Climate - Valencia (Spain)

In Valencia, a city located on the east coast of Spain and capital of the Valencian Community, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild, relatively rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
Although the climate is mild, the city is quite windy.
The Valencian Coast includes towns such as Sagunto, Cullera, Gandia, Miramar, Piles and Oliva.
The daily average temperature ranges from 10.5 °C (51 °F) in January to 26 °C (79 °F) in August. Here are the average temperatures recorded at the airport.

Rainfall amounts to 470 millimeters (18.5 inches) per year, and follows the Mediterranean pattern, in fact, it is concentrated from September to April. However, the rains are quite rare even in the rainiest months. The rainiest season is autumn because of the prevalence of southerly winds; in winter, it does not rain much, since the weather fronts come from the west, while the city is exposed to the east. In summer, it almost never rains.
Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from December to February, is a mild season, and it's characterized by sunny periods alternating with periods of bad weather, with wind and rain, which, however, are quite rare.
There is a good number of sunny days, with daytime temperatures reaching 18/20 °C (64/68 °F) even in winter. With the wind from Africa, it can instead exceed 20 °C (68 °F). In January 2012, it reached 26 °C (79 °F), and in early February 2020, as high as 29.5 °C (85 °F).
Very cold days are rare, however, there may be periods, usually short, in which the night temperature drops to freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) or a little below, while it fluctuates around 8/10 °C (46/50 °F) during the day. In these periods, the cold is felt, also because houses are often poorly heated.
The coldest record is -7.2 °C (19 °F) and was recorded in February 1956. More recently, the temperature dropped to -5.5 °C (22 °F) in January 1985. After the year 2000, it dropped to -4.5 °C (24 °F) in December 2009 and December 2010, and to -5 °C (23 °F) in January 2011.
In the inland areas of the Valencian Community, it can sometimes snow at an altitude higher than the plain, while snow in the city is a very rare phenomenon: the last major snowfall dates back to January 11, 1960; a less intense snowfall has been recorded on February 12, 1983.

Spring, from March to May, is mild and sunny, with rainy days still possible but not very frequent, and a few afternoon thunderstorms that arrive from the interior in late spring. The wind from Africa can bring the first hot days, with highs of 30 °C (86 °F) and more, sometimes as early as in March.

Summer, from June to mid-September, is hot and sunny. Typically, temperatures hover around 28 °C (82 °F) in June and September and around 30/32 °C (86/90 °F) in July and August. The weather is hot and humid, but there is also the breeze from the sea, in short, it's the typical Mediterranean summer.
Sometimes, however, there may be hot and muggy periods, with highs reaching 35 °C (95 °F), and with the combination of humidity and temperature that makes the heat unpleasant. The worst exposure of the houses is to the west, where the sun beats down unchallenged in the afternoon, while the sea breeze comes from the east.
When the wind blows from the interior, there may also be heat waves, in which temperatures can reach or exceed 40 °C (104 °F), but fortunately, the air in these cases is dry. The record heat is 43 °C (109.5 °F) and was recorded in August 2010. In May 2015, during an early heat wave, the temperature exceptionally reached 42.5 °C (108.5 °F) even though it was still spring.

Autumn, from mid-September to November, is initially warm, and then becomes gradually milder, while tre first Atlantic low-pressure systems begin to affect the city.
Every now and then, the rains can be concentrated in a short time and can be abundant, to the point of causing flooding. After the flood of October 1957, it was decided to divert the Túria river out of the city, and to build in its place a garden that now runs along the city on the ancient course of the river.



The amount of sunshine in Valencia is very good in summer, when clear skies prevail, it is good in spring and autumn and decent even in winter: there are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day in December, 5 hours and a half in January and 6 hours in February.
On average, there are 2,750 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

The sea in Valencia is warm enough for swimming from July to September, when it reaches 24/26 °C (75/79 °F) (ie, more than in other parts of Spain); it remains cool until June.
Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time for a beach holiday in Valencia 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 and for excursions to the interior, since it can be very hot in summer.