Meteo Positano (Amalfi Coast) in novembre

A Naples resident confirms the reputation and then complicates it: "it's true that November is often the most rainy month of the year," with "average temperatures in November usually ranging from 8° to 20°C." But year to year it barely holds — "in the last years we had some hot Novembers with scarce rain and some cool, not too cool, Novembers with a lot of rain." Nobody on the thread described all-day rain, and the question that prompted it — whether Pompeii would be a washout — was answered by checking the forecast nearer the time rather than by writing the month off. Our record is at the wet end of his description and worth knowing before booking: 294mm across 18.6 rain days, the year's highest, with 17.6°C days and the sea still at 20°C.

Regulars are honest this month has grown less predictable in recent years, usually sunny with daytime temperatures in the low-to-high 20s Celsius, though a genuinely heavy rain spell is a real possibility some years, a waterproof windbreaker and packable umbrella the standard advice just in case. Our row backs that mild, genuinely wet read, 21.5C over 16C nights, with a substantial 76.3mm of rain across 10 days and humidity at 77 percent. Regulars are consistent this remains too early in the season for comfortable swimming, the sea itself staying around 18 to 19C, evenings cool enough that a cardigan or wrap over a summer dress is worth packing. Overall the read stays warm and pleasant for exploring the coast on foot despite the rain risk. The sea sits at 18.9C. The record: 11.9 hours of sun, a 16.1 kph wind and AQI 64.

Positano-forum threads on April weather describe a genuine shoulder-season split: sunny days warm enough to sit out and enjoy without a jacket, paired with cooler, occasionally rainy stretches that call for real layers. One frequent visitor reports very little rain and daytime temperatures climbing into the 80s Fahrenheit with mild evenings, while other posters describe a more typical cool, breezy April closer to the seasonal average. Everyone agrees on one point: the sea itself is still too cold for real swimming this early, fine for sitting on a boat deck in the sun but not for getting in past a quick dip. The standing packing advice is layers regardless of the specific forecast - sunny days run warm, rainy days turn genuinely chilly, and a boat excursion along the coast is cooler than it looks from shore. The record: 18.2C days feeling like 17C, 12.8C nights, 57mm across 9.7 days, a 15.6C sea, 74 percent humidity and 11.1 hours of sun.

Positano-forum threads on September draw a line around mid-month: the first half runs warm and humid, similar to August, with storms typically arriving mid-month to usher in a cooler, less humid back half. Crowds don't follow the same pattern - the Amalfi Coast pulls an older crowd not tied to school calendars, so a drop-off around the 15th when kids head back to school is real but barely noticeable given how narrow the village's walkways are to begin with. The sea stays genuinely warm and swimmable through the whole month regardless. The record: 26.3C days feeling like 29C, 21.1C nights, 113mm of precipitation across nine days, a 25C sea, 71 percent humidity and 10.5 hours of sun - busy and sticky early, calmer and drier late.

August in Positano is the most expensive and most crowded month of its year, and the forum's advice amounts to timing your day rather than your trip. The middle weeks are the worst, with Ferragosto on the 15th a national holiday that fills the coast with Italian and European visitors on top of everybody else. What they all agree works is the edges of the day: early morning and early evening are delightful, because the day-trippers and the cruise passengers are not there yet or have gone. On the heat they split - one couple say it spoiled the trip, one regular comes back every late August precisely for the sea - and our row's 29.6C reads as 33C. The record: 24C nights, 5.2 precipitation days carrying 27.3mm, 12.3 hours of sun and a 25.5C sea.