Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
The climate of Tarragona is
Mediterranean, with mild, relatively rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The city is the capital of the southernmost province of Catalonia and is located on the part of the coast called Costa Dorada.
Sometimes, a strong wind from the north-west can blow, especially in the cold semester (albeit a little less than in Reus).
The
average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 9 °C (48 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 24.5 °C (76 °F). Here are the average temperatures at Reus airport, near Tarragona.
Tarragona - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 4 | 14 | 9 | 39 | 57 | 48.2 |
|---|
| February | 5 | 15 | 10 | 41 | 59 | 50 |
|---|
| March | 7 | 17 | 12 | 45 | 63 | 53.6 |
|---|
| April | 9 | 19 | 14 | 48 | 66 | 57.2 |
|---|
| May | 12 | 22 | 17 | 54 | 72 | 62.6 |
|---|
| June | 16 | 26 | 21 | 61 | 79 | 69.8 |
|---|
| July | 19 | 29 | 24 | 66 | 84 | 75.2 |
|---|
| August | 20 | 29 | 24.5 | 68 | 84 | 76.1 |
|---|
| September | 17 | 26 | 21.5 | 63 | 79 | 70.7 |
|---|
| October | 13 | 22 | 17.5 | 55 | 72 | 63.5 |
|---|
| November | 8 | 18 | 13 | 46 | 64 | 55.4 |
|---|
| December | 5 | 15 | 10 | 41 | 59 | 50 |
|---|
| Year | 11.3 | 21 | 16.1 | 52.3 | 69.9 | 61 |
|---|
amounts to 500 millimeters (19.7 inches) per year: it is therefore quite scarce. In particular, the rains in winter are rarer than normally occurs in Mediterranean climates. Precipitation ranges from 15 mm (0.6 in) in the driest month (July) to 75 mm (3 in) in the wettest ones (September, October). Here is the average precipitation.
Tarragona - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 30 | 1.2 | 4 |
|---|
| February | 30 | 1.2 | 4 |
|---|
| March | 30 | 1.2 | 4 |
|---|
| April | 35 | 1.4 | 5 |
|---|
| May | 55 | 2.2 | 5 |
|---|
| June | 25 | 1 | 3 |
|---|
| July | 15 | 0.6 | 2 |
|---|
| August | 40 | 1.6 | 4 |
|---|
| September | 75 | 3 | 5 |
|---|
| October | 75 | 3 | 6 |
|---|
| November | 55 | 2.2 | 4 |
|---|
| December | 35 | 1.4 | 4 |
|---|
| Year | 500 | 19.7 | 50 |
|---|
The
winter, from December to February, is mild. There are sunny periods alternating with rainy periods (which are quite rare).
Sometimes, there may also be
cold periods brought by air masses from Eastern Europe, and once every few years (more rarely than in Barcelona, which is a little more to the north), it can also snow.
On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature typically drops to -2/-3 °C (27/28 °F). The coldest record is -8 °C (17.5 °F) and dates back to February 1983. From 2000 to 2020, the temperature dropped to -7.5 °C (18.5 °F) in December 2009.
Summer, from mid-June to August, is hot and sunny, with rare thunderstorms. During the day, the sea breeze makes the heat more bearable, but nights are muggy.
There may be some particularly hot periods, usually of short duration. On the hottest days of the year, the temperature typically reaches 35/36 °C (95/97 °F). In August 2018, the temperature reached 40 °C (104 °F) for the first time.
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On average, there are around 2,525
sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Tarragona - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 5 | 155 | February | 5.5 | 160 | March | 6.5 | 195 | April | 7.5 | 220 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 9 | 275 | July | 10 | 305 | August | 8.5 | 265 | September | 7 | 210 | October | 6 | 180 | November | 5 | 155 | December | 4.5 | 145 | Year | 6.9 | 2525 |
The
sea temperature ranges between 13 °C (55 °F) and 26 °C (79 °F). The sea is warm enough for swimming from July to September. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Tarragona - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 14 | 57 | February | 13 | 56 | March | 14 | 57 | April | 15 | 59 | May | 18 | 64 | June | 21 | 70 | July | 24 | 76 | August | 26 | 78 | September | 24 | 76 | October | 21 | 70 | November | 18 | 65 | December | 15 | 60 | Year | 18.6 | 65.5 |
Best Time
The
best time to visit Tarragona is
spring, from mid-April to mid-June. September, too, is a good month, but it is quite rainy. Summer, from mid-June to August, can be hot and muggy, though it is the best time for a beach holiday. Winter is usually mild, but sometimes it can get a bit cold and it can rain.
Back to
Catalonia.