The month of April is a typically spring month, where rainfall is usually a major factor. In Spain, there are areas of the peninsula where it often rains. a large number of days a year and who enjoy little sun. Taking advantage of the fact that we are in the rainy month, it is a good time to talk about those cities of Spain where rain is frequent, regardless of the season.
The northern peninsula is the wettest area of the country and therefore it rains much more compared to other regions. The two cities that compete for the title of being the rainiest in Spain are Vigo and San Sebastian. In the case of the Galician city, 1.791 mm of water is usually collected per year, while in San Sebastián the rainfall reach 1.500 mm per year.
However, there is one area in southern Spain where the greatest amount of rain falls each year. This is the Sierra de Grazalema, where up to 2.200 mm of rain in a single year. This is a region where rainfall is especially concentrated during the months of September and April, attracting the attention of meteorologists and tourists alike.
Despite these data, determining which Spanish city receives the most rain each year is complicated. Time is highly variable And while in a given month a city may be overwhelmed by rainfall, during another period a normally dry location may become the wettest.
What is clear is that the month of April is, according to the data, a typically rainy month, and it is during this time that most of the year's rainfall occurs.
Cities with the most rainy days per year in Spain
According to data from the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), information has been compiled on the rainiest cities in the country. Considering average data from 1981 to 2010, a ranking has been created of the main locations with the most rainy days per year, as well as the accumulated rainfall.
- San Sebastián – 141.1 rainy days per year
- Santiago de Compostela – 139.5 rainy days per year
- Pontevedra – 131.3 rainy days per year
- A Coruña – 129.6 rainy days per year
- Vigo – 129.2 rainy days per year
- Lugo – 126.3 rainy days per year
- Bilbao – 124.0 rainy days per year
- Santander – 123.6 rainy days per year
- Oviedo – 122.3 rainy days per year
- Vitoria-Gasteiz – 99.3 rainy days per year
- Ourense – 96.9 rainy days per year
- Pamplona – 93.5 rainy days per year
- Burgos – 83.5 rainy days per year
- Soria – 78.8 rainy days per year
- Segovia – 78.6 rainy days per year
- León – 74.9 rainy days per year
- Guadalajara – 74.1 rainy days per year
- Cuenca – 71.2 rainy days per year
- Valladolid – 68.5 rainy days per year
- Ávila – 66.9 rainy days per year
- Logroño – 66.6 rainy days per year
- Girona – 65.8 rainy days per year
- Caceres – 64.2 rainy days per year
- Zamora – 64.2 rainy days per year
- Salamanca – 63.8 rainy days per year
- Mahón (Menorca) – 63.6 rainy days per year
- Huesca – 60.7 rainy days per year
- Madrid – 59.4 rainy days per year
- Ciudad Real – 59.3 rainy days per year
- Badajoz – 59.2 rainy days per year
- Teruel – 57.4 rainy days per year
- Córdoba – 56.6 rainy days per year
- Toledo – 53.8 rainy days per year
- Barcelona – 53.3 rainy days per year
- Palma (Majorca) – 53.1 rainy days per year
- Granada – 52.1 rainy days per year
- Huelva – 51.5 rainy days per year
- Zaragoza – 51.1 rainy days per year
- Cadiz – 50.7 rainy days per year
- Sevilla – 50.5 rainy days per year
- Albacete – 50.4 rainy days per year
- Tarragona – 50.3 rainy days per year
- Lleida – 46.2 rainy days per year
- Jaén – 46.0 rainy days per year
- Castellón – 45.5 rainy days per year
- Valencia – 43.9 rainy days per year
- Malaga – 42.3 rainy days per year
- Alicante – 37.5 rainy days per year
- Murcia – 36.5 rainy days per year
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Tenerife) – 29.7 rainy days per year
- Almería – 25.4 rainy days per year
- Gando (Gran Canaria) – 22.1 rainy days per year
Where does it rain more?
