Is it raining now in Olbia?
Sunny
9 SeptNo upcoming precipitation for the next hour.
Last update: 14:00, 9 Sept 2026
Free to download * Essential from $0.83 * Prices vary by region and promotions.
- App Only
Track up to 20 locations
Home, office, kids' school - all at once, no switching tabs.
- App Only
Alerts for each of them
Get notified 15 minutes before rain - while you can still change your plans.
- App Only
Widgets on your home screen
Live radar without opening the app - on your lock screen or home screen.
Rain in Olbia: What You Need to Know
Olbia rain radar carries more weight than in most Sardinian cities: annual rainfall of roughly 550–600 mm follows the island's Mediterranean pattern, but Olbia sits at the head of its gulf on the flat Padrongianus/San Nicola river plain, giving it the sharpest flood risk on the island. This hyperlocal radar view is essential because Olbia's rain arrives in punctuated extreme events rather than steady totals.
The mechanism is the Genoa Low and SE-tracking Mediterranean cyclones that can stall over the Tyrrhenian and dump extreme totals on Sardinia's eastern coast. On 18 November 2013, Cyclone Cleopatra dropped roughly 450 mm of rain in 12 hours on Olbia and eastern Sardinia — Sardinia's single most citable weather event, killing 18 people, most of them in and around Olbia. Storms typically arrive from the SE, scirocco-fed Mediterranean lows, or from the E.
RainViewer combines the national Protezione Civile radar network with Sardinian regional coverage to track rain over the low-lying Padrongianus plain in 5-minute updates. A live radar reveals a Mediterranean cyclone stalling offshore before it dumps its heaviest totals on the city — the kind of advance warning a single forecast cannot give.
Rain by Season in Olbia
Autumn maximum, punctuated by extremes.
October through January is Olbia's wet season, marked less by steady rain and more by occasional extreme single events, as Cyclone Cleopatra demonstrated in 2013.
Near-rainless dry season.
June through September is dry, the peak window for Costa Smeralda yachting and beach tourism in Porto Cervo.
Local seasonal marker.
The yachting and beach season anchors Olbia's economy from June to September, the same stretch when the city's rivers run dry.
Why You Need a Rain Radar in Olbia
Padrongianus river flood watch.
The river overflowed during Cyclone Cleopatra in November 2013, killing multiple residents in Olbia itself and prompting a still-referenced overhaul of the city's flood defences — residents track live radar closely whenever autumn rain builds.
Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport travelers.
The main air gateway to northeast Sardinia sees weather-sensitive traffic during autumn cyclone season, when a stalled Mediterranean low can bring sudden heavy rain.
Port of Olbia ferry crossings.
Sardinia's busiest ferry port runs year-round links to Livorno, Genoa, and Civitavecchia; operators check radar alongside sea-state forecasts before departures.
Costa Smeralda yachting season.
Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo draw sailing tourism through the dry summer months, when live radar still matters for sudden convective storms.
Granite hills landslide risk.
The hills ringing the gulf are prone to landslides during saturated autumn conditions, a risk residents in the hinterland monitor alongside river levels.
RainViewer Radar Coverage in Olbia
RainViewer draws radar data for Italy from the Dipartimento della Protezione Civile (Italian Civil Protection Department) national radar network, supplemented by regional radar systems from ARPA agencies including ARPA Veneto, ARPAE Emilia-Romagna, ARPA FVG, and ARPAL, updated every 5 minutes. Coverage spans the Italian mainland, Sicily, and Sardinia. Around Olbia, the same feed covers Golfo Aranci, Porto Cervo, and the Costa Smeralda resort belt.
Olbia Rain Radar: Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it raining in Olbia right now?
Check the hyperlocal radar for live rain over Olbia, updated every 5 minutes from the Protezione Civile national network. The Padrongianus plain can flood fast, so the radar's 5-minute updates matter more here than in most Sardinian cities.
- Is it a good day for the Costa Smeralda or the port?
June through September is Olbia's dry season and the peak window for Costa Smeralda yachting and beach visits. Outside that stretch, check the radar since Mediterranean cyclones can stall and intensify quickly offshore.
- Will rain affect my flight or ferry from Olbia?
Autumn cyclones between October and January bring the highest risk to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport and Port of Olbia ferry schedules. Live radar shows a stalling low before it reaches the gulf.
- Does Olbia flood?
Yes — the Padrongianus river overflowed during Cyclone Cleopatra on 18 November 2013, killing multiple residents in Olbia and prompting a still-referenced overhaul of the city's flood defences. Protezione Civile issues rossa (red) alerts for Olbia and northeast Sardinia during major cyclone events given this precedent.
- When is the best time to visit Olbia?
June through September is driest and matches the Costa Smeralda's peak yachting and beach season. October through January carries the island's highest flash-flood risk.
- Why does rain vary so much across Olbia?
Olbia's low-lying position at the head of its gulf traps runoff from the surrounding granite hills, so a Mediterranean cyclone that drops moderate rain elsewhere can flood the Padrongianus plain fast. A single forecast number cannot capture that trap effect.
- How often does the radar update?
RainViewer's radar for Olbia combines the Protezione Civile national network with Sardinian regional data, refreshing every 5 minutes — the frequency that matters most given the 2013 Cleopatra precedent.
- Can I get a rain alert for Olbia?
Yes — set a rain alert for Olbia, including the Padrongianus basin or the Costa Smeralda marinas, so you get a warning before rain reaches that spot.
Track Rain in Olbia in Real Time
Cyclone Cleopatra showed what Olbia's flat gulf-head position means in practice: 450 mm of rain in 12 hours turned the Padrongianus river into a killer within hours. A single daily forecast cannot capture a stalling Mediterranean cyclone the way live hyperlocal radar can.
RainViewer gives you a 2-hour rain forecast in 5-minute slices, rain alerts before rain reaches the Padrongianus basin, direction arrows showing storms tracking in from the SE, 48 hours of radar history, and multiple saved locations across Olbia, Porto Cervo, and Porto Rotondo. A forecast tells you rain is possible today; live hyperlocal radar tells you a cyclone is stalling over the gulf right now.
Track rain in Olbia — free Upgrade to Essential for alerts, forecasts, and full radar history
RainViewer
