ClimavisoBilbao vs Santander: which has less bad weather?
Averages over the last 7 complete years, from official warnings. Updated 26 October 2026.
Bay of Biscay against Bay of Biscay. Santander gets fewer warnings than Bilbao, and the difference comes from inland: Bilbao gets more warnings for storms, heat and snow.
The verdict
Less bad weather: Santander
Santander has 33 warning days a year; Bilbao, 41. In other words, Bilbao gets a warning on about 8.3 more days a year. It also has fewer serious warnings: 3.1 orange or red days a year, against 8.0. Bilbao is mostly rain and storms; Santander, rain and wind.
Head to head
| Bilbao | Santander | |
|---|---|---|
| Warning days a year | 41 | 33 |
| Orange or red days a year | 8.0 | 3.1 |
| Red days (last 7 years) | 9 | 3 |
| Heat (days a year) | 9.7 | 1.4 |
| Rain (days a year) | 21 | 19 |
| Storms (days a year) | 15 | 8.7 |
| Wind (days a year) | 6.4 | 12 |
| Cold and snow (days a year) | 4.4 | 0.7 |
| Quietest month | February | April |
| Busiest month | June | December |
| Heat warning starts at | 34 °C | 34 °C |
In bold, the city with fewer warnings in each row. A day with several warning types counts in each.
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilbao | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 7.9 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 2.1 |
| Santander | 4.1 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
Warning days in each month, average over the last 7 years.
By season
- Winter: Bilbao (8.0 warning days) against Santander (10).
- Spring: Santander (4.3 warning days) against Bilbao (5.7).
- Summer: Santander (8.9 warning days) against Bilbao (17).
- Autumn: a tie, 10 warning days each.
If you're going to live in one of them
- If you'd rather avoid heat: Santander is better, with 1.4 warning days a year against 9.7 in Bilbao.
- If you'd rather avoid storms: Santander is better, with 8.7 warning days a year against 15 in Bilbao.
- If you'd rather avoid wind: Bilbao is better, with 6.4 warning days a year against 12 in Santander.
- If you'd rather avoid cold and snow: Santander is better, with 0.7 warning days a year against 4.4 in Bilbao.
Warnings are only one part: choosing where to live depends on far more than the weather.
Frequently asked questions
Which has better weather, Bilbao or Santander?
Going by official warnings, Santander: 33 warning days a year against 41 in Bilbao.
Where does it rain more, Bilbao or Santander?
By rain warnings, they're level: 21 days a year in Bilbao and 19 in Santander. Warnings only count heavy rain, not every rainy day.
Which is hotter, Bilbao or Santander?
By heat warnings, Bilbao: 9.7 days a year against 1.4 in Santander. The yellow heat warning starts at 34 °C in both.
When is the best time to visit Bilbao and Santander?
If you want to dodge warnings, February in Bilbao and April in Santander: their quietest months.
Each zone has its own thresholds: the same heat or rain can trigger a warning in one city and not in the other. A warning is a forecast that the zone's threshold will be crossed, not damage or a measurement. Here we compare how often each city was warned.