Spain Weather Guide

The short version

Spain has several climates, not one, and the difference between them is larger than the difference between seasons in many countries. A trip that crosses from Bilbao to Almeria crosses from an Atlantic maritime climate to something genuinely arid.

We publish no temperature averages in this guide. Our sources record phenomena rather than numbers, and a remembered average is exactly the kind of figure that is wrong by the time anybody reads it. Check AEMET, the Spanish meteorological office, for the place and the week you are going.

The Atlantic north

Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country are green because it rains, and it rains in every season. Summers are mild rather than hot and the sea is cold. This is the part of Spain that confounds first-time visitors: the coastline is spectacular, the food is arguably the country's best, and a week there can be wet.

Pack for it rather than hoping. A shell jacket earns its space here in a way it does not in Seville.

The central plateau

Madrid, Castile and Extremadura sit high and inland, and the result is a continental swing: genuinely cold winters and genuinely hot summers, with thin shoulder seasons that are the best time to be there. The plateau is also dry, which makes the heat more bearable than the same figure would be on the coast and the cold sharper than it looks.

The Mediterranean coast and the Balearics

Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, coastal Andalusia and the Balearic Islands run hot and humid in summer and mild in winter, with most of their rain arriving in short, heavy autumn events rather than as steady weather. That pattern is why the flooding warning matters more here than the rainfall total suggests.

The arid southeast

Almeria and inland Murcia are the driest part of western Europe, and the Tabernas landscape behind Almeria is a genuine desert rather than a nickname. It is worth knowing this before you plan a summer afternoon there, and worth knowing that the same aridity is why the region carries Europe's film history of the Western.

The mountains

The Pyrenees, the Sierra Nevada, the Picos de Europa and the Canary Islands' volcanic peaks all have their own weather and change it quickly. The UK advisory is direct about this: temperatures in some parts of Spain can change very quickly, and it asks walkers to take extra care planning a hike and to check local weather reports for warnings of extreme heat or cold. It also records altitude sickness as a risk in the higher ranges, naming the regions of Granada, Huesca and Tenerife, and points readers to the European Avalanche Warning Services for winter conditions.

If something goes wrong in the mountains, 112 reaches the emergency services and 062 reaches the Civil Guard, which runs mountain rescue. Note that Catalonia has begun billing climbers and skiers whose negligent behavior causes them to need rescuing.

The four hazards to plan around

Extreme heat. Affects much of the country in summer. Check AEMET and the European Meteorological Services, follow the Spanish Ministry of Health's guidance for your area, and move your day to its cooler ends.

Wildfires. Frequent in summer, including on the islands. Be aware of your surroundings in or near woodland, check AEMET for fire risk, and remember that causing a wildfire is a criminal offense in Spain even if unintentional. Report any fire you see to 112 immediately, and understand that a wildfire situation changes fast enough that official advice is worth rechecking hourly.

Flash flooding. Can disrupt travel and damage property and infrastructure. Check AEMET's warnings before you travel and follow local authorities.

Cold and snow. Real on the plateau and in the ranges, and capable of closing a mountain road. For skiing or other outdoor conditions, the advisory notes you can call the Spanish National Tourist Office in London or consult the avalanche services.

Read this with our guide to the best time to visit, our packing list and our safety guide.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Spain safety and security: street theft and distraction teams, vehicle crime, the identification requirement, regional alcohol and swimwear rules, balconies, taxis, driving rules, wildfires and extreme heat. Accessed 16 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: Spain health: the emergency number, vaccine timing, health risks including biting insects and ticks, altitude sickness, and the difference between public and private treatment. Accessed 16 September 2026.