=========+============+===========+======+===========+====== Month | Mean | Mean | Rela-| Rainfall |Number | Maximum | Minimum | tive | |of | Temperature|Temperature|Humid-| |Rainy | | | ity | |Days +-----+------+----+------+------+-----+-----+ | F. | ~C.~ | F. | ~C.~ | % | Ins.|~Mm.~| ---------+-----+------+----+------+------+-----+-----+------ January | 73·4|~23·0~|32·3| ~0·2~| 84 | 4·0 |~101~| 11·8 February | 70·7|~21·5~|31·8| ~0·1~| 84 | 3·70| ~94~| 11·8 March | 76·5|~24·7~|36·4| ~2·4~| 81 | 1·23| ~31~| 7·4 April | 84·5|~29·2~|38·8| ~3·8~| 78 | 1·14| ~29~| 4·5 May | 90·4|~32·4~|46·2| ~7·9~| 74 | 0·63| ~16~| 4·3 June |100·0|~37·8~|52·4|~11·3~| 67 | 0·39| ~10~| 1·4 July |100·7|~38·3~|55·5|~13·1~| 68 | 0·13| ~3~| 0·3 August |103·0|~39·4~|57·2|~14·0~| 66 | 0·8 | ~20~| 0·5 September|100·5|~38·1~|54·4|~12·3~| 73 | 0·04| ~1~| 0·6 October | 93·5|~34·2~|47·7| ~8·7~| 76 | 0·36| ~9~| 2·3 November | 84·5|~29·0~|39·3| ~4·1~| 82 | 1·97| ~50~| 6·5 December | 77·5|~25·3~|34·0| ~1·1~| 85 | 2·31| ~59~| 7·8 =========+=====+======+====+======+======+=====+=====+====== The climate is somewhat cooler in summer on the coast, and the rainfall slightly higher, but with a smaller number of rainy days. The island is mountainous; a great mass of hills occupying the greater part of the southern half, and reaching an elevation of over 6,400 feet at Mount Troödos, where a summer sanatorium has been established. A lower range of hills fringes the entire northern shore, and between the two is a central plain, on the highest part of which, at an elevation of about 500 feet, is situated the capital, Nikosia. These hills shelter the central plain from the bitter winds of the Taurus range in Asia Minor during winter, but, on the other hand, cut off the cooling sea-breezes in summer. For eight months in the year the rainfall is inappreciable, and the summer appearance of the plains arid in the extreme, but the advent of the winter rains in October changes the scene to one of the greatest fertility. The hill country, on the other hand, is generally well-clothed with pine-forests, and enjoys, during the summer, a very pleasant climate. At Nikosia the mean temperature of the year is 67·2°, the extreme maximum being 108°, and the minimum 28°, showing the large range of 80°. At the hill station on Mount Troödos, at an elevation of 5,000 feet, the excessive heat of the plains is entirely avoided. The season there opens in June and closes in October, the temperature never exceeding 85° F. in 1901. The following table shows the great gain in coolness:-- MEAN TEMPERATURES, FAHRENHEIT.