Climate and average weather in Tarsus
In Tarsus, the summers are muggy, sweltering, dry, and clear and the winters are cool and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Tarsus typically varies from 5°C to 34°C, and is rarely below -1°C or above 37°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Tarsus for warm-weather activities are from late March to late May and mid October to late November.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 34°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 5°
- Wettest
- Dec
- 117 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 6 mm
- Rain / yr
- 518 mm
- 63 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.5–14.5 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 21 m
- 36.9°N
- Clearest
- Jul
- 15% cloud
Tarsus is district and town in Mersin, Turkey.
- Density
- 157/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Tarsus 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 late March to late May.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Tarsus, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.5 months, from May 30 to October 12, with daily high temperatures above 29°C. The hottest month of the year in Tarsus is August, with an average high of 34°C and low of 24°C.
The cool season lasts 3.1 months, from December 1 to March 3, with daily high temperatures below 18°C. The coldest month of the year in Tarsus is January, with an average low of 5°C and high of 13°C.
Days typically run about 11°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 13°C) in October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 13 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 28 | 21 | 15 |
| Avg low (°C) | 5 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | 5 |
| Feb | 15 | 6 |
| Mar | 19 | 8 |
| Apr | 23 | 12 |
| May | 27 | 16 |
| Jun | 31 | 20 |
| Jul | 34 | 24 |
| Aug | 34 | 24 |
| Sep | 32 | 20 |
| Oct | 28 | 16 |
| Nov | 21 | 10 |
| Dec | 15 | 6 |
How hot and cold Tarsus really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Tarsus feels like about 39°C (around August 8). About 98 days a year carry some heat stress, and 17 of them tip into dangerous heat (feels-like above 39°C), peaking in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 13 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 27 | 32 | 38 | 38 | 33 | 28 | 21 | 15 |
| Air high (°C) | 13 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 27 | 31 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 28 | 21 | 15 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 16 | 9 | 5 |
| Air low (°C) | 5 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | 13 | 3 | 5 |
| Feb | 15 | 15 | 4 | 6 |
| Mar | 19 | 19 | 7 | 8 |
| Apr | 23 | 23 | 12 | 12 |
| May | 27 | 27 | 16 | 16 |
| Jun | 32 | 31 | 20 | 20 |
| Jul | 38 | 34 | 24 | 24 |
| Aug | 38 | 34 | 24 | 24 |
| Sep | 33 | 32 | 20 | 20 |
| Oct | 28 | 28 | 16 | 16 |
| Nov | 21 | 21 | 9 | 10 |
| Dec | 15 | 15 | 5 | 6 |
Average hourly temperature in Tarsus
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 34°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 5°C.
Tarsus 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° / 5° | 89 | 8.7 | 9.8 | 4.1 |
| Feb | 15° / 6° | 63 | 7.8 | 10.6 | 4.9 |
| Mar | 19° / 8° | 57 | 8.2 | 11.7 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 23° / 12° | 38 | 7.1 | 12.9 | 7.4 |
| May | 27° / 16° | 30 | 6 | 13.9 | 7.2 |
| Jun | 31° / 20° | 10 | 2.8 | 14.5 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 34° / 24° | 6 | 1.3 | 14.3 | 4.1 |
| Aug | 34° / 24° | 6 | 1.3 | 13.4 | 3.7 |
| Sep | 32° / 20° | 11 | 2.5 | 12.3 | 4.9 |
| Oct | 28° / 16° | 27 | 3.5 | 11 | 7.2 |
| Nov | 21° / 10° | 66 | 5.4 | 10 | 7.6 |
| Dec | 15° / 6° | 117 | 8.8 | 9.5 | 4.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Tarsus gets about 518 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 6.0 months, from around Nov 15 to May 17, peaking in December at about 31% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jul 30.
