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Benidorm is well protected from the intrusion of cold winds coming from the north since the city is surrounded by mountains. For most of the year, Benidorm experiences milder temperatures due to its close proximity to the ocean. For this reason, Benidorm is much warmer than the inland parts of Spain during the winter, but is generally a little cooler during the summer due to the persistent sea breeze.
If you're free to travel any time, then you should definitely think of coming during the winter and spring time (i.e. December to April). During these months you won't be influenced by the dust storms and bush fires that occur from May to September. If you're unsure when to visit the rest of Spain, then take a look at the each year. Whatever time of year you plan to travel to Benidorm, you should be aware that the accommodation in Benidorm is nearly booked out in the summer months. Benidorm has the highest average accommodation occupancy rate of any city in Spain. Seldom does the occupancy rate go below 65% during any month of the year since the weather in Benidorm is attractive throughout the whole year. |
The weather in December to February can be quite windy and a little stormy but should not prevent you from having a great holiday. Benidorm is generally considered to be quite warm in the winter compared to other areas of Spain. You'll rarely experience overnight temperatures that drop below freezing. The daytime maximum temperature hovers around 20°C, but can go as high as 24°C in the winter.
However, there will be the occasional day when the daytime maximum temperature doesn't exceed 13°C. This occurs when there's an intense low near the Balearic Islands, which drives heavy rain and strong winds onto the eastern Spanish coast. You'll be happy to know that the wet weather may hang around for 3-4 days but normally not any longer than that.
From March to May (springtime), the daytime maximum temperatures increase from an average of 23°C in March to 26°C in May. March still suffers from the occasional cold day since cold fronts manage to manoeuvre above the mountains north of Benidorm if they are strong enough. Most of the time in March, the wind blows in from the east, but change direction after a cold front has passed through Benidorm. Rainfall is quite low in March.
In April, you can expect that cooler days of winter is a distant memory. Thunderstorms start forming in the afternoon on the warmest days.
Most of the days will be sunny, but you can expect afternoon sea breezes to occur. The stronger the wind due the sea breeze, the more likely you'll get an afternoon thunderstorm. Daytime temperatures in April average 24°C although there may be some days when the temperature will exceed 27°C.
By May, you can expect thunderstorms or showers in the late afternoon accompanying the sea breezes arrival. The daywill be warm to very warm. May is a fantastic time of year to travel to Benidorm since the stormy weather of winter and early spring is now gone. You can expect that each day will be sunny, with very little cloud cover. The end of May can get quite hot, so please start taking precautions in the sun since you don't want to get sunburnt or dehydrated.
During the summer months, the weather in Benidorm will get extremely hot. Temperatures up to 40°C (104°F) are likely to occur any time during the months of June - August, but more so in August. This is probably the worst aspect of the summer weather in Benidorm since hot winds blowing off the Sahara desert easily make their way across the Mediterranean Sea since Benidorm is exposed to winds coming from the south. Benidorm is only a couple of hundred kilometres over the sea from North Africa.
The overall rainfall begins to decrease during June, so by July through to early August, you can expect to see very little rain. In fact, the end of July to the early part of August is driest time of year and also the hottest.
Of course, there will be the occasional isolated afternoon thunderstorm in the area throughout these months but they will only produce lightning and thunder and hardly any rain. These thunderstorms shouldn't cause any concern for you during your stay in Benidorm since most of them are located out to sea. The main concern (besides the heat) will be from bushfire smoke since this of Spain is frequently visited by bush fires so take care during the hottest months of the year. The mountains north of Benidorm normally see a bush fire once every 8 years. Dust storms can cause problems as well, so be prepared for the occasional dusty day in the summer.
During the early part of August 2003, severe heat wave conditions hit not only Benidorm but also occurred throughout Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy. Temperatures topped 40°C (104°F) in Benidorm from the 1st August - 15th August, and many locals who didn't have access to air-conditioning suffered from heat exhaustion.
The average maximum daytime temperatures in Benidorm in June is 29°C, whereas in July and August, the temperature is close to 33°C.
Autumn is generally accepted as the wettest time of year, with October being the rainiest month. In fact, just over 40% of Benidorm's total rainfall occurs in autumn. The month of September in Benidorm is really just the continuation of summer, since high temperatures combined with frequent afternoon showers and thunderstorms are the norm. The humidity levels should be quite high throughout this time since frequent the rain increases the humidity levels. You can expect that the daytime maximum temperatures will reach about 31°C. You can expect one or two days in September when the temperature will rise to 34°C but this occurs more so in the early part of September.
October marks the season when the weather in Benidorm becomes quite unsettled. One day will be hot and rainy, the next cool and rainy. It doesn't rain all day every day in October since most of the rain occurs with the arrival of the afternoon thunderstorm. You can expect daytime maximum of around 26°C, but again it may reach 30°C on some days and only 23°C on others.
By November, the weather in Benidorm has become more like winter. Cold air masses begin to slide into Benidorm from the north making the region quite windy, rainy and cloudy at times. Although, the rain and cloud doesn't last long since Benidorm is known as a sunshine resort. You can expect daytime maximum temperatures of around 22°C, which is quite comfortable.
The only time of year that you need to be worried about hailstorms in Benidorm or flash flooding produced by local thunderstorms is from late August through to late October. These thunderstorms are accompanied by frequent lightning combined with torrential rain. They commonly occur with the arrival of the sea-breeze in the afternoon, since the leading edge of the sea-breeze helps trigger strong thunderstorm development not only over Benidorm, but also over most parts of eastern Spain.
There's typically around fifteen thunderstorms every year in Benidorm, with the majority of the severe storms forming near the end of summer and into mid-autumn. It is quite rare for Benidorm to get large hail, since the majority of these hailstorms form further north of about Valencia.
