Climate and average weather in Chania
In Chania, the summers are humid, warm, dry, and clear and the winters are cool, breezy, and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Chania typically varies from 10°C to 25°C, and is rarely below 7°C or above 27°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while February is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Chania for warm-weather activities is from mid May to early October.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 25°
- Coldest
- Feb
- 10°
- Wettest
- Dec
- 166 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 3 mm
- Rain / yr
- 832 mm
- 90 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.6–14.4 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 24 m
- 35.5°N
- Clearest
- Jul
- 3% cloud
Chania is city in Crete, Greece.
- Density
- 4,292/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Chania weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid May to early October.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Chania, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.6 months, from June 12 to September 27, with daily high temperatures above 22°C. The hottest month of the year in Chania is August, with an average high of 25°C and low of 24°C.
The cool season lasts 3.9 months, from December 7 to April 4, with daily high temperatures below 15°C. The coldest month of the year in Chania is February, with an average low of 10°C and high of 12°C.
Days typically run about 2°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 13 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 14 |
| Avg low (°C) | 10 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 12 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | 10 |
| Feb | 12 | 10 |
| Mar | 14 | 11 |
| Apr | 16 | 14 |
| May | 19 | 17 |
| Jun | 23 | 21 |
| Jul | 25 | 23 |
| Aug | 25 | 24 |
| Sep | 23 | 22 |
| Oct | 20 | 19 |
| Nov | 17 | 15 |
| Dec | 14 | 12 |
Average hourly temperature in Chania
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on August afternoons, near 25°C, and coldest before dawn in February, near 10°C.
Chania weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13° / 10° | 157 | 14.7 | 9.9 | 3.1 |
| Feb | 12° / 10° | 133 | 13.2 | 10.7 | 3.1 |
| Mar | 14° / 11° | 86 | 10.2 | 11.7 | 4.0 |
| Apr | 16° / 14° | 38 | 6 | 12.9 | 5.7 |
| May | 19° / 17° | 25 | 4.1 | 13.8 | 7.6 |
| Jun | 23° / 21° | 5 | 1.6 | 14.4 | 9.1 |
| Jul | 25° / 23° | 3 | 0.7 | 14.2 | 9.5 |
| Aug | 25° / 24° | 5 | 1.1 | 13.3 | 9.3 |
| Sep | 23° / 22° | 26 | 3.5 | 12.2 | 8.8 |
| Oct | 20° / 19° | 79 | 8.3 | 11.1 | 7.1 |
| Nov | 17° / 15° | 110 | 11 | 10.1 | 5.5 |
| Dec | 14° / 12° | 166 | 15.1 | 9.6 | 3.7 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Chania gets about 832 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 5.9 months, from around Oct 12 to Apr 8, peaking in December at about 50% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jul 22.
December is the wettest month by volume, with 166 mm over about 15 wet days; July is the driest, with 3 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 47 | 46 | 33 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 27 | 37 | 49 |
| Rain days | 15 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 15 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 15 |
| Feb | 46 | 13 |
| Mar | 33 | 10 |
| Apr | 21 | 6 |
| May | 12 | 4 |
| Jun | 6 | 2 |
| Jul | 3 | 1 |
| Aug | 4 | 1 |
| Sep | 11 | 4 |
| Oct | 27 | 8 |
| Nov | 37 | 11 |
| Dec | 49 | 15 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Chania collects about 832 mm of rain across 90 wet days — roughly 69 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. December is the wettest month with 166 mm, while July is the driest at just 3 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 55% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 157 | 133 | 86 | 38 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 26 | 79 | 110 | 166 |
| Rain days | 15 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 15 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 157 | 15 |
| Feb | 133 | 13 |
| Mar | 86 | 10 |
| Apr | 38 | 6 |
| May | 25 | 4 |
| Jun | 5 | 2 |
| Jul | 3 | 1 |
| Aug | 5 | 1 |
| Sep | 26 | 4 |
| Oct | 79 | 8 |
| Nov | 110 | 11 |
