About Libya

Sara and John say...

Whilst ‘hot and sunny’ is a good description of Libya’s climate for much of the time, and sunscreen is a ‘must’, there is marked variation through the year between the coastal north and the desert south.

The Mediterranean Sea provides a cooling influence on northern settlements during the summer months. This makes the heat tolerable, if humid, with temperatures at the capital, Tripoli, typically ranging from the low 20s Celsius by night to the low 30s by day. The peak of the heat is between June and August, and the weather is sunny throughout almost all of the summer. Further south into the interior, the heat can be dangerous, with temperatures reaching the 40s Celsius or even higher by day on a regular basis. Desert nights do cool down quickly though.

Towards the southern border, showers can occur as the tropical monsoon extends its influence, but these are sporadic.

Spring and autumn are also mostly dry, although temperatures are notably lower than in the peak of summer. However, hot and dry ‘Ghibli’ winds can occur during this seasonal transition, which cause a marked reduction in visibility.

Through the wintertime, the weather becomes much more mixed towards the coast, with occasional spells of showery rain and blustery winds. Daytime temperatures in Tripoli ease down into the teens, with cool nights.
In fact over the mountains inland, it can be cold enough for winter snowfall.

But much of the south remains dry with temperatures still reaching the 20s Celsius by day, although desert nights can be frosty.