Climate zones in Spain, 1991 to 2020
Share of Spain's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 770,879 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 504,912 km²).
By major group: C (temperate) 77%, B (arid) 22%, D (cold (continental)) 2%, E (polar) 0.1%.
Spain has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Csa (hot-summer mediterranean), covers only 38% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by Csb (21%) and BSk (19%). 6 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, hot-summer mediterranean means dry, hot summers and mild, wetter winters. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 41% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Csa (hot-summer mediterranean).
How Spain's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 29% | 10% | BSk +5.4 percentage points | Csb -10.8 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 24% | 6.7% | Csa +8.2 percentage points | Csb -7.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 41% | 13% | Csa +7.2 percentage points | Csb -10.2 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 71% | 29% | BSh +27.9 percentage points | Csb -16.6 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 34% | 38% | 46% | 45% | 40% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 32% | 21% | 13% | 11% | 4.1% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 14% | 19% | 19% | 21% | 15% |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 14% | 12% | 6.2% | 3.3% | 0.5% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 1.6% | 5.7% | 9.6% | 9.3% | 7.1% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 0.2% | 1.7% | 3.5% | 7.9% | 30% |
| BWh Hot desert | 0.5% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 3% |
| Dfb Warm-summer humid continental | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Dsb Warm-summer continental with dry summer | 1.8% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Dfc Subarctic (boreal) | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.1% | - |
| ET Tundra | 0.3% | 0.1% | - | - | - |
| Dsc Subarctic with dry summer | 0.4% | - | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Spain and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Madrid | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) |
| Barcelona | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Valencia | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Zaragoza | BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Sevilla | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
| Málaga | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
Zones found in Spain
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Csa. See data sources and licences.