| Dec | 166 | 15 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Chania, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around April 15 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around October 14. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 100% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 15 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around April 14. The cloudiest month is December, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 47% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 55 | 59 | 67 | 76 | 84 | 96 | 100 | 100 | 94 | 75 | 59 | 53 |
| Cloudier (%) | 45 | 41 | 33 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 41 | 47 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 45 |
| Feb | 59 | 41 |
| Mar | 67 | 33 |
| Apr | 76 | 24 |
| May | 84 | 16 |
| Jun | 96 | 4 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 94 | 6 |
| Oct | 75 | 25 |
| Nov | 59 | 41 |
| Dec | 53 | 47 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 12, brings about 14 h 24 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 9 h 36 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.3 | 12.2 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:38 | 7:19 | 6:42 | 5:57 | 5:24 | 5:13 | 5:24 | 5:47 | 6:12 | 6:36 | 7:06 | 7:32 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:29 | 5:58 | 6:25 | 6:51 | 7:16 | 7:36 | 7:35 | 7:09 | 6:25 | 5:41 | 5:12 | 5:08 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.9 | 7:38 | 5:29 |
| Feb | 10.7 | 7:19 | 5:58 |
| Mar | 11.7 | 6:42 | 6:25 |
| Apr | 12.9 | 5:57 | 6:51 |
| May | 13.8 | 5:24 | 7:16 |
| Jun | 14.4 | 5:13 | 7:36 |
| Jul | 14.2 | 5:24 | 7:35 |
| Aug | 13.3 | 5:47 | 7:09 |
| Sep | 12.2 | 6:12 | 6:25 |
| Oct | 11.1 | 6:36 | 5:41 |
| Nov | 10.1 | 7:06 | 5:12 |
| Dec | 9.6 | 7:32 | 5:08 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Chania averages about 19 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 8 and 30 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.8 months, from around Apr 19 to Oct 11. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 30 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is December, down near 9 sunny days — about 71% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 10 | 10 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 26 | 18 | 12 | 9 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Mixed | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Mixed |
| Feb | 10 | Mixed |
| Mar | 15 | Mixed |
| Apr | 18 | Bright |
| May | 22 | Bright |
| Jun | 28 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 31 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 30 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 26 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 18 | Bright |
| Nov | 12 | Mixed |
| Dec | 9 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Chania, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.8 months, from around June 1 to October 25. The muggiest month is August, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 91% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around October 26 to May 31, and January is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 93 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 60 | 94 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 47 | 32 | 11 | 9 | 23 | 34 | 34 | 6 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 50 | 44 | 36 | 39 | 36 | 7 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 42 | 49 | 32 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 93 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 43 | 47 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 5 | 32 | 50 | 13 | 0 |
| Jul | 1 | 11 | 44 | 42 | 3 |
| Aug | 0 | 9 | 36 | 49 | 6 |
| Sep | 5 | 23 | 39 | 32 | 1 |
| Oct | 23 | 34 | 36 | 8 | 0 |
| Nov | 60 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 94 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Chania is typically light breeze, near 16 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.9 months, from around Oct 25 to Apr 23. The windiest month is February, averaging about 19 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 24 to Oct 24, with August the calmest month at about 12 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | light breeze |
| Feb | 19 | light breeze |
| Mar | 19 | light breeze |
| Apr | 17 | light breeze |
| May | 15 | light breeze |
| Jun | 13 | light breeze |
| Jul | 12 | light breeze |
| Aug | 12 | light breeze |
| Sep | 15 | light breeze |
| Oct | 15 | light breeze |
| Nov | 16 | light breeze |
| Dec | 18 | light breeze |
Hazard calendar for Chania
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Chania's rainy season runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Chania sees seasonal dust haze (April–May), heaviest in April.
