Climate

The climate of Crete is generally described as mild mediterranean, which tends to differentiate itself in the mountains showing continental characteristics. In general, a basic characteristic of the local climate is that there are large deviations from place to place. The yearly temperatures fluctuate between 14 and 15 C, the mainland has generally warmer summer and colder winters, while the southern coasts are warmer both in winter and summer in relation to the northern sides.

Crete has a privileged geographical position in the Mediterranean, which gives it a mild climate with mild changes of the weather. The winter, which usually starts in the middle of December, is mild and its colder months are January and February. The plains of Crete are among the warmer areas of Greece and especially their eastern and south-eastern part, which resembles north Africa. This is evident in the vegetation of the area, which is very similar to that of north Africa (e.g. the beautiful palm forest of Vai).

The sunshine lasts almost the whole year with greater intensity in the months from April to October. Hottest months are July and August, but generally because of the sea breeze and the effect of annual winds, the summer is relatively cool. The presence of clouds is small with decreasing trend from west to east and the rains increase from east to west and from the coast to the mainland. The changes from area to area is intense, with the White Mountains (Lefka Ori), for example, receive about 2 meters of rainfall and snowfall each year while the southeastern coast of Crete to accept considerably less quantity.

As in almost all parts of the world so in Crete, climate changes have started to show the strong influence, with a typical example of desertification in mountain areas of the island, which "stripped" and resemble lunar landscapes. These landscapes, however, are significant pockets of biodiversity, while some species have adapted and survived in these environments and in fact, be found only there and nowhere else in the world.