If you've felt the need bundle yourself in coats or hoodies this winter then you're not alone - and you're not imagining it.
The winter has been noticeably colder compared to previous years, particularly in the mornings and evenings, forecasters said on Wednesday.
But brace yourself, it will not be long until spring sets in and the mercury starts to rise again.
The relatively chilly winter, which has seen temperatures dip to as low as 8C some nights, is due to a series of northwesterly weather fronts originating in the Mediterranean - Athens is just 11C today and Cyprus is deluged with rain.
That has resulted in significantly lower temperatures than we have seen in previous years, said a forecaster at the National Centre for Meteorology.
For example, last year on March 13, the temperature hit a high of 32C, but today it will reach only 26C.
“It also made the sea to be rough and very rough at times in the Arabian Sea,” he added.
However, it is not expected to last long.
“Usually the third week of March is the beginning of the transition period from winter to summer,” said the forecaster.
And there is no reason to believe that will be any different this year.
“The temperature will start to rise,” said the forecaster.
“The transitional period, which is called spring in other places, starts on March 21 and ends on June 21, when summer starts.”
By the end of March, daytime temperatures are expected to hit 30C, and the maximum in April is around 37C.
And by May, we could be back in the realms of extreme temperatures, he said.
The first 40C day of the year is usually seen in late April or May.
“The maximum temperature may exceed 50C, but that is usually in southern areas,” added the forecaster, referring to the desert region.
But we have some way to go yet.
After a brief interlude on Thursday, which will see temperatures reach 30C on the coast and up to 33C inland, unsettled weather will return on Friday.
“The weather will be hazy and dusty in places. But the main feature will be cloudy to partly cloudy with different intensities of rain over scattered parts of the country. It will decrease about 2C on Friday to be under 30C,” said the forecaster.
Then another weather system will sweep in on Sunday, bringing cloudy skies to the west, which will extend over the rest of the country on Monday. That system could bring further thunder and rain which could be heavy in parts, particularly over the north and north east.
“March experiences changeable weather from time to time and day to day,” said the forecaster.
