The climate of Andalusia

Location of the principal Andalusian climate types:

The climate of Andalusia

Andalusia sits at latitude between 36° and 38° 44' N, in the warm-temperate region. In general, it experiences a Mediterranean climate, with dry summers influenced by the Azores High, but subject to occasional torrential rains and extremely hot temperatures.

Within Andalusia there is considerable climatic variety. From the extensive coastal plains one may pass to the valley of the Guadalquivir, barely above sea level, then to the highest altitudes in the Iberian peninsula in the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. In a mere 50 kilometres (31 mi) one can pass from the subtropical coast of the province of Granada to the snowy peaks of Mulhacén. Andalusia also includes both the dry Tabernas Desert in the province of Almería and the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park in the province of Cádiz, which experiences Spain's greatest rainfall.

Annual rainfall in the Sierra de Grazalema has been measured as high as 4,346 millimetres (171.1 in) in 1963, the highest ever recorded for any location in Iberia. Andalusia is also home to the driest place in continental Europe, the Cabo de Gata, with only 117 millimetres (4.6 in) of rain per year.

In general, as one goes from west to east, away from the Atlantic, there is less precipitation. "Wet Andalusia" includes most of the highest points in the region, above all the Sierra de Grazalema but also the Serranía de Ronda in western Málaga. The valley of the Guadalquivir has moderate rainfall. The Tabernas Desert in Almería, Europe's only true desert, has less than 75 days with any measurable precipitation, and some particular places in the desert have as few as 50 such days. Much of "dry Andalusia" has more than 300 "sunny" days a year.

The average temperature in Andalusia throughout the year is over 16 °C (61°F). Average temperature in the cities ranges from 15.1°C (59.2°F) in Baeza to 18.5°C (65.3°F) in Málaga. Much of the Guadalquivir valley and the Mediterranean coast has an average of about 18°C (64°F). The coldest month is January when Granada at the foot of the Sierra Nevada experiences an average temperature of 6.4°C (43.5°F). The hottest are July and August, with an average temperature of 28.5°C (83.3°F) for Andalusia as a whole. Córdoba is the hottest provincial capital, followed by Seville.

The Guadalquivir valley has experienced the highest temperatures recorded in Europe, with a maximum of 46.6°C (115.9°F) recorded at Córdoba and Seville. The mountains of Granada and Jaén have the coldest temperatures in southern Iberia, but do not reach continental extremes (and, indeed are surpassed by some mountains in northern Spain). In the cold snap of January 2005, Santiago de la Espada (Jaén) experienced a temperature of −21°C (−6°F) and the ski resort at Sierra Nevada National Park—the southernmost ski resort in Europe—dropped to −18°C (−0°F). Sierra Nevada Natural Park has Iberia's lowest average annual temperature, (3.9°C (39.0°F) at Pradollano) and its peaks remain snowy practically year-round.

1.    Find and underline the parts of the text which contain the answers for the following questions.

a.    What is the main influence of the Andalusian climate (apart from its latitude)? (paragraph 1)

b.    What and where was the highest ever annual rainfall recorded for any location in Iberia? (paragraph 3)

c.    What is the second hottest provincial capital in Andalusia? (paragraph 5)

2.    List below the geographical names you encounter in the text and try to mark their approximate location in the map.

-      mountain ranges (3): 

-      valley: 

-      desert: 

-      peninsula: 

-      provincial capitals:

3.    Complete the sentence (paragraph 4):

In Andalusia, in general, the farther to the .…………. , the more precipitation.

4.    What are the main factors to cause a wide variety of the Andalusian climate? Compare Cadiz and Granada.

surpass - be or do something to a greater degree, pass by, go beyond, distinguish oneself

cold snap - a period of unusually cold weather

torrential rains - pouring in abundance, resembling a torrent in force and abundance, relating to or resulting from the action of a torrent