WEATHER

1. 10. Climate and rivers in Spain
1. Climate and weather
Climate is not the same as weather.
Weather can change in just a few minutes.
Climate is a region's characteristic temperature, wind and
precipitation over a very long time.
2. The Earth's climate
The distance of an area from the equator determinates how
much heat it gets from the sun.
– Tropical zone: it is very hot all year
– Temperate zone: there are warm summers and cold
winters.
– Polar zone: it is very cold all year.
3.Climate in Spain
There are different types of climate in Spain.
- The Atlantic climate: This is the mild climate on the
Cantabrian coast and in Galicia. Rainfall is abundant all
year round.
- The Mediterranean climate: This is the climate near
the Mediterranean. Summers are hot, and winter are mild.
Rainfall is light.
- The subtropical climate: This is the climate in the
Canary Islands. It is hot all year round. Rainfall is limited
to a few months of the year.

2. - The mountain climate: In the highest mountain areas,
winters are very cold but summers are mild. It rains and
snows a lot.
4. Watersheds
There are three watersheds in Spain:
-The Atlantic watershed carries water form the rivers
which flow into the Atlantic Ocean.The Galician rivers are
short with high flows due to abundant rain. Atlantic rivers
in Andalusia are long with irregular flows.
- The Cantabrian watershed carries water from the rivers
which flow into the Cantabrian Sea. It has short rivers.
Their flow is abundant and regular.
- The Mediterranean watershed carries water from the
rivers which flow into the Mediterranean Sea. They are
short, with low and irregular flows.