Climate - Murcia (Spain)

The climate in Murcia can be defined as almost Mediterranean, in fact, it has a particularly remarkable aridity and a very hot summer, and also a good amount of sunshine even in winter. Murcia is the capital of the Autonomous Community of the same name; it is located at sea level, about 35 km (20 mi) away from the coast, in south-eastern Spain.
In winter, there are several mild periods, while occasionally, there can be cold periods, with highs around 10 °C (50 °F) and light frosts at night. At Alcantarilla air base, the temperature dropped to -6 °C (21 °F) in December 1940 and December 1941, and to -5 °C (23 °F) in February 1956 and January 1991. From 2000 to 2020, the lowest temperature has been -4.7 °C (23.5 °F), recorded in January 2011.
Snow in Murcia is very rare, however, the conditions for a snowfall can sometimes occur, even if many years apart. Snowfalls with accumulation occurred in February 1983 and in January 2017.
In summer, owing to the position of the city, in southern Spain but at a certain distance from the sea, and with a mountain range that partially isolates it from the sea (the Cordillera Sur), the heat is particularly intense. Every year, there are very hot days, during which the temperature reaches or exceeds 40 °C (104 °F). In July 1994, it reached as high as 46 °C (115 °F). In 2012, it reached 44 °C (111 °F) in June and 44.5 °C (112 °F) in August, while in 2016, it reached 43.5 °C (110 °F) in early September. In July 2015, the average maximum ot the whole month has been 37 °C (98.6 °F).
The daily average temperature ranges from 10.5 °C (51 °F) in January to 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) in August. Here are the average temperatures.

Rainfall is scarce, only 300 millimeters (12 inches) per year; in particular, winter is drier than it normally is in Mediterranean climates; in summer, it almost never rains. Owing to the scarcity of rainfall, the landscape is arid. Rainy days are particularly rare, although when it rains, it can sometimes rain a lot.
In the city, basically it never snows, while sometimes, it can snow in the higher areas of the province.
Here is the average precipitation.

The amount of sunshine in Murcia is great in summer, when clear skies prevail. Even in winter, however, there are many sunny days, in fact, there are 5 and a half hours of sunshine a day in January and 6 in February. With nearly 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, Murcia is in fact one of the sunniest cities in Spain and all of Europe. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Best Time

Even though good weather is not always guaranteed, spring and autumn are ideal for visiting the city of Murcia and for excursions to the other cities of the interior (see Lorca), since the summer can be very hot.
The best time for a beach holiday in the Costa de Murcia (Costa Cálida) is the summer.