Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

and its metropolitan area has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

according to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

('' Cfb'') with mild winters and warm summers. According to the Troll-Paffen climate classification, Bilbao has a

temperate climate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

and according to the Siegmund/Frankenberg climate classification, Bilbao has a

subtropical climate The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north and ...

. According to the

European Environment Agency The European Environment Agency (EEA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) which provides independent information on the environment. Definition The European Environment Agency (EEA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) which provides i ...

, Bilbao lies within the

Atlantic biogeographical region The Atlantic Biogeographic Region is the biogeographic region of Europe bordering the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. Extent The Atlantic Region borders on the North Sea and North-east Atlantic Ocean. It includes all of the United Kingdom, Ireland ...

. The climate of Bilbao and the rest of the north-western part of Spain (the so-called

Green Spain Cantabrian Coast is the name given to a lush natural region in Northern Spain, stretching along the Atlantic coast from the border with Portugal to the border with France. The region includes nearly all of Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria, in ...

) is different from the rest of the country, characterized by a higher amount of rainfall and precipitation days, fewer sunshine hours and mild temperatures, in summer comparable to northern half of Europe with temperate climate.

Temperatures

Said proximity to the ocean also makes that the two most defined seasons (summer and winter) remain mild, with low intensity thermal oscillations. Its average annual temperature is 19.1 °C during the day and 9.4 °C at night. In the coldest month – January, typically the temperature is around 13-14 °C during the day and 5 °C at night. In the warmest month – August, the typically temperature is around 25-26 °C during the day and about 15 °C at night.

Precipitation

Bilbao has on average 128 precipitation days a year, therein average few to dozen rainy days per month (≥ 1 mm), ranging from 7 in July to 13 in January. The average annual precipitation is 1195 mm, ranging from 62 mm in July to 141 mm in November. This is one of the highest results in Spain, like the rest of Green Spain and Bay of Biscay area. Precipitation in the region is abundant, and given the latitude and atmospheric dynamics, rainy days represent 45% and cloudy days 40% of the annual total.Geografía de Euskal Herria: Vizcaya - Gómez Piñeiro, Francisco Javier; San Sebastián 1979

Humidity

Average

relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

is 72%, ranging from 70% in February and March to 74% in August and November.

Snow

Snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

is not frequent in the city, while it is possible to see snow on the top of the surrounding mountains. City recorded to few snow days per year. In February 1956 reported record: 7 of snow days in the month. Sleet is more frequent, about 10 days per year, mainly in the winter months.

Daylight

Bilbao enjoys one of the most optimal number of hours of daylight in Europe. Days in winter are not as short as in the northern part of the continent, the average hours of daylight in December, January and February is 9.66 hours (for comparison:

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

- about 8 hours).

Sunshine

Sunshine duration Sunshine duration or sunshine hours is a climatological indicator, measuring duration of sunshine in given period (usually, a day or a year) for a given location on Earth, typically expressed as an averaged value over several years. It is a gene ...

is 1,584 hours per year, from 78 - average above 2.5 hours of sunshine at day in December to 188 - average above 6 hours of sunshine at day in July. This is similar result (range of 1,200-2,000 hours) which is recorded in the northern half of Europe, for example: London, Warsaw; but in winter Bilbao has about two times more sun duration than in the northern half of Europe. The city has up to two times less sunshine duration than other Spanish cities besides

area.

Temperature extremes

The highest temperature ever recorded during the day in the city centre is 42 °C on 26 July 1947. In the month of August 2003, the average reported daytime maximum temperature was a record 29.9 °C. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -8.6 °C on the night of 3 February 1963.(pdf)
http://www.aemet.es/en/-s:pdf/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/efemerides_extremos*?w=0&k=pva&l=1082&datos=det&x=1082&m=13&v=todos www version] - Extreme Values. Bilbao Aeropuerto - Agencia Estatal de Meteorología

Sea temperature

Average annual temperature of sea is about 16 °C. In February, the average sea temperature is 12 °C. In August, the average sea temperature is 21 °C. From July to September, average temperature of sea exceed 20 °C.

Climatic data for Bilbao area

{{Weather box , location =

Bilbao Airport Bilbao Airport is a minor international airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in Biscay. It is the largest airport in the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 5,469,453 passengers in 2018. It is famous for its new m ...

(1971–2000) , metric first = yes , single line = yes , Jan high C = 13.2 , Feb high C = 14.5 , Mar high C = 15.9 , Apr high C = 16.8 , May high C = 20.1 , Jun high C = 22.6 , Jul high C = 25.2 , Aug high C = 25.5 , Sep high C = 24.4 , Oct high C = 20.8 , Nov high C = 16.4 , Dec high C = 14.0 , year high C = 19.1 , Jan mean C = 9.0 , Feb mean C = 9.8 , Mar mean C = 10.8 , Apr mean C = 11.9 , May mean C = 15.1 , Jun mean C = 17.6 , Jul mean C = 20.0 , Aug mean C = 20.3 , Sep mean C = 18.8 , Oct mean C = 15.8 , Nov mean C = 12.0 , Dec mean C = 10.0 , year mean C = 14.3 , Jan low C = 4.7 , Feb low C = 5.1 , Mar low C = 5.7 , Apr low C = 7.1 , May low C = 10.1 , Jun low C = 12.6 , Jul low C = 14.8 , Aug low C = 15.2 , Sep low C = 13.2 , Oct low C = 10.8 , Nov low C = 7.6 , Dec low C = 6.0 , year low C = 9.4 , Jan precipitation mm = 126 , Feb precipitation mm = 97 , Mar precipitation mm = 94 , Apr precipitation mm = 124 , May precipitation mm = 90 , Jun precipitation mm = 64 , Jul precipitation mm = 62 , Aug precipitation mm = 82 , Sep precipitation mm = 74 , Oct precipitation mm = 121 , Nov precipitation mm = 141 , Dec precipitation mm = 116 , year precipitation mm = 1195 , Jan precipitation days = 13 , Feb precipitation days = 11 , Mar precipitation days = 11 , Apr precipitation days = 13 , May precipitation days = 12 , Jun precipitation days = 8 , Jul precipitation days = 7 , Aug precipitation days = 8 , Sep precipitation days = 9 , Oct precipitation days = 11 , Nov precipitation days = 12 , Dec precipitation days = 12 , year precipitation days = 128 , Jan sun = 86 , Feb sun = 97 , Mar sun = 128 , Apr sun = 128 , May sun = 160 , Jun sun = 173 , Jul sun = 188 , Aug sun = 179 , Sep sun = 157 , Oct sun = 123 , Nov sun = 93 , Dec sun = 78 , year sun = 1584 , source 1 = Agencia Estatal de Meteorología , date=September 2013

References

Bilbao