Climate and Geography of North Cyprus

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean after Sardinia and Sicily. It lies 65 km from Turkey’s southern coast and other neighboring countries include Egypt (370 km), Israel and Greece making it an ideal location. Since the division of Cyprus in 1974 the Turkish Cypriots have lived in the northern part of the island while Greek Cypriots live in the south.

North Cyprus is some 100 miles long , 40 miles across at its widest point and has a total area of 1357 sq. miles or nearly one third of the whole of the Cyprus Island.

Mainly the effects of side pressures have formed the island’s present shape during different geological ages. ‘Capes’ have been formed where the land has strength against the erosion of the sea and ‘Gulfs’ have been formed where the land was weaker and so gave way to erosion. There are two capes, Zafer Cape at the end of the Karpaz Peninsula and Korucam Cape to the west. The two gulfs are at Guzelyurt and Famagusta.

North Cyprus comprises nearly one third of the whole island with a total area of 3,515 sq km. It is about 242 km wide and 64 km deep. The total area of Cyprus is approximately 9,252 sq km.

North Cyprus enjoys a very pleasant Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and mild winters, and an average of 300 days of sunshine per year. In August, the hottest month, average temperatures range from 21°C to 36°C and in the coldest months of January and February, the average temperature is around 10°C, with a winter average of 6 hours daily sunshine and only moderate rain, making it an ideal year-round destination.

Northern Cyprus Temperatures

North Cyprus weather starts to warm up during May, when the temperature rises above 25 degrees. Temperatures then rise steadily into the hottest month of July, when you can bask in 40 degrees of heat. At night, the temperature can fall to a very pleasant 21 degrees, so you can sleep comfortably. Even in October, Northern Cyprus daytime temperatures can be as high as 26 degrees, so a half term holiday can provide a welcome dose of heat and sunshine for all the family. Only by mid November does the temperature in Northern Cyprus drop to its lowest levels, before starting to rise again in mid March.