Spain - Climate

The climate of Spain is extremely varied. The northern coastal regions are cool and humid, with an average annual temperature of 14° C (57° F ); temperatures at Bilbao range from an average of 10° C (50° F ) in January–March to 19° C (66° F ) during July– September. The central plateau is cold in the winter and hot in the summer; Madrid has a winter average of about 8° C (46° F ) and a summer average of 23° C (73° F ). In Andalucía and the Levante, the climate is temperate except in summer, when temperatures sometimes reach above 40° C (104° F ) in the shade. The northern coastal regions have an average annual rainfall of 99 cm (39 in); the southern coastal belt has 41–79 cm (16–31 in); and the interior central plain averages no more than 50 cm (20 in) annually.