December is the wettest month by volume, with 117 mm over about 9 wet days; July is the driest, with 6 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 27 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 29 |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 9 |
| Feb | 29 | 8 |
| Mar | 27 | 8 |
| Apr | 25 | 7 |
| May | 18 | 6 |
| Jun | 9 | 3 |
| Jul | 4 | 1 |
| Aug | 5 | 1 |
| Sep | 8 | 3 |
| Oct | 12 | 4 |
| Nov | 18 | 5 |
| Dec | 29 | 9 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Tarsus collects about 518 mm of rain across 63 wet days — roughly 43 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. December is the wettest month with 117 mm, while July is the driest at just 6 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 52% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 89 | 63 | 57 | 38 | 30 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 27 | 66 | 117 |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89 | 9 |
| Feb | 63 | 8 |
| Mar | 57 | 8 |
| Apr | 38 | 7 |
| May | 30 | 6 |
| Jun | 10 | 3 |
| Jul | 6 | 1 |
| Aug | 6 | 1 |
| Sep | 11 | 3 |
| Oct | 27 | 4 |
| Nov | 66 | 5 |
| Dec | 117 | 9 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Tarsus, 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 May 15 and lasts for 5.4 months, ending around October 24. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 98% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 25 and lasts for 6.6 months, ending around May 14. The cloudiest month is December, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 43% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 58 | 59 | 65 | 67 | 79 | 94 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 83 | 71 | 57 |
| Cloudier (%) | 42 | 41 | 35 | 33 | 21 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 29 | 43 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 42 |
| Feb | 59 | 41 |
| Mar | 65 | 35 |
| Apr | 67 | 33 |
| May | 79 | 21 |
| Jun | 94 | 6 |
| Jul | 98 | 2 |
| Aug | 98 | 2 |
| Sep | 98 | 2 |
| Oct | 83 | 17 |
| Nov | 71 | 29 |
| Dec | 57 | 43 |
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 9, brings about 14 h 30 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 9 h 30 min — a swing of roughly 5 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.6 | 11.7 | 12.9 | 13.9 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.0 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:58 | 6:37 | 5:59 | 5:12 | 4:38 | 4:25 | 4:37 | 5:02 | 5:28 | 5:54 | 6:26 | 6:52 |
| Sunset (PM) | 4:42 | 5:13 | 5:41 | 6:09 | 6:36 | 6:56 | 6:55 | 6:27 | 5:42 | 4:57 | 4:25 | 4:21 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.8 | 6:58 | 4:42 |
| Feb | 10.6 | 6:37 | 5:13 |
| Mar | 11.7 | 5:59 | 5:41 |
| Apr | 12.9 | 5:12 | 6:09 |
| May | 13.9 | 4:38 | 6:36 |
| Jun | 14.5 | 4:25 | 6:56 |
| Jul | 14.3 | 4:37 | 6:55 |
| Aug | 13.4 | 5:02 | 6:27 |
| Sep | 12.3 | 5:28 | 5:42 |
| Oct | 11.0 | 5:54 | 4:57 |
| Nov | 10.0 | 6:26 | 4:25 |
| Dec | 9.5 | 6:52 | 4:21 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Tarsus averages about 19 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 12 and 29 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.0 months, from around May 23 to Oct 21. The sunniest month is September, with roughly 27 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is January, down near 13 sunny days — about 52% fewer than the September peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 24 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 21 | 17 | 14 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Mixed |
| Feb | 12 | Mixed |
| Mar | 15 | Mixed |
| Apr | 14 | Mixed |
| May | 18 | Bright |
| Jun | 24 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 29 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 28 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 27 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 21 | Bright |
| Nov | 17 | Bright |
| Dec | 14 | 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 Tarsus, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.6 months, from around May 17 to October 3. The muggiest month is July, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 96% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around October 4 to May 16, 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 | 98 | 77 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 63 | 94 | 99 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 37 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 21 | 6 | 1 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 38 | 22 | 23 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 56 | 50 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 98 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 77 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 29 | 37 | 25 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 7 | 10 | 26 | 38 | 18 | 0 |
| Jul | 2 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 56 | 12 |
| Aug | 3 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 50 | 16 |
| Sep | 20 | 14 | 20 | 28 | 15 | 1 |
| Oct | 63 | 21 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 94 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 99 | 1 | 0 | 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.
Wind in Tarsus is steady company: average speeds sit near 7 km/h — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | calm |
| Feb | 8 | calm |
| Mar | 7 | calm |
| Apr | 7 | calm |
| May | 6 | calm |
| Jun | 7 | calm |
| Jul | 7 | calm |
| Aug | 7 | calm |
| Sep | 6 | calm |
| Oct | 6 | calm |
| Nov | 7 | calm |
| Dec | 8 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Tarsus
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Tarsus's rainy season runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Tarsus
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Tarsus throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late March, Tarsus is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
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 times of year to visit Tarsus for general outdoor tourist activities run from mid March to late May and again from mid October to late November, with a peak score in the first week of November.
