays, but less suitable for active holidays. Universally good months are May, June, September and October. Then you can explore the island well and even swim (but in May the sea can still be a bit cool). In principle, one could therefore say that the optimal travel time for Sicily is between May / June and September / October. The changeable phase is between November - March / April. However, one also has to say: with good development, the almond trees can start to bloom as early as the end of February. Then March and April are often very nice months - but not reliably.