The places where it rains the most in Spain are mainly those in the north of the peninsula, however, there are additional considerations to take into account. According to the A brief guide to the climate in Spain According to AEMET, the cities with the most rainy days are those located on the northwest coast and in the Sierra de Grazalema. In general, the orographic conditions and proximity to the ocean significantly influence rainfall in these areas.
An interesting aspect to mention is that in the Sierra de Grazalema, there is an average record of more than 2,100 mm of annual rainfall, which contrasts strikingly with cities like Madrid and Almería, where the annual average is much lower. The orographic phenomenon in this area causes clouds coming in from the Atlantic to condense when they collide with the mountains, resulting in abundant rainfall.
Ranking of Spanish cities where it rains the most
According to the data, the ranking of the cities with the most rain per year is summarized as follows:
- Saint Sebastian: 141.1 rainy days per year
- Santiago de Compostela: 139.5 rainy days per year
- Pontevedra: 131.3 rainy days per year
- To Coruña: 129.6 rainy days per year
- Vigo: 129.2 rainy days per year
- Lugo: 126.3 rainy days per year
- Bilbao: 124.0 rainy days per year
- Santander: 123.6 rainy days per year
- Oviedo: 122.3 rainy days per year
- Vitoria-Gasteiz: 99.3 rainy days per year
- Ourense: 96.9 rainy days per year
- Pamplona: 93.5 rainy days per year
- Burgos: 83.5 rainy days per year
- Soria: 78.8 rainy days per year
- Segovia: 78.6 rainy days per year
- Lion: 74.9 rainy days per year
- Guadalajara: 74.1 rainy days per year
- Basin: 71.2 rainy days per year
- Valladolid: 68.5 rainy days per year
- Avila: 66.9 rainy days per year
- Logrono: 66.6 rainy days per year
- Girona: 65.8 rainy days per year
- Cáceres: 64.2 rainy days per year
- Zamora: 64.2 rainy days per year
- Salamanca: 63.8 rainy days per year
- Mahón (Menorca): 63.6 rainy days per year
- Huesca: 60.7 rainy days per year
- Madrid: 59.4 rainy days per year
- Ciudad Real: 59.3 rainy days per year
- Badajoz: 59.2 rainy days per year
- Teruel: 57.4 rainy days per year
- Cordoba: 56.6 rainy days per year
- Toledo: 53.8 rainy days per year
- Barcelona: 53.3 rainy days per year
- Palma (Mallorca): 53.1 rainy days per year
- Granada: 52.1 rainy days per year
- Huelva: 51.5 rainy days per year
- Zaragoza: 51.1 rainy days per year
- Cadiz: 50.7 rainy days per year
- Seville: 50.5 rainy days per year
- Albacete: 50.4 rainy days per year
- Tarragona: 50.3 rainy days per year
- Lleida: 46.2 rainy days per year
- Jaén: 46.0 rainy days per year
- Castellón: 45.5 rainy days per year
- Valencia: 43.9 rainy days per year
- Malaga: 42.3 rainy days per year
- Alicante: 37.5 rainy days per year
- Murcia: 36.5 rainy days per year
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Tenerife) – 29.7 rainy days per year
- Almeria: 25.4 rainy days per year
- Gando (Gran Canaria) – 22.1 rainy days per year
Factors influencing precipitation
Precipitation in Spain depends not only on geographic location but also on several climatic and orographic factors. The influence of humid winds from the Atlantic Ocean, the mountains, and latitude determine the amount of rain each region receives.
For example, the orographic effect is observed in the Sierra de Grazalema, where humid winds are forced upward, causing condensation and, consequently, heavy rainfall. In contrast, areas like Almería and Murcia suffer from drought due to the rain shadow caused by the mountains, which prevent humid fronts from reaching those areas.
The 25 wettest regions in Spain are concentrated in the north, where the oceanic climate favors abundant rainfall. In contrast, the southeast is characterized by being more arid due to the absence of these climatic influences. Therefore, it is vital to understand how these factors influence the amount of rainfall each region receives.
