Weather in Istanbul – when to visit Istanbul
Are you wondering, when is the best time to visit Istanbul? And how the weather in Istanbul is throughout the year? In this article, I’ll explain when you can expect hot, pleasant and rainy days in Istanbul, so you can plan your trip accordingly.
All information in this article and more is also included in my YouTube video:
Overview weather in Istanbul
Istanbul is a city which is visited all year around. In any given month, there are at least 1 million international tourists.
Istanbul experiences all four seasons. Using this graphic, I’ll show the expected temperatures and rainfall for these four periods:
- Hot months
(weather July, August in Istanbul) - Pleasant months
(weather May, June, September, October in Istanbul) - Unpredictable months
(weather March, April, November in Istanbul) - Cold months
(weather January, February, December in Istanbul)
1) Hot months (weather July, August in Istanbul)
First, let’s talk about the hot summer in July and August in Istanbul.
During this time, temperatures range from a minimum of 21 degrees to a maximum of 30 degrees Celsius. Often it is around 27 degrees.
This period is full of summer vibes and attracts the most visitors. Thus it is also very crowded.
2) Pleasant months (weather May, June, September, October in Istanbul)
Next are the pleasant months of May, June and September, October in Istanbul.
If summer in Istanbul feels too hot for you, then these four months might be ideal. Temperatures typically stay between 20 and 25 degrees.
The period between May and October in Istanbul also has the lowest amount of rainy days, as shown in the blue boxes. And when it does rain, it’s usually just for a few hours.
3) Unpredictable months (March, April, November in Istanbul)
Now, let’s look at the unpredictable months of March, April and November in Istanbul
You might enjoy sunny days with temperatures reaching up to 17 degrees. However, you could also encounter rainy days with lows around 5 degrees.
When it rains in Istanbul, the city kind of stands still. People are mostly inside. And traffic gets really bad.
4) Cold months (January, February, December in Istanbul)
Finally we have the cold winter in January, February and December in Istanbul.
Temperatures drop to 3 to 11 degrees Celsius.
Likelihood for rain is quite high, but there is rarely snow in the central parts of the city.
On the plus side, November to March is the cheapest period regarding flights and hotels. This is except for the Christmas time.
Used source in this article: https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/turkey/istanbul
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