Within a climate that is mild overall, Sousse has hot summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Sousse is 66 degrees Fahrenheit, with a high of 88 in August and a low of 43 in January. The temperatures during the spring months of March through May are optimal for all on-land tourism around Sousse, especially near the coast. For desert excursions into the Saharan interior of Tunisia, the late fall has optimal temperatures (October through December).
In delayed fashion, the waters around Sousse take an extra month or two to catch up with the heat of summer and the cooling of winter. Although water temperatures peak in August at 77 degrees, they remain optimal for swimming from May or June until November or December.
Although the most comfortable months for visiting Sousse and the rest of Tunisia are spring and fall, high season is certainly summer. From June through September, Sousse's beaches are filled with Europeans on package beach vacations. It is during this time that prices are highest and bookings become nearly essential.
Sousse sees rain an average of 53 days per year, with most of it falling in the winter, spring and fall. The months of October through December have the highest amounts of rain, but even then the average monthly precipitation is minimal at just 1.7 inches. July is the driest month, with virtually no rain.
One of Tunisia's principal attractions for its hordes of Northern and Eastern European visitors, sunshine lasts longest from May until September. In these hot, dry months, visitors can expect an average of 11 hours of sunshine.
