🕌 Istanbul Weather

Where two continents share a climate

Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus strait between Europe and Asia, and its climate is a transitional blend — partly Mediterranean, partly humid subtropical, partly influenced by the cold air of the Black Sea to the north. The result is a city with four real seasons, more humidity and cloud than the Mediterranean south, and famously changeable, wind-driven weather.

Warm, humid summers

Summers are warm and humid rather than scorching, with July highs around 84°F (29°C) and persistent sunshine, the heat tempered by sea breezes off the Bosphorus and Marmara. The dry summer leans Mediterranean, but the surrounding water keeps the air muggier than in Athens or Rome.

Cool, wet, windy winters

Winters are cool and damp, with January highs around 48°F (9°C), frequent rain, and the city's signature winds — the warm, wet southwesterly "lodos" and the cold northeasterly "poyraz." Cold outbreaks from the Black Sea can occasionally bring snow that briefly blankets the city's hills and minarets.

Istanbul averages about 32 inches (810 mm) of precipitation a year, concentrated in the cooler months. Spring and autumn are mild and pleasant, with the Bosphorus channeling breezes that keep the weather lively and quick to change.

Two seas, two climates

Straddling the Bosphorus between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, Istanbul has a transitional climate that blends Mediterranean and Black Sea influences — warm, dry summers and cool, wet, and sometimes surprisingly snowy winters.

The city's signature is the wind: the northeasterly 'poyraz' from the Black Sea and the southwesterly 'lodos' battle across the strait, swinging conditions quickly. Cold Siberian outbreaks can bring genuine snow to a city most imagine as sun-baked, occasionally blanketing the minarets, while summer humidity off the seas makes the warmth feel heavier.