Climate of Spain: Due to both its geographical situation which exposes only its northern part to the Jet Stream's typical path and its orographic conditions, the climate in Spain is extremely diverse.

Peninsular Spain experiences three major climatic types: Continental, Oceanic, and Mediterranean.

Continental climate

The locally generated tempered continental climate covers the majority of peninsular Spain, influencing the Meseta Central, the adjoining mountains to the east and the south, and the Ebro Basin. A continental climate is characterized by wide diurnal and seasonal variations in temperature and by low, irregular rainfall with high rates of evaporation that leave the land arid. Annual rainfall generally is 300 to 640 mm (11.8 to 25.2 in); most of the Meseta region receives about 500 mm (19.7 in). The northern Meseta, the Sistema Central, and the Ebro Basin have two rainy seasons, one in spring (April-June) and the other in autumn (October-November ), with late spring being the wettest time of the year. In the southern Meseta also, the wet seasons are spring and autumn, but the spring one is earlier (March), and autumn is the wetter season. Even during the wet seasons, rain is irregular and unreliable. Continental winters are cold at −1 °C (30.2 °F), with strong winds and high humidity, despite the low precipitation. Except for mountain areas, the northern foothills of the Sistema Iberico are the coldest area, and frost is common. Summers are warm and cloudless, producing average daytime temperatures that reach 21 °C (69.8 °F) in the northern Meseta and 24 °C (75.2 °F) to 27 °C (80.6 °F) in the southern Meseta; nighttime temperatures range from 7 °C (44.6 °F) to 10 °C (50 °F). The Ebro Basin, at a lower altitude, is extremely hot during the summer, and temperatures can exceed 40 °C (104 °F). Summer humidities are low in the Meseta Central and in the Ebro Basin, except right along the shores of the Río Ebro, where humidity is high.

Oceanic climate

An oceanic climate prevails in the northern part of the country, often called "Green Spain", from the Pyrenees to the northwest region, characterized by relatively mild winters, warm but not hot summers, and generally abundant rainfall at 1,000 mm (39.4 in) spread out over the year, with the driest month above 30 mm (1.2 in). Temperatures vary only slightly, both on a diurnal and a seasonal basis, averages range from 9 °C (48.2 °F) in January to 21 °C (69.8 °F) in July. The moderating effects of the sea, however, abate in the inland areas, where temperatures are more extreme than temperatures on the coast. Distance from the Atlantic Ocean also affects precipitation, and there is less rainfall in the east than in the west. Autumn (October through December) is the wettest season, while July is the driest month. The high humidity and the prevailing off-shore winds make fog and mist common along the northwest coast, this phenomenon is less frequent a short distance inland, however, because the mountains form a barrier keeping out the sea moisture.

Mediterranean climate

The Mediterranean climate region roughly extends from the Andalusian Plain along the southern and eastern coasts up to the Pyrenees, on the seaward side of the mountain ranges that parallel the coast. Total rainfall in this region is concentrated mostly in late autumn-winter and spring periods. The rain pattern is often irregular which make drought periods likely. Temperatures in the Mediterranean region are higher in winter, and diurnal temperature changes more limited, than those of the continental inland region. Temperatures in January normally average 10 °C (50 °F) to 13 °C (55.4 °F) in most of the Mediterranean region, getting cooler in the northeastern coastal area north of Barcelona. In winter, temperatures inland in the Andalusian Plain are slightly lower than those on the coasts. Temperatures in July and August average 22 °C (71.6 °F) to 27 °C (80.6 °F) on the coast and 29 °C (84.2 °F) to 31 °C (87.8 °F) farther inland, with high humidity. The Mediterranean region is marked by Leveche winds: hot, dry, easterly or southeasterly air currents that originate over North Africa. Episodes of these winds, which sometimes carry fine Saharan dust are more likely in spring, associated to a sudden, usually short-lived, rise of the temperatures. A cooler easterly wind, the Levante, funnels between the Sistema Penibetico and the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. These easterly winds are the ones which most influence the Mediterranean climate, for they are mild in temperature and humid.

Other climate types in Spain

Besides the above three major types, there are important exceptions, as follows:

• A Semiarid climate in the Southeasternmost part of Spain (covering most of Alicante, Murcia and Almería provinces). Summers here are hot to very hot and winters mild to cool. Very dry, virtually sub-desertic, rainfall as low as 150 mm (5.9 in) a year in the Cabo de Gata which is reported to be the driest place in Europe.
• The highest section of the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada qualify as Alpine climate.
• The Canary Islands are a Subtropical climate in terms of temperature, being these mild and stable (18 °C/64.4 °F to
  24 °C/75.2 °F) throughout the year. In terms of precipitation, the Eastern islands are semiarid and moister the westernmost ones, with some very wet areas in the mountains of Gomera and La Palma, the cloud forest known as laurisilva. Then, the southern Mediterranean coast (Malaga and Granada's coastal strip) shares traits with both Mediterranean and Subtropical.

Geography of Spain: At 504,782 km² (194,897 sq mi), Spain is the world's 51st-largest country. It is some 47,000 km² (18,000 sq mi) smaller than France and 81,000 km² (31,000 sq mi) larger than the U.S. state of California. The Teide (Tenerife, Canary Islands) is the highest peak of Spain and the third largest volcano in the world from its base.

On the west, Spain borders Portugal; on the south, it borders Gibraltar (a British overseas territory) and Morocco, through its exclaves in North Africa (Ceuta, Melilla, and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera). On the northeast, along the Pyrenees mountain range, it borders France and the tiny principality of Andorra.

Spain also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and a number of uninhabited islands on the Mediterranean side of the Strait of Gibraltar, known as Plazas de soberanía, such as the Chafarine islands, the isle of Alborán, Alhucemas, and the tiny Isla Perejil. Along the Pyrenees in Catalonia, a small exclave town called Llívia is surrounded by France. The little Pheasant Island in the River Bidasoa is a Spanish-French condominium.

Mainland Spain is dominated by high plateaus and mountain ranges, such as the Sierra Nevada. Running from these heights are several major rivers such as the Tagus, the Ebro, the Duero, the Guadiana and the Guadalquivir. Alluvial plains are found along the coast, the largest of which is that of the Guadalquivir in Andalusia.

Geography of Spain