For those who do not live in Madrid, the city’s weather is an amusement. They say, the Spanish capital has a climate of extreme. They sum it up by the phrase “nueve meses de invierno y tres de infierno” (meaning, “nine months of winter and three of hell”). Well, they are right to a certain extent. The “meseta” or the high inland plateau where Madrid sits indeed ensures sizzling summers and bitingly cold winters.

July is Madrid’s hottest month, followed by the month of August. High temperature hovers above 30 degrees Celsius, but the maximum temperature frequently goes hotter than 35 degrees Celsius and reaches 40 degrees Celsius sometimes. Heat waves sometimes happen. The extreme heat can get uncomfortable and you can still be gasping for air at 4 in the morning.

It is rare, however, that the scorching temperature gets too oppressive for over a couple of weeks each year. At such times, air-conditioning in your room is heaven sent. Bringing rare humidity and some relief, apocalyptic summer storms sometimes wet the city in summer.

January and February are the coldest months in Madrid. This is the period when daily high temperature reaches 10 degrees C or less. But a high of 15°C is common. At night temperature usually drops below freezing level, yet it rarely snows in the city. Whatever the temperature, you will notice the cold air when icy winds blow in off the snow-capped Spanish sierra.

Madrid is lovely during the spring and autumn seasons. Theoretically, these seasons are also the times with the heaviest rainfall. In October, 50mm of rainfall is quite common in October. March is very unpredictable.

In Madrid, they say “cuando en marzo mayea, en mayo marzea.” This means that, if you enjoy the nice, warm days in March, you will wipe that grin off your face in May. Basically, may is the month when the wet spells that you missed earlier drench you.