Meteo Cinque Terre (Monterosso) in maggio

May is the month the board recommends over June, which brings the first heat waves: sunny, less hectic, and busy mainly at weekends. The rain column is less romantic than that - 127.2mm across 14.3 days, close to half the month - and here it carries a specific consequence. The paths between the villages are steep, narrow and exposed, and they are closed outright when a weather alert goes up; even short of a closure, regulars say wet rock on those paths is not worth walking. The other thing they repeat is to start early, because the trails are narrow and fill fast. Air is 19.6C reading as 21C over 14.8C nights, the sea 19C. A raincoat, and a light jacket for the evening. The record: humidity 78 percent, 11.8 hours of sun and AQI 58.

Regulars are honest that nobody can say in advance which version of this month a trip will get - genuinely sunny and warm into the high teens, or cool and rain-storm-prone, especially in the mornings. Our row backs that mild, genuinely wet read, 16.6C over 11.3C nights, with 101.3mm of rain across 11.4 days and humidity at 74 percent. Regulars are specific that heavy rain can force trail closures along the famous coastal paths, worth checking conditions before committing to a full hiking day. Late April also coincides with Italy's Liberation Day and the run-up to May Day, making it one of the busier stretches of the shoulder season despite the unpredictable weather. The sea sits at a cool 15.2C. The record: 10.9 hours of sun, an 11.6 kph wind and AQI 54.

Cinque Terre-forum threads on September weather are consistently positive, describing lovely conditions with the sea still holding its summer warmth from months of sun. One late-September visitor reports pleasantly warm days broken up by just one rainy afternoon across an entire stay, calling the trade of slightly cooler, less humid air for August's peak heat entirely worthwhile. Mornings can run a touch cool this time of year, but afternoons still reach genuinely warm, swimmable temperatures on most days. Crowds are a mixed bag depending who's asked - some posters call September noticeably quieter than August as beaches start to empty out, while others report recent Septembers running just as busy if not busier than the traditional peak month. Regulars consistently rank the back half of the month among the best stretches of the whole year here. The record: 23.9C days feeling like 26C, 19.1C nights, 117mm across 10.6 days, a 24.3C sea, 75 percent humidity and 10.3 hours of sun.

June in the Cinque Terre has good weather and a crowd problem, and the forum's advice is entirely about the clock and the contour line. Start a hike at nine and the Monterosso-Vernazza path has people on it; start at eight and it is effectively empty. Only the two coastal trails between Monterosso, Vernazza and Corniglia get crowded at all - the higher paths carry very few walkers and better views. By late afternoon the day-trippers have gone and the villages return to something normal. Several regulars rate late June and July as worse than August for heat and numbers alike. Our row gives 24.6C reading as 28C. The record: 19.4C nights, 9.7 precipitation days carrying 61.8mm, 13.2 hours of sun and a 23.8C sea.

August is the month the Cinque Terre forum spends most of its time managing. The villages are at their fullest - it is when Italy itself is on holiday, and a cruise ship in port can make the lanes near impossible by day - and the blue trails are both packed and exposed. The fix regulars give is entirely about the clock and the map: start walking between 08:00 and 08:30, before the day-trippers and the worst of the sun, beach in the afternoon, and take the evenings back once the coaches leave. For space, climb: the higher paths, and the stretches out towards Levanto and Portovenere, are free and barely used next to the Monterosso-Corniglia-Vernazza run. The record: 27.9C days feeling like 32C, 22.5C nights, 7.3 precipitation days, 12.3 hours of sun, a 26C sea.