Donostia / San Sebastián climate
Donostia / San Sebastián (Basque Country, Spain) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 15 °C59 °F, and about 1,069 mm42 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Donostia / San Sebastián climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1253 | 846 | 1050 | 1265.0 |
| Feb | 1253 | 846 | 1049 | 953.8 |
| Mar | 1457 | 948 | 1152 | 903.5 |
| Apr | 1560 | 1151 | 1356 | 863.4 |
| May | 1864 | 1356 | 1660 | 823.2 |
| Jun | 2171 | 1662 | 1966 | 682.7 |
| Jul | 2374 | 1865 | 2169 | 481.9 |
| Aug | 2475 | 1966 | 2171 | 502.0 |
| Sep | 2272 | 1763 | 2068 | 642.5 |
| Oct | 2067 | 1559 | 1763 | 943.7 |
| Nov | 1559 | 1152 | 1355 | 1495.9 |
| Dec | 1254 | 948 | 1151 | 1174.6 |
| Year | 2475 | 846 | 1559 | 1,06942 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83% | 79% | 1.4 | 9:18 |
| Feb | 81% | 73% | 2.3 | 10:27 |
| Mar | 80% | 71% | 3.6 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 80% | 72% | 4.6 | 13:21 |
| May | 81% | 72% | 5.4 | 14:40 |
| Jun | 80% | 68% | 6.0 | 15:23 |
| Jul | 79% | 64% | 5.9 | 15:05 |
| Aug | 77% | 64% | 5.3 | 13:57 |
| Sep | 76% | 63% | 4.3 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 77% | 69% | 2.8 | 10:56 |
| Nov | 81% | 76% | 1.7 | 9:37 |
| Dec | 82% | 77% | 1.3 | 8:59 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Donostia / San Sebastián is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 24 °C75 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 12 °C53 °F and lows 8 °C46 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 11.8 °C21.3 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,069 mm42 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 37% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (149 mm5.9 in), the driest is July (48 mm1.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 76% in September to 83% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 63%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in June to 13 km/h (8 mph) in December. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Donostia / San Sebastián
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September: average highs of 21 °C71 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 48 mm1.9 in to 68 mm2.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 12 °C53 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Donostia / San Sebastián
- Winter (December–February) — highs around 12 °C53 °F, lows 846 to 9 °C48 °F, about 113 mm4.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1457 to 18 °C64 °F, lows 948 to 13 °C56 °F, about 86 mm3.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2171 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1662 to 19 °C66 °F, about 55 mm2.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1559 to 22 °C72 °F, lows 1152 to 17 °C63 °F, about 102 mm4.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Donostia / San Sebastián compares
Compared with Pamplona, about 61 km to the southeast, Donostia / San Sebastián is on average 3.1 °C5.6 °F warmer and receives 10% more precipitation (1,069 mm42 in vs 968 mm38 in). The difference is largest in December (4.8 °C8.7 °F warmer).
Of the 46 places in Spain covered by World Climates, Donostia / San Sebastián is the 32nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Spain climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Hamilton (New Zealand, Cfb), Auckland (New Zealand, Cfb) and Melbourne (Australia, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Pamplona 61 km · 12 °C54 °F · 968 mm38 in
- Gasteiz / Vitoria 77 km · 12 °C53 °F · 931 mm37 in
- Bilbao 77 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,003 mm39 in
- Logroño 102 km · 14 °C57 °F · 641 mm25 in
- Santander 149 km · 16 °C60 °F · 993 mm39 in
- Burgos 177 km · 11 °C51 °F · 632 mm25 in
- Bordeaux 203 km · 14 °C56 °F · 749 mm29 in
- Zaragoza 205 km · 16 °C61 °F · 367 mm14 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Donostia / San Sebastián?
August is the warmest month in Donostia / San Sebastián, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Donostia / San Sebastián?
February is the coldest month, with an average high of 12 °C (53 °F) and an average low of 8 °C (46 °F).
When does it rain the most in Donostia / San Sebastián?
November is the wettest month with about 149 mm (5.9 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 48 mm (1.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Donostia / San Sebastián?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 118 m, while Donostia / San Sebastián lies at about 17 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.7 °C1.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.