Climate - Tortosa (Catalonia)

The climate of Tortosa is Mediterranean, with mild, relatively rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The city is located in southern Catalonia, 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the Ebro Delta Natural Park, where Spain's longest river flows into the sea. To the north of the Ebro delta, we find the southern part of the so-called Costa Dorada.
In certain meteorological situations, the city is windy, because it is located in an area, which also includes the coastal stretch on the Gulf of San Jorge from Cambrils to l'Ampolla, where the north-west wind manages to climb over the mountains.
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 10.1 °C (50 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 26.5 °C (80 °F) at the observatory of Roquetes. Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 510 millimeters (20.1 inches) per year: therefore, it is not abundant. 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 80 mm (3.1 in) in the wettest (October). Here is the average precipitation.

The winter, from December to February, is mild. There are sunny periods alternating with rainy periods (which are quite rare).
As mentioned, there can be some days with strong winds.
Sometimes, there may also be cold periods brought by air masses from Eastern Europe, but with less evident effects than in the rest of Catalonia. Not by chance, snow is very rare.
On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature typically drops to 0 °C (32 °F). The coldest record is -6.5 °C (20.5 °F) and dates back to February 1956, but otherwise, the temperature only dropped to -3 °C (26.5 °F) in the cold January 1985, and from 2000 to 2020, it dropped to -2.5 °C (27.5 °F) in March and December 2005.

Summer, from June to August, is hot and sunny, with rare thunderstorms. Summer is warmer than on the coast, not only because of the distance from the sea, but because the hills to the east partially block the sea breeze.
There may be some particularly hot periods. On the hottest days of the year, the temperature typically reaches 38/40 °C (100/104 °F). The heat record is 43 °C (109.5 °F) and was recorded in July 1982, while in recent years, the temperature has reached 42.5 °C (108.5 °F) in August 2018 and in late June 2019.



On average, there are around 2,665 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

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.

Best Time

The best time for a beach holiday on the coast near Tortosa (and also to visit the Parc Natural Els Ports, located in the mountains) is the summer, from June to August. The water temperature is comfortable enough from July to September; however, in September, which is still a good month (especially in the first half), the first Atlantic depressions begin to affect this area. May and June are sunny months, but the sea is still a bit cool, especially in May, when it is actually a bit cold.
Although good weather is not always guaranteed, spring and autumn are ideal for visiting the city, since it can be very hot in summer.

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