Climate - Gijon (Asturias)

The climate of Gijón is temperate oceanic, with mild, rainy winters and cool, relatively rainy summers.
The city is located on the coast of Asturias, in northern Spain, where the climate is much cooler and more humid than in the rest of the country.
The wind blows frequently from the ocean, and can be strong, especially in the cold half of the year. On the other hand, the warm and dry southerly wind, which descends from the Cantabrian Mountains, can cause sudden increases in temperature due to the foehn effect. With this wind, the temperature can reach 20 °C (68 °F) in winter and 30 °C (86 °F) in summer (so the effects are less evident than in other areas of the Spanish north coast, such as Bilbao).
At night, fog can form, even in summer.

The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 9.5 °C (49 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 20 °C (68 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 955 millimeters (37.6 inches) per year. It ranges from 45 mm (1.8 in) in the driest month (July) to 125 mm (4.9 in) in the wettest (November). Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from December to February, is mild and rainy. Atlantic disturbances regularly pass over northern Spain, bringing rain and cloudy skies. Although the temperatures are generally mild, wind and humidity can increase the feeling of cold.
When the south wind blows, however, the temperature can reach 20 °C (68 °F) even in the middle of winter.
Cold spells are quite rare, and don't produce remarkable effects. However, there may be some cold days, with highs around 5 °C (41°F).
Occasionally it can even snow, although the snow tends to melt quite early as the temperature rises above freezing, at least during the day.
On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature generally drops to 1/2 °C (34/36 °F). The cold record, -5 °C (23 °F), dates back to December 1980, while in January 1985, the temperature dropped to -4.5 °C (24 °F).

The summer, from June to August or mid-September, is cool and cloudy. The weather is variable, so there can be drizzle, sunny spells and short showers.
It rarely gets hot: generally the temperature reaches 30 °C (86 °F) on the hottest days of the year, perhaps only for a day or two. However, it reached 36.5 °C (97.5 °F) in June 1998 and 34.5 °C (94 °F) in September 1983.



On average, there are around 1,720 sunshine hours per year. We are at the levels of Berlin. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

The sea temperature ranges between 13 °C (55 °F) and 20 °C (68 °F). So, it never becomes warm for swimming, however, those who stand the cold can try to swim from July to September. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to visit Gijón is from June to mid-September, since it is the mildest and driest period of the year. It's better to bring a sweatshirt and a light jacket for the evening and for rainy days; an umbrella or a waterproof windbreaker can be useful too.

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