Heraklion weather in October

In October, Heraklion sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 38 mm of rain across 5.9 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in October, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Heraklion's 6th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Heraklion's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
6th warmest
Overnight low
16°
8th coldest
Rainfall
38 mm
5.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:32 AM – 5:37 PM
Cloud cover
39%
6th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.11 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.8
out of 10

Heraklion is city in the island of Crete, Greece.

Density
1,258/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical October day in Heraklion reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 4°C cooler than September and about 5°C warmer than November.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12618
22617
32617
42517
52517
62517
72517
82517
92517
102517
112517
122417
132416
142416
152416
162416
172416
182316
192316
202316
212315
222315
232315
242215
252215
262215
272215
282215
292214
302114
312114

Heraklion weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan14° / 68129.93.9
Feb14° / 6410.510.74.2
Mar17° / 548.311.75.6
Apr20° / 11°365.612.97.3
May25° / 15°314.313.88.3
Jun28° / 19°131.914.37.9
Jul30° / 21°50.714.17.2
Aug29° / 22°60.713.37.2
Sep27° / 19°192.912.28.1
Oct24° / 16°385.911.17.8
Nov19° / 12°457.110.16.6
Dec15° / 6411.39.74.5

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 26%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18515
28515
38416
48317
58317
68218
78218
88020
98020
107921
117822
127822
137624
147624
157426
167426
177327
187327
197228
207129
217129
226931
236832
246733
256634
266535
276535
286436
296436
306436
316337

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Heraklion gets around 38 mm of rain over 5.9 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 19% and peaks near 22% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
114
214
314
414
515
615
716
816
917
1017
1118
1218
1319
1420
1520
1621
1721
1822
1922
2022
2122
2222
2322
2422
2522
2622
2722
2822
2922
3022
3122

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the comfortable band about 44% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
11646371
21646371
31747361
41747351
51847340
61848340
71948330
82048320
92048311
102148301
112247301
122447291
132546281
142646271
152745271
162845261
173045251
183145241
193344221
203444211
213644201
223843190
233943180
244142160
254341150
264540140
274640140
284840130
294939120
305039110
315139100

Wind in October

Winds average 8 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:19 AM to 6:46 AM, and sunset from 5:58 PM to 5:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:195:58
211.66:205:56
311.66:215:55
411.56:215:54
511.56:225:52
611.56:235:51
711.46:245:49
811.46:255:48
911.36:265:46
1011.36:265:45
1111.36:275:44
1211.26:285:42
1311.26:295:41
1411.26:305:40
1511.16:315:38
1611.16:325:37
1711.16:335:36
1811.06:345:35
1911.06:345:33
2010.96:355:32
2110.96:365:31
2210.96:375:30
2310.86:385:29
2410.86:395:28
2510.86:405:26
2610.76:415:25
2710.76:425:24
2810.76:435:23
2910.66:445:22
3010.66:455:21
3110.66:465:20

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.11 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.28 kWh/m² to a high of 7.87 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 4.11 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.9Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.7Bright
54.7Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.4Bright
114.4Bright
124.3Bright
134.3Bright
144.2Bright
154.2Bright
164.1Bright
174.1Bright
184.0Bright
194.0Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.6Moderate
283.5Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.4Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Heraklion

In seasonPeak

None of Heraklion's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Heraklion sees seasonal dust haze (May), heaviest in May.

Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Heraklion?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.8
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.3
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Heraklion for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Heraklion in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Heraklion sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 6 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Heraklion in October

The nearest coast averages about 23°C in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 25°C and coldest in February near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 25 to Nov 19 — about 5.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan16Cool
Feb16Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr17Cool
May19Cool
Jun23Refreshing
Jul25Warm
Aug25Warm
Sep25Warm
Oct23Refreshing
Nov20Refreshing
Dec18Cool

UV index in Heraklion in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Heraklion peaks around July 13 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 10Jan 10UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb3Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May7Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Heraklion?

Heraklion sits at 35.3°N, 25.1°E, 60 m above sea level, in Greece. The nearest listed city is Rethymno, 60 km away.

RethymnoChaniaFiraOiaParosNaxosMykonosKos

Topography around Heraklion

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Heraklion.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Heraklion has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 188 m around an average of 49 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 822 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,433 m.

The land around Heraklion is covered by artificial surfaces (53%) within 3 km, water (39%), trees (27%) and grassland (24%) within 16 km, and water (69%) within 80 km.

3 km
188 m
16 km
822 m
80 km
2,433 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Rethymno 60 km · Chania 103 km · Fira 124 km · Oia 128 km · Paros 195 km · Naxos 199 km · Mykonos 236 km · Kos 260 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
other 3%Muslim 2%

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 Heraklion (35.3279°, 25.1434°, elevation 60 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).