From today's weather, seven-day forecast and the temperature of the sea to a year in Crete, seen over three decades. Compare the months, discover the difference between coastal towns and read what averages tell and not.
The climate figures below are own calculations from ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo: a reconstruction based on observations and a weather model. No local station measurements, no island average and no weather forecast.
FROM COAST TO HIGH PLAINS
Crete: now and the next few days
The air above the island, the water along the coast. Choose a place for the current weather, the sea temperature and seven days of expectation.
Now: air temperature · Expectation: maximum temperature on the selected day · Seawater: surface temperature off the coast. Use the space buttons if the map does not load.
7 DAYS AHEAD
The week in Heraklion
Choose a day to compare the expectations on the map. Today and the next six days · all times in Greek local time.
Loading expectation...
Temperatures: minimum / maximum · wind: highest speed at 10 m and dominant direction of origin · flags: highest wind impact · precipitation: day total and highest precipitation probability. Sunrise and sunset are astronomical times; mountains can shield the visible sun.
About the weather, the expectation, the seawater and the climate
The current weather and the sea temperature come from weather models via Open-Meteo. These are model approaches, not local thermometer measurements. Each value has the time in Greek local time. We request new weather data about every ten minutes; seawater about every half hour. The source models themselves are less frequently updated.
The expectation for all twelve places is also from Open-Meteo and is retrieved about every half hour. Furthermore, an expectation is more uncertain. The day symbol describes the worst predicted weather situation of that day, not necessarily all day. Wind direction and speed limit do not need to occur at the same time. The highest probability of precipitation is not the percentage of the day it rains.
Suntimes follow Europe/Athens, including summer and winter time. The day totals follow the day schedule of the source model. In the event of a temporary source failure, an expectation may remain available up to six hours after collection, with a notification. Provided days are removed; missing days and readings remain identifiable as unavailable.
Seawater here means the temperature close to the sea surface of a model cell off the coast. In a shallow bay, at a source or directly at the beach, the temperature may vary. Landings in the interior do not get sea temperature. A missing value is never shown as zero.
The map and the place buttons show the same data. If the coastline does not load, the buttons and data remain usable. In case of a malfunction, previously retrieved values can remain visible up to three hours old, clearly marked. Older values are not shown.
The climate series below describes 1996:202025 for six coastal towns. An actual moment cannot be directly compared to a 30-year average. No new historical series have been calculated for the additional map points; no sea temperatures have been added to the existing 30-year table.
The table applies to the selected coastal point; it is not an average for the whole region.
Monthly averages · 1996
The monthly values are listed below. Please enable JavaScript to choose graphs and other places.
Heraklion · monthly averages 1996
Month
Minimum °C
Etmaal °C
Mean maximum °C
Precipitation mm
Wet days ≥1 mm
Wind km/h
January
10,0
12,8
16,3
65,8
12,2
9,1
February
9,9
13,0
16,7
66,1
10,4
9,4
March
11,0
14,7
18,9
56,4
8,7
9,0
April
13,3
17,7
22,4
36,2
5,8
8,5
May
17,1
21,9
26,9
32,9
4,6
7,9
June
21,2
25,8
30,4
13,1
2,0
9,2
July
23,8
28,0
32,2
4,4
0,6
10,6
August
23,9
27,8
32,0
8,4
1,0
10,2
September
21,3
25,1
29,6
21,7
3,4
8,8
October
18,0
21,4
25,6
36,8
5,6
8,1
November
14,8
17,8
21,8
39,3
6,6
7,9
December
11,8
14,4
17,8
61,4
11,2
8,6
Move the table aside if necessary. Minimum and maximum are average daily values, no extremes. Wind is an average at 10 m altitude; local wind gusts can vary considerably.
Annual values average for 1996/1996/2025. The place is a reference point within the said region. These six points are not merged into one average for Crete.
The differences above are results of this calculation. A dryer coastal point does not automatically represent the entire hinterland. Compare the year rhythm and read the explanatory notes on terrain height and model resolution.
01 · READING CLIMATE
What do we mean by 30 years?
