Today's weather for Benidorm, Spain9th Nov 2009 02:30

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Weather Overview for Benidorm

Benidorm has an exceptionally sunny Mediterranean climate with long, hot summers and mild winters. The resort enjoys a microclimate of slightly higher temperatures and much clearer skies due to its surrounding mountains. Benidorm receives 325 days of sunshine per year; this has contributed immeasurably to the outstanding popularity of Benidorm as a tourist destination.

Summer, from May till October, sees average high temperature moving through the 20s to a peak of 30°C in August. Night time temperatures are cool in the fringes of the season but in July and August the average low temperature can stay up around 20°C. This level of heat might be found uncomfortable but throughout the summer humidity levels are low and constant sea breezes help to keep conditions bearable. The sea is too cool, around 17°C, in May for prolonged swimming but quickly hurdles the 20°C mark, getting up to a peak of 25°C in August and staying warm for the rest of the season. July is the sunniest month with an average of eleven hours of sunshine per day. Rainfall is minimal for most of the season thought the odd shower might occur. It increases towards the end and October is actually the wettest month in the year, though it still is not particularly rainy by UK standards.

Autumn, a brief and rapidly changing affair in November, is hot at first but mild later on. The average high temperature of 19°C and average low of 10°C means it is regularly warm, in the low 20s, at the beginning of the month and mild, around 18°C at the end of the month during the daytime, but night times are generally quite chilly. The sea is cool but warm enough for water sports and quick dips. Rain falls in light showers on around ten days in the month. Sunshine levels are good for the season at six hours per day.

Winter, from December till February, is mild to cool and quite unpredictable. The average high temperature gets down to 15°C in January while the average low temperature is around 6°C for the whole season. While day time temperatures are vastly preferable to those in the UK, blustery weather can make it feel quite cold and visitors should not expect to stretch out on the beach in their swimwear. Night times can be very chilly and it can even get down to freezing. Sunshine levels remain the same and water temperatures drop to 14°C in January.

Spring, in March and April, is mild with nippy nights. The average high temperature creeps back up to 18°C in March and 19°C in April. From the beginning of the season temperatures in the low 20s can be seen on calm days with clear skies. Seven hours of sunshine per day in March climbs to eight in April but the sea remains cool.

Benidorm is protected from the cold, northerly Levante winds by the mountains that rise behind it. These keep the south-facing resort warmer, drier and sunnier than unprotected areas. The Mediterranean Sea helps to moderate temperatures throughout the season, preventing extreme temperatures.

Locals are accustomed to the Gota Fria, a phenomenon whereby the temperature suddenly drops, the wind reaches gale force and torrential rain starts to fall. These spells of bad weather are unpredictable but usually quite brief.

Benidorm sits on the east coast of Spain on the Costa Brava (White Coast). Once a small fishing village, Benidorm became Spain’s most popular tourist resort in the 1960s after heavy development in the 1950s. While the resident population is around 67,500 (as of 2005), the influx of tourists swells this number to around 500,000 in the summer months. The building of major hotel complexes and attractions has always been regulated to leave ‘leisure areas’, green spaces, a measure not adhered to anywhere else in Spain. However, the coastline is so clustered with highrises that it is often likened to New York.

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