Sunday, 23 June 2024

The Climate of Skiathos – Month-by-Month

Being a regular user of various Skiathos-related social media groups and platforms, it’s common to see questions asking what the weather is like on the island at a particular time of year.  If you’re reading this, it’s almost certainly because you’ve asked such a question, and have been directed here.

It's important to be clear that no one can guarantee what the weather will be like on Skiathos in advance, but it’s equally true that you can be given a good idea what it will be like, along with some idea of the possibility that it might be different to the average.

The following information is in month order, so just scroll down to the month you’re visiting, and read on.  Please note, if you’re going at the very start, or very end of a month, it’s not a bad idea to read up on what the weather is like in the adjacent month, too.

All figures are averages based on

the 30-year period 1991-2020


Skiathos in January, February, and March

Cool/mild, rather than cold.  The average minimum temperature in January and February is 8°C, rising to 10°C in March, the average maximum is 12°C, rising to 14°C in March with the mean average temperatures being January and February 10°C, March 12.5°C.  Those are the averages – the warmest days of each month can regularly be 18°C in January, 19°C in February, and 22°C in March.  The warmest temperatures recorded in the 30-year period were January 22°C, February 22°C, and March an eye-opening 31°C. The coldest nights are usually around 2-4°C, though it can occasionally be as low as -2°C in January.  Sea temperatures are almost always below 15°C, so too cold for swimming.

Rainfall averages are 80mm in January distributed over an average of 10 days, 70mm in February over 9 days, and 60mm in March over 8 days.  Sunshine hours averages are 3.5 hours per day in January, 5 hours in February, and 6.5 hours in March.  On average, it’s sunny for 37% of daylight hours in January, 48% in February, and 54% in March.  It has been known to snow, and snow quite heavily in January, though most years it doesn’t.  If you visit for a fortnight, you’re almost certain to see some rain, and there’s a reasonable chance the rain could last for a significant portion of your visit.

IN GENERAL - You can visit Skiathos at this time of year, but it won’t be for the weather or the swimming.

Skiathos in April

Very mild.

The average minimum temperature in April is 13°C, the average maximum is 17°C, with the mean average being 15°C.  Those are the averages – the warmest day of the month can regularly be 23°C, whilst the warmest recorded in the 30-year period was 26°C. The coldest nights are usually around 7.5°C, though it can occasionally be as low as 5°C, so you’ll definitely need a jumper and/or coat in the evenings.  Sea temperatures are almost always below 15°C, so it’s still too cold for swimming.

The rainfall average for April is 40mm distributed over 7 days.  The sunshine hours average is 8.5 hours per day.  On average, it’s sunny for 65% of daylight hours. 

IN GENERAL - April’s climate is a small, but steady improvement over the first 3 months of the year, but whilst the odd day may feel like summer, you’re far more likely to experience weather which feels very much like spring.

Skiathos in May

The tourist season for Brits starts in May.  That is to say, the first direct flight to Skiathos from a UK airport, and the first package holidays available from the big travel companies usually depart on or close to 1st May.

Warm.

NOTE – There is usually a fairly large difference between temperatures at the start of May when compared with the end of the month.  The average minimum temperature in May is 18°C, the average maximum is 22°C, with the mean average being 20°C.  Those are the averages – the warmest day of the month can regularly be 28°C, whilst the warmest recorded in the 30-year period was 31°C. The coldest nights are usually around 12°C, though it can occasionally be as low as 9°C, so a jumper or even coat for the evenings is advised.  Sea temperatures are usually around 18°C, so still too cold for swimming for most, though doable for the more hardy souls, particularly towards the end of the month.

The rainfall average for May is 40mm distributed over 6 days, so not much better than April.  The sunshine hours average is 9.5 hours per day.  On average, it’s sunny for 68% of daylight hours. 

IN GENERAL – May sees a significant step up in temperature over April, but otherwise the average climate across the month is another small, but steady improvement over the previous month, and starting to feel like summer.  May is certainly a time where it’s relatively important to consider whether you’re going towards the start or end of the month, as the averages improve fairly rapidly.  Having said that, you’ll be fairly unluck to have a fully ‘bad week’, and extremely unlucky indeed to have a ‘bad fortnight’ if you go for the first two weeks in May, whilst a visit during the second half of the month won’t be too much different to June.  The end of May is a far safer bet.

Skiathos in June

Warm-to hot.

The average minimum temperature in June is 22°C, the average maximum is 27°C, with the mean average being 24.5°C.  Those are the averages – the warmest day of the month can regularly be 28°C, whilst the warmest recorded in the period was 40°C. The coldest nights are usually around 17°C, though it can occasionally be as low as 14°C, so it’s best to consider taking a light jumper for the evenings, just in case, though you’ll get less use out of it the later in the month you get.  Sea temperatures are usually around 22°C, so quite cool for swimming, though most will find it bearable, particularly towards the end of the month.

