Iberian weather patterns

[Damião de Góis]

I wasn't sure where to put this but the purpose of this thread is to post everything related with weather in the Iberian peninsula.

I'll start with rainfall. The wettest place in Iberia is actually Northwest Portugal and not Galicia or elsewhere in Northern Spain as people would expect.

Here are the wettest places:

http://oi42.tinypic.com/72g406.jpg

The least wet places:

http://oi44.tinypic.com/af7wva.jpg

And an overview... basically the northwest is the wettest place, followed by the Basque Country and the southeast is the dryest:

http://oi43.tinypic.com/2q3axhs.jpg

[Bobby Six Killer]

so it rains a lot in portugal?

[Damião de Góis]

so it rains a lot in portugal?

In the north as you can see above.

[Riki]

so it rains a lot in portugal?

Yep,sometimes we can have torrential rain for a all Month.

[Riki]

I remember when I was young the continuous storms throughout winter.
With winds so strong that roofs,trees and cars would be moved.

[Bobby Six Killer]

Yep,sometimes we can have torrential rain for a all Month.

How cold is the north part in winter?

[Vasconcelos]

Not too cold, temperatures can go below 0, but not much.

[Anthropologique]

How cold is the north part in winter?

It's coldest in the north-east (Tras-os-Montes). The region also gets the most snow.

[Damião de Góis]

Highest values of precipitation measured in one day:

http://oi40.tinypic.com/2en3h4y.jpg

http://oi43.tinypic.com/esvwch.jpg

[Vasconcelos]

Serra do Gerês, Iberian capital of rain.

[Siberyak]

Does it snow in the winter in Lisbon?

[Vasconcelos]

Yes(sarcasm)! Like once ever 50 years lol
Lisbon is possibly the "warmest" European capital during the winter.

[Catrau]

Hey Alex this tread is going to fuck up our tourism.:D
We've been sucessfull all those years in deceiving the northerners, stating that we have almost 300 days of sunshine and other silly things. We may have in the Algarve but the very best of Portugal is far away north. But those northerners don't care about history, architecture and culture they just want tanned asses in the beach.:thumbs up

[Damião de Góis]

Does it snow in the winter in Lisbon?

It did in 2006 :D


Hey Alex this tread is going to fuck up our tourism.:D
We've been sucessfull all those years in deceiving the northerners, stating that we have almost 300 days of sunshine and other silly things. We may have in the Algarve but the very best of Portugal is far away north. But those northerners don't care about history, architecture and culture they just want tanned asses in the beach.:thumbs up

Tourists don't go to the north anyway.

[Catrau]

It did in 2006 :D



Tourists don't go to the north anyway.

Ya, but they should, they would see us in very different manner. North is really fantastic but we have to forget northern beaches they're just like Britanny hehehe.
Once i've been in Goteborg in August and the sea of Norway was 22ºC and I thought: "Holly shit, if Brits know about this, our business is really f**ked up!!"

[Damião de Góis]

Ya, but they should, they would see us in very different manner.

I really don't think that's important, how foreigners see us. And tourism may help the local economy but other than that i don't see what's so positive about it. It's nice to have some areas of our country "unspoiled" by tourism.

[Damião de Góis]

Here are extremes of temperatures recorded:

All time highs:

http://oi42.tinypic.com/350mob7.jpg

All time lows:

http://oi42.tinypic.com/25u6rld.jpg

Average minimum temperatures between 1971 and 2000

http://oi39.tinypic.com/5cm5ms.jpg

Average maximum temperatures for the same period

http://oi43.tinypic.com/vs145e.jpg

[Catrau]

I really don't think that's important, how foreigners see us. And tourism may help the local economy but other than that i don't see what's so positive about it. It's nice to have some areas of our country "unspoiled" by tourism.

Of couse it is important. Image is very important.

North lives on tourism too but it is mainly Portuguese and Spanish and you see more and more northerners especially in Oporto and in the Douro. Soon they will discover Minho. I read that with the low cost operators, people comes to stay in Minho in those mansions just to eat and rest for a weekend. That's really nice, I could do that too.

