Climate

The coastal region has a Mediterranean climate, with average temperatures in Tripoli ranging from 30°C (86°F) in summer to 8°C (46°F).

Rainfall is mostly during the winter months and averages 380mm (15 inches) annually. Coastal towns can be humid, with levels as high as 80% in Tripolitania.

The mountain regions experience more rainfall, particularly during the winter and early spring. Summers here are cooler than on the coastal plain.

Southern Libya has a desert climate with daytime winter temperatures ranging between 15 and 20°C, falling below zero at night. During the summer months there is virtually no rainfall and temperatures soar to over 50°C.

In the north-west a scorching wind, known as the ghibli, blows from the Sahara along the coast at the time of the spring solstice. This causes a sharp drop in humidity and a dramatic rise in temperature.