This guide uses 1 January 1996 until 31 December 2025: the last thirty complete calendar years available at the time of the compilation. The incomplete year 2026 is not included in the averages. So you don't see a prediction for your next holiday, but a review of a fixed period.
This is a different choice from the standard international standard 1991/199220. The World Meteorological Organisation uses fixed thirty-year periods to enable comparisons between sites and publications. Our choice is in line with the demand for the last thirty complete years; the results are therefore not presented as official WMO stations normals.
The figures come from ERA5, a reanalysis of the weather, bringing together observations and a weather model into a consistent reconstruction. The data were collected via Open-Meteo and summarised for this guide. The six points selected are located at coastal sites. They do not represent a surface-weighted average of the whole of Crete or an average of a complete administrative region.
02 · READING CLIMATE
The main line: a Mediterranean year
The Greek weather service describes the Mediterranean pattern as a variation of relatively mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. In the table you can follow that pattern for each chosen place itself. Look not only at the warmest month, but also at the transition between the dry and wetter part of the year.
A monthly average irons differ. A few wet days can together deliver a large part of the monthly fall. A daily average includes both daytime and night. An average of day ceilings tells what the day temperature did on average, not what the highest temperature of the whole month or period was.
For your travel planning this means: use climate to understand a season and a weather forecast to assess the coming days. An average dry summer does not guarantee a quiet sea. A mild winter on the coast says little about snow, visibility or wind at altitude.
03 · READING CLIMATE
Winter · December, January and February
Winter is an important part of the wet season in many coastal series. With the precipitation graph you can see how big the winter contribution is in the chosen place. This is more useful than just a year total: the same annual total can be very different over the months.
For a stay on the coast you can walk through a city, a museum visit and a meal within part of the same day plan. Keep space for rain and changing weather. For mountain visits, different conditions apply to a seaside terrace; please refer to specific local information.
Also look at the average minimum. It is the average of the lowest temperature of each day, not an absolute lower limit. A cold night can be below that figure. Therefore, do not pack clothes solely on the basis of one average temperature.
04 · READING THE CLIMATE
Spring March, April and May
Spring is visible as a transition in the monthly tables: the temperature rises and the wet winter pattern makes way for a dryer part of the year. The exact distribution varies per selected point and per year. Compare March not only with May, but also with the same month in another coastal town.
If you want to combine hiking, villages and archaeology, you can use the table to make a first seasonal choice. This remains a personal consideration of heat, light and the goal of the journey. A higher average temperature does not give you a clue about a specific mountain path or access to a gorge.
For a day on the road, make an alternative that is less dependent on the weather. You use climate knowledge as preparation, without making an average promise. Spring bloom and water in the landscape also depend on what happened in the previous months.
05 · READING CLIMATE
Summer · June, July and August
In summer, the dry character of the coastal series is clearly evident. Compare the average daily maximum with the average minimum temperature: together they give a better picture of the daily rhythm than the daily average alone.
The Greek weather service calls sea breeze and the northern Etesian winds as factors that can temper the summer heat. That does not mean that wind makes it pleasant everywhere. A sheltered street, a rocky slope and an open beach have different conditions. The wind column below contains an average at ten meters altitude, no wind impact and no local beach measurement.
Plan activities with space for shade, water and rest. Use for swimming and sailing current wind and sea information. A month that is on average almost dry can have days with lots of wind. Heat, sun and the state of the sea are different parts of the weather.
06 · READING CLIMATE
Autumn · September, October and November
Autumn connects the warm summer with the wetter winter part. Look at the three months separately: an average for the entire autumn hides the transition that can be important for a trip.
October deserves extra attention in this guide because our Crete trip took place in that month. The text box at the location selection shows both the October averages and the range of the average October temperature in the thirty separate years. That range describes differences between whole months, not between separate days.
Use the average number of wet days to better understand a month without turning it into a fixed holiday calendar. On average six wet days does not mean that every October has exactly six rain days, or that the rain falls on six consecutive days. Also, the time and duration of showers remain outside such a monthly overview.
