Spain's climates and climate graphs
Spain is in the temperate climate zone. But Spain is big, it has mountains and two seas and an ocean around it, so inside Spain there are five different types of climate.
Near the Atlantic Ocean, in the north (Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country). Mild winters, cool summers and it rains often.
In high areas, like the Pyrenees or Sierra Nevada. Very cold winters and mild summers. Rain is frequent and it often snows.
The largest climate in Spain, in the centre (Madrid, Castilla). Very hot summers, very cold winters and not much rain.
On the southern and eastern coasts and the Balearic Islands. Hot summers, mild winters and not much rain.
In the Canary Islands. Mild all year round, and it does not rain very often.
How to read a climate graph
Climatologists are like meteorologists, but they study changes in the climate, not the weather of tomorrow. With the data from weather instruments they make climate graphs. A climate graph shows two things for each month of the year:
The average temperature, in degrees Celsius (°C). Measured with a thermometer.
The average rainfall, in millimetres (mm). Measured with a rain gauge.
Look for the highest point of the red line: it is July, at about 26 °C. Now look at the blue bars: July and August are also the months with the least rain. Hot, dry summers and cold winters: that is the Continental-Mediterranean climate!