Winter Sun in North Cyprus

Before moving to Northern Cyprus many people write to us and ask us what the winters are really like in TRNC.

On the one hand you have travel companies and tour operators telling people that there is winter sun in North Cyprus and promoting year round breaks to TRNC, and on the other hand you have the old expat stories of power cuts and storms to sift through...so where exactly does the truth lie?

The truth is that I’m writing this article in mid November and just yesterday I was working in the garden and wearing a t-shirt and long shorts yet a little over a week ago we had such intense rainfall one night that roads flooded, drains blocked and the ground was soggy for a week!

The truth therefore lies somewhere in the middle of all the stories you’ve heard about winter in North Cyprus.

The majority of the time the sky is blue, the clouds are high, the temperature is mild, the sun is out and you can enjoy lovely long bracing walks on the beach or in the Besparmak Mountain Range. In the evenings when the sun goes down the temperature drops and between November and March you will need to take a light jacket or coat with you when you go out at night.

When it does rain it tends to rain hard; but on the plus side you don’t get days and days of drizzle and grey skies, you get a hard day or night’s rainfall when the drains all block up with leaves and mud and when you shouldn’t venture out without your wellies! After the rain clouds disperse the sun will come back out as intense as ever and dry everything off. When it rains it’s pretty grim but as soon as the sun comes back you’re instantly reminded of why you moved to sunny Cyprus in the first place.

The other stories that people hear about are the ones where expatriates claim they almost freeze to death in their homes each winter! Well, if you move into a house without cavity walls, any form of insulation or heating then you really will feel the drop in temperature as soon as October comes around each year and the summer sun’s intensity drops. But if on the other hand you buy property in Northern Cyprus with your eyes open and you ensure the property is being built to at least British standards you should find that your cavity walls and double glazing keep the cold out and your air conditioning units, central heating or open fire keep the heat in. Air conditioning? Yes, that’s right, all air conditioning units heat as well as cool!

So, what about the power cuts...well, it depends a little on where abouts you live. Those in central Girne have fewer power outages than those in Tatlisu, Kayalar or even Esentepe, Catalkoy, Ozankoy or Lapta for example. The greater the number of key businesses in your locale the higher your area will be in terms of priority for the power company when there is an island wide outage. Or at least that’s how it appears to me!

There tend to be more outages in the winter because the weather is worse and more people are drawing electricity to heat their homes, dry their clothes and warm their water. If you’re overly concerned about it there is some good news. Firstly you can buy a generator from around GBP 800 and secondly the TRNC government have just announced that power cuts will be a thing of the past by 2007 because they intend improving and upgrading the entire electricity infrastructure in Northern Cyprus.

Essential winter items for your North Cyprus shopping list should include: - wellies, candles, a gas heater - oh, and you’ll still need your summer sunglasses and t-shirts too! Basically the weather in TRNC is fantastic 99% of the time and if you’re looking to escape the harsher British, German or North American climate the winter sun in North Cyprus should suit you down to the ground!