Murcia has a hot subtropical semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh), with Mediterranean (Csa) influences. Given its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, it is commonly referred to as a "semi-arid Mediterranean climate", with mild winters and warm to hot summers.
It averages more than 300 days of sun per year. Occasionally, Murcia has heavy rains where the precipitation for the entire year will fall over the course of a few days.
In the coldest month, January, the average temperature range is a high of 16 °C (61 °F) during the day and a low of 4 °C (39 °F) at night. In the warmest month, August, the range goes from 33 °C (91 °F) during the day to 20 °C (68 °F) at night. Temperatures almost always reach or exceed 40 °C (104 °F) on at least one or two days per year. In fact, Murcia holds temperature records close to the highest recorded in southern Europe since reliable meteorological records commenced in 1950. The official record for Murcia stands at a stifling 46.1 °C (115.0 °F), at Alcantarilla airport in the western suburbs on July 4, 1994 with 45.7 °C (114.3 °F) being recorded at a station near the city centre on the same day
