Mediterranean climate: shutters and night flush
Hot, dry summers and milder, wetter winters. Shutters down by day. Night flush when the street cools. In winter air briefly and take light through closed glass.
Mediterranean cities have a hot, dry summer and a mild, wetter winter. Summer is classic Ventilate weather: shutters down by day, night flush when the street cools. Winter is brief airing and harvesting light, not a heatwave.
Rome, Athens, Barcelona, Marseille, and much of coastal Portugal follow this rhythm. Exterior shutters are the local tool. Use them.
The Mediterranean checklist
- Summer days: close and shade, especially south and west glass
- Summer nights: open when outdoor air is cooler, then close before the morning heat
- Winter: a few minutes of air, then shut; let sun in through closed glass
- If a summer night stays sticky, treat it as humid heat, not as a dry night flush
Summer is dry-heat work
Most summer days follow warm and dry rules. Protect the windows from the outside if you can. Compare indoor and outdoor temperature before you open. Flush at night when the street actually cools.
If the night stays sticky, switch to warm and humid behaviour: shorter openings, no wet floors, fan on skin.
Winter is brief air, then light
Do not run a heatwave night flush in January. Air for a few minutes, close, and take sun through closed glass, the same as when it is cold. Wetter winter weeks lean toward damp cold.
This is not medical advice. Follow your local health agency if heat or cold is making you unwell.
Ventilate still ranks each window from indoor temperature, local weather, sun, and layout. The climate only tells you which checklist to reach for.