SUNNY SPAIN . . . WEATHER IN CAVE COUNTRY

"Come rain or shine (or snow)"

Sunny Spain? Not always! Many villages and hamlets lie well above 900 meters above sea level, this high up in the "sierras" or mountains can produce some extreme conditions from time to time. Summers tend to be long and very hot with temperatures reaching as high as 46°C. The area can look quite barren with little rainfall and bleaching sun for weeks on end. Winters on the other hand can be very cold; our first winter saw temperatures dip to minus 18°C in February. It is not uncommon for water pipes to remain frozen for days on end, depending on which way your cave faces will also have an effect on how quickly you get thawed out - if you're in shadow most of the day then it will take a few days longer as opposed to a cave facing the sun.

Snow can also be quite a problem . . . These pictures were taken in January 2007. Three feet of snow fell overnight and within a few hours the whole area for miles around came to a complete standstill.

The rain in Spain, when it rains it rains a lot! Electrical storms can be quite spectacular with lighting flashing across the sky turning clouds into shades of purple and red. Access to a rural cave can be difficult after a heavy rain storm, most villages will have tarmac or concrete roads to reformed caves but out in the campo (countryside) access in most cases is by dirt track. The mud that is created after a rain storm is not pleasant, it has a strange consistency almost like glue and will stick to shoes, paws, tyres and anything else it comes in contact with. Plastic bags around your feet (if you have to go out) is the Andalucian defence against the dreaded "barro".

If you worship the sun then this is the place for you, villages can appear deserted between the hours of 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm with the locals retiring for lunch then a siesta. Working outdoors can be tiring in the heat and it's always advisable to drink plenty of water. July and August are the hottest months of the year and it stays light well into the late hours.

January	:	Quite a pleasant month, eat outdoors, possible snow, cold nights
February	:	Possible snow, generally cold, windy
March	:	Cold evenings, general rain
April	:	Becomes milder, eat outdoors, possible rain
May	:	BBQ weather, very pleasant outside
June	:	Summer is here!
July	:	Very hot, possible storms
August	:	Very hot, possible storms
September	:	Still hot but more comfortable
October	:	Pleasant outdoors but nights closing in
November	:	Fire not needed yet, possible rain
December	:	Cold nights, possible snow / rain, daytimes quite pleasant