The rainfall average for June is 25mm distributed over 4 days, so a big improvement over May.  Sunshine hours average 11 hours per day.  On average, it’s sunny for 73% of daylight hours.  Occasionally you’ll see steady rain in June, but more often it’s a quick, heavy thunderstorm.

IN GENERAL - June sees a significant step up in average temperatures across the month over May, but is otherwise just another small, but steady improvement over the previous month.  It’s drier, and there’s steady improvement in other areas; it’s now unambiguously summer.  There’s not a significant improvement between June and July, so this is the last time of the season when the part of the month you go shows any considerable improvement.  Like May, June is a time where it’s relatively important to consider whether you’re going towards the start or end of the month, as the averages improve fairly rapidly.  The weather at the end of June should be very similar to July and August.

Skiathos in July & August

There’s not a lot of difference between July and August, with the climate being warm-to hot.

The average minimum temperature in July-August is 24°C, the average maximum is 29°C, with the mean average being just over 26.5°C.  Those are the averages – the warmest day of the months can regularly be 33.5°C, whilst the warmest recorded in the 30-year period were 43°C in July and 38°C in August. The coldest nights are usually around 20°C, though it can occasionally be as low as 16-17°C, so a jumper shouldn’t be necessary for the evenings, unless you feel the cold very easily.  Sea temperatures are usually around 25°C, which is the warmest of the year, and good for swimming.

The rainfall average for both July and August is 20-25mm distributed over 2 days per month, so similar to June.  Sunshine hours average is around 12 hours per day.  On average, it’s sunny for around 83% of daylight hours in both months.  The rain, if and when it comes, is usually in the form of very quick, dramatic thunderstorms.  You’ll almost certainly not have a whole day washed out.

IN GENERAL - July and August’s climate is a small step up over June’s average, with only sea temperatures being a significant difference.  This is peak summer.  There’s not a significant improvement between late June and July/August, and whilst some figures take a turn for the worse in September, that’s mainly caused by a dip towards the end of that month.  In short, the climate on Skiathos is very similar from 1st July through to 31st August.

Skiathos in September

The climate changes during September, being unapologetically summer at the beginning of the month, but nudging towards autumnal as you near the end.

The average minimum temperature in September is 21°C, the average maximum is 26°C, with the mean average being 23°C.  Those are the averages – the warmest day of the month can regularly be just over 30°C, whilst the warmest recorded in the 30-year period was 36°C. The coldest nights are usually around 15°C, though it can occasionally be as low as 12°C; a light jumper is advised for evenings, especially towards the end of the month.  Sea temperatures hold up well, usually being around 24°C, which is still good for swimming, and not far behind July-August.

The rainfall average for September is 40mm distributed over 5 days per month.  Sunshine hours average is around 9.5 hours per day.  On average, it’s sunny for 76% of daylight hours.  It can rain for extended periods, but whilst you may possibly see most of a week cloudy and rainy towards the end of the month, that’s relatively unusual.  Nonetheless, twice in recent years there’s been heavy flooding, caused by heavy rain over half a week, or so. Both times in mid-September.

IN GENERAL - September’s climate is a step down from July and August, with only sea temperatures holding up.  Importantly, this deterioration occurs during the month, so whether you’re going during the first or last week or fortnight makes some difference.  Having said that, you’ll be fairly unluck to have a fully ‘bad week’, and extremely unlucky indeed to have a ‘bad fortnight’ if you go for the last two weeks in September, whilst a visit during the first half of the month probably won’t be too much different to July/August.

Skiathos in October

The tourist season for Brits ends after the first week of October.  That is to say, the last direct flight to a UK airport from Skiathos, and the last package holidays available from the big travel companies usually ends on or close to 7th October.

The climate changes during October, from hanging on to summer at the start of the month, to being unapologetically autumnal towards the end.

The average minimum temperature in October is 17°C, the average maximum is 21°C, with the mean average 19°C.  Those are the averages – the warmest day of the month can regularly be 27°C, whilst the warmest recorded in the 30-year period was 31°C. The coldest nights are usually around 12°C, though it can occasionally be as low as 7°C; a light jumper or coat is advised for evenings, especially towards the end of the month.  Sea temperatures continue to hold up well, usually being around 21°C, which is still just about fine for swimming, especially at the start of the month.

The rainfall average for October is 70mm distributed over 7 days per month.  Sunshine hours average is around 7.5 hours per day.  On average, it’s sunny for 68% of daylight hours.  As with late September, it can rain for extended periods, but whilst you may possibly see most of a week cloudy and rainy, that’s relatively unusual.

IN GENERAL - October’s climate is another step down from September, with only sea temperatures holding up.  And once again, this deterioration occurs during the month, so whether you’re going during the first or last week makes quite a difference.  Having said that, and given that the tourist season for Brits only covers the first week of the month, you’ll be fairly unluck to have a fully ‘bad week’, and extremely unlucky indeed to have a ‘bad fortnight’ if you go for the last week in September/first week in October.

Skiathos in November and December

The climate changes from autumnal to ‘mild-winter’ over these two months.