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) | 4.2 | 4.9 | 6.5 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 5.0 |
| Rating | fair | fair | good | good | good | fair | fair | fair | fair | good | ideal | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.2 | fair |
| Feb | 4.9 | fair |
| Mar | 6.5 | good |
| Apr | 7.3 | good |
| May | 7.2 | good |
| Jun | 5.5 | fair |
| Jul | 4.1 | fair |
| Aug | 3.8 | fair |
| Sep | 5.0 | fair |
| Oct | 7.1 | good |
| Nov | 7.5 | ideal |
| Dec | 5.0 | 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 Tarsus for hot-weather activities is from early May to early November, with a peak score in the second week of October.
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 Tarsus, 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 34°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 13°C), pack a warm layer and rain gear.
In August, Tarsus sees daytime highs around 34°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Tarsus
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 33 km away) is warmest in August at about 29°C and coldest in February near 17°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from May 3 to Dec 15 — about 7.5 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 23 | 20 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Refreshing | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | Cool |
| Feb | 17 | Cool |
| Mar | 17 | Cool |
| Apr | 18 | Cool |
| May | 21 | Refreshing |
| Jun | 25 | Warm |
| Jul | 28 | Warm |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 28 | Tropical |
| Oct | 26 | Warm |
| Nov | 23 | Refreshing |
| Dec | 20 | Cool |
UV index (midday) in Tarsus 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 Tarsus peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 2 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Level | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Low |
| Feb | 3 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4 | Moderate |
| Apr | 7 | Very high |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 7 | Very high |
| Oct | 5 | Moderate |
| Nov | 3 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Tarsus
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 June 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 | 4 | 7 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 | 4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 2 | 0 |
| Mar | 4 | 0 |
| Apr | 7 | 3.5 |
| May | 7.5 | 4 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 5 |
| Sep | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 4.5 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Air quality in Tarsus 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 Tarsus is worst in April — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 16 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Moderate |
| Feb | 19 | Moderate |
| Mar | 22 | Moderate |
| Apr | 23 | Moderate |
| May | 22 | Moderate |
| Jun | 19 | Moderate |
| Jul | 15 | Moderate |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 19 | Moderate |
| Oct | 17 | Moderate |
| Nov | 16 | Moderate |
| Dec | 15 | Moderate |
Growing season
Tarsus is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter. Nights are reliably above freezing from about February 11 to January 10 (334 days); outside that window a hard frost is an occasional risk.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 89 | 92 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 95 |
| Frost nights | 24 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89 | 24 |
| Feb | 92 | 12 |
| Mar | 99 | 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 | 95 | 5 |
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. Tarsus banks about 3,395 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) | 0 | 16 | 105 | 215 | 362 | 475 | 578 | 593 | 491 | 367 | 168 | 25 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 16 |
| Mar | 105 |
| Apr | 215 |
| May | 362 |
| Jun | 475 |
| Jul | 578 |
| Aug | 593 |
| Sep | 491 |
| Oct | 367 |
| Nov | 168 |
| Dec | 25 |
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.
Tarsus receives about 4.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.1 and 7.5 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.3 months, from around Mar 20 to Sep 28. The brightest month is June, averaging about 7.3 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 2.2 kWh/m² — roughly 70% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 6.6 | 5.5 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 2.2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.5 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3.4 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4.8 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.9 | Bright |
| May | 6.7 | Intense |
| Jun | 7.3 | Intense |
| Jul | 7.3 | Intense |
| Aug | 6.6 | Intense |
| Sep | 5.5 | Bright |
| Oct | 4.2 | Bright |
| Nov | 2.9 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2.2 | Moderate |
Where is Tarsus?
Tarsus sits at 36.9°N, 34.9°E, 21 m above sea level, in Turkey. The nearest listed city is Mersin, 25 km away.
Topography around Tarsus
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Tarsus.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Tarsus has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 75 m around an average of 22 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 580 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,484 m.
The land around Tarsus is covered by artificial surfaces (60%) within 3 km, cropland (35%), grassland (26%) and trees (22%) within 16 km, and trees (27%), water (24%) and grassland (22%) within 80 km.
Turkey travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / F
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 41% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $18,599
- 2025
- Happiness
- 5.3 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 3.2
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 6.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 488
- 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 Tarsus (36.9177°, 34.8928°, elevation 21 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).