Best time to visit Chania
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Chania throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late September, Chania is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Chania for general outdoor tourist activities is from late May to early October, with a peak score in the first week of July.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 3.1 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 5.7 | 7.6 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 8.8 | 7.1 | 5.5 | 3.7 |
| Rating | poor | poor | fair | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.1 | poor |
| Feb | 3.2 | poor |
| Mar | 4.1 | fair |
| Apr | 5.7 | good |
| May | 7.6 | ideal |
| Jun | 9.1 | ideal |
| Jul | 9.5 | ideal |
| Aug | 9.3 | ideal |
| Sep | 8.8 | ideal |
| Oct | 7.1 | good |
| Nov | 5.5 | fair |
| Dec | 3.7 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Chania for hot-weather activities is from mid June to mid September, with a peak score in the last week of July.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Chania, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around August (highs near 25°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around February (highs near 12°C), pack a warm layer and rain gear.
In August, Chania sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 24°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.
Sea temperature near Chania
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 15 km away) is warmest in August at about 26°C and coldest in February near 16°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from May 26 to Nov 19 — about 5.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 18 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Cool |
| Feb | 16 | Cool |
| Mar | 16 | Cool |
| Apr | 17 | Cool |
| May | 19 | Cool |
| Jun | 22 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 25 | Warm |
| Aug | 26 | Warm |
| Sep | 25 | Warm |
| Oct | 23 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 20 | Refreshing |
| Dec | 18 | Cool |
UV index (midday) in Chania by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Chania peaks around July 15 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 2 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | High |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 7 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 10 | Very high |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 8 | Very high |
| Oct | 5 | High |
| Nov | 3 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Chania
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in July the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 5.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 0 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 2.5 | 0 |
| Mar | 5.5 | 0 |
| Apr | 7 | 4 |
| May | 7.5 | 3.5 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 5 |
| Sep | 7 | 4 |
| Oct | 5 | 0 |
| Nov | 2 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Air quality in Chania by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Chania is worst in April — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.0× the cleanest month (September, 7 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 11 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Good |
| Feb | 14 | Moderate |
| Mar | 15 | Moderate |
| Apr | 15 | Moderate |
| May | 11 | Good |
| Jun | 9 | Good |
| Jul | 8 | Good |
| Aug | 10 | Good |
| Sep | 7 | Good |
| Oct | 8 | Good |
| Nov | 11 | Good |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Growing season
Chania is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Chania banks about 2,726 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 44 | 36 | 74 | 139 | 246 | 351 | 438 | 450 | 374 | 294 | 185 | 93 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 44 |
| Feb | 36 |
| Mar | 74 |
| Apr | 139 |
| May | 246 |
| Jun | 351 |
| Jul | 438 |
| Aug | 450 |
| Sep | 374 |
| Oct | 294 |
| Nov | 185 |
| Dec | 93 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Chania receives about 5.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.1 and 8.0 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.1 months, from around Mar 23 to Sep 24. The brightest month is June, averaging about 7.8 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 2.1 kWh/m² — roughly 73% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 2.5 | 3.3 | 4.8 | 6.2 | 7.1 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.0 | 5.6 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 2.1 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.5 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3.3 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4.8 | Bright |
| Apr | 6.2 | Intense |
| May | 7.1 | Intense |
| Jun | 7.9 | Intense |
| Jul | 7.8 | Intense |
| Aug | 7.0 | Intense |
| Sep | 5.6 | Bright |
| Oct | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2.7 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2.1 | Moderate |
Where is Chania?
Chania sits at 35.5°N, 24.0°E, 24 m above sea level, in Greece. The nearest listed city is Rethymno, 44 km away.
What Chania looks like
Topography around Chania
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Chania.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Chania has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 215 m around an average of 31 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,795 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,432 m.
The land around Chania is covered by water (31%), artificial surfaces (30%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, water (41%) and trees (33%) within 16 km, and water (76%) within 80 km.
Greece travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type C / F
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 60% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $26,948
- 2025
- Happiness
- 5.7 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 97%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 8.3
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- High
- EF EPI 592
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Chania (35.5112°, 24.0292°, elevation 24 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).