The average minimum temperatures are 13°C in November and 9°C in December, the average maximums are 17°C in November and 13°C in December, with the mean averages being 15.3°C in November and 11°C in December.  Those are averages – the warmest day of the month can regularly be 23°C in November and 19°C in December, whilst the warmest recorded in the period was 27°C in November and 23°C in December. The coldest nights are usually around 8°C in November and 3°C in December, though it can occasionally be as low as 4°C in November and just 1°C in December; a ‘big coat’ is mandatory.  Sea temperatures hold up fairly well in November at 18.5°C, which would be doable for some were it not for the cold air once you left the water.  In December this falls further to 15.5°C, which is a non-starter for most.  It has been known to snow, and snow quite heavily in December.

The rainfall average for November is 65mm distributed over 10 days per month, and 95mm over 12 days in December.  Sunshine hours average is around 5.5 hours per day in November and 3.5 in December.  On average, it’s sunny for 55% of daylight hours in November, but just 37% in December.  If you visit for a fortnight, you’re almost certain to see some rain, and there’s a reasonable chance the rain could last for a significant portion of your visit.

IN GENERAL - November and December are continuing steps down from October.  You can visit Skiathos at this time of year, but it won’t be for the weather or the swimming

Monday, 8 April 2024

I Tried DEET and I Still Got Bitten

Okay, that definitely happens.  What went wrong?  What are the possibilities?  And perhaps most importantly, based on my answer, what should I do next time?

Here are some possible reasons why you’ve been wearing DEET all holiday, but still got bitten.

For fun, try to rank them in order of likelihood.

1.     I didn’t apply it correctly.  Let's face it, that's certainly not impossible.  If you’re away for 14 nights and apply DEET 2 or 3 times a day, that’s a lot of applications you need to make sure you’ve performed perfectly.  Putting anything else on, do you ever ‘miss bits’?  Ever become distracted halfway through applying, and forgot which limb(s) you’ve already done? So, might I have missed a bit?  You don't have to miss a bit every time.  Just once.

2.     It got washed off.  Did I say 2 or 3 times a day?  If you regularly go swimming, you might easily up that to 5 or 6.  Or more.  And remember, for each application, you need to be as accurate and thorough as all the rest.  So, might it have got washed off?  You don't have to wash it off and not reapply correctly every time.  Just once.

3.     I forgot.  We’ve all done it.  Things we do regularly, day-in, day out, which you might think you'd never forget, but you just occasionally forget.  I’ve left my keys on my desk.  I’ve left my phone at home. I didn’t take my medication this morning.  Did I leave the iron on?  Did I put the bins out?  Did I turn the straighteners off?  Did I lock the front door?  Let’s face it, we forget things.  We’re human.  So, might I have forgotten?  You don't have forget every time.  Just once.

4.     I was bitten in-between applications.  True story.  In Florence recently I wore full length jeans and shirts (it was autumn) and I got one single, solitary bite.  It was on my left leg, near the top, over to one side, just underneath my front-left jeans pocket, that's the pocket where I always carry my wallet.  The mosquito would have had to bite through my jeans and wallet.  I wore DEET all the time, we had a plug-in in the room, so the only time I was unprotected was when I’d had a shower and went out on to the balcony to re-apply.  AH!  So there was a time, a small window of opportunity, where I had no DEET on, and wasn't fully clothed.  So, might I have been exposed for a short period?  You don't have to have been exposed regularly.  Just once.

5.     It wasn’t a mosquito.  Try this:

               https://www.prevention.com/health/g33011148/common-bug-bite-pictures/

So, are you absolutely, 100% sure it was a mosquito bite?

6.    The scientists who’ve tested DEET extensively and repeatedly for over half a century have all been lying when they tell us DEET works.  Or they’re shape-shifting lizards.  Or it’s something to do with Bill Gates, or 5G, or vaccines.  Or something.  So, are the conspiracy nutters right?

7.     There’s an omnipotent, all-powerful God, and I’ve upset her very, very much. So, are you out of favour with God?


Consider each of the above possibilities, and for each one, consider firstly the likelihood that it happened.  As I say, maybe put them in order.

Now, take each one in turn, and let's say that's what actually caused your bite.  Now, what would you say would be the most logical response to that happening.  For how many would that be “Stop taking DEET and try something else which is completely scientifically unproven.  Probably just something I read on the internet, because that has a track record of rock-solid accuracy."

For how many should it be “Continue taking DEET, I must just have made a mistake.”

I'd say, for numbers 1-5, the logical response would be that it wasn't a case of DEET not working, it's some other error, easily done.  In which case, it'd be daft to stop taking DEET, and for more sensible to try to eliminate the chance of error, as much as is humanly possible.

But if you're still not convinced, for how many would the logical response be “I’ll try something else which has been tested and proven to work, like PMD, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535" and for how many would the logical response be to try something unproven, or something proven not to work, before exhausting all the ones already proven to work?

Actually, number 7 is my favourite…