The Weather in Spain

The weather, the 'blue drizzle', of southern Spain definitely improves your lifestyle. Unless you actually experience it long term you cannot really appreciate how wonderful it is to wake up on more than 300 days of each year to clear blue skies and sunshine.

Apart from the fact that the sun shines most of the year it is also the quality of the light which improves life. The light of the Mediterranean gives such a luminous touch to the colours of your surroundings, a real picture postcard effect which you appreciate throughout the year.

There are times when it can be better to get out of the sun in the middle of the day, which you will learn to do if you live in Spain.

Remember why siesta developed! Later in the afternoon you can happily return to the sun and enjoy it. Summer evenings are wonderful. Very rarely does it feel too hot in the evening but you can still live outside comfortably - the terrace or the garden really does become an outdoor room.

An important factor in keeping the climate in southern Spain very pleasant is the relatively low humidity. The only time that the weather can be a bit of a problem is when the hot winds blow from the Sahara. When this happens the Spanish advise you to stay indoors and close all doors and windows to keep the heat out until the wind drops.

Winter is absolutely delightful, with mostly blue skies and daytime temperatures in the 60s Fahrenheit or between 15 and 20° Celsius. At night temperatures do drop but rarely below 50° Fahrenheit (10° Celsius).

It would, however, be totally wrong to paint a picture of year-round idyllic weather. There are days when the sky is overcast but somehow the grey does not appear to be so dark. There are also days when it rains and when it rains in southern Spain it is tropical style rain. Two minutes outside and you are absolutely soaked to the skin. The roads turn into rivers and really the only thing to do is to stay indoors. The consolation is that the rain will not last and tomorrow or the day after the sun will probably be shining again. It would be almost unheard of here to experience several days or weeks of continual rain and grey skies. Without this rain the coast would not remain so green for most of the year. It is only in the height of the summer that the landscape does become a bit barren. Every living plant tends to go into a dormant phase and dries up until the autumn rain arrives.

Suffice it to say that when northern Europe is experiencing heavy rainfall, snow or freezing conditions the Costa del Sol is probably basking in sunshine. Spain is probably Europe's sunniest country and the Costa del Sol is truly the sunniest region.

The weather alone could provide a very good reason to live here.