El Mediterranean climate it is a temperate climate characterized by very hot and dry summers and mild and rainy winters. All the provinces that are in the Mediterranean region have this climate, but it is also present in other areas of the planet, such as California (United States).
The rains are very scarce, to the point that 3 to 6 months can go by without a major storm. Drought is, therefore, a very worrying problem, since in many places it does not fall more than 100-150mm. Discover what the Mediterranean climate is like.
Mediterranean climate types
Climograph of Almería (Spain)
Four types of Mediterranean climate are distinguished, which are:
Typical
It is the one that is given in a good part of the Mediterranean coast, except Egypt and part of Libya and Tunisia. The average temperature is above the 18ºC, and winters are humid and rainy, and summers are very dry and hot (it can reach 38ºC in a heat wave).
In Spain, specifically in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and a good part of the Valencian Community, they have this climate.
Continentalized
It occurs in areas far from the coast, as there is a lower degree of humidity. Thermal amplitudes are more pronounced. There may be cold winters with frosts and mild summers, or mild winters and very hot summers.
Countries like Italy, Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon or in the interior of Spain, this climate occurs.
Mediterranean with oceanic influence
It occurs on the Mediterranean coasts, being on the western coast of a continental mass. In this area, summers are softer (30ºC or less) and dry than in the typical Mediterranean, and winters are rainier.
The south of Galicia, the coast of California, the areas of Perth and Adelaide in Australia, are some of the places that have this climate.
Dry
It is the one that occurs in transition between the Mediterranean climate and the desert. It is characterized by having average temperatures higher than those 20ºC, being able to exceed 45ºC during a heat wave. The precipitations are very little, oscillating between 200 and 400mm.
In Spain it occurs in Alicante, Almería and a good part of Murcia. It also occurs in Greece, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Israel, Tunisia, Australia, Portugal, Jordan, Chile, Syria, and Mexico.
Life in the mediterranean
In the places where the Mediterranean climate occurs, life is not easy. Both plants and animals must be able to withstand the high summer temperatures, as well as the lack of rainfall.
Some examples of life that we can find are the following:
- Flora: Olea, Protea, Pinus, Araucaria, Podocarpus, Tamarix, Ceratonia.
- Fauna: wolf, lynx, hedgehog, toad, lizard, Mediterranean tortoise, imperial eagle.
We hope you have learned a lot about this curious climate 🙂.