Destination guide
Alicante weather by month
June is the best starting point for an Alicante holiday if you want warm days, swimming weather and relatively little rain: daytime averages reach 27°C and the sea reaches 22°C. July suits travellers who put sunshine first, while August is hottest at around 30°C. May and October offer a gentler balance for time outdoors. Winter is better for walking than swimming, and September keeps summer warmth but brings a greater chance of rain.
- Hottest month
- 29.7°CAugust
- Coolest month
- 15.2°CJanuary
- Warmest sea
- 26.5°CAugust
- Flight from London
- 2 h 30 minShort-haul (up to 4.5 h) · estimated
Alicante, month by month
A little perspective
Alicante through the year
Every month at a glance; "best" marks our three top months on warmth, dryness and sunshine.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Sun/day | Rain mm | Rainy days | Days 25°C+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.2°C | 8.0°C | 14.6°C | 5.4 | 34 | 5 | 0% |
| February | 15.8°C | 8.3°C | 13.9°C | 6.0 | 29 | 5 | 0% |
| March | 17.9°C | 10.2°C | 14.4°C | 6.5 | 39 | 6 | 1% |
| April | 19.9°C | 12.2°C | 15.8°C | 7.1 | 45 | 7 | 2% |
| May | 22.8°C | 15.3°C | 18.5°C | 8.1 | 35 | 6 | 21% |
| Junebest | 26.7°C | 19.2°C | 22.2°C | 10.5 | 16 | 3 | 77% |
| Julybest | 29.3°C | 21.9°C | 25.3°C | 11.9 | 5 | 2 | 99% |
| Augustbest | 29.7°C | 22.6°C | 26.5°C | 10.0 | 14 | 3 | 99% |
| September | 26.8°C | 20.1°C | 24.9°C | 7.1 | 47 | 7 | 78% |
| October | 23.2°C | 16.4°C | 22.0°C | 5.9 | 44 | 7 | 28% |
| November | 18.7°C | 12.0°C | 18.8°C | 5.3 | 42 | 6 | 2% |
| December | 15.9°C | 9.1°C | 16.2°C | 5.0 | 32 | 5 | 0% |
Day = average daytime high, night = average night-time low, 1991-2020.Sun is hours per day; rainy days count 1 mm or more.
Day, night and sea
Monthly average temperatures, 1991-2020
- Day
- Night
- Sea
Best months here
On warmth, low rainfall and sunshine, start with these.
When to go to Alicante
For beach weather, look at months where the daytime average clears 25°C and rainy days stay low: June, July, August, September. September is the wettest month (47 mm, about 7 rainy days) and July the driest (5 mm). The sea is warmest in August at 26.5°C and coolest in February at 13.9°C.
Getting there
A direct flight from London Gatwick to Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport (ALC, 10 km from Alicante) takes roughly 2 h 30 min - short-haul (up to 4.5 h) by UK standards. Time-zone: Europe/Madrid.
Records and extremes, 1991-2020
The hottest day recorded in Alicante between 1991 and 2020 reached 37.7°C on 4 July 1994; the coldest fell to -1.4°C on 29 January 2006. In August one day in ten tops 32.2°C and about 45% of days pass 30°C; in January one night in ten drops to 4.8°C or below. The wettest single month of the period was September 1996 with 165 mm, against a September average of 47 mm.
