Southern Europe has a distinctively Mediterranean climate, which features warm to hot, dry summers and cool to mild winters and frequent sunny skies. Central-eastern Europe is classified as having a humid continental climate, which features warm to hot summers and cold winters.
In Western Europe there are marine climates, Mediterranean climates, semiarid areas, highland and humid subtropical climates. In Southeast Europe, you'll find mostly humid continental, semiarid and Mediterranean climates. In Northeast Europe, there are marine, subarctic, tundra and humid continental climates.
In southern Europe, annual precipitation and summer rainfall are projected to decrease, whereas aridity, droughts and fire hazards are all likely to increase.
Countries like Spain, Portugal, Southern France, Italy, Greece and Turkey do all face hot dry summers and mild winters with hardly any frost. Drought and a lack of quality irrigation water are the biggest problems turf managers to deal with.
Either the cape of Gata, in Almería, or some parts of the coast of the island of Tenerife. The cape of Gata (in spanish “Cabo de Gata”), in Almería is considered the driest place in the whole Europe (not just the driest in Spain), because it has the lowest ammount of rainfall, only 155 mm (6.1 in) per year.
The Gulf Stream is nicknamed "Europe's central heating", because it makes Europe's climate warmer and wetter than it would otherwise be.
World's Driest Countries by Annual Average Precipitation (2023). Egypt has the lowest average annual rainfall of all countries, at 18 mm (0.7 inches). It receives very little annual precipitation, with most of the rainfall concentrated along the northern coast.
Southern Europe has a distinctively Mediterranean climate, which features warm to hot, dry summers and cool to mild winters and frequent sunny skies. Central-eastern Europe is classified as having a humid continental climate, which features warm to hot summers and cold winters.
Southwest: The Southwest region experiences a dry climate with hot summers and mild winters. This region is known for its arid landscapes and desert-like conditions.
While the list of the top 20 rainiest countries in the world is dominated by Asian, African, and South American countries, Iceland is amongst the most rainy countries in Europe, with an average annual precipitation of 1288 mm per year in 2022.
A typical winter day in France is around 25°F (14°C) warmer than the same day in Maine! In fact, this dynamic occurs at all latitudes when comparing North America and Europe. Why is this? The standard explanation for this difference is that the Gulf Stream is directly responsible.
Wide-ranging drought impacts
Droughts take a long time to build and a long time to ease, meaning the impact of the 2024 U.S. drought won't be erased overnight and could easily linger into 2025. A record-breaking 87 percent of the United States was covered in abnormally dry or drought conditions as of Nov.
Climate change is already impacting Europeans' daily lives and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Europe is expected to get warmer, some regions getting drier, while others wetter. These changes will not only impact our health but also the ecosystems we depend on.
In the East, the climate is continental.
Temperatures can drop below 0 degrees Celsius and, in the mountains, are frequently accompanied by snow. In the South, the climate is Mediterranean. Summers are hot and winters mild and dry. The autumn often brings thunderstorms and heavy rain that can lead to flooding.
West of 100°W, much of the U.S. has a cold semi-arid climate in the interior upper western states (Idaho to the Dakotas), to warm to hot desert and semi-arid climates in the southwestern U.S. East of 100°W, the climate is humid continental in northern areas (locations roughly above 40°N, Northern Plains, Midwest, Great ...
For example, climate change contributed to 19 percent of the area covered by dry rivers in Central and Southern Europe. The researchers also more precisely classified the calculated contribution of climate change to the extreme drought in the summer of 2022.
Nevada is the Nation's driest state, with statewide annual average (1895–2020) precipitation only 10.2 inches. Regionally, annual average (1991–2020 normals) precipitation varies from 4 inches in some low elevation locations in the southwest to more than 50 inches on high mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
While temperatures fluctuate throughout the year in most U.S. states, there are few states with warm weather that see averages around 70-degree weather year-round. These states include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Two states—Kansas and Tennessee—are entirely dry by default: counties specifically must authorize the sale of alcohol in order for it to be legal and subject to state liquor control laws. Alabama specifically allows cities and counties to elect to go dry by public referendum.
Chile. Chile is considered to be one of the driest countries in the world. The northern part of Chile, particularly the Atacama Desert, is one of the driest places on Earth. Retirees can choose to live in Antofagasta or San Pedro de Atacama, which are some of the best places to retire in Chile.
In Southeast Asia, countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are known for their oppressive humidity. Cities such as Singapore and Jakarta regularly experience humidity levels above 80%, making them some of the most humid urban areas in the world.
The hottest places in Europe
The hottest place in Europe is Valletta in Malta, with an average daily temperature over the whole year of 22.3ºC. A holiday in Malta is a pretty safe bet almost any time.
With the aver- age yearly temperatures of 90°F (32°C) and only 2.1 inches (53.3mm) of precipitation each year, Death Val- ley is the hottest and driest place in the United States.
Estonia, a small European country located near the Baltic Sea, is ranked as the cleanest country in the world. It scored 75.3 in the EPI 2024 report. It ranks highest due to its greenery, freshwater sources, clean air and water. The second country on the list is Luxembourg; it scores 75 in the EPI 2024 report.