Spain Climate
Top 5 Cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, and Andorra
This month in numbers
Spain experienced its 10th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 13.17°C, an anomaly of +2.3°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This follows a trend of unusually warm conditions, with April 2026 officially being the hottest April since records began in 1961, according to Spain's state meteorological agency AEMET, with an average temperature of 15.1°C across mainland Spain. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The February–April 2026 period saw an average temperature of 10.33°C, marking it as the 18th warmest such period in 86 years of records, with an anomaly of +1.6°C. This continues a pattern of warmer-than-average conditions for Spain, which recorded its 3rd warmest year on record in 2025, with an average temperature of 15.08°C. The long-term trend for Spain shows a significant warming of +1.74°C compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. While Spain's 1-month anomaly for April was +2.32°C, it was 0.16°C cooler than the overall Europe group average.
What’s driving change?
The unusually warm conditions in Spain, particularly the record-breaking April temperatures, are largely driven by a combination of factors. A significant warming driver is the increasing likelihood of an El Niño event developing in the coming months, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Mediterranean, amplifying heatwave and wildfire risks, especially across the Iberian Peninsula. The current ENSO state is Neutral, but forecasts indicate an 82% probability of El Niño developing by May–July, rising to 98% by August–October.. Additionally, a negative () phase earlier in the year weakened the Azores anticyclone, allowing Atlantic storms to track towards Spain and Portugal, bringing heavy rainfall in the preceding months. However, April was also noted as extremely dry across much of mainland Spain, with rainfall reaching only 58% of normal levels. Spain has also experienced a flood event from April 28 to May 18, representing 100% of the annual total for floods in the past 12 months, an unusual concentration of such an event for the region and season. More information can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Forecasting models suggest a strong likelihood of El Niño conditions persisting through the summer and into autumn, which could lead to hotter and drier conditions across Spain, with an increased risk of heatwaves..
Sources:
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Spain
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Spain changing?
Spain is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Spain come from?
Climate data for Spain comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Spain climate data cover?
The Spain climate profile covers Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Spain
How often is the Spain climate update refreshed?
The Spain climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.