Sunrise, sunset and daylight in Alicante
Local time on the 15th of each month; daylight-saving rules as of 2020.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Sunshine/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:18 | 18:04 | 9.8 h | 5.4 h |
| February | 07:54 | 18:39 | 10.8 h | 6.0 h |
| March | 07:13 | 19:09 | 11.9 h | 6.5 h |
| April | 07:26 | 20:38 | 13.2 h | 7.1 h |
| May | 06:51 | 21:06 | 14.3 h | 8.1 h |
| June | 06:38 | 21:27 | 14.8 h | 10.5 h |
| July | 06:51 | 21:25 | 14.6 h | 11.9 h |
| August | 07:17 | 20:56 | 13.7 h | 10.0 h |
| September | 07:44 | 20:11 | 12.5 h | 7.1 h |
| October | 08:11 | 19:25 | 11.2 h | 5.9 h |
| November | 07:43 | 17:50 | 10.1 h | 5.3 h |
| December | 08:12 | 17:42 | 9.5 h | 5.0 h |
Winter: mild afternoons, cool evenings
December, January and February suit travellers who prefer being outdoors without summer heat and do not need warm seawater. December averages 16°C by day, January dips to 15°C and February returns to 16°C. That makes daytime walks a reasonable plan, but this is not reliably warm weather for sitting outside in light clothing. Nights fall to 8°C in January and February, so pack a jacket and layers rather than relying on a daytime forecast. Each winter month averages 5 rain days, leaving scope for outdoor plans with some flexibility. The sea is cold, reaching 14°C in February, so swimming is unlikely to be the main draw.
Spring to June: choose May for walking, June for swimming
March brings daytime averages of 18°C, comfortable for walking with a layer available, though the sea remains a chilly 14°C. April reaches 20°C but averages 7 rain days, so warmer afternoons do not remove the need for a wet-weather alternative. May is a useful compromise for travellers who want warmth without the strongest summer heat: days average 23°C and nights 15°C. Its 18°C sea may still feel cold for a leisurely swim. June makes the clearer shift towards a beach-focused holiday, with 27°C days, 22°C seawater and just 3 rain days on average. Plan active outings earlier in the day as the midday warmth becomes more noticeable.
July to November: peak sunshine, then warmth with more rain
July is the clearest choice for sunshine and low rainfall, averaging 12 hours of sun and 2 rain days. August is hotter, with 30°C days and 23°C nights, so shade at midday and comfortable sleeping arrangements matter. Its 26°C sea suits travellers who prioritise warm swimming. September stays warm at 27°C, with the sea still at 25°C, but rain days rise to 7: keep outdoor plans flexible rather than expecting July conditions. October offers a gentler 23°C by day and 22°C sea, making it a reasonable choice for combining walking with swimming if that water temperature suits you. By November, days average 19°C and nights 12°C; bring layers and treat swimming as optional rather than the focus.
A little more detail
Alicante weather FAQs
Plain answers, grounded in the averages.
What is the best time to visit Alicante?
Judged on warmth, low rainfall and sunshine, the best months in Alicante are July, June and August. August is the hottest month (average high 29.7°C) and January the coolest (15.2°C).
How many months a year is Alicante over 25°C?
4 months in Alicante average a daytime high of 25°C or more, and 6 average 20°C or more.
When is the rainy season in Alicante?
September is the wettest month in Alicante (47 mm on average) and July the driest (5 mm). Annual rainfall averages 382 mm.
What is the hottest temperature recorded in Alicante?
The hottest day recorded in Alicante between 1991 and 2020 reached 37.7°C on 4 July 1994; the coldest fell to -1.4°C on 29 January 2006. Records come from daily data for 1991-2020, not from a single station's all-time history.
When is the sea warmest in Alicante?
August has the warmest average sea temperature at 26°C. July and September are close at 25°C, so September can suit swimmers who prefer less daytime heat than August. The catch is that September has more rain days than either peak-summer month.
Is spring or autumn better for swimming?
Autumn has the warmer sea in these monthly comparisons. October averages 22°C in the water, compared with 18°C in May, while both have daytime averages of 23°C. Choose May if swimming is secondary; October makes more sense if warmer water matters, though it averages more rain days.
See also: Spain weather by month · where else is hot in August
About these averages
ERA5-Land climate reanalysis via Open-Meteo (11 km grid) and NOAA Coral Reef Watch 5 km sea temperatures, 1991-2020
Averages computed from daily values at Alicante. Sea temperature from the nearest 5 km sea cell, 2.3 km from that point. Sunshine hours are estimated from average cloud cover.Records are the highest and lowest daily values in that 30-year period, not all-time records. These are climate averages, not a forecast for your trip. How we measure holiday weather
- Hot · 25°C+
- Warm · 20°C to below 25°C
- Mild · 15°C to below 20°C
- Cool · below 15°C