Valencia
Climate

Valencia and its metropolitan area have a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) bordering on a semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) with mild winters and hot, dry summers. According to the Siegmund/Frankenberg climate classification, Valencia has a subtropical climate.

The average annual temperature of Valencia is 18.6 °C (65.5 °F); 23 °C (73 °F) during the day and 14.2 °C (57.6 °F) at night. In the coldest month, January, the maximum daily temperature typically ranges from 15 to 20 °C (59 to 68 °F), the minimum temperature typically at night ranges from 6 to 10 °C (43 to 50 °F). December, January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around 17 °C (63 °F) during the day and 8 °C (46 °F) at night. March is transitional, the temperature often exceeds 20 °C (68 °F), with an average temperature of 19.3 °C (66.7 °F) during the day and 10 °C (50 °F) at night. During the warmest months – July and August, the maximum temperature during the day typically ranges from 28 to 32 °C (82 to 90 °F), about 21 to 24 °C (70 to 75 °F) at night. In the summer months, humidity levels tend to be high (just like in many other seaside cities), which makes the weather feel stuffy and sticky, increasing the heat index. This makes the 30 °C (86 °F) in Valencia may seem hotter than those in inland cities like Madrid or Córdoba.

The maximum of precipitation occurs in autumn, coinciding with the time of the year when cold drop (gota fría) episodes of heavy rainfall—associated to cut-off low pressure systems at high altitude — are common along the Western mediterranean coast. The year-on-year variability in precipitation may be, however, considerable.

Snowfall almost does not occur at all; the most recent occasion snow accumulated on the ground was on 11 January 1960. Valencia has one of the mildest winters in Europe, owing to its southern location on the Mediterranean Sea and the Foehn phenomenon, locally known as ponentà. The January average is comparable to temperatures expected for May and September in the major cities of northern Europe.

The highest and lowest temperatures recorded in the city since 1937 were 44.7 °C (112.5 °F) on 10 August 2023 and −7.2 °C (19.0 °F) on 11 February 1956, respectively.

Valencia, on average, has around 2,670 sunshine hours per year, from 152 in December (average of 5 hours of sunshine duration a day) to 308 in July (average around 10 hours of sunshine duration a day). The average temperature of the sea is 14–15 °C (57–59 °F) in winter and 25–26 °C (77–79 °F) in summer. Average annual relative humidity is 65%.
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