[Damião de Góis]

Average number of days with minimum temperature equal or below 0ºC in winter:

http://oi39.tinypic.com/t8wysw.jpg

Average number of days with maximum temperature equal or above 25ºC in summer:

http://oi43.tinypic.com/2qitg79.jpg

[Treffie]

In the north as you can see above.

Portugal je Wales :D

[Damião de Góis]

Portugal je Wales :D

That wettest part is actually a protected area with some hills (peaks at 1430 m). And it's on the Galician border.

http://www.cafeportugal.net/resources/3/image/portugalapesoajo003.jpg

[Graham]

Your North West is wetter than our East coast to compare. Portugal doesn't look much different than to England in rainfall.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/anomacts/2011/17/2011_17_Rainfall_Actual.gif

[Damião de Góis]

Your North West is wetter than our East coast to compare. Portugal doesn't look much different than to England in rainfall.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/anomacts/2011/17/2011_17_Rainfall_Actual.gif

I think the difference is that the British Isles have rain all year on moderate doses, while even our rainy part is relatively dry in the summer but with heavy rains in winter. But i could be wrong about that.

[Catrau]

I think the difference is that the British Isles have rain all year on moderate doses, while even our rainy part is relatively dry in the summer but with heavy rains in winter. But i could be wrong about that.

I agree with you except for northwest, there it can rain even in the summer most of the years and sometimes it's even misty.

[Comte Arnau]

Portugal je Wales. :thumb001:

Now...

Switzerland?

http://static.flickr.com/87/247867813_020188f914.jpg

Nah, Asturias.


Colorado?

http://www.chavinandez.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/monegros-150.jpg

Nah, Aragon.


Lybya?

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RP5qnFeeHQw/TcO6Sb2HmgI/AAAAAAAAGkE/U1yFrXyf_O8/s1600/PUNTA_DEL_FANGAR_GDE_2%255B1%255D.jpg

Nah, Catalonia


Vietnam?

http://v1.nonxt5.c.bigcache.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/11417732.jpg?redirect_counter=1

Nah, Valencia


Germany?

http://blogs.hazteoir.org/teresadejesus/files/2012/01/Alc%C3%A1zar-de-Segovia-nevado-precioso.jpg

Nah, Castile.


Central Africa?

http://www.clubgenteviajera.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/do%C3%B1ana-dunas-1.jpg

Nah, Andalusia



An alien planet?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/153/350074989_538d0afa97.jpg

Close. But nah, the Basque Country. :)

[Treffie]

Your North West is wetter than our East coast to compare. Portugal doesn't look much different than to England in rainfall.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/anomacts/2011/17/2011_17_Rainfall_Actual.gif

I think this map gives a better idea of rainfall, year-in, year-out.

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/files/documents/reports/j10107/j10107-g099.jpg

[Phil75231]

Wet Winters, Dry Summers, and average temperature of the coldest month is above freezing. Mediterranean Climate (as are all other west coast continental locales between 30 and 40 degrees latitude from the equator)

[Damião de Góis]

We are under a severe drought by the way, for two months now, while in November it rained almost every day.

[2Cool]

Portugal je Wales :D

The maps are misleading. The difference between Portugal, and say the UK, is that although it rains more, it rains more at once and for a set period of time. So in Portugal you'll have a lot of rain in the Winter but then almost no rain for the entire summer (a good 4-5 months) and with very blue clear skies. In the UK, it drizzles a lot and you get a lot of overcast weather. This is why Portugal in general has a lot more hours of sun that the UK and many European countries.

[Damião de Góis]

Precipitation numbers on the portuguese islands:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Mapa_de_precipitaci%C3%B3n_media_en_el_periodo_197 1-2000_en_los_archipi%C3%A9lagos_de_Madeira_y_Azores .png

The Azores are rainier than anywhere in the peninsula.