07 · READING CLIMATE
Four regions of the Union, six coastal towns
Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos offer a range from west to east. Agios Nikolaos is located here as a coastal point within Lasithi. Sitia and Ierapetra have been added to view the northeast and the south coast separately.
The comparison table shows what these specific points show in the same model series. Do not draw any conclusion that an entire region is as wet, hot or windy as its chosen coastal town. Altitude, location relative to mountains and distance to the sea are missing in such a simple summary.
The rough ERA5 grids are relatively coarse: about a quarter degree. A coastal site can be approached with a cell that is further inland. Each choice includes the cell coordinates used. The numbers are suitable to explore the seasonal course; for very local differences station measurements and local knowledge are important.
08 · READING CLIMATE
Coastal figures are not a mountain climate
Crete has a distinct mountainous relief. A table for the area of Chania is not a climate table for Pachnes, and Heraklion does not automatically represent the inland plateaus.
Temperature, clouds, wind and precipitation change with altitude and terrain. Moreover, a slope exposed to the wind can react differently than a sheltered valley. Therefore, this guide does not calculate a fixed temperature reduction per 100 meters to any destination: this would suggest more certainty than the coastal data.
For a trip, read the specific visit information at the Lefka Ori and ask on the spot about the conditions. Averages in 30 years, nothing says about the safety of a gorge after recent rain or about ice on a path. For such decisions you need current information about the right place.
09 · READING CLIMATE
Sun, daylight and feeling temperature
Sunshine and daylight are different sizes. Daylight describes how long the sun is above the horizon; sunshine also requires sufficient direct sun radiation. A long summer day is therefore no guarantee for the same hours of uninterrupted sunshine.
For this dossier, no sufficiently controlled, comparable series of hours of sunshine has been established for all six places. Therefore, no monthly figures are shown. Numbers from another source or period are not implicitly added to the 30-year series.
Seawater temperature and temperature are not derived from these air temperatures either. Wind, sun, humidity, clothing and activity influence how you experience the day. So use the figures below to describe the weather data you have selected, not as a complete assessment of beach weather or walking comfort.
READ CLIMATE
Thirty years also includes change
An average of 1996 (as a result of this) combines the beginning and the end of the series. It may feel different from what someone remembers from recent summers. In the scout are also the thirty separate annual averages, so you can see variation between years.
In addition, we compare 1996/2005 to 2016/200225. These are two equally long blocks from the same source. The difference is a descriptive calculation for the selected point. It is not a statistical trend analysis, no warming per decade and no prediction for the next ten years.
For causes, regional climate trends and the significance of extreme years, we refer to analyses of the Greek weather service and Copernicus. In this guide, our own calculations remain identifiable from such formal climate assessments.
11 · READING CLIMATE
This is how you read the numbers without misunderstandings.
The three temperature columns are averages of the daily minimum, the daily temperature and the daily maximum. An average maximum of 27 °C does not mean that it never gets warmer that month. A daily average is not the same as the temperature on a sunny terrace in the afternoon.
Precipitation is shown as the average monthly total in millimetres. One millimetre corresponds to one liter of water per square metre. The variable used counts all forms of precipitation, i.e. basically also the water equivalent of snow. The wet-day column counts days by at least one millimetre: not every day with a few drops.
For each calendar month an average or total is calculated first per year, after which the 30 monthly values are average. The annual values are calculated separately over whole years. As a result, annual temperatures are not simply the unweighted average of twelve rounded monthly temperatures. Rounding takes place only at the display.
Sources, Method & Control
Composed on 21 October 2026. 10,958 consecutive days were checked per place, without missing values in the published variables. All monthly totals for precipitation and wet days are consistent with the average annual total. The raw data and calculation are stored with the guide's source files.
Data: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API, fixed model choice ERA5, local day schedule Europe/Athens. Data reworked to monthly and annual overviews. Source entry: Open-Meteo and ECMWF/Copernician Climate Change Service, under the corresponding conditions of use; Open-Meteo data under CC BY 4.0.
Open-Meteo applies processing for the requested location, including terrain height. Cell values and local measuring stations can differ. Sunshine duration was picked up during the exploration but not published after the quality assessment.