Rhodes is the sunniest island in the Dodecanese — around 300 days of sunshine a year, with barely a drop of rain between June and August. Rhodes weather follows a classic Mediterranean rhythm, but the month you choose shapes the trip entirely: spring brings wildflowers and empty ruins, peak summer brings average highs in the low thirties, with hot spells touching 35°C (95°F), and autumn keeps the swimming season open well into October. Here is the full year, month by month.
Rhodes Weather Month by Month
Average daily highs and lows, rain days, sea temperature and daily sunshine hours, with Fahrenheit alongside Celsius. Scroll the table sideways on mobile.
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Sea | Sun hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14°C / 57°F | 9°C / 48°F | 12 | 16°C / 61°F | 4 |
| February | 14°C / 57°F | 9°C / 48°F | 10 | 16°C / 61°F | 5 |
| March | 17°C / 63°F | 11°C / 52°F | 8 | 16°C / 61°F | 6 |
| April | 21°C / 70°F | 14°C / 57°F | 5 | 17°C / 63°F | 8 |
| May | 25°C / 77°F | 17°C / 63°F | 3 | 20°C / 68°F | 10 |
| June | 30°C / 86°F | 21°C / 70°F | 1 | 24°C / 75°F | 12 |
| July | 33°C / 91°F | 24°C / 75°F | 0 | 26°C / 79°F | 13 |
| August | 33°C / 91°F | 24°C / 75°F | 0 | 27°C / 81°F | 12 |
| September | 29°C / 84°F | 21°C / 70°F | 2 | 26°C / 79°F | 10 |
| October | 24°C / 75°F | 17°C / 63°F | 6 | 24°C / 75°F | 7 |
| November | 19°C / 66°F | 13°C / 55°F | 9 | 21°C / 70°F | 5 |
| December | 15°C / 59°F | 10°C / 50°F | 12 | 18°C / 64°F | 4 |
The Best Time to Visit Rhodes
Rhodes weather is reliably warm from late April through October, but the right month depends on the kind of trip you are planning.
For beaches and swimming: June and September are the pick of the calendar. June averages 30°C (86°F) by day, with the sea already averaging 24°C (75°F) and virtually no rain — with resorts not yet at peak capacity. September delivers almost identical conditions once the crowds have thinned, and the sea holds its warmest average of the year, 26°C (79°F), long after the school-holiday rush has ended.
For sightseeing and walking: April and May stand apart. The Medieval Old Town of Rhodes — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is best explored without August’s queues and heat. Average highs sit comfortably around 21–25°C (70–77°F), the countryside is still green, and wildflowers are at their peak. Lindos, an hour south of Rhodes Town, is manageable in spring in a way it simply is not in high summer, when the steep cobbled lanes fill with tour groups by mid-morning.
For avoiding crowds: October keeps average highs of 24°C (75°F) and an average sea of 24°C (75°F), with a fraction of July’s visitors. Some facilities wind down mid-month, but the island stays open and pleasant throughout.
Worth thinking twice about: July and August deliver guaranteed sunshine, but average highs of 33°C (91°F) make afternoons hard work unless you are in the water, and heatwaves can peak well above 38°C (100°F). Our guide to travelling in a heatwave covers how to manage the hottest weeks safely.
If You Cannot Choose Your Month
Most people do not get to pick their dates freely. School holidays, annual leave and flight prices usually decide for us. If you are locked into a month that is not the island’s best, the trip is still very much worth making — you simply plan it differently.
- Stuck with July or August? Shift the shape of the day: sightseeing and the Lindos climb before 10am, water or shade until 4pm, Old Town and dinner after 6pm. Favour the east coast, where the Meltemi breeze makes the same average temperature feel noticeably easier.
- Travelling November to March? Treat it as a city break. Average highs of 14–19°C (57–66°F) suit walking, and the Old Town is at its most atmospheric empty. Most resorts close, so stay in Rhodes Town — and pack a waterproof, as these are the wettest months.
- Only April or early May? The sea averages 17–20°C (63–68°F) — bracing rather than inviting. Plan around ruins, villages and walking, with the green countryside and wildflowers at their best.
- Late October? The sea still averages around 24°C (75°F), so swimming stays realistic, but facilities wind down mid-month. Stay in Rhodes Town or Lindos rather than a large resort.
Weather, Crowds and Price
The month with the best weather is rarely the best month to book. On Rhodes, as across the Greek islands, peak conditions arrive at the same time as peak crowds and peak prices — so the most useful question is where the value sits.
| Period | Weather | Crowds | Prices | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | Warm and dry; sea still cool | Light | Low | Best value for sightseeing |
| June | Hot and dry; sea warm | Building | Rising | Excellent all-round compromise |
| July–August | Very hot; guaranteed sun | Peak | Highest | Choose only if your dates are fixed |
| September | Hot; warmest sea of the year | Easing | Falling | Best overall balance |
| October | Warm; sea still warm; odd shower | Light | Low | Best value for a beach trip |
| November–April | Mild but wet; short days | Minimal | Lowest | City break only; many resorts closed |
Read across rather than down. If swimming is the priority, September buys the year’s warmest sea at a fraction of August’s cost. If it is the Old Town and the walking, May and October beat July outright — cheaper, quieter and far more comfortable.
The Meltemi Wind in Rhodes
The Meltemi is the dominant summer wind of the Aegean — dry, northerly, strongest through July and August, and in the Cyclades occasionally strong enough to disrupt ferries. Rhodes is a different story.
Sitting in the southeastern Aegean, Rhodes is noticeably more sheltered from the Meltemi than the central island groups. The wind still arrives, but usually as a welcome sea breeze on a typical 33°C (91°F) afternoon rather than the gusts that batter Santorini’s caldera rim. North-facing beaches near Rhodes Town feel it most; the sheltered east coast — Lindos Bay, Tsambika, Anthony Quinn Bay — stays considerably calmer.
Sea Temperatures and Swimming
The Aegean warms slowly and holds its heat deep into autumn — the single most useful fact for timing a Rhodes beach trip. The figures below are average sea temperatures for each month; actual readings vary from year to year, and sheltered bays warm faster than exposed stretches of coast.
- May — 20°C (68°F): brisk but swimmable for the determined; most visitors wait for June.
- June — 24°C (75°F): genuinely pleasant, comfortable for children and long swims.
- July–August — 26–27°C (79–81°F): the warmest water of the year.
- September — 26°C (79°F): the sea keeps summer’s heat after the crowds leave — arguably the finest swimming month.
- October — 24°C (75°F): still warm and swimmable; a strong reason to pick October over early June.
- November — 21°C (70°F): falling away; a short wetsuit helps.
The east coast holds the best-organised sand — Tsambika, Anthony Quinn Bay, Faliraki — while the windier west coast stays quiet even in high season. Lindos’s sheltered St Paul’s Bay is photogenic but fills fast.
Traveller Tip
Visit Lindos before 9am or after 5pm in July and August. The lanes are full by mid-morning, and the climb to the Acropolis in midday heat is genuinely hard work — while the evening light over St Paul’s Bay is far better for photographs than the harsh midday sun.
Rhodes vs the Other Greek Islands
Sitting further south than most Greek islands, Rhodes gets slightly warmer winters and a longer season than the Cyclades. Against Santorini it is less exposed to the Meltemi with far more beach variety; against Crete the climates are near-twins, though Crete offers more geographic range. Still deciding? Our Greek Islands weather guide compares every island group across the year.
WorldWeatherTime provides climate averages, sea temperature and live conditions for destinations across Greece and worldwide. Search any island to compare your options and pick the right month for your trip.