Trust me, you’ll learn to love a bit of rain in Cyprus

We’re expecting our first proper downpour of the year in Cyprus on Sunday, and we can’t wait! Autumn is a blessed relief from the summer heat and my favourite time of the year.

I seem to remember that the week after the clocks go back can be a pretty grim time in the UK, and anywhere else in Northern Europe for that matter. You have my sympathy, but over in Cyprus many of us are quite glad to see a bit of autumn, and this weekend we are expecting some proper rain on the island at last.

According to the Met Office, average rainfall in June, July and August in Cyprus amounts to… nothing! In September we get three millimetres but by October are positively swimming in nearly two centimetres of the stuff. November to February is our rainy season, with as much as a metre falling in some months – that’s around the same as in Cornwall and considerably more than London.

What you save on the air-con you may find you spend on food, as the return of cooler temperatures tends to bring your appetite back along with it.

So we do get bored with the rain by the end of February, but it’s a quite a relief in first few days of November. Indeed, only a few generations ago it would have been literally a life saver, after month after month of sweltering temperatures and with the land parched.

Falling leaves and water at last! Autumn comes to the Venetian bridge in Cyprus

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Autumnal pleasures

The autumn brings more delights to Cyprus. Like any heavily forested island, the autumnal tints are a wonder to behold. The Troodos mountains may be more famous for the pines and cypresses, but there are also oak and maple forests and sumac trees that are quite spectacularly coloured in autumn. The main migration of birds, including eagles and buzzards, happens in September, but you might still see a white pelican or a falcon.

Another nice thing about autumn is being able to switch off the air-conditioning! Temperatures are down to the low 20s centigrade now, so we have the saving in electricity costs and while out with the dog I tend to encourage it to collect a nice big log every morning to keep the woodpile stocked up. I have a wood burner for winter rather than central heating, which is generally unnecessary unless you’re way up in the mountains.

I’m glad to say that you don’t normally need to haggle in a Cypriot food market. The property market, however, well that’s another matter. For tips on negotiating for a fair price on your property, read our guide: How to Negotiate abroad.

What you save on the air-con you may find you spend on food, as the return of cooler temperatures tends to bring your appetite back along with it. Fortunately the harvest will be gathered in now and Cyprus has a good selection of farmers’ markets in all the major towns. Most of us tend to use the supermarkets for 90% of the shopping, but you can’t beat the atmosphere of the local market and stopping for a coffee on the way. It’s even worth going out in the rain for!

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